I read with a lot of amusement the piece of clap-trap circulated through the Nigerian blogosphere last week titled ‘The Bitter truth about the Igbo” authored by Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode.
I thought for a minute: but they said the guy went to Cambridge! Then again, take a scallywag to Cambridge, he merely becomes a Cambridge-trained scallywag. There were many things Kings College Lagos and Cambridge University could have taught, and might have failed to teach Mr. Fani-kayode.
One of such things is felicity with truth. He does write about “bitter truths” and about the “Igbo” and his submissions were in fact more bitter than true about the Igbo. For one, Femi Fani-Kayode who claims to be “half-Lagosian” has not quite explained what that “half” means after the genomic mathematics that also locates and divides the Fani-Kayodes of Ife in another instance into “part Fulani” in the general scheme of things in Nigeria. I will not dwell on Fani-Kayode’s identity politics. I’m yet to understand it.
It will require one to be quite high on something to tease it all out, and so I leave that part to Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode. But I suspect that in situating himself to be “half-Lagosian” he means that part of his ancestry may be found among the “owners” of Lagos, that is, the indigenous settlers of Lagos.
For purposes of context, let me summarize Femi Fani-Kayode’s argument rendered in two parts, starting with the first titled “Lagos, the Igbo and the Servants of Truth”: to him the Igbo have basically no claim on Lagos and have made hardly a contribution to its development.
According to Fani-Kayode“The Igbo had little to do with the development of Lagos between 1890 till today and that is a fact. Other than Ajegunle, Computer Town, Alaba and buying up a few market stalls in Isale Eko where is their input? Meanwhile the Yoruba and Lagos were very gracious to them and not only allowed them to return after the civil war to claim their properties and jobs but we welcomed them with open arms and allowed them to flourish in our land. This is something that they have never done for our people in the east.
Now some of them have the effontry (sic) to call our land and the land of our forefathers (I am half Lagosian and was brought up in Lagos) ”no-man’s land” and others have the nerve to assert that up to 50 per cent of the development in Lagos came as a consequence of the input of the Igbo. This is utter rubbish.”
These are the very words of Femi, hot under his collars because Igbo Lagosians are staking their own claims to a part of the Nigerian commonwealth to which they have made enormous contributions both in material and in blood.
Fani-Kayode may deny it, but Lagos is nothing if not the result of an agglomeration of forces; a diversity of people from across the world and across the modern nation gathering at the epicenter and the margins of the metropolis in what Homi Bhabha calls “dissemination.”
But Mr. Fani-Kayode is still hung up on sterile nativism of the sort that makes it impossible for him to think clearly or rationally; he chooses to levitate on the illusory baloney that inspires him to declare Lagos to be the “patrimony of the Yoruba.” No. Lagos is the patrimony of every Nigerian who steps in it.
Lagos belongs as much to the ethnic Igbo as to the Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, Fulani, Efik, Idoma, Urhobo, Itshekiri, Edo, and so on who live in it, pay tax, identify with it, and settles in it. That compact was made the moment Nigeria became a single nation, and a successor power to the old principalities who were subdued and who ceded their sovereignty for the new commonwealth of Nigeria.
The Igbo did not beg to be Nigerians. First they fought for its freedom. When the Nigerian kitchen became too hot, they chose to leave. But a war was levied on the Igbo that forced them back to Nigeria. That war was fought to preserve “One Nigeria” even if the Igbo had had enough of “one Nigeria.” That war ended in 1970. The Igbo returned, and their return to Lagos and other parts of Nigeria was neither an act of charity nor kindness.
It was pragmatic. The Igbo had the skill and the industry, and Lagos was the seat of the Federal government of Nigeria and its major port. The Igbo have lived in Lagos since the 15th century when the Aro and other Igbo first settled in good number in a place we now call “Oyingbo” in the era of Benin and the Portuguese trade.
Igbo have been in Lagos, in other words, long before the first Fani-Kayode knew the road to Ilesha. So, when Femi Fani-Kayode writes that the Yoruba were “kind” to the Igbo because, in his words, “we allowed them to return to Lagos” after the civil war, he is not being a servant of truth. In any case, about kindness, he might wish to talk to the likes of Eze Okpoko N’Oba, whose property in Lagos was appropriated to this day by a prominent Yoruba as “abandoned property” after the war.
I do not wish to insult the intelligence and regard of the many honorable Yoruba people I know who do not buy into Mr. Fani-Kayode’s views, and so I will keep this simple: nobody, even of average intelligence, can deny the impact and contribution of the Igbo in the political, cultural, and economic development of Lagos as a great Nigerian city; the greatest of them in fact, in the modern era.
The arrival of Azikiwe to Lagos in 1937 from Accra after his studies in the United States, stimulated the political and cultural environment of Lagos as no other has before or after him. Zik literally resurrected the wizard of Kirsten hall from political death. Zik represented Lagos in the western house. The NCNC was the power in Lagos, and not the Action Group. The Igbo were prominent in the governance of Lagos in the Lagos City Hall.
