Two hours after Lai Muhammed went to Oga’s office (that’s what I called the Governor officially), I didn’t hear anything from above. But because I had some other matters to discuss with him, I seized the opportunity to go to his office. There was nobody with him when I entered. Most of the things I wanted to discuss were very confidential. They were things I had observed in the Governor’s Office since I assumed office in December 1999. While still standing, I asked: “Oga, can we discuss the observations I told you about”. He gave me the go-ahead and I began. “I had observed that on two or three occasions, you didn’t really read the speeches I wrote for you during events. I am asking because the two of us normally sit together to proofread, edit and agree on the points or issues to raise in most of the speeches”,I inquired.
In defending his action, he said: “When we go through the speeches here in my office, I always pick most of the salient points I will discuss at the events. As a politician, I must allow the drummers and the singers to play a part in every event. Every event is a campaign platform for a politician. In most of the speeches, I know what points will excite the people and the moment I make the points, the singers and the drummers will take over in appreciation. That’s when you will hear song like “Asiwaju ma ba se re lo, iṣẹ rẹ ma da wa lorun, Asiwaju ma ba se re lo (Asiwaju, keep up the good work. Your performance delights us. Please, keep up the good work)”. He added that the prepared speeches are for the press not the people. “I talk to the people, I don’t like reading speech when addressing the people. I prefer talking to them”, he reasoned. What a response!
We moved to the next observation. “Oga, I have also noticed that most of the Commissioners always like to bring their files for your signature when there is crowd in your office thereby not giving you sufficient time to read their submissions and prayers appropriately. I think we can have a better arrangement. I don’t mind coordinating this new arrangement”, I suggested. He smiled.
“By now, I can tell you that I know all my commissioners very well. I have grouped them into three categories. The first category are people I can sign their files after reading their submissions and their prayers just once. I may be proved wrong tomorrow but that’s the way I feel about them now. The second category are those I can sign for but after reading their submissions and prayers several times. The third category are those whose files may remain in the “burial ground” forever. Look at that shelf there, their files are plenty there. That is the “burial ground” for padded submissions and ridiculous prayers. Because of what they will eat, their figures never agree or tally. They seem to have forgotten that I am an accountant. So, if their figures don’t agree, why should I agree with them”, he said jokingly. He told me the names of those in the different categories but in strict adherence to discretion, I will only mention the Commissioners that were in Category one. These were Wale Edun, Dele Alake, Yemi Cardoso, Rauf Aregbesola and Yemi Osibajo. Before Oga told me about the categorisation, I had noticed that he had his favourites among the Commissioners. He would yell at some of them for bringing their files directly to him instead of passing them through the Office of the Chief of Staff. However, some of them, especially the ones in Category one, would never pass their files through the Chief of Staff, yet he wouldn’t yell at them. Talk of selective treatment. I wasn’t sure he saw it that way. To him, it was all about trust issue. When a man has character deficit, he attracts just an ounce of deference .This seemed to be the case with those outside Category one.
My intervention in this issue of “file harassment” was prompted by a particular incident which occurred in his office on a particular day. There were as many as 10 Commissioners in his office harassing him, yes harass is the best word, with their files. He was about traveling and some of them felt it was an opportunity for them to get their files signed as there wouldn’t be enough time for him to do any routine scrutiny of whatever padding they would have done in the files. He knew it was a pressure game they were playing with him. He was actually signing some of the files until he suddenly took umbrage at their conspiratorial badgering and hollered: “Everybody get out of my office now. If I continue this way, a time would come that I would have signed my resignation letter without knowing it. What kind of nonsense is this? Out everybody”. It had been going on for sometime but this particular instance was the climax of the “siege drama”.
There was another incident on “File drama” which happened when he was traveling to South Africa. He was going to the airport from the office. As usual, some of us were there in case he wanted to give last minute directives on some policy matters. The five of us that were there were Yemi Cardoso, Wale Edun, Yemi Osibanjo, Lai Mohammed and I. His driver, Mustapha was packing his bags into the car when he instructed him to also take some files along so that he could treat them while in South Africa. Yemi Cardoso reminded him that he was going for a rest and it was not advisable that he should go with any files. He now told Mustapha to drop the files. He did. Mustapha was about leaving his office when he called him back again and said in Yoruba: “Mustapha, wa ko files yi pada sinu moto. Kò sí ẹni tó ma fi ogun senu ba mi sọrọ lohun yen (Mustapha, take these files back to the car. Nobody can put me under a spell when I am treating the files over there). That was it from the mouth of the Governor himself. This statement reflected everything that was ugly about the behavior of some government appointees. This kind of occultism in government epitomizes local ingenuity in raising the art of corruption beyond redemption. What, but pilferage, would make government appointees recline into such despicable practices if the intention of being in government was all about service?
