*Asks ‘Does indigeneship begin and end in Lagos state only?’
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“Does indigeneship begin and end in Lagos state only? An Ijebu-Ife Otunba and Ijebu-Ode Otunba, by traditional and cultural rights, must be indigenes of those towns before they could be so installed.”
The Lagos State socio-cultural organisation established to lead a better state for the indigenes, De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, has cautioned Seye Oladejo, State Publicity Secretary, and certain unnamed elder of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, not to drag it into political debate or controversy with the party.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Media Team of the Group, dated Saturday 6th April 2024 and circulated to the media including The DEFENDER.
It said it is a father figure body with its sons and daughters scattered across all registered Nigerian political parties present in Lagos State and that it is only interested in having indigenes of the IBILE Eko nominated as candidates and voted for all elective positions across parties.
It said Oladejo, a non-indigene from Ibadan, Oyo State, and the faceless elder holding positions in the Lagos APC, who have been trying to open political debates with it, should do that with fellow political parties where Lagos also has its sons and daughters and not to drag the apolitical organization into their non-indigenous or disruptive politics.
The group, at a meeting in Ajah on Friday 5th April 2024, was reacting to a Daily Trust report titled, “APC tackles group as debate on Lagos governors’ indigeneship resurfaces”.
The media report threw caution overboard and decided to join the party into an unproductive fray. The obvious demands of owners of Lagos State for upped representation in their state must never be a generalized issue. It is important enough for every well-meaning party to take cognizance of.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of giving little or no consideration to the state of origin or ethnic affinity of the candidates it put forward for federal, state and local government elections.
“We will not give a thought to what had happened in the past but caution and request a diversion from a situation where indigenes are asked to play the second fiddle irrespective of all parties in the state
“As advocates for indigenes rights, we know that there are identifiable components of who an indigene of Lagos State is, except the mischief makers in APC, who are feeding fat on the unfairness in the issue under discussion, pretend not to know.
“As indigenes we know ourselves. We know that while city states like Ibadan, Abeokuta, Oyo Atiba, Oshogbo and so many other Yoruba states were trying to find their bearing, most of our city states in IBILE Eko were already decided community with traditions and culture.
“Therefore, if these people can claim indigeneship in their respective places, it is foolish for any person to ask such ignorant and naught questions, especially people linked to a party in the state. We demand sanctions on Oladejo and faceless elder who must be identified otherwise, we will hold the party responsible for this intransigence and duly inform our people. We can no longer be fooled.
“Lagos State was never a barren even before Nigeria was created. It helps those stupid people to avail themselves with our histories before making such assertions. We know that they know the truth and unfriendly question asked is only being done to deepen the marginalisation and deprivation of the constitutionally recognised owners.
“We have no issue with freedom Daily Trust enjoys, which is constitutionally recognized. Our only prayer is that they will use this freedom for fairness and to aid humanity to free people from the shackles of oppression. Quoting faceless leaders is an unfortunate tactic. It allows unscrupulous people the opportunity to manipulate the system.
“Well versed and intelligent will understand what historians term as ‘the origin of origins’. There is hardly a state, a people, a community that has not gone through this process. If that naughty elders needs tutoring, we will oblige him on that request and we will further advise him to learn more about nation building in Yoruba Land.
“Take the mystics out, Oduduwa has an origin, one that is yet to be fully chatted with Ife people. No matter what, if the Constitution guarantees indigenes, so be it. A mo ra wa o.
“As a socio-cultural group, we are very clear in our demand. We say Lagos State was created a state in 1967 to bring governance closer to the people of the state and allow indigenes the opportunity to develop themselves and their state, not to have their patrimony carted away. We reiterate that we have been a country as Lagos colony before Nigeria became a country. We have records.
“We have lived peacefully with each other (both indigenes and residents) as Nigerian citizens and would warn APC not to cause chaos in the state by the unguarded statements of some of their operatives. All we pray for at this moment is for the indigenes to unite and demand for their rights. This is the time for our people to take back their state and all political parties are on notice.
“By implication, this APC has finally admitted he does not believe there are owners of the land of Lagos but all along lying against the Igbo, blaming the Igbo wrongfully for saying “Lagos is no man’s land?” We are not on an all-out war against any ethnic group. All we demand is our right to govern ourselves.”
In the meantime, the socio-cultural group, on a separate ground, has found a means to reply those non-indigenes asking its leaders to define who an indigene is.
“The question is: Does indigeneship begin and end in Lagos state only? An Ijebu-Ife Otunba and Ijebu-Ode Otunba, by traditional and cultural rights, must be indigenes of those towns before they could be so installed. All those ignoramus asking for the definition of ‘indigene’ lack cultural ethics to deny themselves of their own origins and claim other codified status of origin. Shame!”