The institutional development of Lagos – the railways, the ports and ship yards; the education and research facilities; the Banking and Commodities Exchange, the development of towns like Yaba, Surulere, Ebutta-Metta, Festac Town, Victoria Island, and now Increasing the Ajah-Lekki axis, and of course, the ghettoes along the Orile-Badagry axis, have profound Igbo imprimatur.
The circulation of the image of Lagos is to date best reflected in the cosmopolitan Igbo imagination of one of the greatest African writers of the 20th century, Cyprian Ekwensi, a thorough Lagosian if there was any. Igbo have built industries in Lagos and have been drivers of commerce and exchange.
Side by side with their Yoruba, Efik, Itshekiri, Urhobo, etc. neighbors, they have continued to negotiate the complex evolution of this city. The development had not much to do with the Western government; even then, Mr. Fani Kayode often forgets that the Igbo were part of the Western Region when it extended, until 1963, to the bridgehead at Asaba. Lagos is not the patrimony of the Yoruba.
If any should make such a vicarious claim, it might be the Oba of Benin, to whom Lagos paid tributes up until its annexation and colonization in 1861. Fani Kayode should read more and be driven less by sophomoric enthusiasm and braggadocio.
By Obi Nwakanma Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Please could this article be published in all Nigerian papers? I don't leave in Nigeria but I was sad to read that piece of shit coming from Mr. Kayode.
ReplyDeleteMr Wakama, u ve nt addressed MANY issues in ur write up. Y talk abt d economy only? What abt d war, d coup n maimings ur forefathers did? What abt d 419, lies n rituals ur ibo brothers do daily for d sake of money? U definitely didn't do any research.
DeleteTake it or leave it, iys in d ibo blood to lay claim to what is nt theirs!!! So long as there's money in it, they ll kill their own mother/child to get it! Mr Wakama, pls write on ur people n their love for money!!!
DeleteIf there is any race that loves quick money like the Yoruba, it doesn't exist. The ritualists of great repute are where? Ijebu Ode. The industrialists of Great Repute are where, Igbo Land.
DeleteThe money we make, we work for. The money you crave for, you bleach, sell your soul and still remain on one or two rungs below us in the money ladder. Abeg Focus on your handwork, when you are good at it, we'll hire you.
The author is completely biased and insolent. Perhaps suffering from having infantile mentality. Ffk did a fine write up. All I perceive is beef from d author. May God settle dis issue amicably. Indeed a poor biased angry write up. Better luck next time.
DeleteInteresting riposte. Serves that riff-raff,Femi Fani Kayode right.He has truly been miseducated.such a bad egg.
DeleteBut dere's nothing bad in chasing thugs or nuisance away 4rm lagos
ReplyDeleteJust a question anyway. if the yoruba does not own lagos, then who own Onisha and Enugu?
ReplyDeleteFFK might have written his piece with sentiment for the Yorubas as the owners of Lagos, Obi Nwakanma have not convinced me that a non-indegene can also make similar claims in Asaba, Owerri, P/H, etc and other state capitals in the north. The Federal seat is now moved to Abuja and could be regarded as a "NO MAN's LAND". I have lived in the South-east and South-south, even as a North-central man. FFK could be garullous and one will love to hate him all the time but I agree he made his point this time.
ReplyDeleteTributes or no tributes? Are igbos indigenes of Lagos? Is Lagos Yoruba land? I believe that is the point here not all this long winded rubbish this author and fain Kayode have written! As for anonymous aug 11@629am , why should this be published? To showcase both writers stupidity?
ReplyDeleteThank u very much sir,at least an igbo son has wiped my tears.Ever since I read that article by femi(a man I respected so much b4 now),I have been crying for ndi Igbo in Nigeria,but am encouraged,anyi zuru ka eme.Dalu nna!
ReplyDeleteDont b comforted yet, cos u wil still cry more, so dis rubish can wept ur tears, turly ibro av no same wen it come to calming another Mans belongings .
DeleteIbos should return and develop their state. Any governor has the right to do what he wants in his state.
ReplyDeleteEhen, God don catch you, Ruggedmqn.. sorry Nwakanma don blaaast you.
ReplyDeleteMumuuuuuu!!!......iii............iiiiii
DeleteSince the whole of Nigeria contributed to the development of Lagos, then we can all lay claim to it. After all, it was the former capital. Otherwise give it back to Edo state, the real original owner.
ReplyDeleteFooooool....!!!!!! wat did u know?
