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Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet - Politics (8) - Nairaland

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Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Englishgold: 7:19am On Apr 16, 2019
Your parents that gave birth to a poor boy like you are fools and will die fools





ProudBoy:

Bro. You are a fool.
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by OkpaAkuEriEri(m): 7:38am On Apr 16, 2019
imam07:
the only position you deserve is inside lagoon. This ibo people dey craze oo
Anonymous4:


what are they now still doing in Lagos why can't they go and develop their SE.. be fooling yourself.. No igbo in the history of Lagos.. Go and die inside lagoon if Lagos will progress or not
Olyroks:

Na this same chest beating noni, too much pride and arrogance....Ndi ara
lekbel09:
ode oshi
Ritchiee:

Osu people who cannot develop their tiny Iboland.How would they develop another region?
Fork u imgrates...we own Lagos.because is our sweat
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by OkpaAkuEriEri(m): 7:43am On Apr 16, 2019
nwanyionitsha:
Keep on developing. Ndi developers.
shame on u
U HV sel ur consenx
because of prick
Shame on u,because ur bf is yoloba
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Sagay212: 9:02am On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

i hope you know that yorubas dont own lagos.
Till thid date,there still ijaws in lagos.
Now can you people fight.
Weak,cowardly derty oyoro

Olofo olori pelebe. I thought your forefathers own Lagos. You don shift am go ijaw. Ijaw kor, igbira ni.

Go Lagos state house and tell them Lagos belongs to igbos. Ode!!

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by funmijoyb(f): 9:50am On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

i had respect for you as a fellow ijaw man.but never knew you were these folishh.
For your info,the real owners of lagos are we the ijaws and benin people.
And if nigeria should break up,those derty oyorub ass crack,wil fight for lagos.
But as we can all see,they are weakest tribe.
Continue living ss and se and be supportin those derty things.
Fol
Ijaw and Benin people? You're Hiding under Ijaw and Benin now Igbo boy.. have never been to Lagos bf?
Non of your leaders can claim thrash you are saying.
Benins and Ijaws knew Lagos is strictly Yoruba..omo Igbo don't hid under an Ijaw again.

2 Likes

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by funmijoyb(f): 9:57am On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

but atleast stronger than yoru,and you cant argue it.and we are decisive too.
And more over ijaws have the 4th largest population in nigeria
first been the hausas,igbos,yorubas and then ijaws.
So ijaws are more than 3million.
Ijaws are in 9 state including lagos that will jointly own with the benins and ondo state.
Now to goodluck,he was a gentle man and even said that the blood of any one is not worth his ambition.even when ijaws like orubebe wanted to hit up the country and cause another war.
Goodluck jonathan was still betrayed by yoru mudslim upon everything.
My guy stick with igbos but run when you see ijaws or niger deltans please.
And remember the igbos are our brothers.and if you start fighting like voting we will support them.
Now swerve to ogbomosho.kowords
See how these Igbo thing begging for South South support. When PDP is finished, SS will leave una back.

2 Likes

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by nwanyionitsha: 10:18am On Apr 16, 2019
OkpaAkuEriEri:
shame on u
U HV sel ur consenx
because of prick
Shame on u,because ur bf is yoloba
We may be on an anonymous online platform, but please try and behave like an educated person and learn to respect your neighbors.
I am a responsible married woman. Ok?
Good day.
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by technicallyrich(m): 11:59am On Apr 16, 2019
funmijoyb:

Ijaw and Benin people? You're Hiding under Ijaw and Benin now Igbo boy.. have never been to Lagos bf?
Non of your leaders can claim thrash you are saying.
Benins and Ijaws knew Lagos is strictly Yoruba..omo Igbo don't hid under an Ijaw again.
dont mention me again trostitude that dont wash her pantt.
Apart from to mess(fart),do aportion(d and c),liar,gossip and cook different drash,what positive thing can you do with your life.
Ogbomosho slum queen.
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Ritchiee: 12:11pm On Apr 16, 2019
OkpaAkuEriEri:



Fork u imgrates...we own Lagos.because is our sweat
Come and carry it to Abakaliki then. grin
You like good thing but you no fit develop Igboland.Only Ibadan is more developed than Igboland.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by LazyGold(m): 12:50pm On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

dont mention me again trostitude that dont wash her pantt.
Apart from to mess(fart),do aportion(d and c),liar,gossip and cook different drash,what positive thing can you do with your life.
Ogbomosho slum queen.


