As A Muslim
OpenLife News reports that Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governor of Lagos State and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2027 general elections, in this interview, earlier published in Vanguard newspaper, speaks on his plans for the state, among other issues
You have been a Commissioner in this state. You have been the Special Adviser at the federal level. And you have been deputy governor for seven years. So we ask you, what is your perception about the role of the governor you aspire to play?
The role of the governor is like the captain of a team. There are many experts that run a state. But the job of the governor is to be the captain of that team, align expertise to vision and guide delivery. We have ministries doing projects, all sorts of policies.
The challenge is, how does it affect the lives of Lagosians? That’s the bottom line. So every policy, building new hospital, clearing drains, how does it affect the life of it? So, the job of the governor is to make sure that, in terms of delivery, everything we do from that budget to implementation, affects the quality of life of the Lagosians. That is the job of the governor, and that’s why we are seeking it.
What is the preoccupation of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu/Obafemi Hamzat administration in this last lap?
The administration has done a lot of work. I’m sure you understand the THEMES Plus agenda, which is just a guiding principle that collates everything that we do. So there are many projects that we’ve done. And the truth is, we will not complete it, as government is a continuum.
So it’s for us, as this administration, to finish strong, make sure that we clean up all our projects, all the various policies and everything, so that the next administration can start very well.
What manifestoes are you projecting to Lagosians to get their votes in the 2027 governorship election in the state?
Our manifesto is ready. We’re just looking at it because it’s very heavy. It’s about 537 pages. This is because there are so many things that we need to do. So what we are trying to do now is also to talk to market women, talk to drivers, talk to professors, talk to experts to see what should be the priorities going by what we’ve seen, and then bring it down, and prioritise.
Basically, some of the things we want to do is to even cost it as of today, so that we have a one-year, two-year, three-year plan, realistically, with a variation on price of 10 – 15 per cent, this is what we’ll need in the next four years. So that’s something that will guide our own thinking, as to what should be the priority?
For example, we want to make sure that 60 per cent of Lagosians have running water in the first two years. So what does it cost to do reticulation from Adiyan 2 to Ogba, because a lot of the pipes have burst?
The costing is about 97 billion. So how do we do it? Which one do we take as priority? How do we raise capital to do all these things?
So the manifesto is there from education to health. But one of the things that we’ve seen is that a lot of things need to be decentralised, and organisation needs to be better. And that, to me, is the bane of our society, as a country, or even as a region in West Africa.
We are doing solar street lights now; we are lighting up everywhere. It must have consequences for how people live their lives. And part of it is to say that I should be able to walk freely at night or in the evening. People should be able to do their business anytime they like, if the light is on, the environment is safe. So one of the first things for us is how do we live our life? How do we organise our society? And that means security must be intact.
So we will spend whatever money we need to spend. We’ll do whatever we need to do to make sure that our state is secure. The technology is there. It’s all over the place. So we’ll build on the existing architecture that we have today. We will expand it to make sure that we are secure.
The manifesto is huge. I have three versions. We have reduced it from 536 to 241, then 137. But what is coming out repeatedly in my mind is how we make it easier and better for people to live their lives in our city.
The word on the street of Lagos is that you are a no-nonsense, very disciplined, and strict leader, and that there would be the need for people living in Lagos to tighten up their belts under an Hamzat government.
The truth of the matter is that we all have one aim. Every decent Nigerian wants Nigeria to be better. And nobody, that is sane, wants to be a chairman of the government or a governor, a president, to go and fail. All of us want to succeed.
The challenge is, when the pressure comes, hopefully it will not consume leaders.
So, for me, I think, like I said, it’s that let us even organize. So when we build roads and there is a walkway, let’s use it for a walkway. That’s all. That’s what we built it for.
So when we say this is a market, let it be a market so that I know that, I want to buy this, this is the way to go. I can plan my life. So if we say this is what we want to use this for, let us use it for that purpose. That’s all.
So people say discipline. We have to be disciplined as a people. Even God said it. So we have to be disciplined. So, for me, I think we have the blessing of God, we have everything to be a great country. So we must do whatever it takes to get to that. If not, God will ask all of us.
