₦airaland Forum

@Wed123

'O.k, I'm sorry, but I had to let the steam out. My dear friend, US is the "last bus-stop" and most people in the UK will give everything to move over to the states. I'll choose the states in a heartbeart. You're welcome man.'


Er no thanks!

Hello, I am a Delta lady through and through.

Born in the Uk and now based back here but I did spend a considerable amount of time as a child in Sapele.

Parents are urhobo.

I went to St itas girls school (1985-1987 and palmer primary school (1982-1984). If anybody went to those girls during those years I might know you so get in touch if you can.

Thanks! I am urhobo but I cannot speak it and can barely understand *shame*

I am based in the UK and would like to know if there are any classes, books, DVDs or CDs that I can either attend or use in my aid to understand the language.

I have enjoyed the pics as much as I have enjoyed any set of pics in any particular country. Thanks for posting.

For those of you whose day was spoilt by clicking into this thread and viewing the pics, so much so that they felt the need to vent their frustration and annoyance. Can I ask why you are even in this thread stressing yourselves when you could have been in countless of others that may would have appealed to you more?

On a lighter note I must say that as a non-Yoruba person i admire their culture and language and I can say with pride that I am happy to share the same country with them just as I am with the Igbos, Itsekiris and other ethnic groups in Nigeria. Even though I may not personally like Lagos which I do see as a Yoruba land.

However what irks me the most is when I come across some Yoruba people and they tell me that 'They are the main  Nigerians. Some behave like they are the only ones who matter in Nigeria and it is annoying especially when the Nigeria that they claim to be the main part is wholey funded by oil in the Delta.

It is also annoying that because some Yorubas may see themselves as a majority they would like to force feed their culture and language down the the throats of everyone else but will not even blink care much about another persons culture and language.

It brings to mind one time when i was watching a political program on the BBC and a councillor for Lambeth. South London, Lola Ayorinde was on there/ This woman was blatantly saying that because Nigerians made up the majority of black people in London all funding for Black related projects should be given to charities and organisations headed by Nigerians for Nigerians and not the Caribbeans. I was so embarassed for her. You can just imagine someone like that getting their own way and then the next thing she would be talking about all funding going to Yoruba only projects because they were the majority in the UK.

cybersleek:
Just so that you all may know before blood starts flowing, historically, lagos is neither wholly yoruba nor is it igbo, but i would submit to the school of thought that though it is peopled by majority yoruba speakers. Lagos due to its geographical location is subject, to a great extent to the influence of the yoruba language which is the dominant nationality of south western nigeria. If you are to research the history of lagos and its demographics, you will find out that most indigenous lagosians are either of the awori stock, or are egun, not minding the millions of us who are ethnic yoruba's who were born in lagos. Lagos came to be associated with the yoruba nation because it was a vassal state of the old oyo empire, hence, the yoruba language, likewise Dahomey, or what we now know as cotonou, that is why though many lagosians will tell you that it is a yoruba state, but when asked where their state of origin is? will tell you ijebu, egba, ibadan or ekiti. However, personally, i feel the issue of yoruba being the official language in LSHA is irrelevant as if you are a true lagosian whether hausa or igbo, you will have too much of lagos in you to be intimidated by yoruba language or not. That is why i will appeal to everybody on the forum to sheath their swords and lets all remember that we are all one nigeria, indivisible. And to the man who said that the only thing lagos has to offer is the airport, i wonder what state you are from and where you presently reside? because the yoruba man says that only an illegitimate child points to his fathers' house with his left hand, if you have nothing nice to say about lagos, please, don't say anything as you might insult the sensibilities of those of us who grew up in lagos!

I said this and I stand by it. The place is a cesspit. Everybody needs tp relocate elsewhere and the the whole city needs to be bulldozed to the ground! End of! Sorry if you don’t like the truth but that is what it is.

I am not from lagos but my family owns properties there.

And by the way I am a girl.

babasin:
save your ranting.

any state in nigeria can pass whatever in their capacity so long there is enough people in the house to pass it.

I tink say you don talk your own finish sef

romeo:
Lagos is a Yoruba state and i don't care if they deliberate in Yoruba language or Hausa!! but your constant remarks about people that are the pillars of Lagos packing their loads and going smells of ignorance. Give the other parts what the federal govt. has given Lagos and tell me if anybody would still like to be in Lagos, functioning sea port, functioning international airpot, and to bring you up to date! the people using those instalations are 80% non-Yorubas and yet you think you can do without them? pleaseeeeee some people should argue with the brain sometimes

abi O!

coolchick:
@EloSela,
you sound igbo. you need to read up on political science especially federalism, especially in cases where there federalism is practised in a country with diverse ethnic groups, let it sink in well and then think in clear terms before making ignorant comments. even the nigerian constitution allows states to choose the language in which they would like to be communicating in. this doesn not mean that it will not be translated into english for others to hear or that they will take yoruba to be the lingual franca for the national assembly, a state's national assembly consists of people who are representing the people of the state. in a federal system, states are allowed to pass their own laws. lagos belongs to the yorubas, it doesnt matter whether it used to be the federal capital territory; it no longer is hence, its just a state now and people are free to move into the new fct or their villages if they feel that they can't live with the state laws.

if other states including yours decide they want to start speaking in whatever language they deem fit, that is between them and the people they represent, and in this case, the people of lagos state. like is said earlier, nigeria's artificiality in oneness is our major problem, other tribes pretend to be lagosians when the true lagosians want to start speaking in their language, when its time for voting or censes, they run back to their villages! at such periods, you will even see buses specially transporting people for this purpose. how can you then come back after census and elections and say you are a part of the state?

remember that sharia law was adopted in the northern states irregardless of whether christains or other worshipers live there, if they don't like the laws, they can leave. the same thing is happening with lagos, if you don't like my language, you can pack you load and go.