DeleteAt anonymous 7:15 am.u are a fool.Lgive lagos back to edo".lagos wasn't owned by d edo ppl,they colonized lagos,lagos had indegineous natives before they admittedly conquer lagos n lord over it b4 the portuguese came.i don't understand this,I have always thought igbo ppl are proud people,theyy are always proud of their heritage,alot of the igbo ppl here must be bastards to be claiming another ppl's state instead of their own.It is akin to claiming another man's house in lure of my father's own.- will implore u guys to be mindful of your utterances,it is this same atitude that spurred d slaughtering of igbos in d north,albert wrong but u can't go about in another native man state and wanting to lord over them or wanting the privilege ur tribe will never accord others in ur state.This can only end badly,it might spurr d Yoruba to purge d igbos out of lagos if u guys don't thread carefully.all this politicians,including gani are a bunch of idiots as well,this incitement can only end badly if everyone doesn't thread softly.it is one nigeria but let's not kid ourself,we are all aligned to each other along tribal line and our loyalty lies with our own kins men.i hear some fools out here calling Yoruba ppl as cowards,have u heard of the Oyo empire,did u remember what the Yoruba did to the hausas in idi araba lagos when they went out of line.my point exactly is that everyone inrespective of tribe is capable of unleashing violence if push comes to sholve
DeleteI love this comment. I can only feel that it is the most garrulous of statements like the ones Nwakamma is giving here that causes troubles like we had that caused the civil war. I am yet to see a single foreigner thrive in Igbo land. Igbos are far more tribalistic than anyone and I see theirs as coming from a belief that everyone hates them.
DeleteThe Igbos think they have given everyone everything bcos they have a few "not so well managed" ventures that only employ Igbos. Yet statistics show that apart from the multinationals, Dangote (an Hausa man) is the highest employer of labour in Lagos, then the banks owned majorly by the south south is next.
But Igbos would claim anything and everything, even though the Yorubas in here feel they have brought degradation to our societies like they did Festac, Okota, Orile, Ajegunle, Apapa with their bars, stealing, blood-money rituals and blatant lack of respect for law, order and control.
The Igbos are always welcome here, but like everyone they have their good and bad sides.
However, this isn't their heritage. And even though the Yoruba and Egun people of old Lagos paid tributes to the Oba of Benin, the Oba of Benin is a great grandson of Oduduwa and a far cousin of Alaafin of Oyo and other yoruba kings (even before Ooni of Ife, who is our Oduduwa's spiritual son).
So please let's stop all this nonsense talk
Nigerians waste time on discussing inconsequential matters. Instead of focusing on how to solve our socio-economic,political problems ,we are busy dilly dally about who own lagos. I am highly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteOl boy pls tell them! We have so many issues in Nigeria, so many problems and instead of finding solutions to our problems, we wallow in our tribalism and pettiness. Fani Kayode is an a** for the rubbish he published but heaven forbid I respond to an a** as I may be taken for one as well. Who cares about who owns Lagos? How does that affect the cost of cassava bread. We are right where the British want us, too busy squabbling over nonsense to come together and make our country strong. God help Nigerians. I wish we can someday grow out of this hate.
DeleteThis man has nothing to say abeg. It is these same Igbos when they hear that Lagos is under siege, will quickly carry their banza kaya back to where they came from. Where is the patriotism in that. Cowards that love their lives more than our unity. Abeg, find a better reason to try and claim stake to Lagos. And let's call a spade, a spade. They are square pegs in our round circle here in Lagos. They can't turn round ever.
ReplyDeleteMost of you don't realy know Fani Kayode interest. This guy works for the PDP and he wants to turn Igbo lagosians against Fashola. That's the basic aim of his article not what you all are dragging here. People need to look at all angles before you coment. I blame fashola for not folowing his intention in the right channel.
ReplyDeleteWhatever, but he say d truth........!!!
DeleteWho owns Onitcha,Aba,owerri and all the big ibo cities please.
ReplyDeleteJust answer that and let's be clear on the subject matter.
Regards.
The truth about man is that Man anywhere and anytime is naturally partial and sentimental when it comes to heritage, tribe and family.
ReplyDeleteHowever, being civilised beings and an evolved specie, especially in a multicultural nation such as ours we try to focus more on positivity and cooperation towards the greater good.
BUT every once in awhile in this country a blundering idiot like Fani-Kayode comes along with a load of primitive sentiment and things fall apart.
This IS the PROBLEM with Nigeria... The ones we look up to never fail to disappoint us.
I had so much respect for the man Femi Fani-Kayode until I read his statement and got a regrettable sneak preview into the kind of mind her actually has.
Any rich kid can go to Cambridge but that does not sometimes make them less stupid.
My friend, is this not part of the socio-economical, problems? Did u ever went to school at all?
ReplyDeleteAK47, no dat is a bomb not bullet
DeleteThe tugs and nuisance are the agberos that molest, estorts, steal and mess lagosians up. Some are at the bus stops, others are in the markets. They are the reals destitutes. Fashola should look in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteRemember home sweet home, go and develop ur fathers land nd stop disturbing our state....
