After the amalgamation exercise of 1914, Lagos attained the status of Nigeria’s political capital until 1991, when Gen. Ibrahim Babangida rushed out of Lagos to Abuja. Lagos had always been a melting pot in which all Nigeria’s ethnic groups melted harmoniously due to the unparalleled hospitality and open-mindedness of the mainly Yoruba ethnic indigenes of Lagos. From 1923, when the first legislative council elections were held in Lagos, political activities were ethnicity-blind, as Nigerians of different ethnic background were elected into the legislative council. The environment of political liberalism prevailed throughout the pre-independence period. The creation of the Igbo State Union and the founding of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa infused ethnic consciousness into our politics. With the advent of the Area Council, a local socio-political group in support of the late Oba Adeniji Adele’s claim to the throne of Lagos, a dichotomy emerged in Lagos politics, such that members of the Area Council, an ally of the emergent Action Group (AG) led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, proclaimed the popular slogan among Lagosians that “ Lagos belongs to the west”, while supporters of the National Council of Nigerians and the Cameroons (NCNC) countered with the slogan, “ Gedegbe leko wa “, emphasizing the separateness of Lagos from the other regions. Though the view canvassed by the NCNC prevailed at the London Constitutional Conference in 1953/54, when Lagos was recognized as a separate entity, the political and historical reality is that Lagos is truly a western/Yoruba entity, with its own distinct and identifiable indigenes. 

With the creation of Lagos State in 1967 by military fiat alongside the creation of other eleven states in Nigeria, the political rebirth of Lagos and its indigenes was acclaimed. Then came a succession of 13 rulers, both militarily installed and politically elected. Nine of the thirteen were military rulers, while four were elected. Of the nine military rulers, only three are indigenes of the state, though two others are our ethnic brothers from southwest. Of the four elected Governors, three are bona-fide indigenes of the state, while the fourth deserves the appellation of an impostor. 

A fair assessment of the contribution of rulers of Lagos State to its development is a difficult task, considering the fact that military rulers were posted to Lagos to do the bidding of those who appointed them. Nevertheless, the era of General Mobolaji Johnson and Real Admiral Adekunle Lawal saw major infrastructural development initiatives that remain till today. Air Commodore Mudashiru instilled environmental consciousness in Lagosians and opened up the civil service to indigenes of Ikorodu, while unfortunately terminating the laudable metroline initiative of the Lateef Jakande Administration. Real Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe managed and completed the development initiatives of their predescessors, while giving opportunities to other non-yoruba ethnic groups to enjoy the benefit of their residency in the state. Major General Raji Rasaki had the singular (dis)honour of uprooting the residents of Maroko with military precision, dislocating lives of thousands of families, some of whom are yet to recover from the effects of the dislocation. Major General Rasaki and Real Admiral Akhigbe violated the provisions of the Land Use Act with the fraudulent appropriation of the land of peasant farmers, through their spurious Agricultural land holding programme and the so-called “happy world, happy land” tourism promotion, which turned out to be a 419 ploy by Akhigbe and his Commissioner for tourism to allocate large hectares of land to their family members and cronies. Akhigbe was also the first ruler to seize public property for the benefit of his friends and partners, as in the case of the Administrator General’s office in Obalende. Major General Oyinlola’s inability to rehabilitate Lagos roads for lack of availability of bitumen as he claimed, tainted his otherwise benevolent administration. Major General Marwa beat back the menace of armed robbers and benefited from a cultivated favourable press. He however dispossessed the people of Lagos of their ownership of the Eko Hotels, a legacy of our commonwealth established by Mobolaji Johnson and the late Alhaji I.S. Adewale. Marwa, on the instructions of Gen. Abacha, colluded with the Chaguory brothers to take over the majority share holdings in the Eko Hotels. 