No m’dear I am not Igbo. By the way you sound like you have a chip on your shoulder about Igbos.

Thanks for taking time out to explain the infinities of the political make-up of Nigeria to me. Not that I didn’t know but thanks anyway.

I would like to add that the only reason why you deem my statement ignorant is because you don’t like the fact that a non-Yoruba person like me can echo the same kind of statements like you have about how much Lagos is your land about my own part of Nigeria.

All you have said about Lagos can also be applied to many of the oil producing regions of Nigeria where many Yorubas are milking the land in abundance for their own benefit. I am not saying that they don’t have the right because they are after all Nigerians and I am all for one Nigeria. But if such an exclusive law is going to be passed in a state that is as diverse as Lagos then I am all for similar laws to be passed in other parts of Nigeria especially in the oil money making parts of the country

I no even know why person dey inside this thread dey drag Lagos sef. The place is a diseased infested cesspit and if you ask me the politicians should be more concerned about getting plans in place to rip the whole place down and start again from scratch. The only ting he get na international airport and that is the reason many of us are forced to go through there, in order to get to other worthwhiel destinations in Naija.

babasin:
Good for them so long they can get their state house assembly to pass it.

Lagos law makers did not ask anyone to move away from Lagos. They simply want to speak their mother language in their assembly!

No point discussing further with you.

What a cop out!

Anyway, i would like to add that all Oil personnel of Yoruba descent currently working in the oil producing regions of the Delta learn how to speak and communicate clearly in at least two of the languages that are indigenous to that region or move back to their own Yoruba 'State'

Kobojunkie:
No, Lagos is a yoruba state, has been and still is. Infact, I do not understand why the house should even concern itself with such things at this point but yes, Lagos is a Yoruba State even  though there is NOW a mixed group of people living there. Historically it is a yoruba state and trying to change it cause people from other areas have chosen to make it home would not work. I do not however agree with the move.

I think we are more or less on the same boat but just using different terms. Politically I wouldn't say that Lagos is a Yoruba state because it is so diverse within itself and made up of many Nigerians. Historically yes I would say that it is.

babasin:
if such groups have enough people in their state assembly to pass it. good for them.

Yoruba is bigger than any of these. Yoruba is 30million strong spoken in 5countries and 2-continents.

If you don't know your history. I know mine.

irrelevant. Yoruba did not ask anyone to bring capital to Lagos. Lagos is Yoruba state: all political holders are Yoruba. The land belongs to Yoruba.

Yoruba does not have as many speakers as English, French and German, com-on now, talk sense. You really think there more Yoruba speakers in the world than the above languages? I am sorry but if this is what you are using to prove that you know your history then your credibility is not be trusted.

Are there no non-Yoruba political holders in Lagos?

Are the Yoruba oil managers in the Delta should also move back to their indigenous lands then. Further more all Nigerians living outside Nigeria should also move back to Nigeria, Hows that for progressive thinking? *note sarcasm*

coolchick:
am a little irritated and usrprised at people saying lagos is not a yoruba state; what happened to igbos who live in lagos moving en-masse to their villages during census, therefore affecting the planning in the state. they ahve now come to say they are part of the land? they need to make up their minds about who they are and where they belong to. if they are not yorubas they we have to conclude that the yorubas are being gracious by accommodating them on their soil and not meddle with whether they want to make their language in the house of assembly or not.

take it or leave it guys, Nigeiria is artificial. people need to identify with their ethnic groups first before trying to pretend to be at peace with others. the south west belongs to the yorubas, if they decide to communicate in yoruba so be it, anyone who cannot learn their language or speak it has an option of going back to where he/she came from. it is not by force!

I think you are totally off-base.

When the Yorubas decide that they want to be self-sufficient and not live and benefit of the natural resources of the Delta region then you will have a point.

In the meantime even though I will agree that historically Lagos is the Yoruba man's land, to say it is a Yoruba state in the political sense is incorrect. It was once the capital of the entity which is now known as Nigeria and it for what it is worth, Lagos was created by ALL Nigerians.

babasin:
Good for them. If they have enough people in the state house of assembly to pass it.

Note:
every one must speak their mother language and all others are free to learn the language.

and if you don't want to learn employ 'registered interpreter'; this provide jobs etc.

So what makes Yourba the favoured language out of the 250 ethnic groups which make up Nigeria?
So if every one these 250+ groups in Nigeria insist on speaking their 'mother tongue' how will the country progress and work together to make a more unified Nigeria for all Nigerians?

@Babasin

You are equating the Yoruba ethnic group with a country Germany (German), England (English) and France (French)

When there is a Yoruba country or a language called 'Nigerian' then I will totally understand your sentiments on this matter. In the meantime, the Yoruba are just another ethnic group like Igbo, Hausa and Urhobo in a Country called Nigeria. To give one preference over another just because they happen to be the single majority in one state is just asking for it in my opinion.

babasin:
all people living in germany don't understand german, so

thats why:

That said, the house preceedings should also be translated to english as this is Nigeria offcial language

It is Ibo state, if that makes you happy. No point discussing further with you.

But all Nigerians/Lagosians are not Yoruba and neither can they understand the language. So much for peace and unity as we sing in our anthem.

What if the people in the Delta where most of Nigeria's wealth is held decided that wanted to state affairs in Urhobo, Itsekiri or Ijaw? Civil war abi?

Starch and owo.

That is in Jesse Town, Delta state, lol

Then the most popular drink would be Ogogoro.