‘Stomach infrastructure’ and political chicanery – Lagos state govt and Okada riders. Commercial motorcylists popularly known as ‘Okada riders’ are back on Lagos roads and I know why. They are back without number plates, without headlamps, without helmets, without scruples, without regard for rules. Their glances are furtive, their ways are menacing, their driving – very aggressive. There is something clandestine about their re- emergence and they betray a suspicion that they will be around only for a short while. The regulatory agencies that a couple of months ago had harassed , hounded and hunted Okada riders and seized and destroyed thousands of Okadas now conveniently ignore their presence. The Lagos state government had while insisting that Okada riders could not ply certain roads reminded us that they were only enforcing provisions of the Traffic code. Governor Fashola , reputed for strict enforcement of laws , who had personally led the fight against Okada riders, is strangely uninterested. Its so strange that its nearly comical. Lagos state governments Okada volteface should be inexplicable, but coming after Ekiti, it’s much less so. The return of Okada to Lagos highways is a tragedy and many lagosians are not amused. A government that has led the way in restoration of order has capitulated so shamefacedly and now blames the police for the return of Okada riders. But we know better. Thousands had their Okadas destroyed by Fasholas government some months ago and many of them watch in disbelief as Okadas ply freely the prohibited routes. This absurdity is a child of the strange thing that happened in Ekiti a couple of months ago. Stomach infrastructure or stomach politics as it has come to be known has always been part of the political strategy of all our politicians and political parties past and present. In the face of crippling poverty and shackling ignorance it is understandable why many Nigerians seek instant gratifications from politicians in exchange for their votes . In a land where government policies are ephemeral and promises by politicians are loose and cheap, and like my grandmother says of worthless things – can be put into a pocket with holes without regrets. Thoroughly worthless. Life here is then laced with so much uncertainty that ‘today’ becomes very significant and tangible while ‘tomorrow’ is distant and unreliable. And that which you can see, touch or put in your pocket or stomach is perhaps all you have. Governor Fayose’s victory in Ekiti elevated the discourse of stomach politics to a new high ground. Lets assume that the APC’s initial reading of events is right and that stomach politics was primarily responsible for the defeat of Fayemi, though they have gone to court to contest the victory on other grounds. Lets abide by a fairly general consensus that Fayemi did fairly well as governor in terms of development and provision of physical infrastructure and that his performance ordinarily should have guaranteed him re –election. Lets note that Fayose is reputed to have a good grass root followership and is a good mobiliser and Fayemi is seen by some as out of touch and a bit aloof. But Fayose was impeached for corrupt practices , indicted in a murder investigation and is seen by many a a political rascal while Fayemi , urbane and modern , is seen by many as innovative and calm. Despite all of these, the defeat of an incumbent governor who has performed fairly well should in all circumstances remain an uphill task. Fayemi must have engaged in dispensing gifts to the electorate but Fayose made it the core of his campaign and reaped benefits. Ekiti was a lesson to all politicians . Ekiti presented many lessons. Good and bad lessons. That the wishes of the people count and that the ordinary people cannot be taken for granted electorally was a big positive political lesson . That the people may have prioritized stomach infrastructure above physical infrastructure , pecuniary benefits over tangible enduring benefits ,is a political tragedy of grave implications. Yet this tragedy is in a sense inevitable. A prerequisite for a proper democratic practice is freedom of choice. A poor and ignorant electorate is not free and to that extent cannot choose freely. Without some measure of social security allowance to the unemployed and elderly, free and compulsory qualitative education , affordable health and housing , it is naïve to expect free and fair elections. Benighted and vulnerable, the masses are there to be exploited. The ramifications of the implications of Ekiti has been widespread and very damaging. Governor Oshiomole, an otherwise popular and purposive governor, had during an inspection of schools discovered that many teachers in Edo schools could not speak English. He rightly decided that teachers would need to update their knowledge regularly and that regular assessments of teachers had become imperative to weed out those not fit to teach. One would expect that a leader like Oshiomole would do the right things at all times and when he resisted teachers who kicked against the idea for their selfish and short sighted interests, many cheered Oshiomole for principled steadfastness. But that was before Ekiti. After Ekiti , Edo state government, against good reason, pandering to the interest of teachers, fearful of untoward electoral repercussions and against the overall interest of the students and people of Edo state, shamelessly reversed the decision and cancelled the proposed regular teachers’ assessment exercise. Oshiomole has not given any reasons why he reversed himself and that is another tragedy. In Lagos a different but very deceitful tactic was employed. The government has chosen to continue to insist that Okadas are banned on the high ways. Cheap sophistry. They blame the police. Laughable.They cannot explain why Okadas they had taken off the highways for many months have now besieged Lagos highways and why they have refused to act. At least in Edo , Oshiomole was candid enough to announce a reversal. Candour of impotence or of cowardice. Or perhaps of selfishness. The APC in Lagos, in an effort to exonerate the government and the party, insinuated that the PDP had promised the Okada riders a reprieve if PDP won elections in the state. But because APC is the ‘saintly party’, the progressives, the party of change, the APC spokesman did not go far enough , did not tell the truth, did not say that APC has then decided to give the Okada riders instant reprieve in exchange for their votes. Shameless and short sighted opportunism. Its painful that arguably the best governors in Nigeria cannot stand up to what is right even if that would cost them many votes. Hints of demagoguery. Some say you need to win elections before you can bring real change . that is in a sense true but its also true that the change sought includes that about how elections should be fought and won. What can be expected of a leader who can sell her birthright for a mess of votes? At all times and against all odds , a leader worth his salt must articulate and serve the overall best interest of the people . And when he does he should stand his ground, history will vindicate him. That popular saying - if you cannot beat them then you follow them- is self defeating in this circumstance because success is not, and cannot be, just about short term personal benefits .Fashola and Oshiomole have great reputations, people have faith in them and its not an exaggeration to say that they represent some of our best hopes. They can ill afford to’ join them’ and the society would be better served by their refusal to join. All who are worried about the decay of moral and political values in our country must revolt against the triumph or ascendancy of exploitative stomach infrastructure and chicanery against enduringly beneficial physical infrastructure and social development and establishment of virtues.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:10:58 +0000
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