By BASHIR ADEFAKA
“We hold no one any malice. We are not interested in chasing anyone out of our state. But we cannot be treated like the orphaned and the alienated Red Indians upon our own soil. We are basically exhorting that justice, fair play, decency and equity should be observed to ensure the inclusive participation of our people in the affairs of our state,” the Generals said.
The clamour for the control of Lagos by indigenes of the state has come alive again. This time with more flexing of muscles as some retired Generals born of the land are saying O’ To Ge that is ‘Enough is Enough’.
This is coming on the heels of a statement jointly signed by Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd) and Navy Commodore Olabode Ibiyinka George (Rtd).
General Olanrewaju, the former Minister of Communications who freed Nigerians from the telecoms captivity occasioned by monopoly of NITEL of the old, will continue to be remembered for his huge achievement of singlehandedly making Lagos a 20-Local Government structure from its hitherto 12.
He was also General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army Jos and served in various offices of note including earlier posting as Commander Corps of Artillery of the Nigerian Army, before his final retirement from service. During the days of Commodore George as Military Governor of old Ondo State, Olanrewaju once took charge on his leave of absence as Acting Military Governor.
Equally, Commodore Bode George, now a very important chief of the source as the Atona O’odua, had served in defence of Nigeria at various stages in the Nigerian Navy as Military Governor, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command and Principal Staff Officer to the Head of State during the military rule of General Sani Abacha and has been politician of note in the Nigeria’s 21 years democracy of the Fourth Republic.
These personalities, in the strongly worded statement which is already in circulation titled, “Lest They Forget: We Are Marginalized”, speak on what they view as worrisome politics and security of Lagos.
Speaking under the aegis of Ọmọ Eko Pataki Forum, an association of distinguished Lagosians with a common interest, patent ancestral values and vision, General Tajudeen Olanrewaju and Commodore Bode George say the group is displeased with the increasing imbalance in the appointment to public office in Lagos State and call for immediate change, this time, more seriously.
“Yes, Lagos State is accommodating, easily embracing, deepened in effortless kindness and friendship to everyone regardless of ethnic provenance. Here we treat none as outsiders. We give comfort, genuine friendship to all without prejudice.
“But alas, our instinctive amity, our spirit of brotherhood is being abused, disfigured as perhaps a sign of weakness. For how do you explain this festering anomaly where the indigenes are deliberately marginalized, elbowed out of reckoning in the political and administrative sectors of our state?
“We are now reduced to the role of peripheral participants, flung into inconsequential orbit, draped in the robe of the scorned, the unwanted, and the stranded orphans without succour.
“This aberration cannot and should not continue. The essence of state creation is to rectify the ills of marginalization and give the natives of specific states a sense of belonging and ancestral attachment,” the statement said.
Particularly speaking, Olanrewaju made a reference, “In the early 1990s, I had the privilege of being the Chairman of the Assets sharing Committee of Anambra, Enugu, Delta, Yobe and Borno states which was within the purview of the late Admiral Aikhomu’s office.
“Whereas I was the Commander, Corps of Artillery, this new assignment put me virtually at the frontline of ensuring that the indigenes of the newly created states were allowed to define their collective destinies and maintain their cultural heritage without erosion from external forces.
“It was a challenge to my personal probity that I should ensure equity, fairness, natural justice to make sure that grievances and the seeds of discord were adequately thrashed out for amity to reign in the newly created states.”
Taking a cue from that experience, Chief George, who signed the statement as Leader of Omo Eko Pataki and General Olanrewaju, Trustee, said: “It is this same nudging for fairness which informs the leadership of Ọmọ EKo Pataki in our collective insistence as a people that we must be given our rightful and deserved place in our state of origin.
“We do not say that non-indigenes should be cast aside. Far from it. We only urge that the native Lagosians should have a natural pride of place in their state of origin.
“We equally implore the Federal Government to strengthen the security architecture of our state with a strong military aid to civil authorities by citing a Special Forces Air Wing Base in Epe or whatever suitable location to help curb the sudden explosion of banditry across the length and breadth of our state.
“We hold no one any malice. We are not interested in chasing anyone out of our state. But we cannot be treated like the orphaned and the alienated Red Indians upon our own soil. We are basically exhorting that justice, fair play, decency and equity should be observed to ensure the inclusive participation of our people in the affairs of our state. We pray that the Almighty Allah will guide Governor Sanwoolu aright in these important matters,” the Generals said.