Alhaji Lateef Jakande left lasting legacies in the field of education and in the provision of low cost housing for low and medium income earners. Sir Micheal Otedola can be said to have passed through the portals of government house, as a Governor in transit. The dawn of the fourth Republic saw the emergence of Senator Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State. No other governor has fundamentally affected the fortunes of Lagos and its indigenes for good and/or ill, as Bola Tinubu. He unleashed a premeditated onslaught on the abundant resources of the state through a wholesale privatization of governance and the fraudulent expropriation of land by subterfuge. Provisions of the Land Use Act were violated with impunity as land, which is supposed to be held in trust for the people of Lagos, was converted to private ownership by the very same Governor, entrusted with the peoples’ land. The Lagos land registry is a fortress manned by specially chosen personnel to guard over the dirty land dealings that abound in the state. 

The former Gov. Bola Tinubu has a teflonic exterior unto which nothing derogatory sticks. Thanks to his acclaimed ability at settling the otherwise vocal print and electronic media practitioners and publishers, who are paid to look the other way. Prominent traditional rulers in the state and some eminent citizens have sold their patrimony for a pottage of juicy political patronage and appointments for themselves and their children. Some have even debased the institution of obaship by their uncontrolled blatant partisan pronouncements and their insatiable acquisitive tendencies. 

Eko oni baje Or Eko ti baje 

The popular slogan that heralded the arrival of Governor Babatunde Fashola on the scene is sounding more like a soothing balm, than a realistic appraisal of our situation and the prospects ahead of us. While the rest of us are singing Eko oni baje, those who installed Gov. Fashola are laughing to the banks. This realization informs the title of this article. Lagosians must put on their thinking caps and reflect on where we are heading henceforth.

A good starting point would be for our own Hon. Abike Dabiri, Member of the House of Representatives and all others representing Lagos State in the National Assembly to return home and assist the Lagos State House of Assembly in passing into law a Freedom of Information Bill in Lagos State. With the “progressive” credentials of former Gov. Tinubu, such an exercise should not be a problem, one would imagine. The truth is that they dare not. I challenge Sen. Bola Tinubu to use his known political control of the members of the House of Assembly to pass such a law. It will not happen! So, Lagosians E ronu. 

At my prompting in the year 2000, former Gov. Tinubu made a tepid attempt to investigate the acquisition of majority shares in Eko Hotels by the agents of Gen. Abacha. When a Federal High Court stopped the probe into the sale of the shares, Bola Tinubu capitulated and struck deals with the Chaguory brothers. They are now business partners and Eko Hotels is permanently lost to Lagosians. 

Vast hectares of land in Ajah and other parts of Etiosa and Ibeju Lekki local government areas are known to be under the control of front companies belonging to those close to the former Governor. Yet these are peoples’ land, supposed to be held in trust! Who owns these front companies and who are the beneficiaries of the fraudulent land deals? Lagosians, Eronu. 

While congratulating the Lagos State Government for the reconstruction of the section of Ozumba Mbadiwe street, from the Law school to Mobil HQ., it would serve the cause of accountability and transparency to disclose the cost of the project to the tax payers. Who by the way, are the owners of Hi-Tech construction company and the Lagos Concession Company? Is it true that former Gov. Tinubu and the Chaguory brothers are financially linked to these projects and companies? We need to know.  

There are many other projects being conceived and executed for the economic enslavement of Lagosians, while portraying a public façade of ‘development’. An example is the 30-year bondage into which Bola Tinubu, through the Lagos Concession Company, intends to consign Lagosians through the imposition of toll gates between Victoria Island and Epe, while Bola Tinubu and his partners corner direct deductions from the allocations due to Lagos State for the next 30 years. 

How about the indiscriminate sandfilling of the Lagos foreshore at ebute elefun and oko-awo by Bola Tinubu and his partners, without considering the environmental impact on the residents of these areas? 