DeleteVery good ᵒᶰᵉ brother! Em ashamed °ƒ kayode who went outright as doe he wants a war. An educated person would preach better words than Ʋ kayode. I Ǎ̜м̣̇ J̶̲̥̅̊u̶̲̥̅̊ƨ̣̣̣̇̇̇̇τ̣̣̥ 16years °ƒ age ß̣̥u̶̲̥̅̊ђ i read with S̶̲̥̅Ơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ much pity †ђξ article °ƒ mr. Kayode! Nobody Ȋ̝̊̅§ fighting with †ђξ yorubas. ß̣̥u̶̲̥̅̊ђ †ђξ truth Ȋ̝̊̅§, †ђξ developments ΐϞ lagos Ȋ̝̊̅§ due 2d presence °ƒ different tribes. Wud Ʋ say †ђξ gwari Pε̲̅̇̇ðplε̲̅̇̇ don't own abuja? ß̣̥u̶̲̥̅̊ђ obviously D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ developments there Ȋ̝̊̅§ not a tribes work! Igbos ά̲̣яε not claiming anything! deportation °ƒ †ђξ destitutes Ȋ̝̊̅§ bad! If we must HA̶̲̥̅√ε̲̣ ᵒᶰᵉ nigeria, we should learn τ̲̅ȍ serve! There ά̲̣яε other ways 2help them than 2dump them. I like fashola A̶̲̥̅πϑ i Ǎ̜м̣̇ igbo! If he made †ђξ mistake, he Ȋ̝̊̅§ human ß̣̥u̶̲̥̅̊ђ it should not be a ladder 4us 2break loose! ... Igwe nonye
ReplyDeleteYoruba ar ur least friends, dont ruined that chance I addvise........ so stop preaching war,cos it wil b too fatal for u d igbos...!
DeleteRemenber, yorubas ar ur least friends dont say war bcos it wil b too fatal for u igbos
DeleteBravo Obi, You have spoken as a well informed person, and not based on setiments or some potitical gains. Its good, things like this are crupping up. It will help to identify some of the root cause of our problems. Weda yorubas or Igbos like it or not we ve mix with each other thro, marriage, n there is nothing anyone can do about that. What an Irony of life that Femi is not 100% Lagosian. I thinking he is seeking for acceptance from the Lagosiansn but thro' the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteSilent....... u av a fool!!!!
DeleteWaste of energy...there r several socio-economic problems(ASUU strike, drop in power generation aft spending trillions,Boko haram,tyranny by d present Govt etc) beggin 4 such energy to be channeled on. Our brain only functions when it has to do with ethnic or religious issues.And we keep prayin for a better and united naija. FFK, d current writer of diz crap, n d pple commentin to support either of dem are a disgrace 2 diz nation. Rubbish
ReplyDeletewel,since lagos is a no man's land,can i(a cross riverian)come n contest 4 govrshp 2015 in lagos? after all lagos is developed by all d neighbouring states of d federation.possibly,lagos is developed by al d pple dat resided dia bt dat doesn't means der no indigens of lagos.
ReplyDeleteFami Kayode is a very big idiot for bringing up issues that is degenerating to this nonesense, the Igbos we all know is the only one Nigeria that we have, it is only an Igbo man that distributes wealth evenly in Nigeria where crooks like Kayode has stolen to themselves.Look at the North east currently, where virtually all Igbos hv left, the Presidency now send releifs to them for sustenance, no trade. If the igbos leave Lagos,you think the Kayodes will run the trade? Anyway its all PDP plan to destroy fashola's goodwork,peter Obi is PDP in Apga and he is buying into it. Vagabonds. Obama is Kenyan and he is d president of the World.developed brains. Kayode you are a Fool. Emeka
ReplyDeleteU lack knowledge. Pls pray for one!
DeleteLet igbo keep quiet and go back to their states and claim their lands.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMr Wakama, u ve nt addressed MANY issues in ur write up. Y talk abt d economy only? What abt d war, d coup n maimings ur forefathers did? What abt d 419, lies n rituals ur ibo brothers do daily for d sake of money? U definitely didn't do any research.
YOUR MOTHER IS A RITUALIST, YOU STUPID FOOL.
Am an Igbo Man Born and raised in Lagos, I Love The Yorubas, (They are Hospitable and they Love Peace,,It doesn't make them Coward),,
ReplyDeleteA big Shame To Fani Kayode,, He Lacks Wisdom and should ask GOD for it because it supersede Knowledge,, Which He still Lacks after his years of study. Promoting and sowing seed of hate and division.
For those taking Side in this (both Yoruba's And Igbo's). We are all passerby on earth here, We Should Learn to Leave and tolerate our selfs, This Drum of War is not good in the ear's of the Listeners and the Drummers.
Truth is bitter, u can dwell in lagos but still not ur origin. Just understand dat.
DeleteIts unfortunate that Nigerian youths are still falling cheaply to this disguised time bomb called ethnicity and allowing our judgments to be clouded by regional coloration.
