This article is coming almost late, as the raging controversies over the status of Igbo people in Lagos is gradually subsiding. Four times I had set out to bare my mind on this issue with this piece, three times I had called it off. But one’s opinions on issues like these are just hard to bottle up, especially when one reads other contributors express their views on daily basis.
This article is coming almost late, as the raging controversies over the status of Igbo people in Lagos is gradually subsiding. Four times I had set out to bare my mind on this issue with this piece, three times I had called it off. But one’s opinions on issues like these are just hard to bottle up, especially when one reads other contributors express their views on daily basis.
The most vocal contribution to the matter so far has come from former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode. A friend asked me what I thought of Fani-Kayode’s series of articles on this matter, my response was: factually correct for the most part, but probably too combative and crudely delivered. I will not go into the history of Igbo in Lagos like FFK did, partly because it doesn’t add much value to the discussion, but more importantly because I believe Nigerians should have right to freely live and carry on their livelihood in any part of the country. This is why, much as I am a fan of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for providing sane leadership in the midst of mediocrity that is governance in Nigeria today, I believe he is wrong on this score.
Some people have always regarded Fashola’s policies as elitist (citing Eko Atlantic project, Ikoyi/Lekki tolling, LASU school fees hike etc as proof) but I have always argued that the rich pay (more) taxes too and deserve benefit from governments as well, even as Fashola is not doing badly for the poor too (flaunting Oshodi reconstruction, road projects in low income areas of Lagos like Langbasa etc as my evidence). Indeed, I took this debate to the pages of newspapers with my friend and columnist with Abuja-based Blueprint newspaper, Gimba Kakanda. I’m now beginning to see reason in Kakanda’s stand on Fashola. It is not a crime, after all, to be poor, to be a destitute. Nobody has said the ‘deported’ men and women committed any crime. This is why I also hold that Fashola is wrong this time.
But equally disturbing is the ethnicization of this matter. The manner the Igbo nation reacted to this issue made one wonder whether there is more to it than meets the eye. Suddenly, we began hearing that they were deported because they were Igbo and Yoruba are feeling threatened by their complete ‘dominance’ of Lagos. We began seeing laughable statistics being thrown around. Pray, were they the first people that were sent back to their states by Lagos state government? I have read in newspapers news of at least two past deportations by the state government. One to Katsina state, and another batch to Oyo state. These were Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba, and I did not see the matter ethnicized. The Hausa/Fulani leaders did not cry that their people were deported because of their tribe, the Yoruba did not cry that they were being deported from their forefather’s lands. There are one thousand and one grounds to validly call Fashola’s attention to the impropriety of his act. One is the constitutional ground, as the ‘destitutes’ are Nigerians and have not committed any crime; another is the morality argument, that being a destitute is not by choice. These are valid grounds to argue this matter. The tribalization of the matter is very petty and a disservice to their intellectualism.
The constant resort to ethnicity in every matter in Nigeria, especially among our Igbo brothers, is not helping matters. I recently resigned as moderator of the politics section of Nairaland.com, Nigeria’s biggest online discussion forum due to my inability to stand same. Despite my fair dealings to everyone, coming up with initiatives like debate to raise the level of intellectualism on that discussion board, the Igbo still were not satisfied. An Igbo member of the forum had broken a forum rule and was disqualified from being nominated as best poster in the section for the year 2012. Tens of other people were disqualified, who were from Yoruba and other ethnic stocks. But our Igbo brothers refused to see things from the rule angle; rather, they accused me of disqualifying the Igbo nominee because of his being Igbo. How petty! When I couldn’t stand such pettiness, I threw in the towel.
I am not unaware of the fact every major tribe in Nigeria is guilty of this mutual rivalry and suspicion, but the level our Igbo brothers are raising it to, is worrisome. The ethnicization of the Fashola deportation is a pointer to this. Igbos were not the only ones deported, they were not deported because they were Igbo. Looking at every matter through ethnic prism will not do good for our Igbo brothers. The earlier our Igbo brothers dispel the myth some people are sitting down somewhere trying to victimize them or hold back their development, the better.
Oyewale, an public affairs analyst, lives in Lagos. He can be reached via [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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