By SUNNY IKHIOYA

President Bola Tinubu is a progressive, someone who is amenable to change, both in the social and economic contexts. He displayed this trait as governor of Lagos State. He built on the legacies of past governors, and the state prospered in different dimensions and is still prospering years after he left. What, then, is the problem with him as the president? He was hailed as a leading headhunter, the man who knows the way; intelligent, clever, bold and maneuvering  politician, not forgetting the fact that he has deep pockets and is believed to control succession of governments in the state. He also has the Lagos State model as a reference point to his past achievements. 

So, whether you like him or not, you are forced to give him his credit and nurse great expectations from his government. He had promised to deliver results and personally asked us not to pity him. Where are we now, closing to two years of Tinubu’s government? It is a story of despondency for the people. The government is giving itself credit, but it is a totally different reality for the people. Inflation has hit the roof, naira totally battered, and, interestingly, the people are being asked to pay more taxes. It is a paradoxical thing. 

The Tinubu we knew as an opposition leader, preaching welfarism and care for the people, is now doing the reverse; the people are being emasculated through his government’s harsh policies. But some of us saw it coming. When Tinubu was campaigning for the presidency and people were busy making all kinds of permutations I advised those close to me that with Tinubu the country will achieve prosperity but the multi-dimensionally poor people will suffer. You do not need to look too far. Just access his trajectories in Lagos State as governor. Some people say that he is a progressive, though prone to changes, dynamic, contemporary, and taking radical decisions. 

All of these he did, but at great cost to the ordinary man. Ask the landlords, market men and women, small and large scale businesses; even tenants and commuters were not spared. He is a master at delivering messages to the people, with a very efficient propaganda machinery; you either fall in or fall out. People were taxed to their pants. Those who could not meet up found their way to their individual villages and neighbouring cities, while the rich consolidated their hold on the city. 

Today, Lagos is a cosmopolitan city, with all the trappings of luxury and tourism, all the razzmatazz, but no place for the really downtrodden. Throughout his eight years in government, he did not build one single estate for the really poor people in the mould of Lateef Jakande. You are seeing the growth and development of the city; to enjoy it you must pay for it, including the mass transit buses and trains. That is the picture of Lagos State under Tinubu and which still exists until today. With a young crop of intelligent, cerebral technocrats consisting of his cabinet team and advisers. The types of Yemi Osinbajo, Dele Alake, Muiz Banire, Ben Akabueze, Raji Fashola, and other great minds. Tinubu went for competence first, preferring to pick his men outside the state, to the chagrin of the Lagos indigenous people but Tinubu was focused and they achieved great things together and won the admiration of people within and outside the state. Some states were even sending officials to Lagos to understudy their success models. 

That was in the year 2007, and we had a virile, vibrant, and versatile Tinubu brimming with ideas and ready to take on all comers. It is over 17 years after, and he has become slower and fragile and the credibility of his headhunting credentials is being put to the test, the Lagos model doesn’t appear to be working at the national level. The people are finding it difficult to understand his language. They are more concerned about what they are seeing at the presidency, the grandeur, and apparent profligacy. 

As compared with the austerity measures and belt-tightening that they are being asked to contend with, they are not getting the language. Most of them have been used to the freebies from the centre. They were not paying taxes and electricity bills. They are being harassed by terrorists and bandits. They do not understand the language of taxes, except those brought on them by their captors, the insurgents and warlords. With their farmlands occupied by strangers, you are asking them to pay taxes; how will they understand your language? 

That is why the governors from the North are raising their voices against the proposed new tax laws; they do not know how to convince their citizens to pay taxes. We will see how that one pans out. The Tinubu of today has decided to follow the footsteps of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who was comfortable in having only his own kith and kin around him. All his key appointments have favoured the SouthWest, especially the ones who worked with him in Lagos. All of them combined are now working hard to replicate the Lagos model. Will that work? We wait and see. 

During Tinubu’s reign as governor of Lagos State, there were no distractions from wife, children, and relatives. Now you are hearing of first daughter and first son, when you add the First Lady, you will understand the confusion that is there at the top; such optics present a very bad picture about the situation at the top. If they did not try this when he served as governor, why are they doing it now? Is it an indication of the frailties facing our president? 

From whatever angle you are seeing President Tinubu, he still appears to be bold, strong-willed, and focused on meeting his goals. Given his antecedents, he is someone with the will to restructure the country; now the opportunity beckons. He was an advocate in the past and, if done properly and sincerely, will lead the nation to more prosperity. But the methodology of Tinubu is the problem. 

There is no longer a middle class in Nigeria; that means, if we continue like this, more of the poor will die; we are now in a survival of the fittest situation, the weak ones are being weeded out. I do not have any doubt that the nation will attain more wealth with all the stringent tax laws and others, but at what cost will it be to the people?

* Ikhioya wrote via: http://www.southsouthecho.com