By S. O. K. Shillings Esq.
Dear People of Lagos State. I need to discuss this important issue with you at this important time when the ruling APC is considering the nomination of its gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 elections. It is a moment for stocktaking and deep reflection. I was convinced that there is a colonisation agenda in Lagos State. Now, the narrowing down of nominations to Dr. Kadir Hamzat, current Deputy Governor and Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, former Governor (media ground-testing as it may appear), confirm my position.
Since 1999, we have had 4 governors, namely: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now President (1999 – 2007), Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN (2007 – 2015), Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2015 – 2019), Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu (2019 – 2027). One could argue that there is a lopsidedness against the Lagos East Senatorial District who have had only 4 years through Mr. Ambode. But take a deeper look and you will see that the lopsidedness is actually against the indigenes and indeed the people of Lagos State. The real scorecard shows that it has been Osun State (8 years), Lagos State (8 years), Ondo State (4 years) and Ogun State (8 years). Now, the consideration is between Ondo and Ogun State.
What we learnt in reality and history is that Nigeria was a British colony until independence in 1960. Nationalists like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamidi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Anthony Enahoro, Herbert Macaulay etc fought for that independence, from white men. How do we ration colonisation by fellow black men in the name of kinship?
Since Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, now President of Nigeria, assumed leadership of Lagos State, he has used the resources of the state to enlarge his coast by ‘building’ people, gifting them positions and opening the vault to enhance them. He has been avoiding appointing indigenes into important positions to avoid being confronted like Mr. Fashola for who people had to beg for his second term. Right now, the Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker of House of Assembly, Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff whose only duty is to distribute money, are non-indigenes. It is even better than 2019 – 2023 when, in addition, 2 senators were non-indigenes. The Speaker has ruled for 11 years. When he was removed and an indigene was to replace him, Asiwaju came back and twisted the arms of democracy to restore his fiefdom.
What have we gained or can we gain from people stealing our money, our land and our traditional heritage? The 27-year old continuity has not bettered Alhaji Jakande’s trajectory. He envisioned the metroline project far better than what we have now. He made enrolment in public schools better unlike now that people prefer mushroom schools than the public inefficiency. Several places that were tarred during Jakande’s time have lost macadam. The youths have reverted to drugs and cult killing competition in the absence of sporting events and the state cannot even host the national sport festival lest still an international event. Olushosun dumping site remains an accident waiting to happen while the city is at risk of being submerged. The ‘4th mainland bridge’ will easily qualify for the Guinness Book as the biggest electoral scam of all time. How many new schools and new hospitals have been built relative to the population upsurge? The land of aquatic splendour does not utilise the water as there are jetties but no boats.
The State is so dirty, you wonder if there is government. Isale Eko stinks! The obaship institution has been bastardised, we may soon start to have poster elections for the stools. If you want a response to your letter to the Governor or Speaker, then you should write through social media or go through an APC chieftain. Impunity reigns supreme. B’eru pe n’ile a pe alajobi. Omo onile a te jeje, ajeji a te girigiri.
The best of them remains Fashola, the only indigene who was accused of wanting to outshine the master. The last 7 years has been a government by the civil service with the Governor just showing up. It is not that much has not been done, but it has not been spectacular. Ambode that was rejected by GAC and ruled Lagos without listening to advice, frustrating the contract for revamp of Olushosun dumpsite and awarding contracts without due process; and, Dr. Hamzat who partners the ‘pointing Governor’ and has been in government of Lagos for 2 decades are the ones available. Their main qualification is that one provided money for the godfather when his principal said there was no money and the other’s father was one of those who nominated the godfather. Somebody should tell me there is no better daughter/son-of-the-soil who will write LAGOS when (s)he fills a form for state of origin.
Our money was used to field candidates in other states. They owe no allegiance to this state as they leave positions here and go back to invest and contest in their states. The Speaker’s major investments are in Ogun where he takes our legislators to do their retreat. Imagine a non-indigene as a Speaker for 11 years and counting. Senator Yayi was called a foreigner in Ogun State because he represents Lagos. Can a Lagosian be a Senator in Ogun? Hon. Faleke, former gubernatorial candidate in Kogi is now the actual leader of APC Lagos, collecting monies from LCDAs like a taxman. Amu n’ilu Eko, ko nii gbe! Die to ninu nkan oninkan!
It is not their fault. It is the indigenes who have chosen to worship a god that does not know us. We are the ones who bring out our gods to help our colonisers to scare away ibos and chant ‘Lagos is a Yoruba town’ without further demarcation. We are the ones who accept the repression that we are few as if those fetish we deploy to help our assaulters is not part of our population and as if there are more ijebus, egbas, ondos, ijeshas than us on Lagos soil and as if those ones are represented by the political merchants. We are the ones who make APC look like a religion stronger than Christianity and Islam. Won w’Oluwole, Eko o wi nkan, won f’eso gba Marina, won n’awon maa wo’sale Eko, won sebi kurumo ni wa!
‘So, when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying: what portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O’ Israel. Now, see to thine own house, David. So, Israel departed unto their tents’. 1 King’s 12:16
I call on traditional rulers and indigenous organisations to make declaration of the position of Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos State for only indigenes of patriarchal lineage in any political party that desires the votes of indigenes. I called on both indigenes and non-indigenes to reflect and the inherent danger of giving the mantle of leadership to those who have options and cannot be held up to their next generation. Eko o ni baje!
I enjoin the opposition parties to see this as the time to make the difference. Find credible indigenes of Lagos State especially from Ikorodu and Badagry Division as gubernatorial candidates and help us do a census of those who remember their roots and those of the DNA of Esau. The indigenes too should summon courage to appear in opposition parties. We do not need the likes of Awolowo to lead us out of this colonisation. We only need to reject it having in mind that most non-indigenes in Lagos are only interested in good governance and not political merchandising. We have seen 27 years of a tendency, brace up and show us something different. Igi taa f’ehin ti ti ko gba ni duro, bo wo lu’ni ko le pa’ni! Ibadan maja maja ni won fi ko ara iwaju l’eru! Lagosians must reject slavery and 21st century colonisation.
Arise o compatriots!
S. O. K. Shillings Esq., writes from Ikorodu.