We are yet to appreciate the swindle perpetrated by Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi in the purchase of their Lagos Sunborn River Hotel. Though proclaimed as a shining example of public/private partnership in the promotion of tourism, the Hon. Commissioner has not told us how much of public funds was utilized in the procurement of the boat and when was it budgeted for? Knowing the character of those involved, I have my doubts on the viability of this seemingly white elephant of a project. 

The boldest affront yet to our sensibilities, is the phantom so-called new Lagos Atlantic City, that can only be conceived by the likes of Bola Tinubu and his cohorts. Plots are to be sold at one to two million dollars each. Some people are already paying, I understand. How many Lagosians can afford to buy a plot in such a place? Why ignore the thousands of hectares of land lying fallow in Epe, Ikeja, Ikorodu and Badagry divisions of the state, and burden our people with this monstrosity, just because some people want to make money at the expense of our childrens’ future? Lagosians, Eronu. 

The above encapsulates in a nutshell, the concerns of the citizens of Lagos, who now converse in muted tones at gatherings, wondering about what has become of our dearly beloved Lagos and our patrimony. This non-partisan concern is rife, and citizens are exhibiting sighs of helplessness. They are supplicating to the Almighty to rescue them from the stranglehold of Bola Tinubu , who seemingly harbours a quixotic desire to teach generations of Lagosians, some lessons they will never forget. So, Lagosians Ero nu. 11^th December, 2008

senwod1405@yahoo.com

Robot  # 1 | 14.12.2008 07:37

WHITTERLAGOSIANS? By Senator Wahab Dosunmu The fortuitous intervention of the British in eradicating the slave trade on the west African coast in the second quarter of the nineteen century catapulted Lagos and its environs into a commercial and industrial enclave, yet unequalled anywhere in Nigeria. After the amalgamation exercise of 1914, Lagos attained the status of Nigeria’s political capital until 1991, when Gen. Ibrahim Babangida rushed out of Lagos to Abuja. Lagos had always been a melting pot in which all Nigeria’s ethnic groups melted harmoniously due to the unparalleled hospitality and open-mindedness of the mainly Yoruba ethnic indigenes of Lagos. From 1923, when the first legislative council elections were held in Lagos, political activities were ethnicity-blind, as Nigerians of different ethnic background were elected into the legislative council. The ...Read the full article.

tanibaba  # 2 | 14.12.2008 08:13

Egbon i will read your article Insha Allah and will respond accordingly. But horw far with the issues you had (or am i dreaming) with public service when you were made minister. Anyway i feel your pain about lagos but by the grace of God Eko oni baje even if some people think they can spoil it. History is replete with such characters and history will soon put them in their place taslim from the island

dele26  # 3 | 14.12.2008 08:40

Lagos is the only state in Nigeria where indigenes sell their lands to non indigenes and thereafter rent houses from them.

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)  # 4 | 14.12.2008 09:07

Egbón, Eko ti b'ájé already! Courtesy of Lagosians. :clap: If Lagosians do not care, why should the likes of Alágbé Raji and Akhigbe be expected to do so? If Lagosians openly slaughter its own cream in the person of Late Egbón Funsho in the play for power, what should we expect them to do when it comes to sharing the loot.:rant: Egbón, seriously, Eko is now an enlightened example of 'óle gbe e, óle gba a! There is no honour among thieves, I say.

Ewuro  # 5 | 14.12.2008 10:14

People should recognise the differences between Eko, Lagos and Lagos States as well as the history that has brought all three together. When people talk about Eko indegenes, are they talking about just the early Awori settlers, or the Ijebus, or the Egbas or The saros, or the Brazilians or even the agoins... Actually most of these people are now mingled through inter-marriages. Even if you go to Ebute-Metta up to Yaba, predominantly Egba and Ijebu. The creation of lagos state in 1967 brought in places like Mushin, Isolo, badagry, Shomolu, bariga, Ikorodu and Epe into the equation. These were formerly Western region territories with population dominated by Egbas, Ijebus and Aworis. So who owns those part of lagos State. The Egbas and the Ijebus had used their financial and business muscles to buy majourity of the lands. So the property owners to a large extent in Lagos State are the Ijebus and the Egbas. of course other Affluent Yorubas like the Ijesha, Ekiti, Oro and othe Igbomina are land owners. As a general rule the Egbas and Ijebus rarely sell lands, they lease them. Yes Eko ti baje, but there is a big chance, incumbent on all of us that have deep roots in lagos to come together and put things right. Egbon Dosunmu, a politician and expert town planner should lead the way.

