This is Lagos : shine your eyes

This is arguably the most outstanding landmark you must notice on entering Lagos State via Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The statue represents three of these different grades of chiefs,namely the Idejo(landed gentry), the Akarigbere(kingmakers), and the Abagbon(military chiefs). The artwork by renowned Dr. Sodeinde,is located at Ojota formerly toll gate commissioned by Colonel Raji Rasaki on 30 November 1991. Personally whether tired or dozing off and on, once I site this statue it dawns on me that I have entered the centre of excellence. Long before now I recall having the above title as a billboard/signpost inscription at a popular location of Lagos,I do wonder if that’s was a warning/instruction or just one of those things to be found in the city.
But come to think of it if you must remain in Lagos you’d need to shine your eyes, this is a city of all sorts : the good, the bad, and the ugliest.

It used to be pick pockets, one-chance robbery but now kidnappers are running rampage,Badoo boys taking toll and here comes nature calling. The picture above shows citizens passing a supposed street that has been overtaken by flood ladened with non-biodegradables. It was barely days after similar heavy downpour of some hours soaked the inhabitants of Lekki and environs coincidentally on a Saturday too. I now think the rain and flooding of Saturday 22 July 17 wasn’t just a coincidence to the date of Lagos council polls.
I believe the government of Lagos State is working assiduously to bring home the 6 kidnapped Igbo-nla school boys and terminate the deadly gang of supposed ritualist called Badoo boys. It is unofficial but possibly true that some traditional rulers may be behind the so-called Badoo boys, let that thread be followed up on no matter how unlikely it may seem, owing to the penchant of some our cultural practices to involve blood shed and human sacrifice,I think we better check again. I know that many town and villages still observes Oro festival that I learnt involve killing any one that is caught in between the bracket hours of that inhumanity,so sad.
My suggestion is that Lagos State should step up monitoring/awareness team to check and reduce the rate of indiscriminate dumping of wastes.
Lagos State should make haste to remove, remove I repeat all drainage obstructions no matter whose ox is gored. The monitoring team should reach out to citizen volunteers to help educate and check waste disposal indiscipline.
It is still the duty of Lagos State as usual to clean all waterways of water lilies and waste that have found their way into such. All drainage system should be be made useful and very functional and/or built where there are none . The newly elected local council officials should step up to the big challenge of nature and drive realistic human/structural building projects to correct this anomaly.
I don’t want to solely say that this menace to society by nature is a show of how abused/ neglected/ abandoned both nature and citizens have become to the ruling class. These waterways and drainage systems are filled mostly by pet bottles, plastic bags etc, project of reward and encouragement can be battered between the public, government and entrepreneurs to rid our streets of these necessary evil or push for favourable economic reforms that see off this mess.
Meanwhile let us occupants of Lagos have a change of ways and live more responsibly : green house effects have come to worsen so let’s expect worse challenges and counter it with improved lifestyle. Always study your environs of possible flooding signs, ask for previous experiences if you are relocating,stay safe.
Shine your eyes, this is Lagos : don’t throw wastes indiscriminately,tell others, don’t walk/run/drive in a moving flooding or in an unfamiliar terrain.
