One of my favourite books is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. The novel is about a US Air force captain during World War 2 named Yossarian, who decided he no longer wanted to fly missions because the people he was dropping bombs on were trying to kill him.
Tried as he could, he couldn't get out of his tour of duty because of a catch: Catch 22.
Catch 22 specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. That for Yossarian to keep flying meant he was crazy, but the moment he asked to be taken off duty, it shows he was sane, and therefore must continue to fly missions.
This lacuna came to mind when Mr. Ambode, in reaction to the death of the hawker that was killed by a truck at Maryland, while trying to evade KAI officers, which led to massive vandalisation of BRT buses, decided to pick up the old Street trading law gathering dust on a shelf somewhere, and all hell was let loose.
The reaction was loud, vicious, personal and immediate.
While some stood logic on its head, others were just for comic relief, while most were asinine.
It must have been baffling for Mr. Ambode, who, like most men of figures, is an introvert, whose aversion to the press is almost bordering on phobia. Who has perfected the art of letting his achievements speak for him, to come under such attacks while he was trying to act on a law, an act which he swore an oath to uphold and which is in the best interest of majority of Lagosians.
Once again,just like in the case of the Oshodi demolition and the Mile 12 fiasco, he is being attacked for doing the right thing.
It is a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.
When Mr. Ambode assumed office, he was trying to put a human face to law enforcement in the state by trying to curb the excesses of Compliance officers. It was a disaster. The state descended into chaos and he had to apply strong arm tactics of his predecessor and a heavy dose of funds to procuring equipment to reverse the tide.
In governance, just like in Management, you sometimes have to risk unpopularity of taking certain decisions in the short run or face the consequences of non action in the long run.
Street trading, just like okadas on the highways, are by-products of failure of leadership at all levels for the past fifty years. Most of which is as a result of lack of political will and/or official greed. It is not going to go away by simply ignoring it, . You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs.
My advice to the Governor is to find a middle ground between outright ban and ignoring the problem, just like it is done with the okada riders who can operate on certain roads and not on others.
How is this to be achieved? Please don't ask me. There are people in government who are better equipped, both in terms of access, political and professional connection, renumeration and perks, to look for solutions, I am just a concerned public affairs analyst trying to put things in perspective.
My Ten Kobo.
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