It is amazing how one or two of the numerous nationalities that make up Nigeria secretly wish that they were yoruba and consistently lay claim to Lagos as being partly theirs. Have they forgotten where they came from? I have never heard of a yoruba wanting to give the impression to the world that he is an igbo, an ijaw, an efik or a hausa-fulani or claiming that he is a co-owner of Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar, Kano or Kaduna. Yet more often than not some of those that are not of yoruba extraction but that have lived in Lagos for some part of their lives have tried to claim that they are bona fide Lagosians and honorary members of the yoruba race. Clearly it is time for us to answer the nationality question. These matters have to be settled once and for all.

Lagos and the south west are the land and the patrimony of the yoruba and we will not allow anyone, no matter how fond of them we may be, to take it away from us or share it with us in the name of ”being nice”, ”patriotism”, ”one Nigeria” or anything else. The day that the yoruba are allowed to lay claim to exactly the same rights and privilages that the indegenous people in non-yoruba states and zones enjoy and the day they can operate freely and become commissioners and governors in the Niger Delta states, the north, the Middle Belt and the south-east we may reconsider our position. But up until then we shall not do so. Lagos is not a ”no-man’s land” but the land and heritage of the yoruba people. Others should not try to claim what is not theirs.

I am not involved in this debate for fun or for political gain and I am not participating in it to play politics but rather to speak the truth, to present the relevant historical facts to those that wish to learn and to educate the uninformed. That is why I write without fear or favour and that is why I intend to be thoroughly candid and brutally frank in this essay. And I am not too concerned or worried about what anyone may think or how they may feel about what I am about to say because I am a servant of truth and the truth must be told no matter how bitter it is and no matter whose ox is gored. That truth is as follows.

The yoruba, more than any other nationality in this country in the last 100 years, have been far too accomodating and tolerant when it comes to their relationship with other nationalities in this country and this is often done to their own detriment. That is why some of our igbo brothers and sisters can make some of the sort of asinine remarks and contributions that a few of them have been making in this debate both in the print media and in numerous social media portals and networks ever since Governor Fashola ”deported” 19 igbo destitutes back to Anambra state. In the last 80 years the igbo have been shown more generosity, accomodation, warmth and kindness and given more opportunities and leverage by the yoruba than they have been offered by ANY other ethnic group in Nigeria. This is a historical fact. The yoruba do not have any resentment for the igbo and we have allowed them to do in our land and our territory what they have never allowed us to do in theirs. This has been so for 80 long years and it is something that we are very proud of.

As I said elsewhere recently, to be accomodating and generous is a mark of civilisation and it comes easily to people that once had empires. The reason why many of our people take strong exception to the apparant outrage of the igbo over this ”deportation” issue and the provocative comments of my friend and brother Chief Orji Uzor Kalu when he described Lagos as being a ”no man’s land” is because the igbo have not only taken us for granted but they have also taken liberty for licence.

We cannot be expected to tolerate or accept that sort of irreverant and unintelligent rubbish simply because we still happen to believe in ”one Nigeria” and we will not sacrifice our rights or prostitute our principles on the alter of that ”one Nigeria”. Whether Nigeria is one or not, what is ours is ours and no-one should test our resolve or make any mistake about that. ”One Nigeria” yes but no-one should spit in our faces or covet our land, our treasure, our success, our history, our virtues, our being and our heritage and attempt to claim those for themselves simply because we took them in on a rainy day. It is that same attitude of ”we own everything”, ”we must have everything” and ”we must control everything” that the igbo settlers manifested in the northern region in the late 50’s and early and mid-60’s that got them into so much trouble up there with the hausa fulani and that eventually led to the terrible pogroms where almost one hundred thousand of them were killed in just a few days.

Again it is that same attitude that they manifested in Lagos and the Western Region in the late ’30’s and the early and mid-40’s that alienated the yoruba from them, that led to the establishment of the Action Group in April, 1951 and that resulted in the narrow defeat of Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe in the Western Regional elections of December, 1951. As a matter of fact they were the ones that FIRST introduced tribalism into southern politics in 1945 with the unsavoury comments of Mr. Charles Dadi Onyeama who was a member of the Central Legislative Council representing Enugu and who said at the Igbo State Union address that ”the domination of Nigeria and Africa by the igbo is only a matter of time”. This single comment made in that explosive and historic speech did more damage to southern Nigerian unity than any other in the entire history of our country and everything changed from that moment on.