You call yourself an Ijaw man, in South West we don't even recognize them as a Tribe grin grin
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by technicallyrich(m): 12:55pm On Apr 16, 2019
LazyGold:



You call yourself an Ijaw man, in South West we don't even recognize them as a Tribe grin grin
you dont recognise the richest black tribe in the world.
You are funny.
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by LazyGold(m): 1:02pm On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

you dont recognise the richest black tribe in the world.
You are funny.


I am laughing now grin grin grin, A common Yoruba man in South West hardly know there is a tribe call Ijaw and what they stand for, whatever you say we will take it as a Joke. The last thing you want is a fight with Yoruba, even your fight with itshekiri didn't end well for you now imagine yourself going against the whole Yoruba, it means Generation Suicide it is like Nigeria against USA, You really don't want Ijaw to be extinct in Nigeria
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by technicallyrich(m): 1:05pm On Apr 16, 2019
LazyGold:



I am laughing now grin grin grin, A common Yoruba man in South West hardly know there is a tribe call Ijaw and what they stand for, whatever you say we will take it as a Joke. The last thing you want is a fight with Yoruba, even your fight with itshekiri didn't end well for you now imagine yourself going against the whole Yoruba, it means Generation Suicide it is like Nigeria against USA, You really don't want Ijaw to be extinct in Nigeria
ok koword.
You think is by size.
Na by mind.
I am not replying you again,as i know deep down you fear us.
Derty yoru mudslim
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by LazyGold(m): 1:09pm On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

ok koword.
You think is by size.
Na by mind.
I am not replying you again,as i know deep down you fear us.
Derty yoru mudslim

May Thunder strike me if I fear you grin grin grin

Even with the Presidency many Yoruba think GEJ is an Igbo man


The last thing you want for Ijaw is a fight with Yoruba, you should rather spend your energy on your Region or else you may even lose what you have
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by OkpaAkuEriEri(m): 1:13pm On Apr 16, 2019
nwanyionitsha:
We may be on an anonymous online platform, but please try and behave like an educated person and learn to respect your neighbors.
I am a responsible married woman. Ok?
Good day.
but u soport injustice
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by OkpaAkuEriEri(m): 1:15pm On Apr 16, 2019
Ritchiee:
Come and carry it to Abakaliki then. grin
You like good thing but you no fit develop Igboland.Only Ibadan is more developed than Igboland.
yoloba is a sickness
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by technicallyrich(m): 1:17pm On Apr 16, 2019
LazyGold:


May Thunder strike me if I fear you grin grin grin

Even with the Presidency many Yoruba think GEJ is an Igbo man


The last thing you want for Ijaw is a fight with Yoruba, you should rather spend your energy on your Region or else you may even lose what you have
and that thunder will eventually strike u.derty koword.
By the way are you gaye.you just keep mentioning me like you want to suck and lik my anuss.
I know oyoro have the highest number of sissys and gayes.
Like bob risky,denerele etc
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by LazyGold(m): 1:20pm On Apr 16, 2019
technicallyrich:

and that thunder will eventually strike u.derty koword.
By the way are you gaye.you just keep mentioning me like you want to suck and lik my anuss.
I know oyoro have the highest number of sissys and gayes.
Like bob risky,denerele etc


Well I'm Glad you are trying your best to Know about us

1 Like

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Optionalx: 3:07pm On Apr 16, 2019
All these dumb mumu ethnic champion fighting ‘na we get Lagos’ can’t afford to buy 1 sqm of property in Lagos, just being hateful.