ReplyDeleteI believe strongly that rather than exert so much energy debating on which tribe is superior or should lay claim to a particular region (making reference to history that helps no one), we should concentrate on finding a lasting solution to our common challenge which is d root of all this decay.
We should seek out ways of making our political class accountable. Policies/Laws should be made to favour the Nigerian citizen and give him a better quality of life.
Governors loot state treasury, legislators milk d nation dry, presidency flies all over d world with d largest train of personnel. Yet we can't c or feel what they are doing. Yet we defend them bcos they are our tribesmen.
No sector seems to be working as @ today. The industries are dead, education is grounded, energy is nothing to brag about, welfare (don't even go there), even d oil and gas sector has witnessed massive looting w/o any explanations. Yet we seem not to concern ourselves with that.
As youths we need to wake up and together think of ways to make d ruling class accountable so that the Nigeria of our dream can be birthed. Where every Nigerian can be proud to be one and can happily stay anywhere in the country having access to the necessary facilities and living decent lifes.
Nna Obi Nwakannma, are we Igbos Lagosians? Have you forgotten the saying that East, West, North or South, home is best? Biko, donot allow omo onile to reclaim your land if you have any or your landlord to throw you out. America or Britain can cancel your visa at will you know!
ReplyDeleteObi write up is senseless honestly pointless indeed.
ReplyDeleteI live in Port Harcourt; people of Rivers State dislike Igbos with passion. Hausa people have no one kobo respect for them they don’t trust them, Delta people don’t like them.
Go to some countries in the world; they know the difference between Igbos and other Nigerians besides; they will never claim to be an Igbo man. Go to many prisons in the world Igbos are the dominant inmates, in everything where their greediness makes people to be avoiding them. Their major works in South Africa is stealing and illicit drug trade, the same in Europe and Asia.
They have succeeded in painting Nigerians as monsters; they make many people distaste Nigerians worldwide; they make Nigerian passport become an abhorrent document.
Must you stay in Rivers state, must you stay in Kano or must you live in Ibadan or Lagos. For goodness sake, please try to develop your own area and stop blabbing.Stupid race without culture; they have no leaders anybody can become Obi or Eze.
Can a Yoruba or Rivers man own properties comfortably in Onitsha or Aba abi na where?
8:45 pls what's the meaning of "did you ever went to school"?
ReplyDeleteI think d answer is no education...
DeleteExcuse me Femi Kayode, when will you start to be a voice concerning all the socio-economic problems confronting Nigeria? Power problem, Asuu strike, health system, education, job sector and so many areas are begging for attention. Yet a Cambridge-trained former minister is focusing on a mere ethnic origin issues. Hahahaha! I'm ashamed of your certificate. People are right when they say a Nigerian's brain becomes useless once he steps into or even hold a political post. Sorry, you need brain transplant. But, Oga, don't you think this is too trivial? Please who knows Femi Kayode's twitter handle? I need to tell him to his face.
DeleteAm not sure this man know what he's saying? Because,Benin isn't Igbo territory. The Kingdom of Benin has a lineage with Yoruba (Oyo empire) so if u claimed that Benin should claiming part owner of Eko(Lagos) well I agree but not IGBO. And I'll also advise to go back to school and study Geography and Map reading to the land distance between Yoruba and Igbo, so u far from the point but I'll not also support FFK for the sake of One Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteCambridge trained Professor of English language (Anonymous , August 11 ,2013 at 8.48)asked somebody in this medium "Did u ever went to school at all? My brother or sister ,for the sake of grammatical error in the above statement we suggest you should go back to school . Any of the primary schools in Ajegunle is ok .
ReplyDeleteI love u, good comment, may God continue to bless ur skills.
ReplyDeletekudus!!!!
Femi Fani-Kayode is trying to make himself relevant again! He's always been like that, always quick to run his mouth without first thinking of the impact of his statements and am convinced that he needs urgent psychiatric attention! The coward I know, who ran to Ghana when he couldn't survive in Nigeria and God used obasanjo to resuscitate him again, and after his tenure in office he extinguished, which of course is as a result of the fact that he hasn't got nothing to offer! It's not unusual for people like him to seek relevance through very sensitive issues like this! I'm Ibo and am hapily married to a Yoruba woman and all my children bear both Ibo and Yoruba names and we've lived hapily together as one family! I won't join this arguement because of the fact that am certain that posterity will set the records straight in the nearest future! The arguement about who owns which land or not is not for femi or obi to decide! History is replete with examples of how issues like this had caused serious bloodshed! Ask Rwandans! Femi Fani-Kayode is a spent force, so he's seeking cheap relevance and the more this arguement goes on, then his purpose is being achieved! To hell with his cambridge! Shallow people like is aalways quick to expose their lack of depth! He's what they call in local parlance "an educated illiterate" otherwise caution should've guided every thing that he wrote there! We should learn to conduct ourselves within the confines of acceptable propriety,civility demands that of all of us! Whether Ibo, Hausa,Yoruba or any other tribe for that matter, red blood flows in all of our veins aand we're all created by God as equal humans and should co-exist peacefully! God bless Nigeria!
