Promise Adiele

Good day sir. I stoop in reverence of your exalted office as the executive governor of Lagos State. Your office is vested with authority, power, and influence over an estimated 21 million inhabitants of the widely acclaimed centre of excellence. Permit me to lay the foundation of this letter with literature because as a literary person, critical thinking is my forte. 

The place of letter writing as a communicative strategy is secured in literature where the epistolary mode bulks large. It is in that mode that Senegalese writer, Mariama Ba’s novel, “So Long a Letter” is written. The novel utilizes the sublime potential of letter writing to communicate a deep message of betrayal to the world. In the novel,

Ramotoulaye unveils the pain in her heart following the death of her husband who had betrayed her by marrying a second wife after their marriage. Her best friend, Aissatou, is the recipient of the letter. Sir, I am using the epistolary medium to communicate to you, a deep sense of anguish following the glaring deterioration of affairs in Lagos State. Today, Lagosians are confronted with the abysmal collapse of various sectors but for lack of space, I will focus on roads and security.

Sir, in this letter, I am going to keep it simple and straight to the point, setting aside all the sensuous, linguistic gymnastics associated with academic discourse. No doubt, Lagos is home to millions of people. Many have found fame and wealth in the state, some reaching unimaginable heights in their career. Surely Lagos provides an infinite opportunity for people to actualize their dreams. It is not in vain that the state is called the centre of excellence. Lagos has its language and its idiosyncrasies. Every day, the big city admits new inhabitants, increasing the population. Hardly is there a family in Nigeria not represented in Lagos by at least one person. The city accommodates the wealthy, the rich, the middle class, and the downright poor. However, many people have met their waterloo in Lagos, many have died, many have lost their wealth, and many lives cut short in Lagos. Such is the contrasting nature of the big city, the commercial capital of Nigeria.

Recently, life in Lagos has become a nightmare following the total collapse of 90% of all roads in the state. Lagos roads have become death traps and passing through them, a nightmarish experience. It is unthinkable that a state like Lagos can have the kinds of roads in it now, more like roads in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia or such other places ravaged by failure in governance.

Sir, without any attempt to exaggerate, Lagos roads are practically impossible to access, they have become a yawning emergency. The thought of waking up every day to drive or commute through the roads of Lagos induces a feeling of despair. Due to the very bad state of the roads in Lagos, traffic gridlock holds the city by the jugular.

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A journey that should ordinarily take thirty minutes now takes about 3 to 4 hours. Lagosians are crying, asking whether there is any government in the state. In recent past, I read that your administration was going to embark on major rehabilitation of all the roads in Lagos State and these roads were mentioned. However, after the news, it turned out that no repairs were embarked on and where such repairs were done, they were short term palliatives which collapsed after heavy rain.

Sir, I understand that the office you occupy comes with a lot of majesty and grandeur, and it is easy to be immune from the harsh realities of everyday life. However, I share the sentiments of late playwright, Ola Rotimi, that no matter how hard the rain falls, it cannot wash off the spots on the body of a leopard. Have the sophistication of your office made you lose touch with your people, those you entreated and cajoled to vote for you? Lagosians are in pains, they are collectively united in agony following the collapse of infrastructure especially roads. No time in recent memory have Lagos roads been this bad, but as the Afrobeat maestro recalls, Lagosians are suffering and smiling, carrying on every day as if all is well. Sir, you have spent about seven months in office, yet it is difficult for anyone to point to one major project you have undertaken.

It is possible you may have undertaken some projects, but they are not visible and do not impact on the life of the ordinary, struggling Lagosian. Please sir, Lagosians are looking up to you to immediately rehabilitate all the roads in the state. Effective governance is to affect the lives of people under your sphere of influence in a positive way.

Sir, another important aspect in Lagos state that demands urgent attention is security. Gradually, Lagos has become insecure, people are robbed on the streets at any time. Movement in Lagos has become a big risk too. All around Lagos, the story is the same, people recount how they were robbed and dispossessed of valuable items. This is a very bad testimony for your government. To be a governor comes with a huge responsibility, it goes beyond occupying a large office as a figurehead. It goes beyond using your office to patronize people while those who voted for you suffer in silence. Sir, the most painful thing about the security situation in Lagos is that the police, who are expected to offer protection, are the ones violating the people, arresting youths at gun point, and robbing them of their money. Space will not allow me to recount real stories by victims who have been robbed by the police in your state at gunpoint. Please sir, pay attention to the activities of police officers in Ojodu, Idimu, Festac, Agege, Oshodi, Egbeda, Ikorodu, and many other police stations that have become a hide-out for criminal police officers.

In Lagos state, it has now become a crime for youths to carry laptops or any electronic gadget. Stories abound how some youths have been arrested by police officers, taken to their station, and forced to use their ATM to withdraw money for these officers. Also, soldiers are not left out in the milieu. I do not know any section of the Nigerian constitution that prohibits people from dressing in any shade of military camouflage. Soldiers now see it as an excuse to brutalize people, main them, drag them to unknown places, and force them to part with money and other valuables.

Please sir, the anomies in Lagos are too many to address here. Therefore, in supplication, I beseech you to immediately address these issues in your state. History is a harsh judge. You will always be remembered for the things you do today or fail to do in your capacity as the executive governor of Lagos State. We look up to you because we love you and voted for you. Therefore, reciprocate this gesture with good governance that will impact on the lives of Lagosians. God bless you sir.

Dr. Adiele writes from Lagos via [email protected]