Lagos Is Not a Captured State: A Response to Steve Osuji’s “What Can Kadri Hamzat Do?”

This opinion piece serves as a rebuttal to a commentary by Steve Osuji, which questioned the leadership capabilities of Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat (KOH) and the state's governance structure. The author, AbdulAzeez AbdulAzeez Olumide, argues that Osuji's piece, while acknowledging Hamzat's strong credentials, falls into speculative tropes of political fatalism and misinterprets Lagos's governance model.

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Opinion writing serves democracy best when it challenges assumptions without becoming captive to them.

Olumide contends that Lagos has deliberately chosen a path of "continuity, consensus, and institutional stability," which Osuji mistakenly views as weakness or "puppet" control. The author asserts that this stability is a crucial asset for sustainable growth, especially in contrast to the paralyzing executive-legislative clashes seen in other Nigerian states. He dismisses the notion that Hamzat, a PhD holder in Systems Engineering with decades of public sector experience, could be a mere "robot," emphasizing that governance in a megacity is inherently collaborative and requires complex administrative coordination.

The article defends the role of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), which Osuji criticized as a "GAG." Olumide argues that such advisory bodies are essential for political consensus-building in a federal system. He highlights Dr. Hamzat's extensive track record, noting his significant contributions to Lagos's physical and digital infrastructure through executive roles, including his pioneering work in implementing digital governance systems as Commissioner for Science and Technology. This experience, the author argues, demonstrates Hamzat's deep understanding and active role in shaping modern Lagos, countering the idea that he is an unknown entity.

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To suggest that a leader with a PhD in Systems Engineering... would be a 'robot' is an insult to intellect.

Ultimately, the piece aims to correct what it perceives as a mischaracterization of Lagos's governance and Dr. Hamzat's role within it. It champions the state's approach of building upon established progress and fostering collaboration, presenting it as a model of effective administration rather than a system of undue control.

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Governance in a megacity is inherently collaborative, requiring constant coordination among ministries, technical committees, and civil service structures.