ReplyDeleteI have said before and I will say it. Femi is a he goat and you people should leave him alone. He has succeeded in sowing the seed of discord among us. He tried when Achebe published his book and now he has done it again.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that Nigerians will CONTINUALLY live in a box, no matter how educated. When the world is thinking of ways of holding our leaders accountable, Fani Kayode is thinking seriously about who should not lay claim to his village. I can't blame him (and you all that join issues with him), afterall, as a former Minister, what is his impact on the furtherance of democracy other than playing village politics shrouded in comedy? What has that write-up contributed to the welfare of Nigerians or the Yorubas? Some of these people have no shame. When the world is pressing good demands for benefits of democracy on their leaders, Fani-Kayode is still discussing ethnicity. Who cares about who owns my village as long as all the villagers are getting value from their leaders? Who cares about who owns Lagos? Fani-Kayode and all those joinijg issues with him can go to hell. I'm a Nigerian and I demand good governance. It doesn't matter who provides it.
ReplyDeletebaseless arguement. Can the yorubas or any other tribe lay claim to onitsha , enugu or Aba. the truth is that nobody wants to invest in Igbo land bcos they are not even accommodating even to themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that Nigerians will CONTINUALLY live in a box, no matter how educated. When the world is thinking of ways of holding our leaders accountable, Fani Kayode is thinking seriously about who should not lay claim to his village. I can't blame him (and you all that join issues with him), afterall, as a former Minister, what is his impact on the furtherance of democracy other than playing village politics shrouded in comedy? What has that write-up contributed to the welfare of Nigerians or the Yorubas? Some of these people have no shame. When the world is pressing good demands for benefits of democracy on their leaders, Fani-Kayode is still discussing ethnicity. Who cares about who owns my village as long as all the villagers are getting value from their leaders? Who cares about who owns Lagos? Fani-Kayode and all those joinijg issues with him can go to hell. I'm a Nigerian and I demand good governance. It doesn't matter who provides it.
ReplyDeleteThe Igbos are very intolerant of any other tribe! They cannot take criticisms well! I'm not a fan of Kayode but he nailed it this time!! They can sell their own mothers for money! Go to SA,China,they are their in their multitudes selling drugs and being their garrulous,obnoxiious selves! A disgrace to the Nation! Lagos aint yours! Chikena!! What about the Lebanesse,Indians who've made considerable contributions towards economic development in Lagos? Have they ever made claims to Lagos!
ReplyDeleteWhat Obi Wakanma wrote is no way an answer to the questions raised by Femi Fani Kayode. He merely tried to lay claim to what is obviously not theirs. He couldn't even support his assertions with facts and spent time only trying to justify how Lagos became developed associating the development to Igbos; contradicting himself when he said Lagos is a conglomerate of many tribes each of which has a claim in it. To him, a state belong, and thus claimable, by all the people living legitimately in it. What a wrong assertion cos Igbos never believe in sharing. Perhaps the most significant idea revealed by Femi is the long destructive ideology the Igbos always have of "we own all", "we have all" and "we must control all". As smart as Wakanma tried to be, he not only avoided commenting on that but also is unable to refute the assertion that that led them into trouble when Nigeria had her first civil war. Another thing he wrongly said was that Igbos were forced into the entity called Nigeria forgetting that his tribe only begin their quest for sessation after the discovery of oil reserves; an agenda they have always pursued till date. Finally, I will say I agree with Femi more than I agree with Wakanma because in trying to set things right, he(Femi), unlike his counterpart(Wakanma) unearth the truth and nothing but it. That is, ofcourse, exactly what is expected of an ex student of Kings college and a graduate of cambridge (thanks to Wamanka for telling me that).
ReplyDeletethe answer to those asking who owns any state in Nigeria is No one and every one......... can we be progressive and move forward? do you see Americans fighting over who owns Texas? Common guys dont be petite.... Gov Fashola Erred politically it was a bad move.if you have destitute people on your streets then shame on you as a Governor. it means you are not providing for the poor... you should build shelters provide jobs. and encourage the private sector to provide jobs... the answer is notand never to send people packing.....please let us not let one mistake by argueably one of the better governors our people have seen divide us further as a nation.
ReplyDeleteNigerians of the ilk of most commentators above amuse me! Why would any discerning person start to quarrel over what comes out an Orji Kalu, or a Femi Fani-Kayode's mouth. The earlier is a known fraudster, and the later a "rehabilitated" drug addict. Then we all now proceed to pour vitriol on each other.
ReplyDeleteI don't why anybody should take umbrage someone/group claiming to own Lagos, or indeed any city/town in Nigeria. It's illogical. If someone acquires property outside his ethnic/tribal area, it'll definitely have a tenure, after which the person gives up the land/property. So, what's all this fuss, and bad blood circulating over such.
