Lateef Kayode Jakande At 75
By Olu Awoyinfa
Alhaji Chief Dr. Lateef Jakande was 75 on Friday July 23, 2004, and in a country where we forget issues people and events very rapidly, it is only fair to document some of the notable achievements of "Baba Kekere" in this write-up. He was born into a very humble but deeply religious home in Oshodi Tapa, Lagos Island and had his secondary education in Ilesa Grammar School where he passed the London Matriculation Exams in form four - under the principalship of the late Rev. N.O.A. Lahanmi. At the school, he was reported to be one of the best students.
Alhaji Lateef Jakande the great journalist, eminent politician, great industrialist, foremost publisher, deep philosopher, thinker and teacher (School of Journalism) them quickly went into the newspaper industry as a reporter. He worked in the Daily Service, the Nigerian Tribune (Tetebuniyan, as the NCNC people called it then) and became the Editor-in-Chief of the paper. But, perhaps, LKJ as his friends call him, really came into national and international limelight when he was elected by his party - the UPN - in 1978 to be the flag bearer of the party in the richest, most thickly populated, economically buoyant state of the Federation Lagos.
His campaign rallies were always peaceful, well organised, well planned and well conducted. He never abused his opponents. In fact, he was a good friend of Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya the then NPP Gubernatorial flag bearer. His campaign theme was the four cardinal programmes of the UPN. The masses believed him: because the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his wise men had carried out these laudable programmes successfully in the old Western Region and succeeded wonderfully. The Region was becoming the Malaysia of Africa when the military struck in 1966.
Winston Churchill, the great British Prime Minister once said of the late Charles Andre Joseph Marse de Gaulle in the House of Commons: "He stood forth as the first eminent Frenchman to face the common foe in what seemed to be the hour of ruin of his country and possibly of ours". Jakande, came into the seat of power in Lagos State by October 1979 to right the wrongs, restore the ruins, the decadence and the slum that was then called Lagos State - after.
As soon as he was sworn-in, he looked into the area of revenue generation because, he knew, as Chief Awolowo used to say that "you cannot do anything without money". He examined the area of ground rents for government lands in Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ebute Metta, Ikeja and other key areas of Lagos State. He turned revenues from land into his own "cocoa proceeds" or "oil boom". Again, let us refer to history. In 1958, Charles De Gaule returned to public life. He told his parliament: "I am a man who belongs to everybody; I belong to no one. I am going to begin a career of decency and accountability. At 67, am I going to be a dictator No, I will be a good listener." Jakande did just that. He was very transparent in his activities. He will not take any "Ghana must go" bags home. He did not allow any corruption to go unpunished. He gave his Director Generals and Commissioners a lot of latitude: but, he did not give them any longitude to steal. All of them, therefore, knew that the "Greenwich meridian" for stealing is punishment.
LKJ is a very fearless man. He is not easily worried. Like De Gaule in 1964 who was asked by his doctor "President De Gaule, do you fear death" De Gaule replied 'good God, how can I fear death. I fear only sleep, I want to know what is happening"! He set about his projects and activities with a massive amount of planning. He set up committees on housing, on education, on industries, land and health. He got results. He was very accessible to everyone whether you were an NPN, UPN, NPP, GNPP or zero party!
On education, he cancelled the so-called daily double shifts being operated by many primary schools within a week of his inauguration and declared education, free at all levels. He acquired lands all over Lagos and built so many primary and secondary schools mainly by direct Labour. With his Commissioners, he worked round the clock. Today, we now have "Jakande Schools" all over the State. He was the first UPN governor to establish a University now called LASU. The University started with core courses like Engineering, Science, Medicine, the Arts and Humanities.
Recently, I read in the newspapers of the conditions given by the IMF Chief Executive for allowing Nigeria some debt relief. These are: (1) a massive investment in the education of our children (2) a good commitment to poverty eradication (see the Guardian, July 6, 2000). I said to myself, do we still need foreigners to tell us to invest in education in this 22nd century Our leaders, like investments in Lexus, Pajero and mansions. Jakande, as Governor, used only one car for good four years. He had no entourage and whenever he wanted you to discuss a very important issue, he asked you to get into his car. He was never flamboyant.
In the area of health, he had an excellent team to assist his then ministry. He relied heavily on his personal friend and close associate, the late Dr. Adebonojo, (of blessed memory). He ensured that drugs were easily available in all General Hospitals and declared health free at all levels. He does not believe in special privileges for himself, family and his commissioners. In 1980, for example, his family had an accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while going to attend a wedding ceremony. His daughter, Dupe, sustained serious injuries. LKJ was asked by friends and associates to fly her to the UK for urgent treatment. He refused. He said, "let them go to Igbobi Hospital. Other children go there why must my own be different".
Some of us got very upset that how can a Governor joke with the health of his own daughter All his children also went to "Jakande schools". He once told me that if too many Government Colleges were established, all the rich people will send their children there: therefore, attention will be focused on these schools alone. He said that good facilities like good teachers, textbooks, good science laboratories and sporting facilities should be available in all secondary schools.
