Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, Wednesday, lampooned those engaged in the
controversy over the ownership of Lagos saying it was a needless distraction.
He, however, noted that no matter how twisted the narrative
over the ownership of Lagos, “Nigerians know the truth.”
George, in a statement, titled ‘Enough of this distraction’,
said as a bonafide Lagosian, “it is not in our tradition to discriminate.”
He said: “It is disheartening, shameful, embarrassing, disgraceful and unpatriotic that at a time like this when Lagosians and Nigerians are going through economic hardship, some elders are infatuated with ownership of Lagos.
“What a distraction. What a disturbance. What a
perturbation.
“It is shameful that at a time millions of Nigerians are
going through anguish and extreme pain, some elders are flexing muscles on
proprietorship of the Centre of Excellence.
“The question to ask is: What exactly is the intention of
these agitators?
“The whole gamut of argument about the ownership of Lagos is
not of any importance to patriotic Nigerians at this crucial time.
Obviously, it is
just a diversionary issue. All these
combatants and gladiators should know
that all efforts, at this trying time, should be geared at ensuring good
governance, how to tackle economic
issues and take people out of poverty, how to put food on
their table; how to get the people out of abject poverty they are into; how
to tackle the insecurity plaguing the
country and how to deliver good healthcare to
Nigerians whose lives are being
cut short by lack of a good health care system.
“Anything short of all these is a complete waste of time.
Pitiably, the ship of the nation is currently drifting, yet
the issue of who is the rightful owner Lagos is what some people prefer to
discuss.
“What a pity. As a bonafide Lagosian, I say without any
sense of equivocation that Lagos has been, and would remain, a centre of
commerce, which has allowed everybody to settle down here. It is not in our
tradition to discriminate. People settle down from all over Nigeria and from
the entire West African coast from time immemorial – a culture which has
remained with Lagos and the city of Kano, the only two cities known for
commerce in Nigeria.
“People are presently angered, thus the rhetoric about who
truly own Lagos has gained momentum but we know ourselves.
“No matter how twisted the narratives, Nigerians know the
truth.
“It is true the Bini were here in the earliest time, but it
was temporary. It was not that they conquered Lagos like the colonial imperialists,
as it is being bandied about.
“Inter-marriage had also overshadowed a lot of things. For
instance, the only sister of my paternal father married a Benin man and gave
birth to all my cousins, who are all in their 70s and 60s. They have spent the greater
part of their lives in Lagos. We should stop dissipating energies on a
frivolous issue like the original owners of Lagos; rather governance should
take centre stage, how to improve the lives of the ordinary Nigerian without
making the Centre of Excellence lose its candour of a commercial Nerve Centre
of the West African sub-region.
“It is rather most disheartening for the government to
encourage the people to engage in frivolous narrative about founders of Lagos,
a debate triggered by the comments freely expressed by a traditional ruler, who
himself did not choose the tribe he
originated from.
“I say, enough of engaging in such a diversionary issue as
nobody created him or herself to be a Bini, Hausa, Igbo, Itsekiri, Kanuri,
Fulani, Ijaw or Yoruba. We are all humans.
“What should be of utmost concern at this critical period of
despondency is how to make life meaningful to all and sundry.
“Nigerians should refuse to be divided by diversionary
issues which add no value to their
lives, and make government accountable to them through good governance.
“We should stop wasting time or dissipating energies on non
issues as nobody chose to be a member of the tribe he or she hails from in the
country from birth.
“In New York City in the United States of America, you have
Italians, Irish and all those who migrated into the city. Switzerland is also a
good example, we have the Germans concentrated around Zurich area, the Italians
concentrated in Lugana, and French concentrated in Geneva, making the country one
of the best well organised economic giants in the heart of Europe through good
governance.
“But here we are made to engage in needless issues.
“It is laughable to hear Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the socio-cultural
organisation of the Igbo, chipping tribal sentiment of contributing to the
development of Lagos.
“If people don’t have anything to say, they should just keep
their peace. We have serious numerous problems begging for attention. We have a
near-disaster challenge in our economy which needs urgent government solutions,
towards transforming the lives of the people.
“When we were growing up, we had classmates of Igbo, Hausa
descent, who spoke fluent Yoruba language. We did everything together,
education and sports. There are better ways to co-habit, not through frivolous
issues like who is the true owner of Lagos.
“My great-grand uncle, Herbert Macaulay, was the man who
established the first political party in the country. He was a selfless
Nigerian, who cared about the wellbeing of every Nigerian.
“He was all over the place, trying to emancipate the people
from colonial rule, motivating the people on how to gain independence from the
colonialists. Unfortunately, he died in the struggle, after contacting disease
on his way from a trip to the Northern part of the country. He did a lot of
sensitisation against colonial rule, influencing the emergence of nationalists
like Nnamdi Azikiwe, and others who took over from him.
“We should not allow tribal sentiments to becloud our sense
of reasoning to focus on making positive decisions to the society, irrespective
of where you live.
“Look at the late Pa Chris Ogunbanjo, he was not a Lagosian,
but he lived the greater part of his life in Lagos, achieving greatness in all
endeavours in Lagos. There are others like that.
“My plea goes to all sides on this issue, to sheath their
swords and send the clarion call to government, to address issues directly
affecting their existence for the better as well enhancing the future of
Nigerians. Every Nigerian should live above tribal sentiments. Enough of this
distraction.”
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