The banning of street parties

ON Monday, May 26, this year, the Nigerian Tribune came out with a pungent and interesting editorial entitled: “Banning street parties”, with particular reference to the signing into law of the act prohibiting the practice by Alhaji Raji Babatunde Fashola, the governor of Lagos State.

The newspaper supported the move by the governor, having reviewed the circumstances leading to the enactment of the law, vis a vis the undignified manner in which the parties are held and other inconveniences associated with the practice .

Nowhere in any civilised community of the world will any conscionable person support the idea of holding parties on highways and putting merchandise on same, thus turning the place into commercial centres for selfish reasons.

But in Nigeria, particularly in big cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Kano and Enugu, the odious practice is observed without any remorse about the inconveniences it poses to road users.

This is why, in essence, the newspaper calls for more punitive measures as against the N10,000 fine or jail term of six months for persons caught contravening the act. I can remember that I had joined other well-meaning Nigerians by writing persistently in various newspapers, especially the Nigerian Tribune and Oodua News to condemn the act.

In my articles, I suggested certain ways by which government could make the restriction order workable. One was that it should set up special courts to try those involved in partying on the highway, street trading, display of merchandise on roads, night parties, wrongful parking of vehicles, construction of illegal stalls and allied offences.

My advice to the Lagos State governor is to firmly maintain his stand on the issue until sanity prevails.

Ola-Olaniyi Bamgbola,
53, Agbeni Quarters,
Ibadan.

Bravo, Governor Saraki

When Dr. Bukola Saraki was run ning for the gubernatorial seat of Kwara State and chose the title Turaki of Ilorin, he sent a clear message that he intended to make a difference if voted into power. That is what he has been doing since May 29, 2003, when he was sworn-in as Governor.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating and visits to the state these days to observe the pace of development going on would justify the saying that Kwara State is living up to its billing as the 'Harmony State' in Nigeria.

The brilliant successes the governor has registered in building a new life in the 'Harmony State' are known to the whole world and furnish an inspiring example to the leaders of other states in the federation. In a period of about five years, he has done what other states had failed to do in scores of years. From all the major points of entry to the state and within, one cannot but marvel at the massive road construction projects being undertaken by an agency which was set up at the inception of the Saraki administration to tackle the menace of bad roads across the nooks and crannies of the state.

Apart from infrastructural developments, Saraki is also positively affecting the lives of the people and changing the face of the state in the areas of employment generation, workers’ welfare, agriculture, decent and affordable housing, transportation, potable water, sports and other sectors. pectations of both the populace and health care workers.

On the part of citizens of Kwara State, they must come together and bury their past political differences in order to move the state forward, for we cannot afford to fail again. Let us therefore join hands together to make it great.

Ibrahim Yusuff,
Director of Public Affairs,
Pen Power Associates,
Ibadan.