Lagos Is Safer In My Hands
By
Monday, January 29, 2007
Olufemi Pedro, deputy governor of Lagos State and governorship candidate of the Labour Party, in the April 2007 general election, is a consummate banker-turned politician. Before his formal entry into politics about four years ago, he was the managing director of the First Atlantic Bank, (now First Inland Bank).
As the deputy governor of Lagos State, Pedro has been able to pick up the finer points of politics. He is acclaimed as one of the pillars of Governor Bola Tinubu's administration. He was the chairman of the Lagos State internally-generated revenue team as well as the state Tenders Board. Having served the state effectively in his capacity as the number two citizen for about four years now, Pedro believes that he is better positioned to succeed Tinubu on May 29, this year.
Pedro was born in Lagos 52 years ago. His was a very humble beginning. He was from a poor family and worked hard to acquire success in life. He was educated at Wichita University, Kansas, United States and the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London. He later returned to Nigeria to use the knowledge he acquired for the development of his fatherland. He was at various times a lecturer at the Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin, and president of the Institute of Bankers.
Pedro is confident of using the platform of the Labour Party to actualise his governorship ambition. Recently, he spoke to Chris Ajaero, associate editor and Joseph Onyekwere, reporter researcher, on his blueprint for the development of Lagos State. Excerpts:
Newswatch: Could you tell us what informed your decision to vie for the Lagos State governorship?
Pedro: As you know, my pedigree goes back to my days in the banking industry. I worked for 20 years as a professional banker, manager of men and resources, and four years as a deputy governor. I have been everywhere and I have seen it all, having come from a very humble background. My parents were very poor. My two grandmothers raised me; I saw and knew poverty. So, I grew up right in the middle of the Lagos Island and God Almighty pulled me out of poverty. I was opportune to go to school just by God's favour and blessings. I was able to go through schools¾primary to secondary to university and I earned a Master's degree before I came back to work in the banking industry. My days as the deputy governor have opened my eyes. It has enabled me to move round Lagos, and this jolted me back into my humble beginning. I remembered the poverty I was into before, which fate had made me forget because of years of affluence and success in the corporate world. And that was when I became more determined and passionate about Lagos and its people. I said to myself that this is an opportunity for me to pay back what God has done. So, that is really what informed my decision to want to run for the post of governor. I really want to give back to the society the good things that God has endowed me with and the opportunities that I have had in life. I have seen Lagos, I know Lagos, and I am a Lagosian. I know the problems of Lagos; I know the issues pertaining to Lagos. I believe that with my experiences, my pedigree, and my knowledge, I am in a vantage position to take this state to a higher level what I have called the pursuit of a greater Lagos and I think it is achievable.
Newswatch: There are myriads of problems in Lagos. Which areas would you accord priority?
Pedro: First, the poverty level is like in other parts of Nigeria. But more in Lagos because of the relative success, which has been recorded by the government in the last few years, has brought in more people to Lagos. Forget about the nine million recorded in the last census. It is not acceptable to us. There is pressure on infrastructure in Lagos, pressure on educational facilities, pressure on health facilities and jobs. When you have people coming to look for jobs and there are no new companies and job opportunities are non-existent, and then, you have high level of unemployment, which leads to poverty, criminal tendencies like the area boys syndrome. We haven't really been able to tackle the issue of environment successfully as we wish to. It is also part of the problems. So, in a nutshell, the problem of poverty, of pressure on infrastructure, crime, problem of environment, and transportation are areas that I will tackle when I become governor.
Newswatch: Considering your background as a banker, some people believe that politics is a different ball game altogether. Taking into account your gentle look it is believed that it may be difficult for you to rule Lagos. Are you prepared for the tough battle?
Pedro: Whom would you rather have as governor? A hooligan or a boxer? I have my background. Twenty years of corporate experience. I had managed money, a large sum of money, somebody who had managed hitech, somebody who had managed institutions and people. Add that to my four years as deputy governor, what better qualifications do you require to be governor? And I am ready for it. I am assertive; I am firm when I have to be firm. I may have a gentle mien but I am a go-getter; I am a decision maker. Lagos is firmly safe in my hands, I can assure you that.
Newswatch: You have a good track record. But other candidates in Lagos equally have good credentials. How do you hope to defeat them in the governorship election?
Pedro: The difference is clear. Somebody must be a head and shoulder above the rest. That is how the people choose a leader. My credentials are not at par with their. I am head and shoulder above them. That is number one. Number two, I have passion for Lagos. They also have passion for Lagos but not as I do. Third, I am the only deputy governor running for the governorship race. I am closer to that seat of power than them. I have seen it all because I am right inside. When I become a governor, I am not going to set up a committee to study A or B. I already have the answers; I already have the solutions to the problems. I will go straight to work and swing into action immediately. So, that is the difference; and that is what makes me more qualified for this job than the rest of them.