Just last month a friend bought family house and asked sellers (guess who they) cheesy to exhume and remove their fathers and grandma buried in the compound b4 payment - they comply fast fast... owo ni koko nah

People dey buy better property for London, Dubai, Toronto... wetin come be Lagos sef

Improve your life... stop hating and quit ethic championship
My 2 cent
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by imam07: 3:11pm On Apr 16, 2019
OkpaAkuEriEri:



Fork u imgrates...we own Lagos.because is our sweat
no be only but your papa
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Anago50000: 3:32pm On Apr 16, 2019
bash8936:
which stupid Ijaw?
Shey dat one self Na tribe sha...
owners of Lagos? Lol!
Na everybody like better thing.
Ah! See wetin education turn my Yoruba tribe to.
Too soft! too sophisticated! too diplomatic! too tolerant! too accommodating! We have become weaklings even in our own lands. See wetin Awolowo turn us to. Impact of free Education. But am always proud am a Yoruba man.
Always happy. No bad belle! Lost cause! Unnecessary hatred! terrorist act! inhuman act!
Truth be said .
We are the only tribe other tribe in Nigeria can actually relate peacefully with, that's why they are all in our region.
Economy-west
Education-west
Security-west
Take it or leave it...The west still holds Nigeria together and the only good thing about Nigeria.
Take west Away Nigeria becomes Sudan
. You guys can make mouth eeehhhh

Nawaooo
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by nwanyionitsha: 4:15pm On Apr 16, 2019
OkpaAkuEriEri:
but u soport injustice
I dont support injustice. We have refused to face reality.
After this elections my relatives in Lagos complained bitterly of being threatened while voting. I started telling this relative of mine to leave lagos 3years ago. He refused, refused to sell his properties in Lagos and i should be bothered?
I have another one that lives at home but was deceived to buy properties in Lagos. He has no intention of going to live in Lagos but he went and bought property there. I even told him after this elections to sell it, he said no, so why should i be bothered?
I face reality. I don't deceive myself.

1 Like

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Ritchiee: 7:53pm On Apr 16, 2019
OkpaAkuEriEri:
yoloba is a sickness
Osu dirty pig,
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by MetaPhysical: 9:36pm On Apr 16, 2019
bash8936:
which stupid Ijaw?
Shey dat one self Na tribe sha...
owners of Lagos? Lol!
Na everybody like better thing.
Ah! See wetin education turn my Yoruba tribe to.
Too soft! too sophisticated! too diplomatic! too tolerant! too accommodating! We have become weaklings even in our own lands. See wetin Awolowo turn us to. Impact of free Education. But am always proud am a Yoruba man.
Always happy. No bad belle! Lost cause! Unnecessary hatred! terrorist act! inhuman act!
Truth be said .
We are the only tribe other tribe in Nigeria can actually relate peacefully with, that's why they are all in our region.
Economy-west
Education-west
Security-west
Take it or leave it...The west still holds Nigeria together and the only good thing about Nigeria.
Take west Away Nigeria becomes Sudan

Very well said!
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Ftheophilous(m): 10:29pm On Apr 16, 2019
IntrovertedK:
i knew it's all about seccession. What was expected of yorubas during the civil war? They ought to fight igbo fight for them? After they laughed and cheer(ed) the killing of sardauna and other unnecessary killings so Yorubas then ought to take over the war on their behalf? And to every other seccession talks, what does sw have to do with it? We are not interested for seccession (collectively), so what concerns yorubas with other people agitating for seccession when it doesn't concerns us? So how are we acting cowardly in all?
How can you say that talks of secession does not concern the south west. Is the south west not part of Nigeria.

what you ought to have said is that we the south westerners are waiting for the warriors to fight while we subject ourselves to either of the sides that won.

