I hate jargons. I would rather you tell me, in blunt terms, what to expect than coin words that explain nothing.  As a unionist, that was my problem with the Daily Times management. In 1998, the company  owed its workers five months salaries.  And at a four-hour negotiation, the management promised to pay weekly transport allowances and three months salaries. But before we jubilated, it added, “in due course.”

Before the meeting, the Peter Enahoro-led management had accused the NUJ of  violating labour laws by issuing ultimatum. As the NUJ (DTN Chapel) secretary, I was annoyed by the management’s insensitivity. So, I asked the then Daily Times editor, Ndu Ughamadu, a lawyer, a question that ended the negotiation. “Sir, what’s the meaning of ‘in due course’ in law?”  No straight answer. I left as they made to pray. To me, God, who abhors injustice, wasn’t interested in “lip service.” Eventually, the deplorable situation led to the first, and perhaps the last, strike by journalists in government-owned DTN!

Leaders should know better than to play word-games with frustrated people. Jargons only try to fool the people. They confuse and suffocate as they subterfuge the  heinous intentions of those in power. Ultimately, they make the people angry. I have felt that anger in the last few weeks – since our minister of Works abdicated his portfolio for another.

A former AD senator, Adeseye Ogunlewe, cannot be accused of contributing meaningfully to law making, in his four years in the Senate. Between 1999 and 2003,  he made walking out on every contentious issue at the Senate a pastime. Now, paid to Work, Ogunlewe has become a minister of Words. But hardly in the theological sense.

From June, 2003, when the Igbogbo ( a Lagos surburb) man  made Obasanjo’s second cabinet, he has been, like his detractors would say, “shooting his mouth.” First, as the cry over the South-Eastern roads rose to high heavens, he blamed the Igbo people. He said the Igbo men, who allegedly got the contracts to do the roads did not follow “due process.” But, why blame the masses? What did the ministry do to bring any culprit to book? Nothing. Then, when Chris Ngige, apparently seeking relevance, moved to fix a major expressway in Anambra, Ogunlewe shot him down. Ngige, he insisted, must follow “due process” before doing the Federal road. He used  the same “due process” threat against  Orji Kalu of Abia. 

However, his  altercation with Lagos’s Governor Bola Tinubu has really exposed the fowl’s romp. Tinubu must not do the roads without “due process,” he says. And LASTMA (Lagos State Transport Management Authority) and KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline) Brigade must not control traffic on Federal roads. But, who cares who fixes which road? Whether local, state or federal roads, all the masses want, at all times, is a smooth, motorable road – due process or none.  

In any case, why should Ogunlewe be annoyed at Tinubu’s “ingenuity” for making more money for himself and few associates. I am no fan of LASTMA. Once, they harassed me for parking by the roadside to answer a phone call and did what they were employed to do. They extorted money from me before releasing my car. Would it have been better if I answered the phone while driving? None of them answered. Rather, they were busy towing my car – because as one of them said later, they had targets to meet. Yet, they watch buses park at Mile 12, Ojota etc, to pick passengers, daily. So, I am not in love with those men in yellow and wine colours. Admittedly, in some places of Lagos, their fear brings sanity to the road. As for KAI, it was one of those “babies” thrown away hurriedly with  the bathe water – all because we were so eager to do away with anything military. (Remember Buhari/Idiagbon’s WAI?) Unfortunately, we retained Obasanjo and his co-Generals. So, really, if Ogunlewe is so envious of Tinubu’s ingenuity at making money, why can’t he form a FERMA (Federal Roads Maintenance Agency) Brigade? 

Since the exit of Prof. Jerry Gana as Information minister, our eardrums have healed. But then, Gana was paid to talk. And he did. Surprisingly, Ogunlewe is shifting to that role. When Obasanjo announced his oppressive fuel tax, Ogunlewe took over the job of Chukwuemeka Chikelu. He tried  to educate us on why we should keep quiet and suffer. To him, the proceeds from the tax would be used to maintain the roads. But I hasten to ask: what happened to the ones from the numerous fuel price increases, which, we were told, would be used to maintain the roads?

Maybe Ogunlewe thinks he can fool us. Ironically, for a man who insists on “due process,” he supports fuel tax, which is not backed by any law. In fact, in a democracy, such a major decision was not even discussed at the Council of State. The National Assembly had no input. What then happened to the theory of “due process”?

One moment, Ogunlewe promises his ministry would rehabilitate 2,500 kilometres of roads in four years, complete design of 4,000 kilometres roads, build four new bridges and eight new roads of 1,000 kilometres. Then, in another breath, he tells us the roads would be farmed out because the budget can’t cover them. Some of us would then not be surprised, if in the next four years even the South-Eastern roads remain undone. Indications already are that we don’t have a Works minister, who is ready to work.  He’s more comfortable doing what is called “overlapping” in football. In politics, I believe they call it “over sight” functions. 

Nothing wrong when you are properly covered by another. The bottom line is that the job must be done. But if you “overlook” your role and peep into another’s, the tendency is for your job to be left undone. I suspect that may happen in Ogunlewe’s case. And, we might just end up with fat figures supposedly expended on the roads, again. Then, like in the Tony Anenih era, we’ll be left with ditches and death traps, where there should have been a high way.

I heard Ogunlewe is probably trying to position himself for the governorship of Lagos in 2007. But pray! Did anybody say  the trick of winning election lies in singing like a canary? Of course, Ogunlewe knows very well how the PDP “won” last April. But let me warn, in 2007, INEC might not be that powerful to “vote” anybody into office. His chances, therefore,  may be on the side of the people. So, to get our confidence, Ogunlewe should just shut up and “work.” That’s why  he’s there, taking the fat pay and all. He’ s not a minister of Words but Works.

• First published in Saturday Sun of  Jan 10, 2004