Lagosians do not appreciate Sanwo-Olu enough –Femi Pedro

Ayodele Olalere

He was a former deputy governor in Lagos State where he served with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before his impeachment.

His name is Otunba Olufemi Pedro and that he is truly a successful man is not in doubt. As a politician and one-time bank official,  he has left an indelible mark in the sand of time. While in the banking industry, he rose to the pinnacle of his career by becoming the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a first-generation bank.

He joined politics as Deputy Governor in Lagos State when he was sworn in alongside ex-governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2003  and no doubt, he made an impact, especially in setting the state on the path of economic independence through various economic policies. His impeachment as deputy governor generated lots of controversies and pitched him against the ruling party in the state.

One of his achievements was the introduction of PSP and waste management model, which is thriving in Lagos today.

On 13 December 2006, Pedro dumped the Action Congress, AC, as the ruling party, APC, was known then,  to declare under the Labour Party. On September 24, 2010, Femi Pedro declared his intention to run for the 2011 governorship election in Lagos State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He made his declaration at the PDP secretariat in Ikeja amidst fanfare and jubilation by his supporters and party members.

In December 2013, Pedro reportedly held a secret meeting with his political mentor, Tinubu, and returned to the APC. His impeachment was reversed and annulled by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2015.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when he pulled the number one man in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to the launch of a book written by his wife, Justice Jumoke Olusola Pedro, a judge of the Lagos High Court.

The book, “Fundamental Principles of Law:  Practice and Procedure”, is 841 pages and 115 chapters, which chronicles different aspects of law practice.

The event also brought the presence of the two-times Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, representative of the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, traditional rulers and other eminent personalities.

That the former deputy governor again feels at home with the ruling party was evident in his glowing assessment of the performances of the state governor, especially his handling of the Endsars crisis, which almost brought the state down in 2020.

It is recalled the Endsars was a protest by Nigerian youths against activities of the dreaded police formation, the State  Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS. The protest swept across the country, as many policemen lost their lives and property destroyed. Lagos was the most hit, as Infrastructure, such as the oldest court in Nigeria, the Igbosere High Court, was burnt down by protesters. The burnt court left many judges with no courtroom to operate for several months.

In his assessment of the performances of Governor Sanwo-Olu, Otunba Pedro rated the governor high and lamented the fact that Lagosians do not appreciate the governor enough for turning the state around since he came on board.

“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has done well. People don’t appreciate the type of governor we have in the state. Let’s look at the 2020 catastrophe where protesters started burning down buildings and killing people; let’s assume we don’t have a good and versatile governor, the state would have gone down. We would have been in a serious security crisis. But see the way he handled the whole thing and he has brought back peace. There is harmony in Lagos now and there is development. Lagos is a huge construction site now. Everywhere you go, you will see road work going on. Lagos is having a new shape,” Pedro said.

On the impact Sanwo-Olu’s administration has had on the judiciary, the ex-deputy governor commended the governor for taking the welfare of the judges seriously.

He noted: “I must commend him. He has also done a yeoman’s job with the Lagos judiciary. As a husband of a judge, I know how the government takes care of their welfare. Resources are not enough but when judges are comfortable, the issue of integrity can’t be taken for granted. Lagos State has started increasing judges salaries, which started during the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as governor and I was his deputy. About 20 judges were appointed and they were all given houses, cars and their welfare was not compromised. That tradition has not changed. Lagos State is the star that all other states look up to in terms of the judiciary. Everything Lagos State does in terms of the judiciary, other states copy. We are proud of our judges.”

He spoke further: “Let me tell you the story. When they burnt down the Igbosere court,  my wife’s court was affected. She kept a lot of personal things there; she lost everything. She would wake up in the night and be crying about how she would recover all she had lost. I understand the pain they went through. For months, she couldn’t find a court to sit in.  She had to struggle. I thank Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; he has built for them a beautiful edifice at Osborne Foreshore. They are now comfortable and doing their work. May God not let us experience what we experienced in 2020 again in Lagos. We give glory to God for bringing us to this point.”

Speaking on the significance of the book launch event, Otunba Pedro commended his wife for putting together the book.

“It was significant in many ways. I must commend my darling wife, Justice Jumoke Pedro, because the workload of judges in Lagos State is tremendous. I know it. They have hundreds of cases and she does her work with so much dexterity, passion and dedication. People don’t know this when they see judges, the kind of work they put in and what we husbands and wives of judges also do to be able to support them. And in the midst of this, she was still able to write books.

“This particular book is over 800 pages and over 170 chapters. It’s a compendium for all judges, lawyers, students, researchers and even laymen, who just want to have a feel of what’s going on in court. I congratulate her and really appreciate her.

“The judiciary in Nigeria will keep on improving and we can get better. All hands must be on deck but I know Lagos State is a role model. Lagos has twice as many judges as other states. We have ten times more cases than any other state in Nigeria. It brings a lot of pressure on them,” he added.