I'm Igbo, and proud to be one. I've lived most of my life amongst the Yoruba, and indeed married to one. So, you can imagine how someone with my background feels when people from bothe tribes take the positions most commentators above have taken. It's indeed sad.
All people/tribes have their short comings, based on their peculiar culture, which will likely irk others. So, we should learn to be mindful of our utterances, and avoid our judgement being coloured by stereotypes, please.
Pls did the IGBOs claim to own LAGOS STATE? NO! They only felt Maltreated by the LSG. So mumus like Yemolala4mumu & other OFE NMANU shld know that. Abeg na una get LAGOS, while IGBOs get SOUTH-EAST.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Yoruba man and I will say thank you to Anonymous 10:54am and 09:07am. The Igbos should consider developing their towns and also advise their headers to stop killing the younger once because of envy. A smart Igbo will know that with time, u will not be able to sign CofO for your land in Lagos again.
ReplyDeleteYou all in Nigeria are racist !!! Take it or leave it.
ReplyDeleteWhether Yoruba or Igbo, d are all the same foolish: armed robbers, kidnappers, assassins, unfaithful people, unthinkable acts perpetrators,... So, if u whant to kill urselves, feel free to go ahead; we don't care!!!! Mumus
ReplyDeleteNigeria is calling itself a federation, but they are saying such nonsense on each other. The day u will know that whether one comes from Delta State, Lagos State, Anambra, Imo or else, he is a NIGERIAN, be sure u can call urselves civilized people; but before that, u are all animals.
ReplyDeleteThe Igbos have no intellectual capacity to develop anything. Look at the south east states; if they have the ability to develop any thing they would have developed their own land. Lagos is not in the south east. It is in the Southwest. Therefore, it belongs to the Yorubas. We took them in after the war to keep them from starving to death in the southeast. When kidnappers were after them, they ran to Lagos Look at how they want to repay us. Soon they will claim that they developed the Eko Atlantic City.
ReplyDeleteCan Ibo people not contribute to debates without being abusive? Why does Mr. Nwakanma have to call Mr. Fani-Kayode right from "scallywag" right from the opening paragraph of his article?
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I have so far learnt from this debate and some recent others is that you can not have a dialogue or debate with an Ibo person. They are the only ones that understand their own reasoning and logic, and they do not care what others may think or believe. For them, it is either you accept the Ibo position or..... Very sad. No wonder this is such deep resentment against them. Is it not time for Ibo people to do some introspection?
The sad part of all this is that Igbos have found a soft and easy target in the Yoruba people. Let them go and try all these nonsense in Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gombe or Maiduguri.
ReplyDeleteWell all know they can not. What did they do when their people were bomb slaughtered at the Kano motor park not too long ago? How about those that were killed by Hausa people in the north over the last few years? Did they ask for compensation? Were they even offered by the governments of the states involved?
They are doing all this because they see the Yorubas as a soft and easy target.
I don't agree with d fashola action but if the arguement now is whoever contribute to city development now own the place.May be the British still own Nigeria then! Or the lebanese or indian not forgetting the chinese will soon declare their own ownership of Lagos or Nigeria!!!. And if writer is implicitly saying IBOS own Lagos then who owns AWKA, ENUGUN,ABA,ONITSHA, etc somebody should answer me na? Softly softly ooo...Odun Tutu
ReplyDeleteNone of you who are writing and claiming you came from Southeast is saying the truth.You are disguising, claiming east to win sympathy, that's yoruba media/propaganda pranks. You can deceive anybody. We have seen many of you. You are not from any part of southeast, rather West. Because if you are from southeast you'll that know no part of the country has on their own without Federal govt assistance embarked on rural or urban development more than in Igbo. If you grew in Ibo, schooled till this age you would have paid at least one or two levies for developmental project such as Electricity, pipeborn water, even Air Port etc. These projects when completed are given/tranfer free to Govt, in return ask us to Bills and Rates before using them. Which section of the country except east are marginalized in such manner. Yet the east contribute to ensure they give themselves these things which many other section of the country get without stress. No yoruba man, I am sure has paid any levy/due for development project in their area. Despite all the federal supports and so called educated people, go to their villages you will see hamlets and poverty. Just make trip to ibo villages and witness development and do one to western states and compare the two. Let keep lagos aside which know those who developed it. Leave lagos to yorubas it will be like any other town in in west see ibadan - how developed it is?. No modern development. Ibadan is said to the oldest or is it the largest in nigeria? How developed is it? Why can't the west develop it? They waiting for other people to do it. Other towns in the west are all backward because developers like ibos have no interest in them.