Troubled by the antics and dishonesty of some of his Commissioners as well as the “File Siege” in his office, the Governor invited me to his office on Thursday, 6 April 2000, to deliberate on these issues. He told Soji Adetunji a.k.a the “Landlord” to lock the door and under no circumstances should he allow anybody into his office while our meeting was still on. The “Landlord” was a security name for the person in charge of the Governor’s office. He was an SSS officer. Our meeting lasted almost two hours. At the end of the meeting, we came up with this circular:
“OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
IKEJA, LAGOS STATE OF NIGERIA.
TO:
HONOURABLE COMMISSIONERS
SPECIAL ADVISERS
CHIEF OF STAEF
SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT
HEAD OF SERVICE
PERMANENT SECRETARIES/CLERK OF THE HOUSE
ACCOUNTANT-GENERALAUDITORS-GENERAL
CHIEF REGISTRAR, HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE
HEADS OF EXTRA-MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENTS AND PARASTATAL ORGANISATIONS
HEADS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
RE: DELEGATION OF FINANCIAL AUTHORITY
1. Consequent upon Circular No. MEPB/B/S.24/Vol. 111/380 of 27 March 2000, on Delegation of Financial Authority, where the Executive Governor granted the Chlef of Staff, the Honourable Commissioner for Finance and Honourable CommissIoner for Economic Planning and Budget Approval authority limit up to N1,000,000.00 (One milllon Naira) on Recurrent Expenditure and In the case of the Honourable Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, N2.5 million (two milllon five hundred thousand Naira) from both the Capital and special Expenditure, the’Executive Governor hereby directs as follows:
(a) All files requiring approval irrespective of the nature of their subjects and the amount for which approval is being sought, must be routed through the Special Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Thomas, and in his absence, Mr. Sunday Adepoju, Governor’s Office, for proper documentation, review, and the Information of the Executive Governor In the first Instance. This is to avoid duplication of transactions.
(b) After such documentation and screening process, the flles wIll now be distributed by the Office of the Special Assistant to the respective signatories for necessary approval.
(c) Files which are not routed through this channel or are not properly documented by the Office of the Executive Governor will be considered invalid.
2. All these control measures are being taken to avoid duplication of files which has become very rampant and to ensure effective record of expenditures as well as co-ordination of government activities.
3. The Internal Audit and Accountant-General must ensure the Implementation of procedures.
4. This directive takes effect from Monday, 10 April 2000.
SENATOR BOLA AHMED TINUBU
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR, LAGOS STATE”.
While our meeting was still on, I was told the COS (Lai Muhammed) came round the office more than six times to know if the meeting was still on. Several Commissioners were also said to have come round the office. I knew that there was going to be intense pressure on the Governor and I from those who were curious to know what we were discussing for two hours. But I was under strict instruction not to discuss or mention anything to anybody. I was also directed not to release the circular until Monday, 10 April 2000. Only three of us knew about the circular. Oga, the PA and I. The P.A was involved because he was the one keeping all official documents of the Governor. Some copies were given to him to put in the files.
Prior to this new decision, all files, including the ones on cleaners and gardeners, were sent to the Governor through the office of the COS. The Governor relied on the green ink (official colour of the COS’s pen) before treating any files. Aside from the circular, we (the Governor and I) also discussed the “Millennium jobs” already approved by the Exco. The Exco had approved the injection of 2,000 graduates into the state’s work force to commemorate the year 2000. This was one of the brilliant ideas of the Governor to ensure that the youths in Nigeria were accommodated and integrated in the affairs of the state. The first batch was absorbed on 1 March 2000. The exercise was in batches. I was to handle the list of applicants coming through him. The employment was for all Nigerians irrespective of their states of origin. It was open to both genders in equal capacity for as long as all the requirements were met.
Somehow, the circular was leaked to Lai Muhammed and a desperate move began to prevent Dapo Thomas from taking over one of the most strategic responsibilities that made Lai Muhammed the most powerful man in the Round House. Unfortunately for him, I didn’t show up in the office on Friday, April 7. It was a deliberate non-appearance. I had my plan too. I planned to stay away from work on Friday so that by Monday, I would have released the circular before showing face in the office. Dramatically, Gbolahan Lawal showed up in my house in Borno Way on Sunday night with a message from Oga that I should come with him to the State House, Marina.
Gbolahan Lawal was the leader of the Governor’s convoy. I didn’t really know how he got to know my house address in Yaba. I couldn’t remember writing my Yaba address for anyone in government. The first thing Oga asked me was: “Why did you switch off your mobile phone. Government job is 24/7. Don’t ever switch off your phone again”. That was the first lesson I learned from him-dont switch off your phone as a government official. It was part of my game plan to frustrate Lai’s moves to stop the circular from being released. The moment I got the hint that the circular had been leaked to Lai Muhammed, I decided to switch off my Intercellular phone and to stay away from the office. But finally, they got me. Then, the Governor told me to suspend the release of the circular until further notice.
