By Fred Chukwuelobe
Quit that cliché. Lagos State is not a no man’s land. It is a Yoruba State which welcomes everybody from parts of the country and beyond. The State is very accommodating. Yorubas, like Igbos, are very accommodating.
Although Lagos was at various times the seat of government and federal capital, with the creation of Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it reverted to the Yorubas.
Just like Enugu used to be the seat of government and capital of the defunct East Central State or the Old Eastern Nigeria, it is currently an Igbo State run by people of Enugu.
It is not right to keep referring to Lagos as a no man’s land; it is somebody’s land, and it is a Yorubaland.
It is one of the six States which make up the South West geopolitical zone.
I have lived in Lagos since 1992, and I must say without fear of contradiction that the State has been fair to me. I married here. I am raising my children here. Therefore, I must contribute to making the place peaceful and liveable for all who call it home.
Whatever shortcoming you see in Lagos State is also seen in other States. Area boys are found in Onitsha, Anambra State; Kano, Kano State; we have ‘omoniles’ in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, etc. Corrupt people are found everywhere. Elections riggers are found everywhere. Criminals are everywhere. Good people are everywhere.
I don’t care about the stereotypes by some ignorant Yoruba who claim the Igbos are buying off their lands, but won’t sell to Yorubas in Igboland. Firstly, Igbos didn’t put guns on your heads and forced you to sell. Igbos have contributed largely to the development of the cosmopolitan city of Lagos.
Many of those spreading this falsehood have never visited Igboland, and will not be willing to do so. I know many Yorubas who live in the South East, have houses there, and raise their children there.
The Igbo man is itinerant, and does not discriminate as to where he lives. Whenever he lives, he developes the place. It is envy that makes people see the Igboland as being clannish. We are free-minded, but arrogant, which I find disconcerting.
So, next time you claim Lagos is a no man’s land, know you’re wrong. It is not. When next you claim Igbos don’t sell lands to Yorubas, know you’re ignorant because you have never sought land and were denied. You’re guilty of hate and stereotyping.
The fact is that we have a sizeable population of Igbos in Lagos, who are paying taxes with which the State is developed. Igbos have a right to aspire for political offices if indeed we are a democracy. If we are practicing democracy, people who are qualified should be allowed to vote and be voted for wherever they live.
Until we understand this, and allow people to live where they choose as guaranteed by our extant laws, we will continue to have frictions which like an ill wind blows no one any good.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos is a nice man…
He’s young and likeable.These are tough times.It is a difficult time to say certain things.But we must always express our opinions.
My opinion is that he’s not particularly free to perform with Bola Ahmed Tinubu breathing down his neck. However, I will vote for him. I won’t visit the sins of the father on this young man.
I know this will offend some people, but I’m not afraid to express myself as I deem right.What I won’t do is to try to convince anybody to vote for him. But I will vote for him.
I want him to finish his second tenure. Then we decide who becomes governor after that. I will vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday.
*Fred Chukwuelobe is a journalist, public relations consultant and public affairs analyst