₦airaland Forum

xtrorse:
Here is the opinion of Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe:


** Igbos In Lagos State: My Experience, 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 settledin good number in a place we nowcall “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 andship 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 withus 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://premiumtimesng.com/opinion/143249-igbos-in-lagos-state-my-experience-by-senator-adeseye-ogunlewe.html

Case closed.
The elderly yorubas are giving a true account of Igbos while their young ones are here deceiving themselves with false believe. Now the truth is out from your elders, you young onea should kindly go and hide your faces in shame for paradiing false info all these years. Thank you. Ka chineke mezie okwu.

obailala:
Please forget the issue of March 28th, GEJ was a failure of a leader, the SW had absolutely nothing to gain from GEJ so they were under no obligation to vote for him. And while you may want to erroneously accuse the SW of voting PMB because of his vice, may I remind you of 2 things:
1. A yoruba man was also Buharis vice in 2011 but 90% of SW still voted for Jonathan.
2. Almost half (45%) of the SW voted for GEJ in the last election so it would be unfair and myopic to just generalise that the entire SW voted a dictator. As a matter of fact, the reason more south-westerners are even supporting buhari today is because of the reaction of the Igbos after the election, i.e. the way the SE has continually thrown insults and preached hate messages against them.

Also, have you ever wondered why the middle-belt which voted massively for GEJ in 2011 decided to switch to Buhari in 2015?... The answer is simple, GEJ wasn't a good leader (even though only the Igbos were blind to this). For the middle belt and SW, the last election had absolutely nothing to do with tribe, if PDP had fielded any other person from the Niger delta, there is absolutely no way the old dictator would have smelt victory.

And finally, regarding the restructuring, I could stake my life that there was absolutely no way GEJ was going to make any move in that direction. So for what reason exactly should the SW have voted GEJ?

Now u have made reasonable point and i agree with u on this. Jonathan messed up big time and deserves no second term. I keep shouting this to my people. Buhari is a wonderful preaident and i thank God for him. Whenever issues get to Buhari i disagree with my people. Thank God am succeeding now in convincing them that Buhari means well for this country.

NewNigeriaMind:
Please does your father own a bungalow in Lagos?

The answer to this question will assist you a lot in life

Ask me how many buildings we have on rent in Lagos rather. Its painful but deal with it. U people sold ur land to us, including in Ogun State.

A bulk of this amount will come from igbo importers yet some disgruntled haters will come here and ask what igbos are contributing to Nigeria's coffers. Yorubas and their blind judgment here ehh....

kestolove95:
If we allow dem go who will b our sales boiz and Slaves?

Sales boys yet they are buying your lands, buiding houses and offices and renting it back to u.
They build fine houses in their villages while mud houses are scatterred everywhere in yoruba villages. Keep deceiving yourself.

asha80:
nothing to prove it has dealt a blow to Lagos port

Dont console yourself bro. Its already happening. If u are yet to see it pls be patient and u ll see for yourself.

Even before Biafra comes, the recent commissioning of the Warri seaport has already dealt a heavy blow on Lagos. Already igbo importers have started shipping thru Warri and are very happy about it while still waiting for Onitsha port to be completed.

OfoIgbo:
I doubt the establishment of Biafra will cause Igbos to leave Lagos. They will however, be seen as foreigners living in another country, so Lagos is definitely safe from these gloomy economic predictions.

However, if to spite the Igbos, the Yoruba authorities cause the Igbos to leave Lagos
1. It will cause an accelerated response in the establishment of up to 3 seaports in Biafra most probably at Calabar, Akwaibom, and Porthacourt and possibly one at Bayelsa and inland one at Oguta lake
2.More Igbo Lagosians will relocate to Biafra taking advantage of the influx of people to establish businesses with ready made customers
3. Oil and gas being piped from Biafra to Lagos will seize overnight
4.The depletion of innovative and business minded, tax-paying Igbos with disposable cash from Lagos will drastically reduce the business-friendliness of Lagos.
5. Lagos will take in a horde of less skilled and extremely dependent individuals from the North, thus causing immense stress to Lagos finances and her ability to maintain amenities e.t.c.

Thats it.

Very good news. Lagos will definitely lose heavy revenue to Warri. Gradually igbos are getting there. Thanks be to God.

Brooklynsouth:
you are not igbo

Ok. A little visit at my profile here can help u nwanne m. I choro kam suo asusu Igbo? Ngwanu ka anyi suo ya. Daalu.

omoelesa:
With your saturated economy and dominating your region,how much does your region contribute to the national coffers?u mainly comes to lagos to cause chaos every where by hawking in hold up,selling on pavement,engaging in crime and operating ur 2*2 shops every where.

Remove hatred from u and be objective.
Imo, Abia, Anambra and your Ondo state contributes only 20 percent of the oil so dont even think that u people are contributing much like the others.
Again igbos are very much into importation and they pay import duties. So when u hear government declare billions of revenue from import duties pls tell yourself this truth that our money is part of it.
Igbos are taxed for their shops and business premises. Also igbo civil servants and public servants pay taxes.
I dont need to tell u more about numerous prominent igbos who have done excellently well globally to the glory of Nigeria. Moreover igbos are not much in government offices so it is yoruba and the North that are looting the treasury. Thank God the good job that Buhari is doing to clear your mess.

NewNigeriaMind:
I agree with you, dreams do come through. But we are not coming to the east. thanks

Better. Pls dont come. Thanks a lot.

Op pls we dont need u people in the east because u ll be useless to us. We have already saturated the economy of the east and are just conquering new teritories, including your land. As u can see we come to your land and win elections. We come to your area, buy your land, build houses and rent to u. We come to your land and take up disttibutorship in the companies, sell the products and make millions while u remain a staff being paid a meagre 50k salary a month. Pls remain where u are. We are ok with it. Thanks.

BuddahMonk:
Economy of SE 95% Igbo control

Economy of SW shared by every ethnic group in Nigeria.

Whether you migrate or you don't East is under our lock, we control everything in East you don't in Lagos.

Another simple truth that a foolish yoruba man will not understand.

CyberWolf:
Why Igbos migrate to Lagos and other states outside SE is because of Business opportunities. The Business arena in SE is already filled up, that's why most new starters migrate to other parts of the country where they think there is still space...SE is already dominated in terms of business.

A very simple truth that a foolish yoruba man will not understand.

ok

I am igbo and i support Biafra but when it comes to the issue of Buhari that is where i have problem with my people. Buhari is far better than Jonathan. He is a man of integrity and we all can see that he is gradually clearing the mess in our system. I still dont get why my people are stilll feeling bad about Jonathan's loss. I didnt vote for Jonathan. That guy messed up big time pls.

TVTKOKO:
you can as well check my previous post i said my mum being yoruba??

You are a bloody hypocrite. Your tricks have been busted and u are here talking rubbish. When will yoruba stop being hypocritical?

9jii:
He must be mocking igbo in style

Are you confirming by your statement that yorubas are hypocritical? i.e. they say one thing while they actually meant another thing?

Nothing mega biko. Na only noise dem dey make. Na today?

hakeem4:
Butcher them joor and let's live in peace

lead the butcher venture or die in shame. Why are you waiting for another man to start it for you? That means you aint man enough. Na only mouth you get.SHAMEFUL.

Whatever that will clear the mess in our oil sector.

If Nigeria is serious they should send the Igbos packing. As long as they dont have the courage to do that,they(HAUSA AND YORUBA) are all hypocrites deceiving themselves. It is a shame if you cant send someone who you said is bad out of your house. QUITE A SHAME ON THOSE CONDEMNING IGBOS.