There is an uproar among prominent Lagos indigenes over the appointment of
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka as the co-chairman to head the Lagos at
50 Celebration Committee.
Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had appointed Soyinka and Rasheed
Gbadamosi as co-chairmen of the Lagos at 50 celebration which comes up
next year.
Lagos indigenes, under the aegis Eko Foundation decried the appointment of
Soyinka who is not an indigene of Lagos State, while they lamented that
Lagos indigenes had been marginalized in their own land as people from
other states were taking the appointment meant for them.
At a news conference at the weekend in Surulere area of Lagos, the
indigenes also rejected the appointment of former Chairman of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs Ifueko Omo-Okauro as the Chairman of a
committee to manage the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund, ETF by Ambode.
At the press conference were Prof. Oluwole Smith, former Lagos
Commissioner, Peju Philips; former Special Adviser on Environment during
Babatunde Fashola regime, Taofiq Folami; former Solicitor General and
Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Justice, Lawal Pedro; the Oba Akran
of Badagry, represented by Chief Gbonugan Ajose-Harrison; Lai Ajayi Bembe,
among others.
Addressing the press, president of Eko Foundation, Prof. Smith said
Soyinka’s appointment as the chairman of the committee for the celebration
of Lagos state at 50 was a wrong choice and unacceptable.
Smith said successive governments in the state had retained the penchant
of marginalizing those he called, “true indigenes” for the past 18 years,
saying they would henceforth resist government decisions to give sensitive
appointments to non-indigenes of the state.
“There are very many elders, octogenarians, septuagenarians, former
governor, ministers, academic, public and civil servants and other
indigenes both at home and in the Diaspora, that are more than eminently
qualified to celebrate their state. Professor Wole Soyinka’s choice is an
insult to the indigenes and he should decline to serve, to accord with his
reputation as a protester, who has tirelessly protested wrongs and
injustice in the better part of his adult life,” he said.
According to him, the choice of Alhaji Rasheed Gbadamosi, an indigene to
co-chair the committee with Professor Soyinka was a deception and
mischievous make-believe.
“We have decided to cry out, to enable us partake as our right and in
accordance with extant laws, in the government of the state. We can no
longer afford to keep silent and pretend that all is well when in fact
there appears to be no future for the indigenes of this state and the
generations yet unborn in the state.
“At the moment, we have six Ibos occupying seats in Lagos, in the Federal
House of Representatives, non-indigene as a senator, several non-indigenes
in Lagos State House of Assembly and in the executive council of the
state. In the past, indigenes of other states have taken over our
ministerial slot and occupy positions in various parastatals both in the
state and at federal level. These are not replicated in any other state in
Nigeria,” he added.
Smith said the implication of the abnormality was that Lagos indigenes
would have to passionately appeal to the non-indigenes to secure
employment for themselves and their children in their own land, adding
that, indigenes would henceforth closely monitor and periscope the
activities of the present administration in the state, warning that
appointments in the state must conform with Federal Character Commission
Act, the constitution of the country and other subsidiary legislation.
As at the time of filing this report, Lagos Commissioner for Information
and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde has not responded to a call and text message
sent to him.
It would be recalled that Ambode recently stated that “Let me assure
Lagosians that the state is home to every tribe and ethnic group and
nobody should give this disturbance of any ethnic coloration whatsoever.
We are all brothers in Lagos and it shall continue to be like that.”