I love President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This love dates back to my early days as a rookie in the media under the tutelage of Tunji Bello, the current executive vice chairman/chief executive officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). Oga TB, as we often called him, was my Political Desk Editor.
It was Bello who groomed me. As an intern, he was the sheriff when fate posted me to the defunct Concord Press Limited to announce the arrival of the boy from Times Journalism Institute where I had gone to get tutored on what journalism was and is.
For months, I was groomed by him, with the likes of Louis Odion, my Alakpere, Agege neighbour while Gboyega Amabonye, popularly known within the political circle as, “The Governor” held sway on the desk. Others were the wordcraft master himself, Sam Omaseye, who guided me too. Victor Ifijeh, Smiling Sam Olukoya, the gentleman who rarely speaks but allows his pen to do the magic were also in the team. There were others like Warees Solanke.
After a successful stint, I went back to round up my journalism studies. On a particular afternoon, I was visibly shocked when I bumped into Olukoya who came to visit the Institute. After exchanging pleasantries, he dropped a bombshell, “Jonas, are you not interested in working with us”, he said. Shocked, I moved closer and whispered as if scared not to have my colleagues hear me, which job sir?
It was then he told me that after my exemplary internship, Oga TB recommended me for employment and that my letter of employment had been waiting for me to pick up. He reminded me of the commendation letter signed by Bello who had described me as the best intern that has ever served on the desk.
That was how my journey with Oga Bello and Concord Press began even before completing my programme. On a particular day, I was assigned to cover an assignment put together by my editor’s close associate, Chris Mamman. The venue of the event was Lagos Sheraton.
With me were the likes of Chukwudi Abiandu of The Guardian Newspaper, Sola Bello of the Vanguard, the late Funsho Muriano of the Punch, Bosun Odedina of the Tribune Newspapers as well as Tunde Rahman, currently senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu, who was then with Lagos Horizon Newspaper.
At the tick of time, an affluently dressed gentleman walked into the venue accompanied by Mr Mamman and other associates. He was later introduced as Bola Tinubu, a senatorial aspirant. After the brief introduction that looked more like the opening curtain of a drama performance, he left us while we were invited to enjoy a sumptuous buffet. Yours truly did justice to the meal and my palm was greased with some little change to drive me back to the office.
I know this write-up sounds like a patronising piece to get the attention of Mr Bayo Onanuga who at the time of my sojourn in Concord Press was the editor of the African Concord alongside the likes of Ohi Alegbe. Truth is that it is not. But if Oga Bayo truly reads this piece and brings it to the attention of Mr President, I would be elated if he mentions my name to Mr President for possible consideration. Afterall, “miracle no dey tire Jesus”, as we say in Christendom
Back to my subject today, which is a deviation of the column which has run since 2007. I said, I love Mr President. I love him as my President even though fuelling my car and recharging my prepaid electricity meter sometimes bring some financial discomfort as part of my sacrifice for a better Nigeria.
I love him as a father, a husband, and as a Nigerian. I do sincerely love him. As a politician and leader, I love him, because God’s Holy Book commands me, according to Romans 13:1-7, where it says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” So, I have an obligation to love him. With all my bosses and colleagues in his team, I owe him love, support and prayers.
My love for Mr President was re-echoed by his recent decision which I must confess would elate every road safety operative as well as our colleagues from the other agencies for several reasons. First, it would cut down the cost of doing business as acknowledged by him also.
More importantly, it would usher some level of sanity on our roads and in cities such as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where some siren blaring government officials daily paint traffic with so much recklessness. It will further reduce the level of hit-and-run cases recorded across board.
I may not have all the details but any keen observer of traffic will agree that the level of convoy driving crashes as well as assault on innocent road users by gun-wielding security operatives have been of grave consequence. Some cases of assault or accidental discharge have been as a result of convoy-driven vehicles refusal to show good examples by driving by the rules.
Before I serve you with some snippets of convoy crashes, please let us look at the specifics of the new measures reeled out by Mr President. In a nutshell, it restricts ministers’ vehicles to three as well as downsized security guards.
As announced by Mr Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, heads of agencies of the federal government are now restricted to a maximum of three vehicles in their official convoy. No additional vehicles will be assigned to them, he said. Similarly, Mr President also ordered all ministers, ministers of state and heads of security agencies to have at most five security personnel. The security team will comprise four policemen and one Department of State Services (DSS) officer.
Mr President you will recall, had in January 2024, reduced his entourage on foreign trips from 50 to 20 officials. For local trips, he reduced it to 25 officials. The vice president’s entourage was reduced to five on foreign trips and 15 for local trips. The president also instructed the National Security Adviser (NSA) to engage with the military, paramilitary and security agencies to determine a suitable reduction in their vehicles and security personnel deployment.
For those who still do not appreciate the implications, please let me serve you some snippets of Very Important Personalities (VIPs’) convoy driving mannerisms and consequences. Let us start with the 2020 incident involving a former governor of Edo State which left two people critically injured and two police officers dead.
This incident brought to the fore the prevalent tendency of VIP convoys and brazen lawlessness. As reported in one of the newspapers, ’’the accident and the casualties are indicative of VIPs’ reckless driving that include excessive speeding, improper overtaking, harassment of other road users and wrong-way driving (going against the direction of traffic). It is an unfortunate manifestation of the ‘Big Man’ mentality that corrodes the political system’’.
The 2020 incident was not the first. In fact, there is a sad history of recklessness, crashes and death that have trailed VIPs, their gun-trotting entourage and convoys. In August 2019, a crash involving a North-West state governor claimed the lives of two police operatives attached to him. There was also a crash involving a South-South state governor on the Benin-Auchi Expressway. Several were injured as a result.
In 2013, a former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Festus Iyayi, was killed in a crash involving the convoy of the then governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada. The Federal Road Safety Corps in the state identified the wrongful overtaking by a vehicle in the governor’s convoy as the causative factor for the crash. The incident was not the first involving the governor as his convoy was involved in a similar crash in 2012 which claimed the life of his aide-de-camp.
Mr President’s new directive, hopefully will reduce the James Bond driving antics among some of the convoy operatives and by implication promote safe driving and preserve the lives of other road users.
