LAGOS: We’ve chance to vote Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of LP as our next Governor – Gen Olanrewaju

*Lists 2 imperial interests at play in Lagos State politics

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

As the heat gets hotter about race to Alausa in the Saturday March 18, 2023 Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in Lagos, former Minister of Communications and General Officer Commanding (GOC), Third Armoured Division Nigerian Army, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), has revealed what he described as two imperial interests currently playing out in the politics of Lagos State.

Olanrewaju, Trustee of Omo Eko Pataki, a socio-cultural organisation in Lagos State, listed the two interests as he stood his ground that his people of Lagos State have the chance, in the coming democratic process, to vote Labour Party Governorship Candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as their next Governor, who will drive in the change they are looking for.

Listing the imperial interests he mentioned the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sole control of the political school of thought, including his total control of the financial economy of the state.

The second imperial interests, he said, are those of the hegemonic hold by the South West Yorubas on the civil and public services on the greater chunk of the state administration against the indigenous people’s emancipation.

“There are two imperial interests at play in Lagos State political drive. The Tinubu’s sole control of the political school of thought, including his total control of the financial economy of the state. The second imperial interests are those of the hegemonic hold by the SW YORUBAS on the civil and public services on the greater chunk of the state administration against the indigenous people’s emancipation.”

Explaining further, the Retired General said, “Both have profound effects on the psycho- moral behaviour of the indigenes since Tinubu’s ascension to power in Lagos State administration in 1999.

“Unfortunately, for some of our powerful indigenous people, they have seen Bola and political power domination as inseparable. Deploying money, intimidation, threats of all kinds including threats… by militiamen garrisoned in-situ, (lawless, desperate and protected) all like potpourri are driving hostilities against the emancipation of the indigenes, thus denying them access to their rights, cultural and Chieftaincy including ancestral land heritage.

“The only opportunity available is for the people of the state to liberate and free themselves from slavery.

“The state gubernatorial and state assembly elections are coming up this coming Saturday, 18th March. We, Lagosians, have the chance to vote Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) as our next Governor, who will drive in the change we are looking towards.

“It will be simplistic and erroneous to continue with the old colonial regime spanning 23 years without benefits to the indigenes of the state,” he said.

On how the Constitution has recognised that there are owners of Lagos, who have their sole rights to determine how their state administration is run, General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, who was also Chairman, Assets and Liabilities Sharing Committee set up by the Federal Military Government in 1994-95, made reference to historic facts about Lagos against the distortion that tended to present the Centre of Excellence as “no man’s land”, using the Ojora Royal Family’s case as a case study, whose land on which Delta State House on Victoria Island Lagos was taken back to it by the court.

He said, “I was the Chairman, Assets and Liabilities Sharing Committee set up by the Federal Military Government in 1994-95. One of the newly created states that I handled were Edo and Delta states. I was aware of this Ojora Royal Ownership issue, but as at the time of sharing, the affected property belonged to Edo State. Based on the principle of sharing, the property was allocated to Delta State. I’m aware of this legal responsibility, and Omo Eko Pataki Forum wrote an article on the basis of this retrieval.

“The Ojora Royal Family and Council, recently took ownership of the lands housing the Lagos State Liaison Office of the Delta State Government, at Plot 235/237, Moshood Abiola Way (former Apapa Road), Ijora Lagos, through a court order.

“This was after successfully proving in court that; the lease agreements with the governments of the Old Western Region, Mid-West Region and Bendel State has expired, thus the lands be returned to the rightful owners.”

In the meantime, he asked those that have taken over administration of Lagos State and its land and have subjected the rightful owners to near penury in in decades, to “expect more of this from land owning families in Lagos State, as they begin to retrieve and take ownership of their lands.”

He said, “Lagos belongs to its indigenous people. Lagos is not a no man’s land!”