Greater Height Forum (GHF) Convener, Comrade Samuel Oluwatoyin Okhiria, has written an Open Letter to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Commissioner For Environment, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab on the usefulness of sanitation officers on the causes of cholera outbreak.
He said; Research have it that subjects/Citizens especially in these part of the world are easily quick to criticize leaders for every failure and inefficiencies in leadership, without proper evaluation and critically studying the cause of failures in the leadership.
As a student of politics who comprehends the role of surbodination in leadership. With several research to understand the reason why the effort of leaders most times become fruitless, despite putting in all their best toward achieving success in various facet of development. Some in their usual way will say it is lack of proper policy evaluation.
According to research, it is not every time that government nor leaders have summersaulted Policies, but most time in the grim of reality, the causes of failure in leadership are mostly recorded in the shortcomings of the surbodinates ineptitude’s at the various levels of government .Insurbodination is an helpless disease affecting the growth and development, in the facet of Sanitation’s and waste management in Lagos.
My pivotal reason for writing to you sir is not far-fetched , but to crave your indulgence in creating a means of new development within the Sanitation officers across the 20LGAs and 37LCDAs in Lagos State, through the office of Mr Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for Environment . However, before going into detailed explanations,It is pertinent and known fact that Lagos State government has done so much in ensuring cleanliness. How can one say thank you to His Excellency, BabaJide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, for touching every facet of Lagos State, especially in the Sanitation aspect to be precised. Your administration can be tailored to that of Sir Macpherson in 1951, a one time Governor-General of Nigeria, who was pronounced as the people’s governor.
As a graduate of Political Science, there is always a need to think outside the box. Relating and reacting to the challenges of Cholera outbreak and Environmental Sanitation to contemporary Political analysis which centers on why, where and how some certain things happen, and how such event can be subjected to solutions, and be curbed. One of the very few Major causes of the recent recorded cholera outbreak is simply bad environment without proper care, unhygienic intake of food/water, and the carelessness of individuals using dirt to block the drainage .Out of the desire to see Lagos State match with her motto,which is center of Excellence. I have decided to pick up my pen to propose some succinct innovative ideals in the aspect of Sanitation. This is in penchants to make Lagos a more cleaner place in other to meet up with the standards of developed nations.
My humble submission is (R3)Rebranding, Remolding and Re-strategizing of the Sanitation officers across the LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos State is the solution and it is my utmost priority as a loyal subject too. Your Excellency ,You have always be clamoring for a cleaner Lagos ,Yet why do we still have cracks on the wall. I want you to note that when a philosopher start philosophizing, then it starts asking questions.
- Under your watch sire, through the office of the Commissioner for environment, Lagos has created so many platform for creativity and change that will be mostly useful and productive. Yet people at their various milieu still constitutes nuisance simply because of lack of proper discharge of duty?
- How then can we enhance proper discharge of duties among officers who have accommodated ineptitudes , in other to get effective result when it comes to cleanliness across the 20LGAs and 37LCDAs?
- What are the steps to be taken in other to curb the excesses of ineptitude’s of the officers and establish good conduct and behavior within the sanitation officers.
Your excellency sir, so many functional literates and illeterates today failed to understand that Growth and Development are two different entities. It is very possible for someone to be growing and nor developing. Lagos State in all ramifications has growth and development, though as they say that development is ceaseless process.
My pivotal point in writing these open proposal to you sir is- has there been any activeness among the Sanitation officers? Despite how the commissioner for environment is striving hard to give Lagos a greener look. This Sanitation officers often go out to check without positive result and turn a blind eyes to maintain the page of the commissioner for environment.
This is where I will like to make my own succinct contributions creatively to the realization of a co-operate objectives on the sanitation officers across all LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos State. Having stated earlier on my question which centers on Rebranding, Remolding and re-strategies. How can we achieve this for a proper discharge of duty by the Sanitation officers.
Your Excellency sir, Kindly permit me to use the word of the first Greek philosopher “Aristotle” he said and I quote “Discovering ourself at the early stage of ourlives, will make us discover everything around us and our way forward “ What this implies is simply for we all to think outside the box in other to get what is right. Development cannot be completed with the wisdom of a single man, it has to be a collective work.
It is not all about what the government has to offer all the time, it should also be what her subject is bringing to the table to support the government as well. I have come with an answer SUPERVISORY BOARD, acting as the eye of the commissioner, over supervisors and sanitation officers across the 20LGAs and 37LCDAs.. My submission and suggestions for solutions is as follows.
- A body called Supervisory board should be created, embedded under the direct power of the commissioner for environment ,who will be making a routine visit to checkmate and curb the excesses of supervisors/non-challant sanitation officers across all LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos .
- Impromptu and un-announced visit to Local governments without the consent of superior/supervisors nor sanitation officers in the Local government .
- Organizing of training programmes to educate the officers by the supervisory body/office on the conduct of discipline during operating in discharging of duties.
- The Supervisory board will have direct contact with the supervisors and sanitation officers at each local government , to know their challenges and welcome possible solutions to problems affecting their operations.
This are my (4) four possible solutions to cleanliness in Lagos State. The brain start working and not stoping , but get more advance when the needful is been done. According to a Political Scholar J.J Rousseau who says “ The strongest is never strong enough to be the master, except he transforms his strength into right, duty and obligations. Having transforming this little knowledge of mine into right, duty and obligation as a loyal subject of yours, and an ardent under your leadership umbrella in this current party renewed hope, I make bold to say with confident that we will record success.
Finally ,With all due respect, I hereby appeal to Your Excellency in swinging into action to do the needful and expedite this cause. I dare not to teach you nor give order on this proposal of mine.Kindly see it as a loyal subject who is actually trying to contribute to nation building. EKO ONI BAJE!!!
Comrade Samuel Oluwatoyin Okhiria
Convener, Greater Height Forum (GHF) Lagos..
07068557334
Okhiriasamuel01@gmail.com