ps: no insult intended
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Nobody: 10:44pm On Apr 16, 2019
Ftheophilous:

How can you say that talks of secession does not concern the south west. Is the south west not part of Nigeria.

what you ought to have said is that we the south westerners are waiting for the warriors to fight while we subject ourselves to either of the sides that won.

ps: no insult intended
lwkmd. I knew it. That's where you were heading abinitio. So the warriors should fight according to you, right? And yorubas would throw themselves at anyone that win? Smh. So you mean if Biafra defeat Nigeria by any chance, yorubas will then throw themselves at biafra to become part of biafra? You people sha will not kill someone on this forum. Yorubas remain Nigeria and have no problem being Nigeria i repeat. We are not the only tribe that doesn't have problem being part of Nigeria, secession doesn't concern, ngwas, fulanis, hausas, gwarri and every other tribes that doesn't have problem being Nigerian. If Biafra defeats Nigeria today, they are defeating all of this tribes i have mentioned including yorubas and others that doesn't need seccession. Every/any tribe that needs seccession should stop dragging yorubas to it, fight your fights alone. Yorubas are Nigerians for now till further notice.

1 Like

Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by MetaPhysical: 3:28am On Apr 17, 2019
They are antagonizing and condemning Gbajabiamila, and even declared support behind other contestants to defeat this illustrious son of Lagos....but yet aspiring to get slots in Lagos Cabinet.

What a deluded bunch! Any Ibo that want cabinet slot can do so...in SE. angry
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Ftheophilous(m): 4:34am On Apr 17, 2019
IntrovertedK:
lwkmd. I knew it. That's where you were heading abinitio. So the warriors should fight according to you, right? And yorubas would throw themselves at anyone that win? Smh. So you mean if Biafra defeat Nigeria by any chance, yorubas will then throw themselves at biafra to become part of biafra? You people sha will not kill someone on this forum. Yorubas remain Nigeria and have no problem being Nigeria i repeat. We are not the only tribe that doesn't have problem being part of Nigeria, secession doesn't concern, ngwas, fulanis, hausas, gwarri and every other tribes that doesn't have problem being Nigerian. If Biafra defeats Nigeria today, they are defeating all of this tribes i have mentioned including yorubas and others that doesn't need seccession. Every/any tribe that needs seccession should stop dragging yorubas to it, fight your fights alone. Yorubas are Nigerians for now till further notice.
Lol...the way you reason ehnn, even if my ancestors use VAR to convince me that you are not a typical Yoruba nigga I will rather disown them than concede.
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by sirpekun: 9:27am On Apr 19, 2019
Imagine some saying Denrele looks A Malnourished Somali Refugee Read more here on https://idonsabi.com/you-look-like-a-malnourished-somali-refugee-denrenle-shares-rejection-story/


LazyGold:



Well I'm Glad you are trying your best to Know about us
Re: Lateef Femi Okunnu: It Is Rubbish For Ohanaeze To Ask For Slots In Lagos Cabinet by Mocok7: 4:13am On Jun 08, 2019
LoveMachine:
A man with sense has spoken. But who will listen?