Before you emerged as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election, you were touted as candidate in the process leading up to the emergence of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and current Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. If you did not emerge this time, would you have described it as a betrayal of some kind? Did you ever imagine not emerging again this time?
Well, the truth of the matter is that my spiritual belief is that it’s God that chooses leaders. We don’t know God’s plan, so you must try. If you are canvassing to be a candidate and the party says no, it shouldn’t be a fight.
I tried; I gave it everything that I have. Of course, you must try. And God made it happen this time. Our leaders agreed. So, I’m grateful for that, but I must justify that confidence. And that’s all. So, if it’s not, it is not. The reality is that, at a time there can only be one governor.
Is there any agreement that you are going to spend one term?
Agreement? No, there’s no agreement.
What factors led to the choice of your running mate?
The moment I emerged, I know that it is important that the deputy is a Christian, since I am a Muslim; and a lot of our women leaders have been saying they have tolerated us men for eight years, we must have a female. And we agreed that it made sense. And a lot of other people also said that we needed younger minds. Also, I am from the East; the current governor is from Central; so we said let it go to the West.
So, all those came together. And Damilola Sonayon-James emerged. She was the Deputy Women Leader of our state. She was a supervisor in Badagry and then we looked at everything she had been doing, and she emerged.
There are still grievances from the last primaries of the party, what is your agenda for them?
That is ongoing; if not for this interview, I will be meeting some people now on that issue. So the political party is supreme because you are representing that brand, and as such, there are many factors that come in the selection of where the party moves.
In some cases, we say the number of females is not enough, let us get more females, and if you settle down on a constituency or an area, the men there will complain. There are so many factors. I was meeting with many aspirants and I said, in 2019, I took my form two days before Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu but the leaders called me and said, ‘You are a Muslim; Asiwaju was a Muslim for eight years; BRF was a Muslim; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is not coming back; let a Christian go; and I said, fair enough.’
And I did a press conference and stepped down. And they looked at that and took me as deputy. It is because they talked to me and I listened. Maybe if I didn’t listen then, today would not have arrived. So people must learn from that, because there would be many factors that we would have to consider.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the emergence of the king of a community, even siblings have issues, but there can only be one king at that time. So, we tell ourselves that, if it doesn’t happen now, you don’t know tomorrow. So, let’s calm down. That process has started and hopefully we will be able to get everybody to understand that things will get better for all of us.
How is the party also handling the Justice Forum/Mandate Movement blocs amid fears that one group may be sidelined if you become governor?
I have met with the two groups. The truth of the matter is that the mother and the father is the Justice Forum. What happened was that it was a group set up by the leadership then to meet because politics was banned by the military. So, it predates 1999.
And I have asked the question, what is the philosophical difference between the two? It is zero. So, let us calm down. Don’t let’s use what doesn’t exist to divide ourselves.
So, we cannot be a political party that runs after crumbs and fight ourselves. No. We must rise above that. And I think that everybody seems to understand that now.
If it comes down to stepping on toes, including party leaders, in the interest of moving Lagos ahead, will you do that?
The reality is, you need the collective will of the people to move a state forward. You can’t fight people and say you are just fighting everybody, you will lose. You can’t fight many battles. You can fight some battles but is it not better when you let people see what you want to do. We are all human beings and we have different opinions.
Some people might genuinely believe that that goal is wrong. So, it is not a question of crushing their leg but it is to say that it is for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. As a human being, we will never be perfect but this is what my brain can take and this is the direction that we want to go, and you go. But, as much as possible, I think it is better to convince people to let people see why you want to do something.
Remember, human beings are naturally selfish, that thing might not be good for that person personally and he might not see the bigger picture. So, it is the responsibility of the leaders to let people see the bigger picture for their children and grandchildren.
Talking about organisation, how do you deal with the issue of louts, touts across the city and clearing the blocked waterways which have structures on it without stepping on toes?
What separates us from the so-called developed nations are the rule of law and technology. Part of what you talk about is the rule of law. The organisation is this is where you should be, but you are here. And the rule of law is to say this is where you should be and that is where you would be. You must think about the common good.
In a number of states, there have been cases of successor/predecessor rift. Do you rule out such crisis happening in Lagos State?