tanibaba  # 6 | 14.12.2008 10:35

I have read your article. thanks for the brief summary of the history of lagos. As per the Asiwaju the relevant question is who empowered him and why does he appear invincible? Is he running a third term under cover. And it is natural with most of our people to worship whoever is in power. As suggested by Ewuro, it is important that lagosians get there acts together and use legal and appropriate means to deal with the situation. taslim

Free Publius  # 7 | 14.12.2008 11:39

Senator, You are indeed our true Egbon and we shall continue to accord you the proper respect. Having said that, I think you wrote a full and comprehensive article. Thank you. Indeed, your claims about Tinubu are likely correct. But, you must admit, you and the others helped foster an environment that has made Tinubu viable. The political football match that you have been party to, where Lagos state has been reduced to a mere football, has turned Lagosians into the abused wife who is glad to have a new husband who would abuse her a bit less. It is not that Lagosians do not know that Tinubu is corrupt; we realize that but we also realize that other political groups have accomplished a lot less, and indeed been harmful, to the interests of Lagosians. Imagine the horrific effects of the OBJ administration, 8 years long, on Lagosians? And all these because he hated Tinubu? Are Lagosians not Nigerians? The pace of rebirth may not be optimal in Lagos right now but there is visible, forward movement, albeit with huge leakage and wholesale transfer of public assets into private hands. What are Lagosians to do? When given the unfortunately biinary choice between Tinubu/Fashola and the PDP types, people have tangible benefits to point out with the Tinubu/Fashola group. The cynical perception among Lagosians is that the complaints from you now is only because each of you who have been locked out are complaining because you are not being given the opportunity to partake in the continued rape of Lagos. My advice? Please stay true to your (and our) roots. Convince Lagosians that you are indeed looking out for their interests and not just your private pockets, like just about every other Nigerian politician. Once you gain the people's confidence, people will gravitate BACK to your corner. Free Publius Oh, Egbon, please do what you can to work with the family to do something about the terribly decrepit eyesore that used to be the famed Dosunmu Court. I know navigating the family waters to get things done on the family property can be rough and tough but you, particularly, have more at stake as you are the most public face associated with the Agbole. E pe fun wa o.

Namio  # 8 | 14.12.2008 12:13

Senator Dosumu, Thank you for this article and may God bless, no matter what a little difference I had with you in the past. This artilce is a start of your contribution. Internet just as written words are powerful contribution on their own to communicate with future leaders and our children. Tinubu and Afikuyomi are not examples of discord between Lagosians and the rest of their Yoruba brothers. That union is a source of pride. The problem is when your loyalty is to your home State, not to Lagos and more important greed. Define Lagosians anyway you want, their loyalty is only to one State and one island. Now that we have realized our folly in selling the only island we have, the powerful still will not let us keep what we have left. A sad situation that the rest of the Country find funny.