Smart-Cole, who was born of Nigerian and Sierra Leonean parentage is so grounded on most historical accounts of Nigeria’s evolution. This, the septuagenarian, whose boyish looks can easily get anyone jealous, displayed at an encounter in his Lagos residence.
The meeting revealed
Smart-Cole the historian, which perhaps may only be known to a few. With the crux of the interview being the roles of Sierra Leonean returnees in the development of Nigeria, precisely Lagos, Sunmi as his friends call him, discussed his life and many subjects about Nigeria’s historical development.
Commencing with a story told by Chief Femi Okunu, which he wanted to expatiate, Smart-Cole said: “Femi Okunnu said so many things about Lagos that nobody is disputing. He said there was an influx of Tappa people from today’s Niger State. And he said that his great grandfather was an Oshodi on his mother’s side. He said they were great Islamic scholars but he did not mention that the Tappa people were sanitation workers. On TV Continental, I called them sanitary workers. He also said the descendants of freed slaves came from Cuba and Brazil. And he said Sierra Leonean returnees came to Nigeria. A lot of Saro people (the name Sierra Leonean returnees are called in Nigeria) lived in Olowogbowo in Lagos.
“The Tappa had their own quarters, the Brazilians had their own quarters. The man told us that people from Tappa were great Islamic workers but he did not tell us the real work they did. He said Brazilian returnees were good artisans, which is true. They built the Catholic Church on Catholic Mission Street. But he did not mention any line of work done by the Christians, who were mainly Anglicans and Methodists. For instance, a certain Dr. Adeniyi Jones returned to Nigeria as Curtis Crispin Jones.
Chief Okunu mentioned the Tappa but didn’t say much about the Creole and Brazilian returnees. He said Brazilians were artisans but one of them was the first millionaire in Lagos. These people were listed in the Red Book of Africa, a book written in the 20s. And most of them, who were listed, were of Seira Leonean returnee stock. I am not saying that he lied. It is as if he decided to belittle the Creole and their contributions to the development of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. A Saro man called John Theodore Colcrick was the man, who designed Yaba and Ebute Metta. These were the first parts of Lagos that were designed. He was a Civil Engineer and Town Planner. He had a team of engineers and town planners. One man called Mr. Little was given the job of designing Sabo Market. Money ran out and the man was so annoyed, he said the project must go on and subsequently used his own money to complete the project. It was the cleanest and the most planned market in Lagos.
“The first Director of Education in Nigeria, Dr. Henry Carr was a Creole man. The first Nigerian to build a hospital, Dr. C.C Adeniyi Jones was a Creole man. He came to Nigeria and decided to do something about his Africaness. He picked up an African name because of the way he was treated in England. He could not even properly spell the African name he picked up. He had two daughters. One married Dr. Henry Doherty another one married Engineer Williams. There are more people of Seira Leonian descent in Abeokuta. Okunu is a brilliant SAN but I am not happy when people don’t tell the whole story about issues. It is as if he decided to belittle the Creole and their contributions.
On Sierra Leonean returnees
“He left a village in Freetown called Hastings to study in England. He was an apprentice to a Professor of Medicine and Surgery. One day he went to look for his result on a Saturday morning, he was stopped by a gateman, who refused him entry on the assumption that a black man can not study medicine. The white man thought he was from the West Indies but the white man said he would accompany him to check his result because he does not want him to steal anything. When they got there they found out that he came top of his class. With that type of racism, he decided to return to Africa, precisely Freetown. Some of the Sierra Leonian returnees then did not even stay in Lagos, they went to Abeokuta. So if you hear about the Cokers, Smiths, Fowlers, and others, they are of Seira Leonian stock. I have an aunt, who was Miss Robin. She is still alive at 95. Adeniyi Jones’ first job was to work as a doctor for the government.
First mental hospital in Nigeria
