BETWEEN EKO O NI BAJE AND JEUN SOKE

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Lagos state Governor Babatunde Fashola has a slogan; Eko o Ni baje, roughly translated to mean that “May Lagos never be ruined”. It has become a popular mantra on the lips of Lagosians replacing Bola Tinubu’s “Jeun Soke” (Chop up). But many people have been curious and speculative about what prompted Fashola to coin the phrase when he campaigned for the Lagos state gubernatorial office in 2007. Was it the absence or poor implementation of policies and programmes required for rapid socio-economic development in Lagos in the last 12 years before 2007 that caused Fashola, a bona fide Lagos boy (Omo Eko), to come to the inevitable and gloomy conclusion that Lagos was gradually losing its glory and vibrancy? Why did Fashola opt to discontinue with the “Jeun Soke” hymn of his predecessor and mentor Bola Tinubu?

To find out what informed Fashola’s slogan, it is important to first of all identify the managers of “Lagos affairs” in the last 12 years prior to May 2007, when Fashola was sworn in as Governor and determine if they are responsible or not for the decline of the Centre of Excellence. We know that in 8 of these 12 years, Lagos state was governed by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, while the remaining 4 years was split between two military administrators, namely Brigadiers Oyinlola and Marwa. We are also aware that military regimes are not accountable to anyone. Therefore for the purpose of this write up, it is unnecessary to look at their records, but to conclude that the military administrators were part of the reasons why Eko Ti Fe Ma baje (Lagos is slipping into decay).

However, since these two military officers were in office for a combined period that is just half of Tinubu’s two terms of eight years, one cannot but place a substantial part of Eko Ti Fe Ma baje fully at the doorsteps of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. It was the Jeun Soke era that was so much loved by the miscreants of Lagos. Democratically elected Tinubu, more than any other of the previous managers of Lagos state, is responsible for the decay and drift that Fashola has been addressing since 2007.

Are the many problems confronting Lagos state today the direct consequence of 8 years of inept governance, corruption, indiscipline and governance model that encouraged selfish interests? The answer is yes. But to play the Devil’s advocate, it can be argued that Fashola coined the phrase as a campaign slogan to convince Lagosians not to allow the PDP win the governorship seat so that a PDP government will not destroy Lagos and not because he felt that the overall effect of Tinubu’s Jeun Soke on Lagosians was the inculcation of a decadent and covetous mind-set among the people which became counter productive. Therefore, although the argument may sound reasonable, it is quite untenable. The reality is that prior to 2007; those who administered the affairs of Lagos were already fast asleep at the switch after eight years of Jeun Soke.

Here are the facts about Lagos before 2007. Transparency was a scarce commodity while terror was in ample supply in Lagos. Lagosians silently suffered untold hardship in the hands of a ham-fisted government. Lagos became the centre of mediocrity and deceit. Social and recreational activities were at an all time low because miscreants known as area boys were in control of the streets. A man who, for all intents and purposes, had no ethical justification to hold any public office, even as dog catcher, given the unanswered questions about his academic qualifications, was governor. Here was a governor who was encouraging the Jeun Soke philosophy with so much gusto. Social miscreants were boldly telling Lagosians that their boss (Tinubu) had given them the go ahead to Jeun Soke. Jeun Soke was about individual prosperity at the expense of the general well being. In that kind of environment, it was no surprise that Lagos experienced great decay.

The only thing the Tinubu administration had going for it was effective propaganda machinery that was first class and “Jeun Soke”. Therefore the notion that Fashola was somehow referring to the opposition Political Party (in this case the PDP) that had never formed a government in the state, when he uttered that slogan is not only irrational, but also downright disingenuous. The man was looking inwards. Jeun Soke was destroying Lagos while Eko o Ni Baje seeks to repair that damage.

But the reality is that for Eko not to Baje, many Lagosians must unavoidably get hurt. Therefore Jeun Soke had to be discontinued. Fashola recognised this and as a pragmatic leader, he was not afraid to act. His predecessor Bola; the Asiwaju of Lagos area boys wanted to be loved by area boys and alayes. So he allowed miscreants to roam freely all over the metropolis. For eight years they were everywhere extorting money from Lagosians with all kinds of names like 54 Kiniun (54 Lions) designed to instil fear in the minds of Lagosians.

Tinubu loved the area boys of Lagos more than the common people and they loved him in return. Their well being and happiness was one of the top priorities of his administration. When Fashola began campaigning for votes in 2007 with the Eko o Ni Baje slogan, Tinubu did not realize that his successor was implicitly telling him that he (Alaye Tinubu) was at the top of the list of those who were destroying Lagos. Fashola was also sending a heads up to Tinubu’s co travellers like the area boys that the days of Jeun Soke are over. It was a clever message to Asiwaju from Fashola.

The truth is that Fashola has reversed many policies of the Tinubu administration so that Eko o Ni Baje. The street traders along Oshodi, Mushin, Lagos/Badagry expressways and other major streets in Lagos will attest to this. The area boys, who extort money from these traders, can also testify that the fear of Fashola is the beginning of wisdom in Lagos. As a result, coupled with a well equipped and incentivised police force, the crime rate has gone down considerably in Lagos state. Road users will confirm that driving through Oshodi and Mushin is no longer a nightmare. When Fashola gives an ultimatum Lagosians comply with automatic alacrity and military precision. Fashola has no military background, but somehow he has managed to do, without fanfare, what gun totting boys in khaki and Asiwaju Tinubu could not do in Lagos for more than 12 years.

Lagos is green under Fashola while it was dark brown during the dog days of Tinubu. Lush and green fields are suddenly springing up in open public areas and under bridges that hitherto were dusty and full of refuse and hideouts for miscreants to Jeun Soke. On road construction and rehabilitation, Tinubu did not discriminate. He refused to patch up roads in Victoria Island, Ikeja and Ikoyi as much as he ignored them in Ajegunle and Mushin. There are roads in high brow Lekki Peninsula that are as bad as what one finds at Olodi Apapa and Ijora Badia. While Tinubu kept the true figures of Lagos state financial position close to his chest, especially the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), also known as “Jeun Si Apo” (Chop into your pocket), Fashola has released the figures periodically in the spirit of real transparency.

To be sure, there are still many problems confronting Lagos which Fashola has not even began to tackle, but to be fair, no one really expects him to clean up in two years the rot left behind by eight years of Tinubu’s government. It will take many years to reverse the extensive damage of Jeun Soke in Lagos state.

Fashola’s commendable governance model is poles apart from Tinubu that it is a breath of fresh air. Lagosians now have a ready reply to their Governor when he says Eko o Ni baje. They respond by saying “Laye! Eko Baje ti” (Lagos can never be destroyed). Jeun Soke has been forgotten and consigned for ever into the trash bin of history. May Lagosians never experience Jeun Soke again Amen. How about Eko O Ni Baje? What do you think?