I have always adore Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for his dugged commitment
at bringing quality service delivery to Lagos. If he is not launching
road projects, he would be empowering Lagosians either with skill
acquisition or workshop. The last time I checked, he empowered
prospecting poultry farmers in the state with start-up funds after taken
these people on a four-month intensive agricultural workshop at one of
the agric schemes in Lagos.
The fact that he does so much without
posing for the cameras further increased my admiration for him. That he
has also taking the state’s IGR profile to well above N26billion
monthly is a testament to his ecnomic and fiscal blueprints that has
continued to keep the state afloat despite the hard economic realities
confronting the nation at this present time.
However,
I have been greatly troubled since last week when words filtered in
that Gov. Ambode has approved increment in the ticket price of BRT
buses. That BRT buses have given a semblance of tranquility to the
hitherto caotic Lagos transportation system is well acknowleged. And
Lagosians applaud him and his predecessor, Babatunde Raji Fashola for
that. But I don’t think Lagosians at home with this planned increment at
this auspicious time when people are battling so hard to come to terms
with the biting economic recession.
Though
rising operational cost has been adduced as reason for the increment
but if one consider the untold spiral effect such increment would have
on the cost of transportation within the Lagos metropolis, it won’t be a
bad idea if Lagos State Government find an alternative source to beef
up the gap of the operational cost for the BRT buses. An increment in
ticket price of BRT even when minimum wage remain abbysmally at N18, 000
is not well concieved. What this means is that a bus ride from Toll
Gate to Oshodi which use to cost N150 would now go for N300 while the
private commercial bus operators who were initially collecting between
N250 and N300 for similar trip would have ample reason to further jack
up the price to around N500.
This
is uncharitable of a government that almost everyone holds in high
esteem. I had even thought that Gov. Ambode would have taken advantage
of his periodic 100 days account of stewardship to guage the mindset of
the Lagos populace before giving approval for the planned increment.
Undoubtedly,
prices of goods and services would go up with the planned increment and
only God knows where it would end. Many people are taking solace in
Lagos because it offers a solid shock to absorb the harsh economic
conditions thrown at the whole nation by the Federal Government,
Lagosians can’t be wrong in enlisting their trust on Gov. Ambode. It is
not too late to seek for an alternative to this increment.
The article above was written by Sharafadeen Olanrewaju Olaleye
