There is an uproar among prominent Lagos indigenes over the appointment of
\nNobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka as the co-chairman to head the Lagos at
\n50 Celebration Committee.<\/p>\n
Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had appointed Soyinka and Rasheed
\nGbadamosi as co-chairmen of the Lagos at 50 celebration which comes up
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
Lagos indigenes, under the aegis Eko Foundation decried the appointment of
\nSoyinka who is not an indigene of Lagos State, while they lamented that
\nLagos indigenes had been marginalized in their own land as people from
\nother states were taking the appointment meant for them.<\/p>\n
At a news conference at the weekend in Surulere area of Lagos, the
\nindigenes also rejected the appointment of former Chairman of the Federal
\nInland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs Ifueko Omo-Okauro as the Chairman of a
\ncommittee to manage the N25 billion Employment Trust Fund, ETF by Ambode.<\/p>\n
At the press conference were Prof. Oluwole Smith, former Lagos
\nCommissioner, Peju Philips; former Special Adviser on Environment during
\nBabatunde Fashola regime, Taofiq Folami; former Solicitor General and
\nPermanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Justice, Lawal Pedro; the Oba Akran
\nof Badagry, represented by Chief Gbonugan Ajose-Harrison; Lai Ajayi Bembe,
\namong others.<\/p>\n
Addressing the press, president of Eko Foundation, Prof. Smith said
\nSoyinka\u2019s appointment as the chairman of the committee for the celebration
\nof Lagos state at 50 was a wrong choice and unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Smith said successive governments in the state had retained the penchant
\nof marginalizing those he called, \u201ctrue indigenes\u201d for the past 18 years,
\nsaying they would henceforth resist government decisions to give sensitive
\nappointments to non-indigenes of the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are very many elders, octogenarians, septuagenarians, former
\ngovernor, ministers, academic, public and civil servants and other
\nindigenes both at home and in the Diaspora, that are more than eminently
\nqualified to celebrate their state. Professor Wole Soyinka\u2019s choice is an
\ninsult to the indigenes and he should decline to serve, to accord with his
\nreputation as a protester, who has tirelessly protested wrongs and
\ninjustice in the better part of his adult life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the choice of Alhaji Rasheed Gbadamosi, an indigene to
\nco-chair the committee with Professor Soyinka was a deception and
\nmischievous make-believe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have decided to cry out, to enable us partake as our right and in
\naccordance with extant laws, in the government of the state. We can no
\nlonger afford to keep silent and pretend that all is well when in fact
\nthere appears to be no future for the indigenes of this state and the
\ngenerations yet unborn in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, we have six Ibos occupying seats in Lagos, in the Federal
\nHouse of Representatives, non-indigene as a senator, several non-indigenes
\nin Lagos State House of Assembly and in the executive council of the
\nstate. In the past, indigenes of other states have taken over our
\nministerial slot and occupy positions in various parastatals both in the
\nstate and at federal level. These are not replicated in any other state in
\nNigeria,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Smith said the implication of the abnormality was that Lagos indigenes
\nwould have to passionately appeal to the non-indigenes to secure
\nemployment for themselves and their children in their own land, adding
\nthat, indigenes would henceforth closely monitor and periscope the
\nactivities of the present administration in the state, warning that
\nappointments in the state must conform with Federal Character Commission
\nAct, the constitution of the country and other subsidiary legislation.<\/p>\n
As at the time of filing this report, Lagos Commissioner for Information
\nand Strategy, Steve Ayorinde has not responded to a call and text message
\nsent to him.<\/p>\n
It would be recalled that Ambode recently stated that \u201cLet me assure
\nLagosians that the state is home to every tribe and ethnic group and
\nnobody should give this disturbance of any ethnic coloration whatsoever.
\nWe are all brothers in Lagos and it shall continue to be like that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n