The term draconian, though originating from Draco, an Athenian law scribe, is only used in the contemporary world when alluding to unfriendly dictatorial decrees.
Although, presently, Nigeria does not operate on military rules, when some civil laws are enacted against the interest of the very masses they are supposed to serve, then such laws automatically become draconian by nature
This has been the perception of many Lagosians over some harsh laws that the Lagos State government has imposed on its residents of late.
From the time those laws were passed, it was obvious that they were not enacted for the welfare of the poor masses.
But for the general elections around the corner, which has led the Lagos State government to relax some of the laws, running foul of these laws attracted huge penalties and fines. Something some residents have described as a yoke trying to choke them up. They are seriously praying that whoever is the incoming governor should try to do away with such anti-people laws.
Some of the laws as outlined here include the land use charge, ban on okada (not just from the major roads but also from some inner roads), the controversial coroner law, privatisation of the water corporation/ban on sinking of boreholes (even though this has been refuted) and the increase in tuition fees of the Lagos State University, which was brought back to its original amount after protests that saw the students storming Alausa in their droves.
For instance, the Coroner law of 1954, which was revisited and passed in 2007, states that anybody who buries his dead relative that died in suspicious circumstances without the knowledge of the chief coroner “shall be liable upon conviction to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine.” It doesn’t matter whether the person is a Muslim or Christian.
The amount of money said to be charged for the autopsy has led to families abandoning the corpses of their relatives in the morgues. Meanwhile, the law states that autopsies conducted in government hospitals are free, a situation which the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) refuted, as there are reports that families of the dead were charged exorbitantly for autopsy on every corpse taken to the morgues in the state.
On the okada (commercial motorcycle) ban, people have been asking what gave rise to okada as a thriving business. A few years ago, there was no okada business in Lagos. And suddenly, okada became a common sight in Lagos.
Logically, it is apparent that the degree of unemployment with its resultant poverty is what has given rise to the presence of okada as most of its operators are either frustrated graduates or school certificate holders, while some are even artisans who are unable to get capital to start business.
Added to this, people have argued, is the need to fill existing wide transportation gap. Days back, when the population of Lagos State was not even half of what it is presently, there was a mass transportation system, as against now that the population has increased. As someone rightly said, the huge revenue generated in Lagos State makes this situation totally inexcusable.
For now, the proposed billing of borehole users in the state is on hold, a condition people are afraid might be revisited after the election, that is, should the APC government continue in power.
As part of its social responsibility to Lagosians, Saturday Independent went to town to seek the views of Lagosians on whether or not Akinwunmi Ambode should continue with those laws if he wins the governorship election.
First, among the respondents, is the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Idowu Adelakun.
Adelakun started with a question: “Why are you mentioning only Ambode, why not Jimi Agbaje or any of the other party candidates. Remember, this is an election and anything can happen.
“Remember also that law is made for man and not man for the law. It all depends on what happened to give rise to those laws then. And for instance, if okada is banned on the express roads, then that’s okay. But going to extend it to the inner streets is what is totally unacceptable. Most of these inner streets are so deplorable that vehicles cannot ply them.
“On the water regulation law, we are saying that the case will be like the Federal Government’s privatisation law on power supply. If water is privatised in Lagos, the situation will go from bad to worse and we will be back to square one. It is part of the laws we want the incoming administration to do away with.
“There is also this law about Lagos State government-owned sports facilities. Sport is a game of relaxation. Presently, people find leisure in sports; they leave their houses and go to the stadiums, it shouldn’t be made a burden on the people. Sports facilities should not be a moneymaking venture. The implication of that law is that even school children cannot hold inter house sports there. They will have to apply and pay to the Lagos State government before they can access their sports facilities. That is not right!
“The land use charge is also there. Presently, that one is driving companies away from Lagos State to the neighbouring Ogun State. A lot of companies are winding down because of the high cost charged them on land use by the Lagos State government. This has led to an increase in the level of unemployment in the state. This and many more, we are advising any incoming government not to continue with.”
A retiree of the Lagos State civil service and a senior citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (names withheld) could not hold back his anger when he told this reporter not to ask her those questions because he doesn’t want to discuss politics now.
However, he asked: “Ambode served Lagos State for 27 years, he should tell Lagosians why and how he had to leave; we are waiting to hear that from him because he has not told us. Since he left, what has he been doing, we are also waiting to hear that from him.
“Right now okada people are working; we know that after the election, they will descend on them as before. For the past one month, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) people have not been on the roads. They are deceiving themselves.
