₦airaland Forum

LG polls: Igbos invest heavily in Lagos, deserve to hold some positions — Ohanaeze

The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, Dr Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, has decried the continued political marginalisation of Igbos in the state, despite what he described as their significant investment in its economy.

Speaking from his Ikoyi residence on Saturday while assessing the conduct of the local government elections, Aguene condemned the alleged systematic disenfranchisement of Igbos in Lagos, stating that the denial of their right to vote and contest for elective positions has become a recurring trend in every election cycle.

He said, “Do you know that the Igbo that are resident in Lagos state are denied the opportunity to vote? This is not just happening in this election; it occurs during every cycle of election. Igbo residents in the state are not given the opportunity to contest for local Government Chairmanship and councillorship positions.

“Despite our contribution to the economic and political growth of the state, we are being treated unfairly. There are one or two Igbo persons as Vice Chairmen of Local Governments.”

He lamented that while Igbos continue to pour resources into Lagos and drive its economic engine, they are consistently excluded from political participation, especially at the grassroots level.

“Igbos are the ones investing heavily in Lagos. They are supposed to be given the opportunity to hold some positions in the state,” he stressed.

Aguene argued that the situation contradicts the principles of democracy, which should promote inclusiveness, justice and fairness.

“It is therefore safe to conclude that we don’t have democracy in Nigeria, because democracy promotes equity, justice and fairness. What we have is opportunists grabbing power and ruling. There is voter apathy in Lagos and Nigeria because Nigerians are tired of voting for opportunists,” he said.

The Ohanaeze leader also criticised the general state of governance in the country, describing it as skewed in favour of a few while the majority, including essential workers, struggle to survive.

“Governance in Nigeria is just for the few as many Nigerians are really suffering. The working class including journalists and security officers whose professions are essential cannot even work and shelter for their families. The situation in Nigeria is terrible.”

https://tribuneonlineng.com/lg-polls-igbos-invest-heavily-in-lagos-deserve-to-hold-some-positions-ohanaeze/

Mynd44 Lalasticlala Nlfpmod

Na wa,

...

Hmmmm

Emotional blackmail everywhere, Something that they haven't implemented in the eastern region they want it to be done in another man's land.

When you were given the opportunity, it was heavily abused and never even appreciated instead they see it as entitlement that must be given by force

If such can be reciprocated in Anambra and Abia, it would be a good development.

True, especially in LGs where they have large communities. One thing though, you have to organize and push for these reforms, contest, and campaign. Ronus are out to blackmail, dominate on the basis of tribe, and use criminal means to deny people of their constitutional rights, in a country where the constitution guarantees freedom and equality to every citizen, and money and resources from one state can be used to develop another state or city.

It’s similar to what happened in the US for decades. Whites held elective positions like DAs, Sheriffs, and Mayors in communities which were predominantly black, and systemic barriers prevented blacks from running and winning. But over time as people got more informed, pushed for reforms and organized communities for activism, blacks started running for offices and are getting elected to these offices

This is indeed true, and that's what's obtainable in a democratic system.

Now Ohanaeze, can you kindly tell us why a man from Ebonyi is forbidden from holding a political office in Anambra?☺️

Adexvivacity:
Its hard to let go the grip. No one wishes to lose his ancestral land to strangers. Even the Igbos in their states wont allow such penetration they have gained in Lagos and entire yoruba states. We have many Northerners as well in Lagos and they are not interested in ousting the son of the soil from his seat. Make the Igbos rest.

The murder of APC supporters and completely skewed election result from South East, unlike other geopolitical zones, during the last election says it all.

I agree that only reciprocity will assuage the true legitimate concerns of the Yoruba. Resources, including political slots, in Yorubaland are limited and contested for because it cannot even go round the Yoruba.

If you want one in Yorubaland, give one in the South-East to the Yoruba living in the South-East in exchange. Simple, just and sustainable solution.

Even during military rule and early 1990s Igbo mass exodus from Lagos that the Igbo tagged 'oso Abiola', the Yoruba never and will never outsource the economy and political engine of Lagos to non-Yoruba. With systemic institutional undermining of Lagos, weekly bomb blasts and several state-sponsored assassinations of our Yoruba leaders across Yorubaland during military eras, we had nowhere else to run to and valiantly stayed till we won and rebuilt our city before the Igbo started returning to meet a safer and more progressive Lagos. We were happy to receive everyone back to Lagos qith no hard feelings.

Learning from history, it will be unwise for the Yoruba to build a Yoruba society economic and political powerhouse on the drive of Non-Yoruba who enjoy the luxury to easily pick their bags tomorrow to migrate en masse back to their villages and towns in the South-East but if there's mutual exchange or the limited resources, there's a possible chance that Yoruba moderates may shift the needle a bit.

Read LAGOS GUBER & PLIGHT OF IGBOS: Law Of Reciprocity Is The Solution
https://www.nairaland.com/7612989/lagos-guber-plight-igbo-law#121776365

CoronaVirusPro:
If such can be reciprocated in Anambra and Abia, it would be a good development.