It is perhaps in the field of housing that Jakande's records are difficult to match throughout the federation. Some of us even think that it is because of his first class efforts in the provision of housing between December 1979 and 1983 in Lagos State that the maximum ruler General Abacha drafted him into his cabinet as Minister for Works!
LKJ, unknown to him behaves like the late Prime Minister of Britain Sir, Harold James Wilson OBE (1945) who was born on Saturday March 11, 1916 at Hudderfield in Yorkshire England. Like Harold Wilson, Jakande always feels for the common man. He acts it, he behaves it, he thinks it. In 1966, in Slough at an election campaign rally Harold Wilson said: "I do feel that morality is too often judged purely in terms of personal morality. Actions or inaction that lead to mass "unemployment and poverty are much more criminal than personal weakness, for example in the field of drink or even of sex".
Just let us look around for the massive Jakande Housing Scheme, for the low income in Maryland, Mile 2, Ojokoro, Ipaja, Isolo, Ijanikin, Epe, Ikorodu, Iba, Ogba etc. just to mention a few. Thousands of workers and medium income earners can never forget him until they see God! Successive governments in Lagos are still, since then, struggling to meet his records. The Tinubu Administration has said that they want to surpass LKJ's records.
In the field of employment for the masses by way of industrialisation, he did his best. He established LAPEC at Epe with some American Steel manufacturers. The project was scrapped when he left office. He believed in the establishment of SMEs (Small and Medium Scale enterprises) all over the State. Hence, he established a number of industrial estates.
His philosophy is that whatever you produce, if you have no market for same, you can never make any profit. He therefore built a good number of markets in Ogba, Berger junction, Matori, Daleko, Mile 2, Ijanikin and other key areas of the state. These markets were allocated not to party faithful as we are now doing with the Poverty Alleviation Programme but, on a first come first served basis.
He established and laid down some objectives for an efficient and effective transport system in Lagos State in order to have sustainable mobility. He established the Metro line Project and paid million of dollars to the French Consultants and Contractors. The military cancelled this project in 1984 and we lost the millions of dollars already deposited to complete the project in addition to paying heavy penalty for the breach of contract. He modernised the ferry system and made it effective, efficient and profitable.
In the area of food production, farmers either of fish, cassava, rice, yam etc were heavily subsidised by the Ministry of Agriculture. He made the Bulk Purchasing Company very profitable and food stuffs were either imported or purchased locally to be resold at cheap rate to the masses. He still laments that a bag of imported rice which used to sell at N2,500 a bag is now sold for N5,000 a bag.
His key policy was to make government services and activities easily available to the greatest number of citizens. He was very accessible. He used to close at Alausa by 6.p.m or thereabout, for advice, support or assistance. He was really the "action governor", the people's governor", "the masses governor: as the people labeled him. By 8.a.m prompt, he was in his Alausa office attending to civil servants, the high as well as low in society. He does not believe in keeping civil servants who also have their own families in Alausa after 7p.m.
One notable attitude of LKJ is the fact that he does not believe in foreign tours. He hates junketing abroad and laughs at some of us who used to so frequently travel abroad yearly for the so-called summer holidays. He used to say "the job I have to do is here not in the UK or USA". He is a very competent gentleman, a man of great intellect. He is morally and physically brave but far too reserved to show these admirable qualities outwardly. He is very deep in his thoughts and words and actions.
He once told me "Housing is not a question of Conservation or Socialism. It is the question of humanity". He has so many fine qualities - probity, courage, patience and judgment. He believes that "great things are made out of poverty as well as out of wealth". Critics, while acknowledging his great political, journalistic and literary achievements, question his serving in the government of Abacha. They refer to his remark that "Abacha is God-sent". They cannot reconcile that to his remarks after the June 12 1993 election when he said that "we cannot have Presidents. Abiola has been elected President"!
Late M.K.O. Abiola was his good friend and ally. Critics believe that he should not have abandoned the June 12 struggle and his people. The Yoruba do not forgive easily. Many of them are still crying that he should return to the mainfold of Yoruba politics by attending Afenifere meetings and apologising to the Yoruba race for serving in Abacha's government. After all, they believe that late Bola Ige, Papa Adesanya, Ayo Adebanjo etc are his friends of over 40 years. Definitely, he is a great politician and should believe in the world of Harold Macmillian that "the art of politics is making angles into curves". Some of us think that Allah whom he worships ardently will show him the best way ahead because those of us who are younger only believe that he should live for posterity.
In the words of Harold Macmillian on February 3, 1960, in South Africa who said "the wind of change is blowing through the continent and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact": the wind of change is blowing over Nigeria now and our political leaders need to realise that the younger generation are tired of living in abject poverty, illiteracy, disease and want in the midst of plenty. LKJ is a very serious family man: a good father and a great husband. I happen to know that he phones his wife every night whenever they are apart.
One can only continue to wish him more happiness, greater health and contentment in the years ahead and, above all God's peace which surpasses all human understanding.
Awoyinfa, an engineer, lives in Lagos.
