THE INSIDE STORY ; THE TRUTH ABOUT THE RIFT BETWEEN LAGOS SPEAKER AND GOV RAJI FASHOLA

Perception is different from reality, my friend Mumuni Alao, the best selling Editor in Chief of Complete Sports told me thirteen years ago. All too often that statement plays itself out and I remember Mumuni’s famous words though we do not see frequently.
Lagos Speaker Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji ia a no nonsense, bulky tough looking dude who runs the state legislature with a firm grip knowing as he likes to say his place, his limitations and the place of the legislature in governance which he is trying to drum home to his colleagues.
Earlier that evening, I had asked the Speaker about his no nonsense posture and he had replied,
‘ I am confident in what I do and in my role in government. My background has also played a great role. I see myself as being put there to serve my people. I have been a benefit of government largese; I was trained on scholarship, because I came from a very humble background so I take my job very seriously and I do not fear anybody as long as I am on the right path’.
He is perceived to be Gov Raji Fashola’s #1 enemy, ever ready with a dagger to run through him…that is perception, but the truth is that despite their differences and this is no spin, he has a lot of respect for the Governor and they get along excellently well and this is the reality of the situation.
Last Thursday, I witnessed a humbling, history making event that changed my mind about just how tough and unfriendly the speaker really is. The background to this is the on going strike by resident doctors in Lagos. On that Thursday, I was with the speaker in his office upstairs while negotiations continued between the government team, law makers and the doctors union. At some point, the talks were deadlocked, the doctors wanted one of their dismissed colleague re- instated and they wanted it done in a jiffy, matter of fact, before the end of the session. It was a dicey situation which only the Governor could take a decision on.
A member of the negotiating team called the Speaker’s phone to demand his intervention with the Governor. He was equally frantic to reach the Governor on phone. The phones were jammed for over thirty minutes, when eventually he did and after the exchange of pleasantries he tables his dilemma. The governor thought it over for a minute and said he would like to speak with the doctors if they were close by and the Speaker said, Ok Sir, Hold On, I will take the phone to them.
The Speakers’ office is on the second floor of the State Assembly complex and the conference room where the horse trading was on going was in another wing on the ground floor. He did the unthinkable. He stood up, holding the phone , motioned for us to follow him and he strutted out of his office, with us behind and his security and police men following we all race down the staircase to the conference room were via speaker, the Governor assured the doctors he was favorably disposed towards re instating their dismissed colleague for peace to reign. There after, we walked back to the Speakers office to continue our chat.
The moral of this story? Do not believe all you read about the enmity between politicians. It might just be some bum causing trouble or as they say, heating the polity for some selfish gains.