By Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe
Lagos State 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 settle 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.



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.



The arrival of Dr. Namdi 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.



Interestingly, I was born at plot number 8, Okoya Street, Idumagbo- Lagos, while the Ojukwu families were residing at number one to three on the same street. I grew up to know the father of Odumegwu Ojukwu. Chimbizie and Azuka grew up with us on the same street. Even the Chibeze small parking space at the end of Okoya Street is called Ojukwu.



I later attended St. Patrick Primary School, Idumagbo, where I had very amiable classmates of Igbo origin in the persons of Azubike Ezenwa and Damian, Ihekuna, both now professors and doctors of today. They were brilliant, resourceful and friendly.



When we were playing bamboo and Tene Felele at Orikoriko at Onola playing ground, the Igbo participated actively. In the area of sports, school football and athletes, Igbo were dominant at Kings College, St. Gregory school, St. Finbars, Akoka, Igbobi College and Ahmadiyya College, Agege. Such boys, Njokwu, George Amu, Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Patrick Noquapor, Peter Anieke and Sammy Opone were dominant on the field of football, while Asiodu, Empire Kanu were prominent on the field of athletics.



Anytime we went to watch football match at Onikan stadium, my darling team, Stationery Stores and our adversary team I hated most was the E. C. N, where the centre forward, Paul Hamilton, the National Team, Fabian the captain who bit the dust. Our greatest captain was Duru, Oduah Onyenrekwa, Onyeador Onyeali and Opel, the greatest outside right Nigeria ever had, Cyril Azuluka. So, during my early life at primary school, the Igbo were always there and delightful to watch, both in athletes and on the football field.



When I listened to radio at that time, both the commentary and drama series, the Igbo were there for you. The likes of Chris Ndaguba, Ernest Okwonkwo, Ralph Okpara ‘Alawo Sekiseki the traveler’. The episode will end with – The script was written by Ralph Okpara and edited by Yemi Lijadu.



Anytime I visited where I was born today in Idumagbo at Lagos Island, the entire place is covered by Igbo traders in their thousands. They were never troublesome but decent and accommodating. They have virtually taken over all properties of the indigenes. They succeeded in developing all our properties, married to most of our children even from the royal families. There is no single house you will visit without an Igbo man selling wares there.



So, who is saying something else? Only the strangers in our midst will not notice participation of economic development in our state by the Igbos. Most houses and shops in Lagos Island have been purchased, developed and occupied by the Igbos. The value of their investments in Lagos Island alone is in trillions of naira.



Instead of deporting the Igbos, whose contributions to the development of Lagos state are immensurable, you must keep on praising and encouraging them to keep on developing Lagos State.



•Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe is a former Nigerian minister for Works and Housing.

http://saharareporters.com/article/igbos-lagos-state-my-experience-senator-adeseye-ogunlewe

I know that some perpetual social media gladiators will still not be satisfied with this brilliant and factual write-up from a fellow Yoruba man. However, I appeal to our Igbo brethren that what with Senator Ogunlewe and Femi Aribisala's articles, FFK has finally been put in his rightful place. (At least, his belated conciliatory article of today shows a deep re-think).

let's see if we can end this ugly chapter and forge ahead in our journey to nationhood. Never underestimate the power of the pen, ...

Keep on fooling yourself.

mascot87: Keep on fooling yourself.

So, Mascot, you're one of the gladiators? Hmm. Interesting.

Starlett:

So, Mascot, you're one of the gladiators? Hmm. Interesting.

Keep on deceiving yourself

Was he not the Works Minister during OBJ who blamed Igbos for quality of work done by Federal Ministry of Works engineers and contractors?

Starlett: I know that some perpetual social media gladiators will still not be satisfied with this brilliant and factual write-up from a fellow Yoruba man. However, I appeal to our Igbo brethren that what with Senator Ogunlewe and Femi Aribisala's articles, FFK has finally been put in his rightful place. (At least, his belated conciliatory article of today shows a deep re-think).

let's see if we can end this ugly chapter and forge ahead in our journey to nationhood. Never underestimate the power of the pen, ...

Starlett: By Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe


Instead of deporting the Igbos, whose contributions to the development of Lagos state are immensurable, you must keep on praising and encouraging them to keep on developing Lagos State.



•Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe is a former Nigerian minister for Works and Housing.

http://saharareporters.com/article/igbos-lagos-state-my-experience-senator-adeseye-ogunlewe

PDP id!ot!

Why not kuku say it: the igbos own lagos!
Anything to get sympathetic votes. Lagos island ko, epe ni!

Oponu!

Lmao!!!!! this one sef get political ambition loool!!!!

Igbos, keep your eyes off Lagos. Kive in it, enjoy it, make money in it and from it but don't for a second think you own it simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This write up is from a real lagosian, he represented lagos state as a minister during the regime of obasanjo now compare that with the incoherent write up of a loafer that is from ile ife but is more lagos than the real lagos indigene

Hmm, I'm Igbo, but let me ask one question.
If a war starts between Igbos and Yoruba, where would Igbo go and where will Yoruba go.
Yeah, its true we helped and played a great and substantial role in developing Lagos but its time to develop own land too.
And, Yorubas you have to appreciate Igbos. E ma je alimo ore (don't be ungrateful)

adconline: Was he not the Works Minister during OBJ who blamed Igbos for quality of work done by Federal Ministry of Works engineers and contractors?