How many Yorubas have businesses in the place you mentioned?

You can't stay in your brown leaking roof room and be asking for power in another region.

Come and see what others are seeing in another person region before they set up businesses and you will shut up by force.


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Smartcitizen:
How many Yorubas have businesses in the place you mentioned?

You can't stay in your brown leaking roof room and be asking for power in another region.

Come and see what others are seeing in another person region before they set up businesses and you will shut up by force.


🤣🤣🤣🤣

I am aware of a lot of Yoruba who are living and have lived in the South-East but it's same complaint that you are not receptive to outsiders. I believe this is valuable feedback that you can work on.

The Yoruba are many in the South-East but are not being reciprocated with political offices and opportunities because you want to keep everything within your own kith and kin. They perfectly understand you

The Yoruba in SE will mind their own business and not disrespect you , your culture and leaders.

Make your region friendly, safe and attractive. Stop being hostile and viciously unkind to outsiders.

There may be many Yoruba who wish to visit the South-East for leisure, tourism, business but most of them will quickly drop the idea because they don't feel safe to go there, most of their experiences are not particularly pleasant and they believe that the indigenes of South-East will not give an outsider opportunity.

Just look at the outcome of the last election nah. It's embarrassing yet you want others to open their own democratic space for you. Haba.

Other people too are wise nah.

The last election really exposed Ibos by trying to impose Sinedu Gbarebo on the Omoluabis

Smartcitizen:
How many Yorubas have businesses in the place you mentioned?

You can't stay in your brown leaking roof room and be asking for power in another region.

Come and see what others are seeing in another person region before they set up businesses and you will shut up by force.


🤣🤣🤣🤣

Westerners should go establish businesses in same place you are running from.

If it was so lucrative, will you have your lots flooding into the west.

Anyways, some Yoruba’s still reside in Anambra and they deserve representation.

FreeStuffsNG:
I am aware of a lot of Yoruba who are living and have lived in the South-East but it's same complaint that you are not receptive to outsiders. I believe this is valuable feedback that you can work on.

The Yoruba are many in the South-East but are not being reciprocated with political offices and opportunities because you want to keep everything within your own kith and kin. They perfectly understand you

The Yoruba in SE will mind their own business and not disrespect you , your culture and leaders.

Make your region friendly, safe and attractive.

There may be many Yoruba who wish to visit the South-East for leisure, tourism, business but most of them will quickly drop the idea because they don't feel safe to go there, most of their experiences are not particularly pleasant and they believe that the indigenes of South-East will not give an outsider opportunity.

Just look at the outcome of the last election nah. It's embarrassing yet you want others to open their own democratic space for you. Haba.

See this one o!

So Yorubas are too friendly to Igbos I guess?

You must be a joker......

I want to give you an assignment, just pretend to be an Igbo man who wants to buy a property in any area in your region where you are not known and come back to tell us your experience.

I remember the horrible experience my younger brother had when he was building his house around Aja area Lagos State. He was so harassed by your omonile that I almost told him to forget about that building even when he has all the certified documentation from government of lands in LAGOS to build.

How many times have you people destroy and burn down Igbos shops in your region, but were they deterred?

Can you tell me how many average Yorubas has properties in the far north or inside Niger Delta?

Your people are not good in taking risk outside your region, so please don't come here to blame anyone for your lifestyle.

We have already chosen a life of determination in every part of Nigeria we choose to live not minding any nonsense thrown at us so don't come here to blame us when we succeed after taking all these risks.


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No one can deny Igbos of anything in Lagos because it's a "no man's land!" Ohaneze may be ignorant of that fact.

CoronaVirusPro:
Westerners should go establish businesses in same place you are running from.

If it was so lucrative, will you have your lots flooding into the west.

Anyways, some Yoruba’s still reside in Anambra and they deserve representation.

See children talk?

Are Chinese and other nationals not investing in Nigeria again despite the fact that we all want to Japa from Nigeria?

Igbos and the northerners are too mobile to be kept in one place that's why they are always moving from their region to another.

Can you just tell me any known clusters of the Yorubas anywhere in Nigeria? Just like you have the Northerners and the Igbos clusters.

You see the problem?


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I just dey laugh.

You guys brought this upon yourselves. Tinubu was the first pan-nigeria governor to have almost every Nigerians in his cabinet inclusive of the Igbos. His boys were propped up into Federal Cabinets. Your children turned privileges into rights and denigrated their hosts without mincing words. The greatest abuser of Tinubu are from yonder sir.
I am from Delta State,in the years to come, expect more push back from those guys because you all crossed the redline of reciprocity. Don't betray the trust of your benefactors.

Actually, the Yorubas wouldn't have bothered if not for too much noise and chest beating about the little progress these people have made in commerce and politics. Couples with the "no man's land" rhetorics....

They have finally awoken the conservative side of the Yorubas and it is now "to your tent oh Israel".

What part of Local in local government do these people not understand. What a funny sense of entitlement.