Obasempire reports that a collective of native Lagosians, operating under the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, has announced that while they have no issues with Igbo residents, they do oppose Yoruba individuals from other Southwest states attempting to seize Lagos unfairly.
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The President of the group, Miftah Bolaji Are, conveyed this message during a visit to Ikorodu on Tuesday.
Are emphasized that the state’s natives would no longer endure those who exploit them under the pretense of being locals.
“We have no problem with Igbo. It is the South Westerners that are our problem. I have asked them, if you say Igbo want to take over Lagos, are the Igbo the ones who take people’s land and award the same to themselves? Are they Igbo who approve C-of-Os for those lands given out to other non-indigenes? So, I told them that they cannot send Igbo packing because Igbo are not our problem but the South Westerners who want to capture Lagos unjustiably,” he was quoted as saying by Vanguard.
An ex- Minister of Communications, Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd), who also spoke at the meeting decried that most of the key political offices in Lagos are often held by non-indigenes.
He lamented that some non-indigenes hold double indigeneship and use Lagos as stepping stones, describing it as betrayal.
Olanrewaju said: “The objective of resident non-indigenes is to capture Lagos State, politically and deny the indigenous people their constitutional rights and privileges. How do you explain the situations when the holders of six important political offices, most often, are held by non-indigenes?
“The ruling elite and leadership in Lagos State government, by holding on to the most important political positions, control the political administration and the state’s resources, and use the state to climb the political ladders at the expense of the indigenes.
“Important decisions, political selection and constitutional entitlements are allocated on this basis of inequality and self interests. We can give examples of non-indigenes, who proudly hold double indigeneship and use Lagos State as stepping stones. How do they achieve it? They achieve it through false declaration because they are never confirmed to be known by families they claimed to come from in Lagos State.”
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Continuing, Olanrewaju said: “It is a betrayal, wrongful representation and lack of respect for Lagos State indigenes when the contesting parties nominate candidates who have two states of origin for the state. This attitude of deliberate imposition makes it possible for Senator Solomon Adeola a.k.a. Omo West/Yayi to use Lagos slot to the Senate at the National Assembly. He is currently representing Ogun State (West) in the Senate. This is unhealthy.
“The state deserves a full-time Minister as expressed in the Constitution and not a Minister of State that we have. De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is not against these appointees in their personal capacity, but we feel we should point out the serious flaws that deny the state indigenes of their rights and privileges.”
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