Numerous individuals more qualified than I have in the last week or so, reminded us of Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s numerous achievements, so respecting myself, I will resist the temptation to do same as I may fail woefully. Instead, I will limit myself to speaking about some of the virtues he bequeathed that I predict will continue to speak for him, long after brick and mortar have finished serving their purpose.
One definition of progressivism I came across is that it is “a social or political movement, which aims to represent the interests of ordinary people through political change and the support of government actions.” Lateef Jakande saw this as his calling and dutifully yielded to it. Within a period of just four years and three months during which he governed Lagos State as it’s first democratically elected Governor, Jakande brought an unprecedented level of progress to the state. It is a testament to the quality of his governance that most of his infrastructural legacies are still standing today. The number of “firsts” he recorded as Governor in terms of infrastructural development, institutions established and pivotal policies remain to be matched.
Not many people are aware that Jakande had a stellar career in journalism before venturing into politics. He was once the Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Tribune before establishing his own paper, The Lagos News. With a knack for leaving his footprint wherever went, he founded the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in 1963 and initiated the establishment of both the Newspapers’ Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Nigerian Guild of Editors. In recognition of his stature in the profession, he was elected to serve as the first President of NPAN.
Celebration of this illustrious man’s life provides us an opportune time to reset our societal values, to better align with the principles of modesty, commitment and service embodied by this highly respected former Governor
Lateef Jakande would later take up politics and subsequently become the Governor of Lagos State. He was not by any stretch of the imagination a tall man but was endearingly nicknamed “Baba kekere”, which meant “little or young Awolowo” (his political mentor) as opposed to being a reference to his diminutive stature.
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Yes, I began by saying this article’s focus is not to reel out Baba Kekere’s numerous achievements but I would be doing him a great injustice if I didn’t mention a few. His administration built the current Lagos State Secretariat, the Governor’s office and the Lagos State House of Assembly complex.
He established the Lagos State Television (LTV), Lagos Radio, Lagos State University (LASU). He established a General Hospital in different zones of the state including building 20 health centres to provide free healthcare.
He built the Teacher Training College and the College of Education. He built 30 low-cost housing estates across the state. He introduced the first commercial boat transport service. He would have introduced a metro rail but this was truncated by the military coup that ushered in Buhari’s military government in 1983. Baba Kekere constructed over 22,000 classrooms. He established the Water Management Board, constructed the Adiyan Water Works and modernized the Iju Water Works. He established the Electricity Board for Rural Electrification, the first State Traffic Management Authority and founded LASACO Insurance. This great visionary initiated the Small Scale Industries Credit Scheme, which years later led to the founding of EKO Bank. He built new markets and expanded existing ones. He constructed too many roads to mention. He opened Lagos up from Victoria Island, where it hitherto ended, to Epe. Remarkable achievements by any standard. When a man’s mission is to serve, you’ll see it clearly in the results. How many of our latter-day Governors have achieved in eight years, 10% of what Baba Kekere achieved in just over four years? Still, that’s not all I want you to take away from this.
Celebration of this illustrious man’s life provides us with an opportune time to reset our societal values, to better align with the principles of modesty, commitment and service embodied by this highly respected former Governor. Not known to wear his progressive garb like a cloak which he put on and off, Jakande remained the same man in and out of government; espousing the same values always. His lifestyle was a simple and spartan one, devoid of all the appurtenances associated with a sitting or former political office holder. Throughout his tenure as Governor, he used his personal car and lived in his personal house in Ilupeju; where he lived until his demise on February 11, 2021. In shunning the glitz of power and instead of facing squarely what he was elected to do, he will forever be a shining example of one who indeed came to serve.
I dare say that if “Lagosians” are asked to write down a list of five people who’s service transformed their lives; who provided them with opportunities and hope for a better future and were thus largely responsible for who they themselves have become today, Baba Kekere would feature on more lists than most. Whose list will you be on? That’s your legacy right there.
It’s the epitaph of Sir Christopher Wren, the most celebrated of all British architects who built world-renowned landmarks such as London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace which famously reads, “If you seek his monument, look around you”. We can say the same of late Pa Lateef Kayode Jakande, but not just because of the physical transformation he brought to Lagos State. Remember, giants don’t always come in big sizes. It’s the enormity of their impact that portrays them as being larger than life. Baba Kekere will remain a testament to that. His legacy cannot be quantified by the legion of structures he brought to Lagos State; but by us having an understanding of what they represent; the promise of a better future for millions of Lagosians who up till then could hardly dream of owning their own home or being able to afford a decent education. He brought the walls inhibiting such dreams crashing down and ushered in a new dawn. Now that was his most monumental legacy; the people. Sleep well sir.
Changing the nation…one mind at a time.
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