“They got him to set up the first mental hospital in Nigeria which is the one opposite Yaba Bus Stop. After working for a while he decided to begin private practice by setting up the first private hospital in Nigeria. He owned the land behind City Mall at Igbosere. When Lagos State was created, he had died because the hospital was operating before 1920. He had a home there where he lived which he called Priscilla Hall in honour of his wife. He saw how Africans were being treated by the whites in Lagos and was uncomfortable with it. Blacks could not live in Ikoyi because the British practiced what whites practiced in South Africa.
Segregation in Lagos: “The church of the whites was at TBS which was called Race Course and that was where yhe Governor General worshiped then. Apartheid was practiced here but one Sunday morning, the son of Herbert Macuualy, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, TOS Benson, Adeniran Ogunsany and others went to where the Governor General used to and sat there. When the white Vicar came he asked what they were doing. Azikiwe asked if he wanted to send them out of the House of God. When the Vicar reported to the Governor-General, he said they should be left alone. It was from that moment that segregation stopped at the church. That used to be Gen T.Y Danjuma’s church until they decided to change the name from our Saviours to Saint Saviour.
The segregation was so obvious that at that time Ikoyi Club was only for whites. Island Club was for blacks. The first black man that lived in Ikoyi was Dr. Ajose and he was given honorary white status because he married a white woman. That was why they allowed him to live there. The second person was Dr. Samuel Marua. He was the chief medical officer of Nigeria before Murtala/Obasanjo took over. Immediately they took over, they asked the man to leave Ikoyi within seven days, he didn’t stay long before he died of heart attack. Though people think he poisoned himself.
Honorary white status
Dr. Azikiwe and his friend, Adeniran Ogunsanya applied to join Yoruba Tenis Club which was for mainly Yoruba people, they accepted Ogunsanya but did not accept Azikiwe because of his tribe. But three days after Zik was sworn in as Governor-General, they offered him free membership which he declined. At a time, the whites invited Ajose, Dr. Samuel Marua, and Dr. Tunji Adeniyi -Jones to join Ikoyi Club. Adeniyi Jones rejected it and called it tokenism.
First millionaire in Lagos: The first millionaire in Lagos was called Candido da Rocha. He owned 12 Kakawa Street where he sold water because he had a borehole then. The second millionaire was Ojukwu’s father. The brother of a man they called Rotimi Williams is a Saro man. The Daniyis, Williamses and Eric Moores are the same family.
On journalism, growing up: “I started journalism by following journalists to the football field in 1964. I grew up in Yaba where we had the Abebes, Murray-Bruces, the Soyedes, Ojoras and the Ibrus, who relocated from Somolu. The Ibrus relocated to Yaba. I am a founding member of Lagos State Horticultural Society.
I planted all the plants on this street even at the places that are not close to my house. I did that because I like nature. I don’t take alcohol. I had my only alcoholic drink at the age of 12. I don’t drink soft drinks. I don’t eat red meat. I eat white meat and fish. I try to eat right. I had a barber’s shop. In the old days the late Justice Aka Basorun, Ishola Osobu would come for come to my shop for a 30-minute haircut but would spend two hours trying to convince me to become a socialist. Both were lawyers. My first name is Percy Sunmisola Smart-Cole. Many people don’t know that my mother was half Igbo, half Rivers. But I can’t speak the language. In Port Harcourt where I was born the lingua franca is Pidgin English.
It is the same English that is spoken in Sapele where a lot of Serra Leoneans settled. They taught the Warri people pidgin English. It is derived from Creole. A lot of them, who were mining engineers, went to Jos. Some went to Calabar. There are more people of Saro descent in Abeokuta. My grandfather went to Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone. My grandmother was Miss Smart. In this Lagos, there are many Coles. There are Aboyode Cole, Gorgeous Cole, Adeyemi Cole and Cameron Cole. All settled in one area, Ologbowo. Most of them are Anglicans while others are Methodists. Fuorah Bay was much older than University College Ibadan. At that time the degree from the school was regarded as that of the University of London.
On Lagos: Today political office holders have houses everywhere. It pains me to know that things have become so bad in Nigeria that someone would go to a Polytechnic where degrees are not awarded and the person will be awarded a Ph.D on a Saturday afternoon. These are politicians, who have houses everywhere. But it was not like that in the past when only rich politicians, who were traders like Okotie-Eboh had a house on Moloney Street.