Newswatch: Considering the fact that the Labour Party is not very much on the ground in Lagos State, how do you intend to use such a platform to realise your ambition?
Pedro: I can assure you that Labour Party is now on the ground and spreading like wild fire. Ever since my adoption and confirmation as the candidate for the party for the governorship of Lagos, there has been an overwhelming support by a lot of people, Lagosians in general and politicians in particular. Just a couple of weeks ago, we inaugurated the executive committees of the party in all the constituencies in Lagos State. And people have been coming in droves. So, don't make that mistake by saying because you haven't heard of the Labour Party before I came in. Labour has always been on the ground. And Labour Party is an extension of the Labour Union. So, it is easy for us to take charge, and we shall take over Lagos. The political landscape is no longer the same since we came in. It is no longer a two-party system. We now have the third force which has the best chance of snatching powers from the ruling Action Congress government and I am assuring you, I am beaming with confidence.
Newswatch: What is your blueprint for the development of Lagos State if you become the governor in May 2007?
Pedro: Lagos in my hands would be a greater state. I have had this passion for three years. I have been preparing myself for it. Like I said I know the problems and I have worked out the solutions. In summary, I want to use the office of the governor to create job opportunities for Lagosians particularly the youths. I am going to promote and encourage entrepreneurship and enterprise. I will provide the enabling conditions to allow more companies to be set up in Lagos State and have the enabling environment to be able to operate. And also, I am going to promote construction activities in large numbers. From day one, this government will build and build and build, we will build low-cost houses, we will build markets, we will build artisan villages, we will build roads. And in building we are going to make use of our own people. I am going to immediately set up vocational training institutes in all the local governments to train young school leavers, whatever amount it will cost. From bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, tiling, painting, furniture-making, woodwork and all activities that are related to the construction industry. It is these people when they come out that would be absorbed by the construction industry building the houses. When we train these people who will acquire these skills, I will assist them to stand. This is what is missing in our environment because the whole thing is you are on your own. We are purely operating a capitalist system. Programme number three, power generation. I will ensure that within 15 months of being a governor; Lagos State will have constant power supply. I said 15 months because it takes as long as 12 to 15 months to build an Independent Power Plant, IPP, with the negotiation and all that. And now the law is liberal. It allows IPP producers to operate in Nigeria. Number four: Transportation. I am the architect of the Bus Rapid Transportation Scheme System, BRTS, which our government is about to launch though it falls under the governor. It gives such buses special routes to move within the streets of Lagos. It will not compete with other vehicles. So, they move seamlessly without "go slow," without impediment. And with the BRT scheme, the Lagos State government has acquired some buses close to l, 300, but I am going to quadruple that is within a year. We'll bring in the buses in thousands and gradually phase out the yellow buses. Those drivers driving the yellow buses, we will train them, and it is going to be operated purely on private sector arrangement just like the molue arrangement, but controlled by the Lagos State government. It's our creation and my government is going to expand on that. I am going to complement this with the opening up of the waterways. Three months after being sworn in, our waterways would be bustling with activities. All that is required now is to dredge the waterways and build jetties and then open them up. And finally, I have social security programme to help people who are 55 years old and above and those who are unable to work due to one reason or the other. I also have the details of that in my manifesto.
Newswatch: You have not mentioned how you are going to solve the traumatic problem of traffic jam in Lagos.
Pedro: They are part of what I have said. Transportation also covers traffic management. My vision is for Lagosians to move from Ikeja to CMS in less than 30 minutes at any time of the day and it can be done. How am I going to do it? First, I will reorganise LASTMA, (Lagos State Transport Management Authority) hire more personnel, enhance their pay, retrain them and equip them. LASTMA, will have modern communication equipment. They will have motor cycles, they will have towing vehicles and they will be monitoring every traffic bottleneck in Lagos round the clock. Lagos would be divided into six zones, and each zone will have its own LASTMA management under the umbrella of LASTMA head at Alausa. And there will be a central control room. The man there would be seeing traffic movement all over Lagos. So, anywhere there is bottleneck the man on the screen sees it. He radios the nearest LASTMA men. That is how to run a traffic management system in a complex city like Lagos. It is not for LASTMA to stand there watching without doing anything. When I become governor, you will never see an abandoned broken down vehicle anywhere on the streets of Lagos.
