By KEMI KASUMU
Preamble:
To a Daily Trust report of 20th March 2024 titled, ‘Only An Indigene Can Deliver Good Governance In Lagos’, and credited to De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a socio-cultural organisation established to lead a better state for Lagos State indigenes, the All Progressives (APC) in the state – through its State Publicity Secretary and one of evident non-indigenes being imposed on owners of the land usurping their rights and opportunities, Seye Oladejo – hitback with clear attempt to denigrate and rubbish the eminent citizens-membered group of natives.
Oladejo, an indigene of Oyo Stare in a country where one citizen cannot claim dual indugeneship (of two states) at once having been local government chairman, commissioner and special adviser to the Governor in Lagos State, appears to have plunged himself and the APC he speaks for into the wrath of the state’s rightful owners when he said, “They would need to shed more light on the context of the statement. Lagos has always been governed by Lagosians. What is out there is for our people to enjoy good governance and the dividends of democracy. The governor would not be distracted by needless politics.
The misdive
“As a party, we would not be part of any narrative that would divide the people along ethnic, tribal and religious parts. In Lagos you find it difficult to differentiate between those who have come to Lagos to do business, those others might want to describe as settlers and those who are just passing through Lagos. We are all one big family.”
The heat
Although a sympathiser of the natives’ course for taking back their state, Abanikanda Olumoro from United kingdom, had since taken up Seye and his party in his article titled, “Why Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC Spokesman’s response to De Renaissance Patriots is a calculated falsehood”, published by The DEFENDER – see link: https://thedefenderngr.com/why-seye-oladejo-lagos-apc-spokesmans-response-to-de-renaissance-patriots-is-a-calculated-falsehood/ – a direct response from a honoured Trustee of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and pioneer Military Governor of Osun State, Major General Leo Segun Ajiborisha, has also further generated a heat that is likely going to deeply affect popularity of the APC not only in Lagos State but also across the country.
This is so long as the party continues to tie back the hands of indigenes while promoting imposition of non-indigenes thus disenfranchising, marginalising and depriving the rightful owners of the land from governing their own constitutionally granted state by themselves. Excerpts:
Ajiborisha wrote:
My dear real Indeginous IBILE citizens of Lagos State,
One would have loved to read a factual position submission from ‘Hon’ Seye Oladejo based on comparative analysis of what obtains over the years in the political space of Lagos State and his own home State of Oyo, regarding to the Vision and Mission of De Renaissance Patriots.
OYO STATE
The present Oyo State has for instance being part and parcel of the Western Region in this country, Nigeria. Similarly, Ibadan the hometown of ‘Hon Seye Oladejo’ has always been and still remains the administrative and economic capital of yesterday’s of the defunct Western Region and presently Oyo State.
Throughout these yesteryears, other generation of Nigerian tribes had found themselves to be settled and still settling majorly in Ibadan metropolitan city and scantily in other towns of Oyo State.
For example, up till now, the Ijebus are in Isale Ijebu, Idi Arere, Molete, Popo Iyemoja, Challenge and Ring Road cohabiting with Oyo indigenes and other tribes of defunct Western Region partaking in political parties’ activities and contributing to the economy of Oyo State.
Similarly, the Ijeshas, other Yoruba and many Nigerian tribes of Nigeria had long ago settled and are still major inhabitants of Iwo Road Area, Apata, Apata Ganga, Omi Apata, Adamasingba, Eleyeile, Ogunpa, Felele, Ifeleye., Oke Bola, Oke Ado, Sabo and other areas in Seye Oladejo”s Ibadan in Oyo State. They partake in political parties’ activities and contribute to economy of the state.
THE CONSTITUTION OF NIGERIA
Our 1999 Constitution (AS AMMENDED) is emphatic on State Indegenship as pre-condition for (1) National, State and LGAs political elective posts (2) Appointments for political posts (3). Appointments into Public Service, Civil Service, Statutory Boards .
QUESTIONS FOR ”HON SEYE OLADEJO’
1. How many other tribes can contest for LGAs Chairmanship of Ibadan City or of other LGAs in Oyo State?
2. How many other tribes have contested for Supuervisory Councillors in Ibadan LGAs or other LGAs in Oyo State.
3. How many other tribes have been elected as Executive Governors or Deputy Governors in Oyo State since 1999.
4. How many other tribes have been appointed Chief of Staff, SSG, Commissioners, SSAs, SAs, Special Aides, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Parastatal, Heads of Agencies and Statustory Board Members?
5. How many other tribes have been appointed to filll Ministerial post or Ambassadorial slot of Oyo State at the Federal level and when?
But this is not the same in Lagos State where RESIDENCY is used by political party which prefers to negate the onstitutional rights of Indeginous IBILE Citizens. This is what DE RENAISSANCE PATRIOTS FOUNDATION is preaching for all the political parties based in Lagos State to imbibe, engender and holistically operate.
There are many accomplished, erudite and suitable Indeginous IBILE Citizens domestically and across the Diaspora. Since we are apolitical, patriotic and nationalistic, we owe Lagos State indigenes the duty to be given the opportunity of harvesting their Innovative, Illustrious and Informative Strategic Management Prowess in all endeavours for an effective and efficient Lagos State towards the holistic attainment of a harmonised direction by 2039.
The search for Indeginous IBILE Citizens and Technorats globally shall soon be made simple and realisable through the website of our organisation.
Enough of some State Governors making jests of us the lndegenous Lagos State Citizens that “they borrow us politicians to help build Lagos and at appropriate time they will be recalled home to come and contest for elections. We saw glaringly what happened when a politician, representing a constituency of Lagos State at the National Assembly, suddenly changed his voting card for another state so as to enable him contest for gubernatorial election. No sooner he lost, he did what ‘they’ khow how to do best, which is not tenable in other 35 states and FCT, to come and once again contest for National Assembly election in the same Lagos State federal constituency from where he left to contest in the other state he wentbto cotest for governor. This is the level of ridicule Indeginous IBILE Lagos State Citizens are subjected to.
Who to blame? Our political parties’ leaderships and some of their cohorts. Once their child or relation is given a political appointment or elective slot in Lagos or Abuja, as far as they are concerned, to hell with anything Lagos Indeginous Citizenship.
God, where is your face and when is the last Day of Judgement
Join the crusade and be a partner of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation.
Maj Gen Leo Segun Ajiborisha (Rtd)
