Against a sea of mediocrity sails excellence on the shoulders of the pitiful few, changing the colours visible to the eyes from the shades of distrust and indifferent to bright hues of gratitude and expectation. On this ship, Tokunbo Wahab stands as captain, steering Lagos State into another era of positive change and progress in the area of environment and water resources.
Lagos is blessed, that’s for sure. The governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is more committed to the welfare of the people and the progress of the state than any other governor can boast. But bigger than this, Sanwo-Olu has the willing and active support of people like Wahab, people with thinking heads and beating hearts.
With Wahab, it is a matter of vision. Since returning to the Lagos State government cabinet as Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Wahab has seen enough of the possibilities to recognise that what he chanced upon was not alright. It was his vision that led him to initiate a series of policy-driven steps that are gradually changing Lagos’ environment.
At this time, Lagos is cleaner than ever. Moreover, Wahab has set things into motion such that the state’s natural resources will not be unduly utilised or wasted. Instead, every expenditure will be judicious, indicating a significant behavioural change in the majority of concerned Lagosians.
This is the same thing Wahab actualized in the area of education when he was the Special Adviser to Sanwo-Olu on education. Wahab did not only help set up the necessary infrastructure for smooth learning; he also inspired changes in Lagosians’ perception of the value of formal education, changing the narrative from ‘school is a scam’ to ‘knowledge is a charm.’
To think that this man started as a corporate lawyer. From there, Wahab moved into public service and has become the sweetheart of the coastal city.
Thanks to Wahab’s good work, education in Lagos changed. The same wind of change is blowing over the area of environmental and water resource management. Undoubtedly, the coming years will see this aspect of Lagos transformed and improved.
