Who is after Roli Bode George

By Sola Shittu

The incident in the senate on Wednesday last week reminded one of the sad tales of Chief Olabode George, the former Chairman of the Nigeria ports authority, NPA, South West Vice Chairman and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). Bode George was noted for his role in the overrun of the entire five South West states for the PDP in 2007 without using bulldozer. An effort that earned him the elevation from Vice Chairman South West to Deputy National Chairman, (South) of the PDP and the juicy position of the Chairman of NPA. Bode George was at the peak of his political career and everything seemed to be working for him when he had an Humpty Dumpty fall which landed him in kirikiri prison with prison uniform. Yet, he remains a PDP chieftain notorious for his powerful influence on the party within and outside the prison. But our attention to day is not on Bode George but on Roli Bode George, his youthful wife whose appointment as a member of the National Population Commission Board is receiving criticism from the three senators from Lagos State who described her as a non indigene of the state. Bode George has always blamed his predicament on the ACN leaders in Lagos State, particular the ersthwhile governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the cut throat cold war between Tinubu and Bode George is legendary. Both political gladiators see each other not only as rival but a threat to their political status in the south west. It was on this premise that the trio of senators Oluremi Tinubu, Gbenga Ashafa and Ganiyu Solomon rose against the appointment of Roli Bode George by Mr. President as a member of the National Population Commission board, a post describe as very sensitive to the state. However their opposition could not have its way in the hallowed chamber of the senate predominantly dominated by the PDP members, her appointment scaled through and the ACN senators were aggrieved. They rushed from the chamber to the press corps room to express their displeasure at the development. Ganiyu Solomon was not around but his interest was adequately represented by his two other colleagues, senators Remi Tinubu and Gbenga Ashafa. Both senators argued that the president erred in disregarding the letter of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola seeking the president’s pleasure to nominate the state representatives in the commission. According to them Roli is already a member of two other federal boards and therefore should not be appointed again since she was not the only one in the state. To them, the commission deserves a better representation from Lagos State than Roli because the work of that commission requires somebody who should have the feelings of the people. They wondered why the input of the governor on the matter was ignored by the president adding that even with the protest letter from the senators to the screening committee; the nominated ought to have been rejected. And this where Nigeria politics do not cease to amaze me and I used to wonder why we fret a lot on mundane issue, in as much as I would agree, and totally, with the Lagos senators that appointment into the National population commission Board is a very sensitive one, but one would not agree with the argument that Roli should be disqualified because she is not an indigene of the state. Honestly speaking such argument is coming from a very wrong position after all it is a known fact that senator Oluremi Tinubu who is a senator representing Lagos State, in the senate (a much greater sensitive position) is only a Lagosian by marriage. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Roli like distinguish senator Remi Tinubu is also married to a Lagosian so the same law of citizenship by marriage which applied to the distinguish senator should also apply to Roli who is now a member of the National Population Commission Board although I sympathize with the ACN senator because their representative this time around is not from the ruling party in the state. But that is politics for you if it is so difficult for any PDP man to get elected into any position in Lagos state then their only consolation will be to look up to the ruling party at the federal for whatever they can get. This is politics and in politics you can not win all the time. But the point raised by the senator for a strong representation in the commission is a serious one especially with the controversy trailing the population figure of Lagos state in the last census. However one needs to ask who can be more Lagosian than a woman who is married to a lagosian. If by marriage Roli loses even her right to bear her father’s name and even be buried in her father’s home if she dies then she can stand, raise her head and call herself a Lagosian. Gbogbowa la l’Eko, this Lagos belongs to all of us. It is obvious that the argument canvassed against Roli is just a mere politicking. Let me make a brief roll call of past governor and commissioner of Lagos from Lateef Jakande who is from Kwara State, Rauf Aregesola, now a governor is Osun State was a commissioner under former governor Tinubu, Adebayo Adewusi, a gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo state who is from Eruwa was a commissioner also under Tinubu, Senator Femi Lanlehin, an Ibadan man now representing Oyo south in the senate was also a former aide to Tinubu so who among all these names is a better Lagosian than someone who is married to  lagosian. The answer to this question can be found right among the Lagos Senators. This is Lagos for God sake, centre of excellence not of unnecessary politicking bickering and acrimonies. Eko o ni baje o.

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