ReplyDeleteIf the federal govt gives one tenth of the attention it gives to other part of the country especially west in terms of development and setting up industries, to east. The west or city like lagos will be many in the east. The federal allocation to lagos alone is more than the entire eastern states combined together. With such huge amount going into just lagos and yet there still so many shanties, many untarred roads, no water etc, I am sure fashola and his predecessors are stealing the state dry, of course we have seen, the personal hotels, businesses, towgates, hightechs construction companies, oilwell where the funds are diverted to for personal aggrandisement. KAYODE, FASHOLA, AND CO ENVY, JELOUSY AND BAD BELLE IS KILLS. IBOS ARE LEAVING IN NIGERIA INCLUDING LAGOS AS YORUBAS ARE LEAVING OTHER PARTS
OF THE COUNTRY. NOBODY HAS DEPORTED THEM. YORUBA HAS MORE DESTITUTES IN THE COUNTRY INCLUDING LAGOS AND SOUTH THAN ANY OTHER. NO GOV'NOR HAS DEPORTED THEM. STOP REAPING WHERE YOU DID NOT SOW, DEPORTING IBOS AS TO CLAIM THEIR BUSINESS AND PROPERTIES AND POSITIONS IS NOT THE PROBLEM IN THE WEST.
Why are the Igbos scattered all over Nigeria. Why do most tribes in Nigeria dislike the Igbos. Why can't they remain in their territories and develop their impoverished states and make a big commercial city out of them. The Igbos are known to be self centered, fetish, dubious, uncultured,and least accommodating. They will not allow other tribes to lay claims to any part of their states. I feel sorry for the Igbos that are making mouth in Lagos. They should not forget that they can never contest elections in Lagos or be part of the management or decision making of Lagos state. They should not forget that all lands belongs to the government and can be revoked at anytime. In the nearest future, the Igbos will find it difficult to obtain C of Os in Lagos and certain laws will be passed to their disfavor, may be then they will be forced to go back to their villages. Igbo people please remain in your territories, develop your states and stop gallivanting from the north to the south and West. Charity begin at home. if you are so good in commerce why not make the east a big commercial trade zone. Please be wise.
ReplyDeleteWait and see u will soon hear say na ibos develop Abuja!!! What Loud Arrogance!!!
ReplyDeleteIf this is the best response from the igbo nation, i can only conclude that there is no defence that can stand against the truth. The igbos should be wise to learn from their history... otherwise they condem themselves to repeating it.... to their detriment. It is laughable to argue that once you buy land in a place you auto become an indegene. Igbos surely have bought land in PH, in Zaria, Kano, Abuja and other places... are they laying claim to those places also?. The Yorubas are cowards ehn... but it was a a Yoruba man that drove your fathers back at Ore and it was also Youruba man that collected surender papers from you at Enugu after your Ojukwu ran with his tail between his legs. Yorubas should learn their lesson and be wise and stop this nonsense of having igbos in cabinets when no igbo state is reciprocating the gesture. LASG shoul draft appropriate laws to protect land holdings against ungrateful and hostile tribes. It is a fact that igbos hardly sell their land to other tribes and they make their boast about it openly if you have lived among them.The wiseman will not sleep deeply if a snake is loitering in his roof. A word is enough for the wise.
ReplyDeleteSorry to you all that are crappy with your comments in this sinister manner against the Ndi Igbo. Sorry again, that sentiments have beclouded your senses of good judgment either as ethnic apologists or sessional local champions who go with anything anybody comes around to feed you. I would not spend my time answering Mr. Fani-Kayode his hatred provoking write ups that has generated this arguments. It is unfortunate that Mr. Kayode has succeeded in taking our attention from the current issue of deportation of 69 ''Igbo destitutes'' to primitive resentment built on half truth and inferiority complex about a people. A word for the Igbos, if the north is not a home and the south/west is not home at least the east is. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Commerce drives the world - where ever you settle to trade that's where the customers come. So you people should look homeward and build your own megacity like Dubia and Catar. I trust your senses and ingenuity all you need is the will power to start divesting gradually from these hostile neighbors who malign your progress and start taking 75% of investment home. It has started with ''deportation of destitutes'' one day, you would wake up and they would refuse you CofO as someone pointed out and to even imposing a vias requirement before an Ibo person will entre Lagos or other places in the north. Bet me the north are watching what will be the outcome of this episode before they launch their own offensive. ''ENOUGH IS A WORD FOR THE WISE''
ReplyDeleteWell, FFK is right about one thing, you're all of plebeian stock, including the writer of this article who seems a tad jealous of his Oxbridge background. Get over your inferiority complex and stop wasting your time on him. He loves the attention he's getting and you're just sport for him.
ReplyDeleteFANI,..Oduas supported your actions.
ReplyDeleteThank you Obi for keeping some of us so well informed. I will print this and let my children read it. My daughter was born in Lagos. She can claim to be a Lagosian, period. You deserve a hug!!
ReplyDeleteYou do not really moderate comments before posting them. I hope you will post this one. The comments I read are full of swear words, racism etc. Why can't Nigerians be truthful and "call a spade a spade".
ReplyDelete