Lagos 2015: Is Akinwunmi Ambode Fashola’s Successor?

Kazeem Akintunde

Akinwunmi Ambode

The search for a successor to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is on in Lagos. In this regard, Akinwunmi Ambode, a retired permanent secretary in Lagos seems to be riding high due to his purported endorsement for the job by the former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. KAZEEM AKINTUNDE looks at his chances and hurdles.

In a couple of months, Lagosians would go to the poll to elect a successor to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. One name that is presently making waves in the centre of excellence is that of Akinwunmi Ambode.

The
rumour in town is that he has been anointed by the former governor of the state and one of the leaders of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fly the flag of the party.

While the lot fell on Tinubu to single-handedly pick Fashola in 2007 and has been receiving accolades for a wonderful search for a worthy successor, Tinubu as once again cast his lot with this Epe-born technocrat. His “anointing” notwithstanding, Ambode still has several rivers to cross.

Ambode met with some select group of journalists somewhere in Lagos last week to rub mind with the media and for an on-the-spot assessment of the man that wants to rule Lagos. He appears simple, urbane with the typical swagger of a Lagos boy. Ambode came across as another intelligent and bold individual who understands the terrain that is Lagos.

Indeed, he has been part of the successes Lagos State has recorded in the last 15 years but like a typical public servant, was never seen and never heard. He was in the background along several others, designing and implementing many of the policies that stood Lagos out from the rest of the country.

The retired public servant is coming into the race with a rich background.  Born in June 14, 1963 at Epe, he had his primary education at St. Jude Primary School, Ebute Meta before proceeding to the Federal Government College, Warri for both his West Africa Examination Council, WAEC as well as the Higher School Certificate Examination, HSC, with he obtained in 1981. He got admitted to University of Lagos graduating with honours in Accounting at the age of 21.

Upon graduation, he immediately joined the Lagos State Public service when he began working with the Lagos State Waste Disposal Board, now Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA as an Accountant grade II in November 1985 but that does not stop his education and by the time he was 24, he was already a Chartered Accountant and has also completed his Master Degree programme in Accounting from University of Lagos specialising in Financial Management.

He moved to the Local Government where he worked for 10 years and was at various times Council Treasurer in Alimosho, Somolu, Mushin and Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Councils.

In 1998, his commitment to public service earned him the nomination and award of the US Fullbright Scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship programme, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on Public Leadership with emphasis on Finance and Accounting.

Upon his return, he moved to the core Lagos civil service as he was appointed acting Auditor-General for Local Government in 2000 and became the youngest ever auditor-general for Local Government in Lagos State.

Few years later, he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in 2005 and in February, 2006, was given the additional responsibility of Accountant-General of Lagos state.

It was under his watch that former governor Tinubu survived the war he fought against former president Olusegun Obasanjo when he (Tinubu) created additional 37 local government development councils which led to the seizure of local government funds by Obasanjo.

Ambode was said to have designed a template that increased revenue generation from N600 million to over N6 billion monthly, ensuring that all civil servants in Lagos state whether at the state or local government received their monthly salaries without delay.

But with several years still left for him in the state civil service, Ambode threw in the towel in August 2012. His retirement from the state civil service created another record as the first permanent secretary to voluntarily retire in the state public service.

Upon his retirement, Ambode established Brandsmiths Consulting Limited and the company is presently consulting for the federal, state and local governments on the transition to the new international public service Accounting System and other financial advisory services. He has also put pen to paper to document his time as a public servant in Lagos state.

Now this is where the game of politics gets interesting. Already, the leadership of the party in the state has zoned the party ticket to where he came from, Lagos East senatorial zone. Tinubu comes from Lagos West while Fashola is from Lagos central.

Another strong point is the fact that Ambode is a Christian, a major ingredient for the next occupier of Lagos state governor’s seat as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has insisted on a Christian candidate as Fashola’s successor. This push by CAN may have been informed by the fact that both Tinubu and Fashola are both Muslims. At 50, Ambode appears to have age on his side also.

Although zoning the governorship ticket to the Lagos East senatorial zone has effectively knocked out many heavyweight politicians in the state who are presently angling for the seat, there are other equally qualified candidates who are from the Lagos East senatorial zone that are also in the race.

One of such is the current speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji. Another equally strong candidate is the member of the House of Representatives representing Ikorodu in the lower chamber, Abike Dabiri-Erewa; so also is Senator Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon who tells who ever cares to listen that he is from the zone.  The drawback for the trio however is the fact that they are all Muslims.

But the endorsement by Tinubu does not automatically mean that Ambode would have a smooth sail to the Round House as there are still several hurdles on the way for him. One of such hurdles LEADERSHIP learnt is the fact that the incumbent occupier of the seat, Fashola has another candidate in mind.

He is Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, the present Commissioner for Works who has displayed uncommon intelligence and a good grasp of the working of the present government since he came on board and Fashola believes that he is the one that could ensure smooth and easy transition of the baton of leadership in the state.

Placed on a scale, both Ambode and Hamzat are first class brains who Lagosians would be proud to have as their next governor. Asked to comment on whether he has the support of the incumbent for his ambition, Ambode said he enjoys a very cordial relationship with both Tinubu and Fashola with an assurance that Fashola would be the special guest of honour at his book launch later in the year.

He spoke of his passion for Lagos, the burning desire to ensure that things continue to work in the state and his determination to be the next occupier of the seat of governance in the state is quite apparent.

“I have been part of the transformation of Lagos; I have been one of the architects, one of the designers of the structure you are seeing in the state. Now is the time for me to take to the driver’s seat.”

Whether his dreams would come to fruition is another kettle of fish. He may be the front runner for now, but as they say in politics, 24 hours is enough to change the game.

CREDITS: LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER