A group of eminent Lagosians, De Renaissance Patriots, has stressed the need for indigenes of Lagos State to hold positions of authority in the state, stressing that the tolerance attitude of the state by encouraging non-indigenes to hold positions of authority has been taken for granted.
It, therefore, noted that in the next general election, an indigene of the state should be made governor of the state, adding that most of the people that have governed the state in recent times were non-indigene more so they don’t have the love of the state in their heart.
The group, in a press statement signed by its protem chairman, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd); protem secretary, Yomi Tokosi; its coordinator, Prince Adelani Adeniji-Adele, and patrons, Professor Liasu Adele-Jinadu, Justice Shola Hunponu-Wusu (rtd) and Major General Leo Ajiborisha, noted that though Lagos accommodates every tribe, but her hospitality has been taken for stupidity, hence one of the accommodated tribes now want to lord it over the indigenes of the state that they own the state.
“The recent uproar over the recent statement of the Oba of Bini is a distraction that is unneeded at this crucial time. It is in our view designed to further denigrate our dear state as no man’s land.
“We know by now, as we knew before, that it was not only fellow Nigerians from the South-East that see us in that light. The controversy over the debate of the ownership of Lagos is a non-starter because we have lived together for over five hundred years and have recognized each other as OMO EKO PATAKI. Our brothers from the southwest are advised to take note and should therefore desist from seeing us their ‘spoils of war’,” they stated.
The group explained that in a publication it made earlier, it stated its mission and made it clear in unambiguous terms that it was out to stop the continued slide of indigenes of Lagos State into insignificance and obscurity on their own soil.
“We chose as our main objective to ensure that an indigene with the love of the people, our values and our passion for greater heights must emerge as the next GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE. An indigene in this regard is one from any of our five divisions of Lagos State,” the statement further said.
It added, “We believe that when an indigene is in place, all these sad and irrelevant stories about who owns or does not own Lagos will be laid to rest to better things to improve the lives of ourselves. We know our histories and our paths to know that together we stand, disunited we fall. We do not need outsiders from Bini or Ife or any other places to knock our heads against one and other.”
The group noted that the resources of the state were never prudently managed, because it were non-indigenes that were running the affairs of the state.
“With the exception of the Raji Babatunde Fashola Administration, the Lagos State indigenes have been deliberately schemed out of participatory governance in the state. The source of our legitimacy of our claim is that there is no state in Nigerian space that has a non-indigene as its Executive and Legislative authorities except in Lagos State,” the group declared.
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