On Monday, 10 April 2000, I went very early to the office to prepare for the most interesting power play in the government of Bola Tinubu. But the first thing I did was to find out the person that leaked the circular to Lai Muhammed. As a journalist, I did my investigation and I was convinced it was not leaked by the Governor nor was the leakage from my end. I will leave it like that. The next thing I wanted to do was to unravel the identities of those who intervened on behalf of Lai Muhammed. I was surprised when I got to know that Ọba Oyekan of Lagos was the one that led the pack. I wouldn’t have really bothered myself with all these investigations because by the time the Governor called me to his office on that Monday, he told me everything. Lai Muhammed knew Oba Adeyinka Oyekan was held in great reverence by the Governor. He went straight to him. Not just that. He also knew that the rivalry was between a man from Kwara and a famous journalist from a prominent Lagos Family. He needed an influential Lagosian to intercede for him in this epic battle hence his decision to involve the Oba of Lagos. The one who was in charge of all the files across the State was the one in charge of the Round House. Lai Muhammed knew this much and that was why he was so desperate not to lose this power tussle. I must confess that though, psychologically, I knew that this new responsibility would add to my influence in the Round House, my main goal was to sanitize the Governor’s Office and assist the Governor in achieving a seamless office administration.
I was very, very close to Oba Adeyinka Oyekan. I got to know him through Musiliu Obanikoro when I was his Special Assistant in Lagos Island Local Government. He introduced me to the Oba as his right hand man and that anytime Kabiyesi wanted to see him or needed anything from the Council, he should contact me and I would get it done for him. My closeness to the Oba opened the door for me to be close to some other members of his household. It was as a result of my closeness to the family that I was chosen to be the reviewer of a book on Oba Adeyinka Oyekan titled: “The Spring of a Monarch” written by his first daughter, Remi Olajumoke, the wife of Senator Bode Olajumoke. I also became a friend to Onilado and his wife, Bukola Oyekan. Considering my intimate relationship with the family, I didn’t expect Kabiyesi to take sides with the man from Kwara when a Lagos boy was involved.
However, the Governor did not tell me the full details. He only said that Kabiyesi told him to put me in charge of Lagos Obas as I did a wonderful job for the Oba when I was in Lagos Island Local Government. The outcome of the meeting of 10 April between the Governor and I was that I should be in charge of the files of both old and new Obas in Lagos State. This was why I was superintending the making and unmaking of Obas in the State relying heavily on Mr Abass’ reports from Chieftaincy Affairs Office. I was also asked by the Governor to superintend the work of the Permanent Secretaries in relations to what was strictly political. I was also made the Chairman of all resident press officers across all the MDAs. All these positions were for a purpose. I knew all this was a placatory surgery to assuage my bruised ego. Oga turned me to “General Supervisor” of Lagos State MDAs in a bid to show that he was sorry. The long and short of it was that the responsibility of receiving all the files going to the Governor was returned to the office of the Chief of Staff.
I got in touch with Kabiyesi for whatever it was worth and he explained why he intervened and why I needed to be protected from “them”. He didn’t tell me the people he was referring to as “them” but I got his message. I moved on with my life and my work. It was very obvious to the Governor that I was not happy with the way he changed his mind on the circular but we still remained close pals showing respect for each other but it was not like it used to be. The opportunity to redeem himself and make me happy again presented itself sometime in May 2001 when the government sacked about 4,000 workers including Comrade Ayodele Akele, Chairman of the Council of Industrial Unions (COIU) over the N7,500 minimum wage introduced and imposed on the States by the Obasanjo Administration. He went on lesser Hajj when the retrenchment exercise was carried out. I was in his Office with the Head of Service, RafiuTinubu, Akin Doherty, Chairman, Payroll Verification Committee, Dele Alake, Wale Edun, Prof. Ìdòwú Sobowale and Kemi Nelson. He wanted to know how the exercise was done by the Public Service Office (PSO). The Head of Service gave him a verbal report on the spot. It was an opportunity for me to reveal to the Governor what some workers had been saying about the retrenchment exercise. I was still making my point when the HOS shouted me down. The Governor intervened on my behalf and asked me to continue. I simply told the Governor that I heard there was serious victimization and witch-hunting in the compilation of the names of affected workers.
Based on my submission, the Governor set up a three-man Committee comprising Akin Doherty (Chairman) , Dapo Thomas and Opeyemi Bamidele to review the exercise. He looked at my face and I smiled as usual because at this point, I had been superfluously compensated with miscellaneous appointments. Our relationship was back to its former status. Not long after that, there was a bomb explosion at the Lagos armoury of the Ikeja cantonment on Sunday, 27 January 2002 around 6 pm. The Governor announced the establishment of IDPs centres around the State. Some Commissioners and advisers started lobbying for Committee positions but the Governor snubbed them and went ahead to announce Dapo Thomas and Sunday Adepoju (the one who was to be my deputy if the circular had been implemented) as the…
To be continued
