I have read, with great interest, the numerous commentaries and opinions on the deportation saga triggered by the forceful eviction of homeless and jobless Igbo persons from Lagos State by the Fasola government. This has become an emotive subject and has unmasked very bad feelings, to put it mildly, between Igbos and Yorubas that I thought no longer existed (at least amongst the younger generation).
I have read, with great interest, the numerous commentaries and opinions on the deportation saga triggered by the forceful eviction of homeless and jobless Igbo persons from Lagos State by the Fasola government. This has become an emotive subject and has unmasked very bad feelings, to put it mildly, between Igbos and Yorubas that I thought no longer existed (at least amongst the younger generation).
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But whose responsibility is it to rehabilitate the 'destitutes' in Lagos? People naturally gravitate to prosperous towns or cities in search of opportunities. Should Fasola stand by and watch Lagos become a haven for destitutes who 'immigrate' to his state from all over the country in large droves? Should he ignore the social and security implications of destitution especially with the menacing threat of attacks from groups like BH? Who should pay for the housing, feeding and general rehabilitation of these homeless persons? On the other hand, is it lawful for the Lagos state government to 'deport' undesirable Nigerian citizens back to their states of origin? Lagos has a responsibility to balance its limited budget against an ever increasing population and one can see why Fasola is reluctant to rehabilitate destitutes from other states.
A precedence has been set nonetheless: You read about how other governors have deported destitutes back to their states under questionable circumstances. If each of these states are forced by circumstances to set up rehabilitation programmes for their destitutes, then some good would have been done. May I beseech our Igbo and Yoruba kindred (and indeed all of us) to calm the hell down and rein in the war of words. Deporting people to the middle of nowhere is inhuman and condemnable and does not solve the destitution problem because these individuals will simply go elsewhere.
Destitution is a reflection of poor governance and the failure of our society to look after its vulnerable members. We should focus on bringing pressure to bear on our governments (at all levels) to develop comprehensive welfare packages that will aid the rehabilitation of our vulnerable brothers and sisters. Good governance will alleviate this problem and this is what we should be agitating for. Let's stop the tribal war. Let the lawyers go to court and debate whether or not Fasola has breached the law.
Ijabla Raymond
Medical doctor of Nigerian heritage writes from the UK
Contact: [email protected]
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