Statement of De Renaissance Patriots to Eminent Persons of Ikorodu {FULL TEXT}

THE MATTER OF INDIGENESHIP AND RESIDENCY IN LAGOS STATE:
THE NECESSITY FOR A BILL OF RIGHTS

(A presentation of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Lagos State to Eminent Persons of Ikorodu Division on Tuesday September 10, 2024)

1. I should begin this conversation with these eminent persons of Ikorodu Division by quoting some important points that are relevant to our topic of today. The burning issue of Indigeneship and Residency and the necessity for constitutional amendment in favour of indigeneship as it affects the dynamics of politics in Lagos State will be highlighted.

Quotes:

“From De Renaissance Patriots memorandum to the Review Committee, our memorandum to the National Assembly goes to the heart of Lagos State on indigeneship, residency, and marginalisation of Lagos State indigenes…. Our concern is aptly captured when you considered what our distinguished BOT Chairman, Prof Iliyas Adele Jinadu, described as “genocide by immigration”…… In simple terms, it is a statement where indigenes are overwhelmed by settlers/residents and, eventually, systematically displaced leading to a loss of rights and privileges, including identity and patrimony…”

We will follow up with the statement of Chief James Ibori on the Niger Delta struggle on oil-rich derivative demand. (The demand later turned to arms struggle that eventually yielded results in the Federal Government granting them a. the right to 13% derivative b. the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, c. the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), d. the royalties from every oil company operating to the traditional institutions in the oil rich region and e. local content that grant indigenous people of the Niger Delta proportion of the employment in the industries). Chief James Ibori said in 2007: “Land is important to man as it is to trees.” The land is the people’s heritage and gift for mankind and the people, who own the land are entitled to the benefits derivable from such gifts.

Mr. Shasore (SAN) as a lawyer took the legalistic position on this issue by positing on the side of residency. He argued that: “Any Nigerian resident in Lagos, who works and pays tax to the state, has the right to aspire for any post in Lagos……” What he did not tell his listeners is whether there is any other state of the federation other than Lagos State where it happens that for the mere fact of paying taxes, a resident automatically has right to take political power of the state as Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Justice, Deputy Speaker, Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service, or Chairman of any of the state’s Local Governments.

A very strong, active commentator and a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Seyi Clement, felt that: “This position by Mr. Shasore (SAN) was rather simplistic and did not address the fundamental sociological questions raised by many Lagosians.”

2. The question that needs to be answered lies in who stands for the political interest of the indigenes in the affairs of government. Who also determines who qualifies to represent Lagos State in the National and State Assemblies, and also who could fill appointment quotas, from within and outside the state? Some might say that the answer lies within the realms of the Constitution. This does not represent a good reason or explain why for 25 years, Lagos State has remained the only state in the whole of the federation since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999 that the state has not been governed by an indigene with the right of blood except once. The existing political parties take the liberty to always deny the indigenes of the state to fill the most important political posts during elections and running of government. The only argument that they usually pose, which is false, is that the indigenous population is not in our favour. There is no empirical data to prove this issue.

3. Lagos State, by her economic status and level of development, offers more comparative advantage than other states of the federation. That is the reason why the struggle for control of Lagos State resources becomes fierce and unrelenting. Does this fallacy make the position of indigenes to govern the state untenable? De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is of the opinion that there is a conspiracy to capture the state permanently by the ruling elite, most of whom are resident non indigenes. It thus brings us to the main point why the political parties prefer residents who are non-indigenes to be at the helm of affairs using them as pliable tools to do the wish of the ruling government.

4. So, it becomes a lot easier to explain the situation whereby about 60% of our representations at the National and State Assemblies, Local Government Areas and Councillors are all non-indigenes? This is where we, as De Renaissance Patriots of Lagos State, believe that the political administration relegates the indigenes to the back seats. It seems that for these reasons, every four years of political administration in Lagos State, the indigenes get closer and closer for critical moments in making certain decisions about how they want to rule themselves. Despite the overwhelming support for the government, the ruling government has not been fair and just in the allocation of resources to the indigenes as the first citizens of the state on the basis of mutual recognition of their political, economic, social, cultural dignity and right of blood. The Nigerian Constitution confers certain rights and privileges under the principles of liberty, justice, fairness and equity: The Justice Irikefe Report, which recommended the creation of Lagos State, saw the viability to give her a voice of her own to run their political administration. This administration ran smoothly during the military era.

5. Those who hide under the constitutional provision of freedom of movement, etc, and residency are clever by half because they have political choices as first citizens of their own states. This is an abuse of the Constitution. It is only in Lagos State that you could find positions, appointments and nominations etc, which ought to be reserved for indigenes given to those who claimed double states of origin simply because they live in Lagos State. The likes of Mr. Dele Alake, who is currently the Minister of Solid Minerals who now claims Ekiti State’s slot, having for several years been 2-term Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, are beneficiaries.