Newswatch: What plans do you have for rural communities in Lagos which are yet to feel the impact of government as well as curtailing menace of area boys?
Pedro: I have been everywhere in Lagos. There is hardly anywhere that I have not been. I have been in the rural communities in Epe, Badagry, Alimosho, Ikorodu, and know what they want. They need electricity, water supply, access to road and some sort of economic empowerment activity that will keep the people in the rural areas. One of my major plans is to collaborate with the private sector to build what is called an international market in Badagry. It will be opened up to the rest of the world. It will be a centre of trading on the entire continent of Africa, particularly West Africa. There will be large acres of land where cars would be sold, there will be a large area where electronics, apparel and all that will be sold. And we will get the licence to make it a free-trade zone so that people can come from all over the world. I will bring Nollywood to Epe. I want to give theatre artists a large area of land where they will build studio facilities and the entire Nollywood would have in place where everybody who wants anything about Nollywood can go. I want to have a technological village, something like what we call a computer village in Alimosho where anything electronics, computers, laptops, mobile phones and accessories and everything would be sold to open up that area. That is part of my policy and I am going to accomplish that. You mentioned the issue of area boys, I didn't finish my programme on environment. What I called environmental renewal of Lagos. It covers we have three segments of areas boys and miscreants. Majority of them are jobless, homeless and looking for survival. They wake up in the morning, they have nothing to do and they hit the streets. I have even interviewed some of them. Some of them are graduates of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, University of Lagos and other higher institutions. Then you have another group that are drug addicts and medically unfit. Then you have the third group, that are homeless, jobless, drug addicts and criminals. The first group is the first set that I will take care of I am going to feed them, house them and give them allowance. I am going to partner with the Nigeria Police who have been in Lagos. The Lagos State government will adopt them as Lagos police.
Newswatch: How do you intend to generate money to take care of these things you have mentioned?
Pedro: Governance requires ideas, and commonsense more than any other thing else. A lot of things that the government does now, it ought not to be doing them. It can actually plan its business activities in such a way that it focuses on social projects. And them partner with the private sector to handle other areas. Transportation is a private sector-driven activity. Government has no business in it. On terms of job creation, the government is just going to provide enabling environment and facilitate them. I am only going to spend government money on education, health, and social security programme, security. We are lucky in Lagos because it is the centre of business activities in Nigeria. So, why can't I call on MTN to come and help me with the rehabilitation of area boys? Why can't I call on Guinness to come and help me with cleaning of Lagos? And having been in the private sector over the years, I have the connection. I have people I can work out all sorts of arrangement with because we are all stakeholders in Lagos.
Newswatch: Looking at your background in the corporate world, and loyalty as a deputy governor, a lot of people thought you could have you easily stepped in the Governor Tinubu's shoes. But strangely, the governor did not endorse you. Does it mean that the governor has no confidence in you?
Pedro: The governor is the best person to answer that question. You are right, I am the natural choice for governor, but the party decided otherwise and this is a democracy, I have made my choice. I am now the candidate of the Labour Party. I don't want to look back again; I am looking forward. Election is eighty something days away. Why should I worry whether the governor has confidence in me or not. He has made his choice and I have made my choice and I am moving on. So, it doesn't bother me at all. I have forgotten about what happened in the past, I am looking ahead.
Newswatch: You have been a deputy governor for four years. What is it that this present administration is not doing right that you want to fix?
Pedro: It is not a matter of not doing right, it is a matter of priority. The administration set its priority as dictated by the executive leader of the administration who is the governor, that is his vision. And the rest of us found under that vision worked hard to achieve it. We have a 10-point agenda for this administration and we are working tenaciously and have done quite well with it. But government is a continuous process. It never ends. One administration starts its work it can never finish the work. It will stop somewhere and another person will take over. So, it is not a question of what the administration has not done right, it is the fact that 2007 is different from 2006. The problem of 2007 can only be solved by solution required in 2007. So, I am just going to implement my agenda and vision in 2007.
Newswatch: How prepared are you to contend the desperation of PDP to capture Lagos State?
Pedro: The answer is very simple. The people are really embracing me. And for the first time, they have realised that they have the opportunity to elect their own government. The government that they can call to order. The government that is not under the shackles of one godfather or group or the other. In Labour Party, we don't have groups, we don't have godfather. We can't belong to any single individual. So, the people really have the opportunity and these people when they vote, they stay there to make sure that the votes are counted and they protect the votes. And that is the only way to throw away the over-used politicians and bring in freshness. We will shock those politicians who believed that without them nobody can win elections in Lagos. The people will win this time around.
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