…Says Nobody Has The Right To Dictate How the igbo should live their lives in Lagos
… Igbo Contributed Over 25% (percent) Of the IGR of Lagos State, Any Wise Government Should Harness the Inter-relationship benefits that the lgbo race portends to the collective growth and Economic Development in quote.
In a contrast and ongoing twist of remarks and reactions trailing the recent speech of the Oba Of Benin on the much generated topic of who founded Lagos Island, A Recent Post by PDP Spokesperson of the Goodluck Jonathan Administration citing the list of the most populated ethnic group in Lagos at a period of 1891 with much credence given to the hausa’s and Nupe origin for being cordial and non-hostile to their original hosts (No link to a particular group mentioned) despite a century of inter-tribal cohabitation on foreign soil has generated a sharp criticism from A Historian Pundit And Academic Scholar,Dr Bamidele Jinadu of the Department of Communication Studies . (UNAAB).Ogun State.
The erudite scholar who wrote on the comment section of the caption, extended the prognosis on the much heated debate gaining a rising momentum via social media queried the historical depths of the learned legal jurist in circumventing such grey areas that he lacks the wherewithal sound historical background and Experience.
According To Bamidele Jinadu “ As a reputable historian, Reno is far off the line.He is not Competent Enough to lecture Us on Historical Facts. Let’s take a look at the nuisance value of his argument, The list he posited talked about the top ten population of ethnic groups in Lagos and not ethnic groups that developed Lagos”.
These was the premise he established his arguement on when he faulted Omokri’s opinion. In his words “These are two different things only a trained historian can read between the line”. Let us look at the first and Second ethnic groups on the list i.e Oyo and Ijebu .
Can anyone say that these ethnic groups were far responsible for the development of Lagos? Where are the architectural, cultural, economic and social evidence in the landscape of Lagos to show that the Oyos and Inebus had significant impact on the development of Lagos? He further went to adduce that despite the exclusion of Bini from the list, It is impossible to deny the socio-cultural influence and contributions of the Bini- Ethnic group to the Landscape and Evolution of Lagos State.
Can anybody show me the remotest socio-cultural or architectural influence of the Hausa’s and Nupes in Lagos State? Nonto the best of my knowledge.( I read somewhere that the Nupe’s has a quarter in Lagos Island) In Contemporary Lagos, the handwritings of the igbo( not igbo’s) are seen everywhere, in commerce and industries, infrastructure and architecture, Real Estate and Urban Development, Medicine and Health, Education and training, Law and legal services, Transportation and Communications, Avaition etc. It is said and I believe that the igbo contributed over 25% of the IGR of Lagos State. These is just from an ethnic group-Any wise government in Lagos will Court such ethnic group for rapid social development instead of castigating them. One very important thing we must have in mind is that the population is not equal to influence.
Social demography and Stratification has Shown us that Nigeria no doubt the largest black population in the world is fundamentally big for nothing in the comity of Nations. Over haif of her population are multi-dimensionally poor. Yet we have Countries, with Smaller population that are far influential in everything you can think of .Again population is not influence, A quality ,educated and upwardly mobile population may be, which is not the case here. In terms of population, the Jewish people were are insignificant in Europe and America but you cannot discountenance the contributions of the jewish people to the development of Europe and America- This is the definition of influence, In Europe, Despise the Jewish people and die, That influence is personified.
Finally, the igbo have come to stay. And those that want them decimated should pause and have a rethink again. The lessons from recent history has taught them like the proverbial Jewish race, not to run from their enemies motivated only by envy and hatred. This time the igbo will stand and fight.They can take that to the Bank. The Battleground will not be Fought anywhere near the entire South East and there would not be a thing as “Abandoned Properties”.Never Again.
The igbo like any other ethnic group in Lagos has the divine right in pursuit of happiness. Nobody Has The Right to dictate how the igbo should live their lives in Lagos. Those that encourage systematic and institutional discrimination, selective destruction of Igbo-properties and racism must be told to allow peace reign.live and let live, the academic Scholar who hails from Yoruba Land but Whose Matrilineal roots is from the South Eastern Ibo Extraction Surmised.
Bamidele Jinadu Judenson
Department of Communications And General Studies,
Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Ogun State. Nigeria.
Ayobo/IpajaTV.com 