To make matters worse, in July 1948 Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe made his own openly tribal and incendiary speech, again at the Igbo State Union, in which he spoke about the ”god of the igbo” eventually giving them the leadership of Nigeria and Africa. These careless and provocative words cost him dearly and put a nail in the coffin of the NCNC in the Western Region from that moment on. This was despite the fact that that same NCNC, which was easily the largest and most powerful political party in Nigeria at the time, had been founded and established by a great and illustrious son of the yoruba by the name of Mr. Herbert Macauly. Macauly, like most of the yoruba in his day, saw no tribe and he happily handed the leadership of the party over to Azikiwe, an igbo man, in 1945 when he was on his dying bed. How much more can the yoruba do than that when it comes to being blind to tribe? Can there be any greater evidence of our total lack of racial prejudice and tribal sentiments than that? If the NCNC had been founded and established by an igbo man would he have handed the whole thing over to a yoruba on his death bed? I doubt it very much.

Again when northern military officers mutineed, effected their ”revenge coup” and went to kill the igbo military Head of State, General Aguiyi-Ironsi on July 29th 1966 in the old Western Region, his host, the yoruba Col. Fajuyi (who was military Governor of the Western Region at the time), insisted that they would have to kill him first before taking Aguiyi-Ironsi’s life and the northern officers (led by Major T.Y. Danjuma as he then was) promptly obliged him by slaughtering him before killing Aguiyi-Ironsi. How many igbos know about that and how many times in our history have they made such sacrifices for the yoruba? Would Aguiyi-Ironsi, or any other igbo officer, have stood for Fajuyi, or any other yoruba officer, and sacrificed his life for him in the same way that Fajuyi did had the roles been reversed? I doubt it very much.

Yet instead of being grateful the igbo continuously run us down, blame us for all their woes, envy our educational advantages and resent us deeply for our ability to excel in the professions and commerce. Unlike them we were never traders but we were (and still are) industrialists and when it comes to the professions we were producing lawyers, doctors, accountants and university graduates at least three generations before they ever did. That is the bitter truth and they have been trying to catch up with us ever since. For example the first yoruba lawyer Christopher Alexander Sapara Williams was called to the English Bar in 1879 whilst the first igbo lawyer, Sir Louis Mbanefo, was called to the English bar in 1937. Again the first yoruba medical practitioner, Dr. Nathaniel King, graduated in 1875 from the University of Edinburgh whilst the first igbo medical practitioner, Dr. Akannu Ibiam, graduated from another Scottish University in 1935.

Yet despite all this and all that they have been through over the years and despite their terrible experiences in the civil war we are witnessing that same attitude of ”we must control all”, ”we must own all” and ”we must have all” rearing its ugly head again today when it comes to their attitude to the issue of the deportations from Lagos state and when you consider the comments of the Orji Kalu’s of this world about the igbo supposedly ”owning Lagos” with the yoruba and supposedly ”generating 55 per cent of the state’s revenue”. It is most insulting. And I must say that it is wrong and unfair for anyone to lay the blame for the perenniel suspicion and underlying tensions that lie between the two nationalities on the yoruba because that is far from the truth.

We are not the problem, they are. Pray tell me, in the whole of Nigeria who treated the igbo better than the yoruba after the civil war and who gave them somewhere to run to where they could regain all their ”abandoned property” and feel at home again? Who encouraged them to return to Lagos and the west and who saved the jobs that they held before the civil war for them to come back to when the war ended? No other tribe or nationality did all that for them in the country- only the yoruba did so. And the people of the old Mid-West and the Eastern minorities (who make up the zone that is collectively known as the ”south-south’ today) have always viewed them with suspicion, have always feared them and have always resented them deeply.

From the foregoing any objective observer can tell that we the yoruba have always played our part when it comes to accomodating others. This is particularly so when it comes to the igbo who we have always had a soft spot for and who we have always regarded as brothers and sisters. It is time that those ”others” also play their part by acquiring a little more humility, by knowing and accepting their place in the scheme of things and by desisting from giving the impression that they own our territory or that they made us what we are.

This is what happens when A MAN does not have set principles but to flip flop wherever food and gullible Cheerers applaud the mad man.I feel bad more for the gullible applauders because they dont really know who they are .....if they do,they wouldn't make themselves vulnerable to the vultures. Sad!

they've forgotten all that now. ffk is just deceiving then

ffk has no honour

tiger28:
This is what happens when A MAN does not have set principles but to flip flop wherever food and gullible Cheerers applaud the mad man.I feel bad more for the gullible applauders because they dont really know who they are .....if they do,they wouldn't make themselves vulnerable to the vultures. Sad!

thank you!!!

if buhari gives him just 1b naira contract ffk will switch sides again

Let me just swallow my comment

Are you really educated? This is the mist stupid article I red in 2017. You're a tribal bigot with class. If you are not envious of igbos why did you centre your criticism and comparison between your tribe and Igbos. Igbos have actually sustained themselves from what they choose best. Your banking industry cannot function well without traders whom you follow down to their little shop scouting for customers. Grow up.