Our own is a bit different because the governor is my principal. If we didn’t fight all these years we have been working together, why would we disagree when we are handing over? If the goal is to run a state, then what is the problem? The responsibility is so huge that you can’t do it alone, that is why you have Commissioners, Special Advisers, and Special Assistants.
Even with that, there are still gaps. So, what is the fight about? That doesn’t mean we don’t have disagreements about issues. And it is about, we want to do this, should we do it this way? At the executive council meeting, we argue, fight and abuse each other. But at the end of the day, we conclude and move on. Governor Sanwo-Olu and I have been friends for years.
When I came back, became Commissioner, Governor Sanwo-Olu was already a Commissioner. The current CBN Governor left the administration as Commissioner for Economic Planning. So Governor Sanwo-Olu was the acting Commissioner for economic planning when I joined the cabinet.
For some reason, the day I was to be sworn in, it was Governor Sanwo-Olu that was taking me round and showing me the offices and MDAs in the Secretariat. And that was the first time I would meet him, and we have been friends since then. Thankfully, we don’t have that crisis in Lagos.
Deputy Governors have this tag of being ‘spare tyres’ and only function at the mercy of their principal. Would you canvass for Constitutional roles for Deputy Governors?
You can’t legislate common sense. So, even if you say legislation gives roles, it doesn’t prevent crisis. You cannot legislate simple good behaviour. If you have people who are jointly on a ticket, it is clear that you must work together. But, thankfully in Lagos, Deputy Governors have various responsibilities in ministries.
I think Senator Oluranti Adebule was in charge of Ministry of Education, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire was in charge of Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adebisi Sosan was also in charge of Education, I am in charge of Works, and Science and Technology.
So, for Works, Science and Technology, before the governor approves their memo, it must be signed by me. So, I’m certainly not a spare tyre and I will not treat my deputy as a spare tyre because she is not. She is an intelligent woman that establishes herself well. And the component that we really need to work on is our youth. How do we develop their future?
We have issues of youth engagement, development, employment creation. Can a governor do all these by himself? One of the books I love reading is “Ego is the enemy.” Ego is the problem. Wars were started by ego. Great companies collapse because of ego.
If you are able to manage your ego in life, all the crisis will not happen. We have a job to do. It is a lot of work. So, if you have someone supporting you to do the job, what should be the problem? You must even encourage that person to help you do more.
Why do you think Nigerians should re-elect President Bola Tinubu?
There are a lot of reasons. But you must also look at the people he’s contesting against. Mr Peter Obi has been governor, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been Vice President, Rabiu Kwankwaso has been governor. The question is what have these people done? What has Peter Obi done as a governor that you think he will do well as a President? The President was building his political party. Even in the last election, Tinubu fought his party, and didn’t leave.
If you can’t fight for something, you will fall for anything. You want to rule a nation of 200 million people and you can’t stand for something.
The President is building the fundamentals. Nobody says it will be easy. If you have malaria, most medications are bitter. If you’re injured, you go for surgery, it is painful. There must be rehabilitation.
I am confident that President Tinubu will come back again, and the country will be better for it.
Lagos also battles recurring incidents of collapsed buildings. How is this to be addressed?
There are two types. There are old buildings. There are very old buildings that can also collapse. I think the way to avoid that is to keep checking. But, Lagos is a big place. We have over 890,000 buildings. So, it becomes difficult. How many are the civil servants that are checking? So, what we rely on, a lot of the time, is people within the community, and then we go and do structural tests.
So, old buildings can collapse. The ones that we are trying to totally eliminate is new constructions. There is no reason in the world why we should allow new constructions to collapse. And that’s why we are doing the Certified Accreditors Programme. And then when we zone the whole of Lagos into 10 zones or 20 zones, and then we have all these registered CAPs. If you want to build, they’ll be there. So, these are the people that will do the certification.
So that we know. So, if anything happens, those private companies will be held responsible because you are supposed to be an engineer. So, the challenge also is to make sure that we don’t build the way we build. Like I said earlier, just building block by block here and there, just getting one person in the corner to do your drawing.
No. You must be certified so that you don’t build something that will kill you. But as government, we also know that the city is developing at a very high rate. We cannot be using civil servants to monitor everything. Let us even give out a big component to private sector, register them, and that process is almost completed.
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