He was a foolish traitor that was why OBJ sacked him. He wrote this today wait and see what he will write again tomorrow

[size=18pt]Senator Ogunlewe is the type of Nigerian we need now.
Emphasize what unites us and not always dwelling on what divides us.[/size]

Kudos to the spin doctors who have succeeded in turning this excellent,unbiased article on its head. They are quick pointed out he was a pdp minister under Obj because he didn't write a hate piece against the Igbos to excite their twisted minds,forgetting their new found knight in shinning amour was a Pdp minister under obj ...lol
I've come to the conclusion demons are somewere playing dodge ball with these people's mental health

Àss licking.

Aigbofa:

I see a ruthless power hungry man who wants to ride to power on backs of gullible Ibos.

[size=14pt]Of course, a shameless NL tribalist like you being congratulated by fellow APC bigots here will see nothing good in a detribalized person.Even if he were Yoruba.

Bigots like you, Shekau and Fashola belong in the trash can of history. Nigeria will survive and your likes will be swept away with the dirt. [/size]

let the love reign

If a tenant refurbishes a house I rented to him, does it now make the house his? Even if he rented it before I built it does it make it his own? I have never liked Fani because he is a clown. But Ogunlewe, is a mad clown. Where is our money he stole. Must Igbo be made happy? Lagos is not a no man's land. And Fasola's actions these days are totally unreasonable.

[b][/b]OMO ALE NI SEYE YI O. [color=#990000][/color]

SLIDiE: PDP id!ot!

Why not kuku say it: the igbos own lagos!
Anything to get sympathetic votes. Lagos island ko, epe ni!

Oponu!

Omo Dumbo !!
Must he state the obvious ??
We know the owners of eko city.
Anyway..,good to see my grandpa's name mentioned as owners of lagos....**dancing gangnam style**
Lagos here i come.,to come and POSSESS all my family's POSSESSIONS!!!
Eko oni baje oooooo.....

Truth is indomitable!
Thank you sire Ogunlewe!

ahahaha

I am just thinking aloud here : "Is any of those written by Ogunlewe a lie?".

Guess this topic is a front page publication, MOD do d needful to balance d debate so far.

To think that belligerent busybodies like Fani-Kayode and the other schmucks here on NL that have been losing sleep over Lagos are NOT indigenes of Lagos. The real indigenes of Lagos like Ogunlewe are not part of the circus show because they know that the Igbos are not interested in dispossessing them of their patrimony and heritage. They have lived with Igbos and other ethnic nationalities for several decades and have no problems whatsoever with them. I know a couple of them in real life and my interactions with them confirm this fact.

Only pretenders and leeches from neighbouring states have been crying more than the bereaved since this issue became topical.

So there are still people who can tell the truth from the west of Nigeria? Am surprised that this has not made FrontPage yet. When i says that there are lots of kids on NL who doesn't know history some people don't understand. My Respect goes to Adeseye Ogunlewe, they man made his points with existing facts and not myth. Not like the empty headed Fani who doesn't even understand what he was yarning about.

.

pro01: To think that belligerent busybodies like Fani-Kayode and the other schmucks here on NL that have been losing sleep over Lagos are NOT indigenes of Lagos. The real indigenes of Lagos like Ogunlewe are not part of the circus show because they know that the Igbos are not interested in dispossessing them of their patrimony and heritage. They have lived with Igbos and other ethnic nationalities for several decades and have no problems whatsoever with them. I know a couple of them in real life and my interactions with them confirm this fact.

Only pretenders and leeches from neighbouring states have been crying more than the bereaved since this issue became topical.

Igbos Don't claim Territory neither would they convert Lagos into an Igboland, one thing in our nature is that wherever we go we easily adapt to the environment and behave like the people we saw there are behaving and some people do misunderstand it as claiming their Territory.

FUNNY HOW NIGERIANS GET AGITATED OVER INCONSEQUENTIAL MATTERS.

Abeg leave tribal bashing and FFK alone. no be Achebe put fire on the tribalism first? now Fani start him own everybody wan talk. Let the tribal fight continue joor.

ps...there are Lagos Ibos and eastern ibos, their way of living is different. lagos ibos are lagosians, eastern ibos are fu.qas and annoying...and envious of yorubas, and...fu.qas.

this i believe.

SLIDiE: PDP id!ot!

Why not kuku say it: the igbos own lagos!
Anything to get sympathetic votes. Lagos island ko, epe ni!
Oponu!

IGBO OWNS LAGOS.
Ogunlewe is a foreigner in Lagos
So he has no reason to be a minister nominated from Lagos ahead of Igbo race.
I can see someone trying to play on Igbo peple's intelligence.
Ok, it is people decieving people.