6. Other such beneficiaries are Dele Alake’s son, an Ekiti State indigene currently in vital position in same Lagos; Wale Edun, who was 2-term Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State and is now using the Ogun State slot as Minister of Finance; same with Hon James Faleke, Mr. Tunji Bello, his wife, Mrs Bello nee Ibidapo from Ondo State, who is currently the Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Mr. Lai Mohammed, his son, also Rauf Aregbesola, who was a 2-term Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State and later went to Osun State and became their Governor for 8 years and more.

7. The fundamental defects in this government’s political dispensation, for example, in Lagos State and, in particular, her lack of human spirit towards the Lagos State indigenes, had resulted in disillusionment and agitations for political entitlements. Failures of national and state policies have contributed to the instabilities in the oil-rich Delta region, insurgency in the North East and banditry and kidnapping in many states of the federation. Considering our political, economic, historical and social concerns in Lagos State, including our rights to ancestral land and interaction that have lasted for 2 centuries, we cannot but be careful not to be subjected to genocide by migration by settlers.

8. The objective of resident non-indigenes is to capture Lagos State, politically and deny the indigenes of their constitutional rights and privileges. How then do you explain the situations when the holders of 6 important political offices, most often, are held by non-indigenes. The ruling elite and leadership in Lagos State government, by holding on to the most important political positions, control the political administration and the state’s resources, and use the state to climb the political ladders at the expense of the indigenes. Important decisions, political selection and constitutional entitlements are allocated on this basis of inequality and self interests. We can give examples of non-indigenes, who proudly hold double indigeneship and use Lagos State as stepping stones. How do they achieve it? They achieve it through false declaration because they are never confirmed to be known by families they claimed to come from in Lagos State.

9. It is a betrayal, wrongful representation and lack of respect for Lagos State indigenes when the contesting parties nominate candidates who have two states of origin for the state. This attitude of deliberate imposition makes it possible for Senator Solomon Adeola a.k.a.Omo West/Yayi to use Lagos slot to the Senate at the National Assembly. He is currently representing Ogun State (West) in the Senate. This is unhealthy. This kind of behaviour also applies to the case of Mr. James Faleke, who has been representing Ikeja Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives in Abuja. He had the audacity to take a leave of absence from the National Assembly to contest for the governorship seat in Kogi State during the same currency of his service in the House of Representatives. When he failed, he returned to his seat in Abuja without any conscience. “Is it fair? Is it just?”

10. The appointment of Mrs Ade-John as a full-time Minister representing Lagos State is unconstitutional. She is a resident and of the Ogun State origin. The state deserves a full-time Minister as expressed in the Constitution and not a Minister of State that we have. De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is not against these appointees in their personal capacity, but we feel we should point out the serious flaws that deny the state indigenes of their rights and privileges. We want the country to become prosperous and well secured for all her citizens. We pray for our leaders to lead properly and succeed. Our state should do everything possible to ensure that indigenes are not overwhelmed by the daily movement of people who decide to settle in our midst. The ruling elite must not try to put a yoke of slavery on the indigenes because of streaming migration of settlers on the land.

11. There are many examples of selection of candidates by all the parties in Lagos State as if the state had no voice, lost its strengths and could not produce capable indigenes who could truly represent the state and serve without divided loyalty for greater good of the state. The political parties must change their attitude and choose their candidates from the indigenous people of the state. I advise that the indigenes must fight to take back their state.

12. The residency factor has been solely used as a wedge and instrument of divide and rule for the purpose of achieving control of our political rights. It is always a willing tool of political oppression that has kept indigenous people away from ruling the state. At the end of this tenure 2027, it will be 19 years that Lagos State has remained a political orphan.

13. We strongly believe that the ambiguity surrounding the issues of indigeneship should clearly be considered in our memoranda that we submitted to the Constitution Review Committee. We argued for appropriate clauses to be incorporated into the Constitution and in our laws for the purpose of recognising the political rights and privileges of indigenes in Lagos State and other parts of the country as minority states.

14. Before we conclude this interaction, we would like to share a post trending in the social media, which relates to our topic. It says, “The Constitution is very clear when it talks about Federal Character being respected for the appointments into the federal agencies. The question is, if all states have determinable number of seats to be occupied by indigenes of every state in Abuja, why should or would any other person who is not an indigene of Lagos State for instance, try or even occupy such seats or positions earmarked by the Constitution for Lagos State be allowed, under whatever pretext, residency or otherwise? It’s double jeopardy for the state and its indigenous groups.”

15. Indigenes across the parties must stand up and contest for any elective position from governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly, LGAs and Councilliorship; and also vie for appointments into offices at state and federal levels. They should not be intimidated and must push back against political bullies. The indigenes from the five divisions must insist on their top party leaders that only indigenes must be nominated as their Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates, Speaker, Assembly members, Senate and members of House of Representatives. This is what happens in the other 35 states of the federation

16. Finally, there must be in place a legal arrangement that cannot be faulted to prioritise and protect indigenes’ rights and interest. Our answer to Seyi Clement’s question, which asked “Must those representing Lagos be indigenes?”, is yes. Our advocacy is essentially a demand for human dignity. Let us stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone. Thank you for your attention.

MAJ-GEN TAJUDEEN OLANREWAJU (RTD), ndc, MSC Strategic Studies,
Former Minister of Communications Federal Republic of Nigeria.