Renowned photographer and former Managing Editor of The Guardian, Mr. Sunmi Smart-Cole, has described Alhaji Femi Okunnu’s recent interview on the origin and people of Lagos as an incomplete narrative.
He also described as inadequate, representation of individuals that shaped Lagos as captured in My Lagos Success Story billboards during the Lagos @50 celebration.
He spoke yesterday in Lagos while putting the records straight on the contributions of the Saro people (Sierra Leone descendants) that retuned to Lagos after the end of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
Last month, Alhaji Okunnu, 84, a former federal commissioner for Works and Housing, said in an interview, It’s rubbish to say Lagos is no-man’s land, with The Nation on Sunday that it is complete ignorance to describe Lagos as no no-man’s land because some people are original settlers. Lagos, he said, was peopled by the Awori that spread from Badagry to Ota.
“There is no no-man’s land. There are always some people who are original settlers. In the case of Lagos, it’s a misnomer to say Lagos is a no-man’s land. It’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish! Lagos was peopled by the Awori and Awori land spread from Badagry through to Ota. They settled mostly in Ikeja, a division of Lagos. The Idejo chiefs, the white cap chiefs, who are the land owning chiefs, are basically Awori and some of them are now Obas. I’m talking about the Oniru, The Olumegbon, Aromire, Oluwa, Ojora, Oloto and a couple others,” Chief Okunnu said in the interview.
“Later we had another batch of immigrants over a period of time – those who had been taken into slavery in the North and South America and the West Indies but who had been freed following the abolition of slave trade about 170 years ago. Some of them also came in from Freetown, Sierra Leone. That’s where we have the Saro, Eko connection. They settled in the Olowogbowo area,” he continued.
Reacting to Chief Okunnu’s views, Smart-Cole said Chief Okunnu failed to tell Nigerians the roles of the different migrants to the development of Lagos, especially the Saro people, adding that instead Chief Okunnu merely mentioned the migration of the Saro people in passing. He said most of the migrants from Sierra Leone after the end of slave trade were mainly missionaries and teachers.
Smart-Cole, who admitted the fact that the Bini conquered the Awori in Lagos during the Benin Empire hegemony that spread from Benin City to Dahomey in Benin Republic, said unlike the Sierra Leone returnees, the Brazilian and Cuban returnees were mainly artisans who settled in some quarters on Lagos Island. Also, he noted that Chief Okunnu in his interview did not get the dates the Brazilian, Cuban and Sierra Leone returnees got to Lagos correct. “Who came first he did not know,” he said.
“One of the Saro returnees Ajayi Crowder became the first black Bishop and Bishop of the Niger. His son also became Arc Deacon Crowder. At the Cathedral in Marina, Lagos, it has been a long battle between the Saro people and the Ijebu people. The Saro people were living on Broad Street in Lagos.
“Dr. Chester C. Adeniyi-Jones who graduated with a first class degree in UK started Yaba Mental Hospital, and the first medical doctor in Nigeria to build a hospital in Lagos. The piece of land housing the Lagos City Hall was owned by him. When Lagos government acquired the land, his family was compensated with five plots on Victoria Island. By 1920, he had a hospital there. Again, he formed the first Nigerian political party, and the likes of Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Okoli and Nnamdi Azikwe were his followers then. He was the first spokesperson for Nigeria in the first legislative assembly. Two brothers, Dr Maja Pearce and Dr. Akinola Maja were surgeons and were also great contributors to Lagos development.
“The Tapa people are from Niger State of today and they were engaged as night soil men who worked at night in the neighbourhood. At that time we had night soil men. Nobody dared abuse them. Even calling them ‘Agbepo’, they could come and spread excreta on you. And if you really get them annoyed, they will pour it in front of your door.”
He cited books such as Modern and Traditional Elites in the Politics of Lagos by Dr. Dele Cole, Victorian Lagos by Michael J C Echeruo, and The Red Book of West Africa as some of the relevant historical documentaries on Lagos.
“But the British colonial administration wanted Lagos badly. And they invaded the colony and made Oba Akitoye to sign the treaty ceding Lagos to the British as a protectorate. There was nobody to translate the agreement to Oba Akitoye who thumb print the agreement,” he recalled.

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