Law Mefor  # 9 | 14.12.2008 13:30

Where such hell is raised not for personal loss, it helps to bring to fore some of these issues: 1. Accountability in governance 2. Indigenes and later settlers’ parity, and 3. Particularly for Lagos, one may also add, who are exactly its stakeholders? I added the 3rd factor because I recall that Oye Chukwurah, a professor of International Law and former chairman national Boundaries Commission at a public lecture organized by the University of Nigeria in 2004, reviewed the exchange of letters which appeared on the pages of The Guardian newspaper on the vexed question of Nigerian citizens residing outside their States of origin and categorically stated that the issue had not been finally settled. I reviewed the situation in my book, ‘Senator Ken Nnamani –Portrait and the New Nigerian Senate’. Kindly permit me to quote directly from it: “The Guardian newspaper of July 19, 2004 published a letter from G.K. Dosunmu titled: ‘The Story of Lagos’ which apparently provoked a rejoinder from Sylvanus Nwosu published in The Guardian of 21 July, 2004 with the caption: “The Igbo in Lagos”. In his rejoinder published in The Guardian of 20 September, 2004, under the caption: “Again, Ibos in Lagos”, G.K. Dosunmu raised the matter of what he described as “the daily massive invasion of Lagos and its environs by Ibos under a dubious apprenticeship scheme in furtherance of their ill motivated dream of turning Lagos into an extension of Ibo States”. Accordingly, he called on Lagos state governor to stop consenting to the sale of landed properties in the State to the Ibos. This anti Igbo article represents what the ethnic group goes through across the country in the actualization of the Nigerian project. In other countries where unity is goal, migration is encouraged. The Lagos story is even mild. Up North, this check is far more brutally executed when many times every year, under the so-called religious riots, Igbo traders’ shops are looted and many of their owners maimed and killed…” This Dosunmu’s grouse was with Igbos and Senator Dosunmu is with Lagos government. But what the distinguished senator is saying should not be limited to Lagosians. Other Nigerians, who by residency are Lagosians, are equally involved, too, not minding the other Dosunmu that believes that only aboriginal Lagosians are Lagosians.

emj  # 10 | 14.12.2008 13:33

The former Gov. Bola Tinubu has a teflonic exterior unto which nothing derogatory sticks. Thanks to his acclaimed ability at settling the otherwise vocal print and electronic media practitioners and publishers, who are paid to look the other way. Prominent traditional rulers in the state and some eminent citizens have sold their patrimony for a pottage of juicy political patronage and appointments for themselves and their children. Some have even debased the institution of obaship by their uncontrolled blatant partisan pronouncements and their insatiable acquisitive tendencies. While congratulating the Lagos State Government for the reconstruction of the section of Ozumba Mbadiwe street, from the Law school to Mobil HQ., it would serve the cause of accountability and transparency to disclose the cost of the project to the tax payers. Who by the way, are the owners of Hi-Tech construction company and the Lagos Concession Company? Is it true that former Gov. Tinubu and the Chaguory brothers are financially linked to these projects and companies? We need to know. There are many other projects being conceived and executed for the economic enslavement of Lagosians, while portraying a public façade of ‘development’. An example is the 30-year bondage into which Bola Tinubu, through the Lagos Concession Company, intends to consign Lagosians through the imposition of toll gates between Victoria Island and Epe, while Bola Tinubu and his partners corner direct deductions from the allocations due to Lagos State for the next 30 years The above encapsulates in a nutshell, the concerns of the citizens of Lagos, who now converse in muted tones at gatherings, wondering about what has become of our dearly beloved Lagos and our patrimony. This non-partisan concern is rife, and citizens are exhibiting sighs of helplessness. They are supplicating to the Almighty to rescue them from the stranglehold of Bola Tinubu , who seemingly harbours a quixotic desire to teach generations of Lagosians, some lessons they will never forget. So, Lagosians Ero nu. 11th December, 2008 Eherm Senator Wahab Dosumu...all you've stated in ur article is not new nor unknown...it's a case of who will bell the cat.:cool: We have supposed Reps in the House and also people like you who shld ask questions...everybody is in Yoruba Ronu Mode.:idea: Tinubu is too small a guy to teach Lagosians any Lesson...It's Lagosians like u and I that need to do a fast rethink and save the state from the Charlatans that have taken over...and we cannot do that if we are not united...can we speak in a non-partisan manner with one Voice? Can we speak without being suspicious of the other? Can we command enough respect from our people?

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