DEVOLUTION - GOV AMBODE SEEKS THE HELP OF LAWYERS. REALLY?

Is this supposed to be a joke or what?

Akinwunmi Ambode is the governor of Lagos State, the largest economy in Nigeria and indeed the whole of West and Central Africa. He is, (unless he can successfully deny it), part of the inner workings of the ruling party, the APC. Ambode has both the yam and the knife in his hands. Why then do I get the impression that, despite the intellectual structures available on the ground, he is feeling lost?

First, one of the arrowheads of the O'Odua groupings, Dr Jide Oluwajuyitan, recently floated the diversionary kite of Lagos needing some external power (at Abuja?) to grant it Special Status. I have dealt with that in the past. My attitude has been this. If Lagos is currently NOT special, then I am certainly from Mongolia.

The Lagos arm of the APC had found it impolitic to robustly pursue an item on its long established manifesto ie to pursue the Restructuring of the polity. Anyone who can do ordinary arithmetic will easily deduce that Lagos State, and to a lesser extent its neighbour Ogun State does not need Nigeria, OR Ndigbo, OR Niger Delta oil money. With these as a given, the Lagos delegation would have an easy time contributing to the renegotiation towards a more perfect union. However in an inexplicable pivot away from displeasing one man, President Buhari, our friends in Lagos have demurred on the very vital issue of addressing the facts on the ground.

As an Igbo, living in Lagos and laying claim to some cerebral capacity, I find myself repeating over and over again that proper Restructuring of Nigeria is neither an Igbo thing nor a Niger Delta issue. It needs to be stressed that what our president Buhari thinks or wants are completely irrelevant in this determination.

Hence I am most amazed that Gov Ambode has this late in the day sought the "help" of lawyers who are not necessarily at his beck and call. The political class in Lagos, comprising the Ambode led Executive, the Legislature and the political structures (of both leading parties) have all the tools and power they need to successfully address this problem.

Lagos State cannot afford not to lead. 

Period!