6th May, 2011
Foreign Magazine calls Fashola A Rare Good Man
The Economist magazine based in London has taken a look at Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos State, describing him as a ‘rare good manâ€
With a Gross domestic product of $43 billion, Lagosâ€
The international magazine wrote further:
“When Babatunde Fashola goes to the theatre in Lagos, his entrance usually sparks more applause than the castâ€
“Lagos, which vies with Cairo for the title of Africaâ€
“Of course Mr Fashola is simply doing his job. But that is quite rare among Nigerian governors, many of whom are bent on lining their pockets.
“There has long been a disconnect between the people and their government,†says Mr Fashola, sporting a floppy blue hat popular among his fellow Yoruba.
He stresses a rise in the tax take, which now accounts for 65% of the city-stateâ€
“The governor can be hasty. He has banned okadas, frisky motorcycle-taxis, from major roads even though public transport remains limited. Some street traders were shooed away before markets to house them were ready. But Mr Fashola insists that restoring order ultimately benefits everyone.
“The general consensus here is that the discomfort and the pain are well worth it.†Some worry that Bola Tinubu, Mr Fasholaâ€
“Starting his second four-year term, Mr Fashola hopes to complete promised commuter-rail lines and expressways and to launch an affordable-housing project. A term-limit rule prevents him from running again in the next round of elections, in 2015. Many Lagosians hope he will run for president instead. Smiling, he dismisses the idea as premature.
“He certainly has enough work as it is. The UN predicts that Lagos, which may already contain 15m people, will grow by 2.7% a year until 2025, double the rate of Cairo. Only a tenth of the city has proper sewerage. Okada riders still ignore many rules. Traffic cops climb into peopleâ€