“If Ambode wins, then Lagosians are in big trouble. The All Progressives Congress (APC) said they need change; Lagosians need change also. I am going to vote APC, but not Ambode or Tinubu. It is only Buhari that people who will vote APC will vote for, nothing more.”
Christian Nwogwugu, a businessman had this to say: “Well, there is a lot of political juggling and calculations at the stage we are right now. Though we have about 10 political parties in the country, including Lagos State, the main contenders are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC. I state this to remind political pundits that it is not impossible for any other party to win Lagos governorship race as happened in the time of Michael Otedola.
“In any case, if Ambode wins by popular mandate, he may not implement some of Fashola’s laws. This is because, I am told he is not an apostle or disciple of His Excellency, Fashola. He, Ambode, is being positioned to serve the Lagos master and political kingmaker; however, neither the coroner law, borehole ban, LASU fees, the banning of okada for the privileged people, etc, is the issue. What matters to the man on the street is whether or not the incoming government at any level will create the political and economic environment to enable Nigerians (be they Lagosians or not) put food on their tables, have constant power and roof over their heads.
“University education has not made the desired impact in this clime. If higher tuition fees would produce employers of labour rather than cheap tuition fees, resulting in big A3 size certificates of half-baked unemployable persons, it does not make sense.
“I am sorry to say that none of the Ambodes will change anything. The selfish status quo will continue. I pray God to send us Moses someday.”
When the opinion of the okada riders was sought, their response was not different as one of them, by name, Nssien, in pidgin English vented his anger over what he described as the unfair treatment of okada operators by the present administration in Lagos State, saying; “If I tell you wetin dey my mind, to do to them, you no go believe me.
“Where Ambode want follow enter that place. We done block the road for am. Him no fit enter there at all, at all. Even if we no block the road, Papa God no go gree.
“You know wetin this people done cause us. You think say I no like to sit down for office wey air condition dey inside. You think say I like this kind work wey I dey do inside rain and sun. When I no get another choice, wetin make I do. Abi make I carry gun go dey shoot people for night.
“When they start this their law newly, you know how many people their police men pursue enter motor and kill. Them done make plenty people jobless. I beg make you no dream that kind dream again o. We know who we want and who we go vote for. Forget the rest.
Well, a Keke Marwa (tricycle) operator also lent his voice in Yoruba language: “Auntie, change will take place in Lagos. The one they have done is enough. They should pack their load and vacate that place. There is no other place change is needed more than in Lagos State. They have done enough. We don’t even know the one we are suffering from, whether it is this Ifako Ijaiye council Agberos (touts) on uniform, or the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) people or the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). They should please go. We have had enough and we need serious change.”
This reporter then told him that going to collect their T-shirts on the last Marwa Day at Alausa and saying this about them amounts to betrayal, and he retorted: “Me, collect T-shirt. I was not there. They didn’t allow us to operate that day. I decided to sleep in my house. I am not an APC person and nobody can force me to become one because I have not benefited from them, so I could not have gone to collect their T-shirts. But come to think of it, do you think those people that collected the T-shirt you are talking about are going to vote them back to power. Okay, how many Keke Marwa drivers have you been seeing that T-shirt on since that day. Does that say something to you? We are no fools o. Just wait and see what will happen.”
Still on the land use charge, another resident and property owner who preferred to be called Sir K declared: “They are out to bleed the residents dry and do not have anything to offer them in return. You don’t give me C of O, meanwhile I have paid the Omonile all the fees needed. You are not interested in whether there are infrastructures, such as accessible roads, to the place. It doesn’t matter to them if the place is flooded and prone to airborne diseases. They are only interested in commercialising everything and collecting levies.
“You know that the worst aspect of it is that when they come to evaluate the place and meet a bungalow, they will bill you. Should you later decide to make it a storey building, they will come back to reassess and re-evaluate the place and give you a higher bill. And should you delay in payment, your bill will attract a penalty charge.”
When this reporter sought the view of a private medical doctor of over 20 years of practice, on whether he thinks the coroner law and such other laws in Lagos State should be continued by Ambode if he wins the election, he said he wasn’t too conversant with the law. As this reporter tried to explain some of the contents of the law, and the NMA’s position on some sections of the law, he cut the line and subsequently, switched off his phone.
From the various views and opinions expressed, it is apparent that these laws are not there to solve the problems of the poor masses and Lagosians are groaning under the burden of keeping them, since right now, they do not have a choice.
Granted that no society operates without laws, but it is advised that the incoming administration repeal those laws and enact the ones that give reasonable consideration to the poor rather than those that only favour the rich and the mighty.
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