On Tuesday, August 18 three books were presented to the public in Lagos on former Governor Babatunde Fashola which attracted technocrats from various sectors of the society.
The books chronicled his major achievements and speeches; issues that would help his successor, Akinwunmi Ambode, other public office holders, and private sector folk interested in the economic development of Lagos in particular and Nigeria at large.
The books In Bold Print, The Lagos Blow Down, and The Great Leap, were written by Fashola’s media aides, Hakeem Bello and Dapo Adeniyi, and provided an opportunity for Fashola to shed light on the dangers of manipulating national census.
In The Lagos Blow Down, Fashola elucidated on the historic and hitch-free demolition of the 25-storey Bank of Industry (BoI) building on Broad Street, Lagos on September 21, 2008 which had collapsed partially during the 2006 census.
His advised the government to start early to prepare for next year’s head count as previous ones were manipulated.
His words: “The population size has changed from 160 million to 170 million and sometimes we now hear of 180 million.
“But given the type of people we are, and with the people who did our last national census owning up that figures were falsified, the onus is on us to get it right in 2016.
“I say this because data, in my view, is important. If the work of the government is to provide services to people, its efficiency will be determined by its knowledge of how many people need service.
“And therefore without accurate census figures, it may seem that we are not determined to head on the path of development.”
What exactly is new that Fashola is telling Nigerians about census?
When former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed former Managing Director of Nigeria Breweries, Festus Odimegwu, as National Population Commission (NPC) Chairman a few years ago, the expectation was that the country would be better as Odimegwu has the intellectual and managerial capacity to produce an enduring census.
When Odimegwu resigned following irreconcilable issues Jonathan could not resolve, those who failed to defend him, including Fashola, now see what Odimegwu saw years back.
People like former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwazo, made derogatory comments about Odimegwu as arrogant and acting under the influence of alcohol.
Kwankwazo said: “We are not happy about that appointment and think it was a mistake. Festus shouldn’t be there in the first place…because he cannot be the Chairman of the NPC and at the same time be attacking what his predecessor had done.”
Jonathan ignored the beautiful presentation Odimegwu made on how to produce a credible census in 2016.
He told Odimegwu’s successor, Eze Duruiheoma, that “I dropped your predecessor because of certain statements he made. He is a fine gentleman, everybody knows him, very cerebral.
“But an institution like the National Population Commission must be one that people will believe in whatever you do.
“And if you make pronouncements that will create credibility problem to that institution, the best thing is for you to step aside for some other person to step in because the credibility of that institution is critical.
“Perception in most cases is stronger than reality. No matter what you do, if the perception is wrong then society will not follow you.”
A year to another census, it is interesting to hear from Fashola, a key member of the APC, that previous exercises were fraud. This was exactly the point Odimegwu was making, which the government in power then did not understand.
A society whose leaders manipulate demography is a disaster waiting to happen. Nigeria is difficult to plan for development because leaders manipulate figures and useful data is ignored.
Wherever Odimegwu may now be, he must be drinking wine because at last the views of the rejected stone are gaining greater ground.
Fashola said: “When the NPC returned with a number of over nine million for Lagos, it was clear that it had become, in Fela’s words, ‘government magic’. Because I recall very clearly that for 11 nights and 11 days, we did not sleep.
“It was my office as the then Chief of Staff that led, including all the local government chairmen.
“The population commission told us that they were going to enumerate households and the definition of a household is one family; of husband, wife and children.
“At the end of the exercise, we enumerated 4.5 million households in Lagos. Yet, they returned with only nine million as Lagos population. It meant that all households in Lagos have only husband and wife, and no children.
“But that is a matter for us to take seriously this time and play our roles when the time comes.”
I doubt if anybody is ready to pay attention because most of those we thought would have attended the occasion did not show up for reasons of politics.
Ambode and other APC South West Governors, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) were absent.
They forgot that national planning deserves their time and commitment.
Lagos is a mini Nigeria and I see no reason why Ambode would not be part of this event, personally or through a proxy, since he is the one to learn from the books written on his predecessor’s experience.
I find it difficult to believe that the frosty relationship between Fashola and Tinubu, which was temporarily suspended after Fashola’s re-election in 2011, has been revived. Then the question is: In whose interest?
If Tinubu directed his supporters, some of whom are also Fashola’s former aides and supporters, to stay away from the book launch, what consideration do they really have for preparing Lagos for the forth coming head count?
Can Ambode in good conscience plan Lagos of the future if the demography is not right? Can he accept that Kano has more population than Lagos?
It is high time the federal government led by Muhammadu Buhari ended speculation about Nigeria’s population by ensuring a genuine census next year, in line with the change slogan.