Hunger and poverty induced.

Put your bet on ffk at your own detriment.

He'll disown his kids for a spoon of political pottage.

Merry Christmas to his worshippers.

Who be this one again

Una no da tire....

Is Lagos the only state in SW......


Why not you focus on Ibadan, Abeokuta, Oshogbo, akure and ekiti.....

I believe, nobody will drag those ones with you.......

Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria.....


That is the reason most business headquarters are located there...


Nobody owns Lagos.......

And don't forget., the Hausas are more interested in Lagos than the easterners....


Igbo's may give up Lagos, but the north will not and will never

Lol @ igbos new spokesman. Op you no well aswear.

emmie14:
Are you really educated? This is the mist stupid article I red in 2017. You're a tribal bigot with class. If you are not envious of igbos why did you centre your criticism and comparison between your tribe and Igbos. Igbos have actually sustained themselves from what they choose best. Your banking industry cannot function well without traders whom you follow down to their little shop scouting for customers. Grow up.

Mr man pls READ and comment on the post . Your spokeman is/was a HEAVY Igbo bigot.......whats your comment on that?as usual, no answer but derail.

uglyafonja:
Who be this one again

Una no da tire....

Is Lagos the only state in SW......


Why not you focus on Ibadan, Abeokuta, Oshogbo, akure and ekiti.....

I believe, nobody will drag those ones with you.......

Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria.....


That is the reason most business headquarters are located there...


Nobody owns Lagos.......

And don't forget., the Hausas are more interested in Lagos than the easterners....


Igbo's may give up Lagosc, but the north will not and will never

AGAIN,you guys dodge the point here. I am not putting up this post because of lagos ownership (there is no argument on that,we all know the answer).My point is ,READ what the new ndigbo spokesman wrote about ndigbo JUST a few years ago. Pathetically, igbos hail this man to heavens. Wow!

tiger28:
AGAIN,you guys dodge the point here. I am not putting up this post because of lagos ownership (there is no argument on that,we all know the answer).My point is ,READ what the new ndigbo spokesman wrote about ndigbo JUST a few years ago. Pathetically, igbos hail this man to heavens. Wow!

U dey mind them, dia tribe is gradually winning the award for the most gullible tribe on earth. They just follow one single opinion that emanates from anyone they presume to be on their side like sheep
I really wish I could be far from them when they self destruct....... maybe thats why they dont have a clear historical lineage (they have been destroying themselves across the ages)

That was when FFK was the great e-warrior and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land.
He was the darling of millions of Yoruba bigots and they cheered him to no end when he was disparaging the great Igbo race but after Saul received sense in Damascus and became Paul the Yorubas shamelessly disliked him because he is no more an Igbo hater but a lover of justice and equity.

Ojiofor:
That was when FFK was the great e-warrior and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land.
He was the darling of millions of Yoruba bigots and they cheered him to no end when he was disparaging the great Igbo race but after Saul received sense in Damascus and became Paul the Yorubas shamelessly disliked him because he is no more an Igbo hater but a lover of justice and equity.

MOST foolish post EVER!!!!!

tiger28:
MOST foolish post EVER!!!!!

Wisdom s foolishness to the fools after all.

As much as I dont like FFK, everyone has the choice of changing their mind.

Back when FFK was writting this nonsense, he was still rolling in circle of power.

It took APC throwing him into jail to reformat his brain. He has since married an Igbo woman and has a son.

Now FFK has seen the light. He now realises that there is a more bigger enemy out there than the Igbos he chided back in the day.

gidgiddy:
As much as I dont like FFK, everyone has the choice of changing their mind.

Back when FFK was writting this nonsense, he was still rolling in circle of power.

It took APC throwing him into jail to reformat his brain. He has since married an Igbo woman and has a son.

Now FFK has seen the light. He now realises that there is a more bigger enemy out there than the Igbos he chided back in the day.

first of all, he isnt married to the lady. Knowing how this guy's antecedents with women,what happens when he leaves this onewill he flip flop again and reignite his real hatred for Igbos??This is a man that i know personally and he doesnt stand for any solid ideal ,he goes where the wind goes shamelessly. You cannot trust a man like that, he has switched sides too many times.