Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: FANI KAYODE’S FLAWED ARGUMENT

Dear Ola Kassim,

I would not have weighed in on this debate because Governor Fashola's action has received round condemnation from a cross-section of Nigerians, but I would be remiss to ignore your attempt to rewrite -- consciously or unconsciously -- what happened. We cannot appreciate fully the significance of what the governor did if we begin right from now to distort the basic facts of the matter. 

We all know what happened, come on. Governor Fashola did not deport people to their states of origin, as you have asserted; he forcefully removed a bunch of Igbo-speaking folks from Lagos and dumped them at the threshold of Anambra State, the nearest of the five wholly or mostly Igbo States. In other words, the victims were not identified and "deported" on the basis of state of origin; they were identified and deported on the basis of PRESUMED ethnic origin. These are two different issues, and what happened has a different import than if Fashola had identified and deported people based on state of origin.

How people might choose to interpret, rationalize, defend or criticize this action is their prerogative, but nobody should change the facts of what happened. If we do so, we will be embarking on a diversionary debate and deceiving ourselves in the process. If people were deported because they were "homeless" people from other states, Fashola's deportation buses would have made trips to not just the Onitsha Head Bridge in Anambra States, but also to Imo, Oyo and every other state in Nigeria. 

Nigerians (including Fashola) profess national integration, but it is not about who shouts the loudest. The taste of the proverbial pudding is in the eating. Nigerians live in and enjoy the U.S., Canada and other countries where citizens freely move and settle in any state or province of their country and have full rights as everyone else and they support or tacitly encourage a Nigerian system where people remain "foreigners" in their states of domicile even after their families have resided there for generations. 

If we are honest and serious about resolving interethnic suspicion, what better way to do so than Nigerians from all states and all ethnic backgrounds can settle permanently in any other part of the country? If Nigerians have this right, people would be compelled to show some loyalty to their states of domicile and pay their taxes diligently if only to establish their claim to domicile, rather to far-away states they are being daily reminded they belong in. It will be unnecessary to restrain them from traveling to the far-away ancestral "states of origin" to be counted during censuses because the states they are domiciled in would provide rather than deny them social benefits and political rights are enhanced by the numbers from headcounts. 

The practice of treating fellow Nigerians as foreigners in their own country is all the more sordid -- a shame indeed -- when you realize that our precolonial ancestors had this basic right. Discrimination and otherization of new migrants did happen in precolonial times, but it invariably faded with time. Many of us, if we research our family histories rigorously, would find that our precolonial ancestors came from other states and/or other "ethnic" regions to states or ethnic homelands we are now ossified in. One would think that we would do better in this day and age under the supposedly modern Nigerian state. No; instead, we have the modern lawyer, professor, doctor, Ph.D., etc., promote, defend or otherwise rationalize discrimination against fellow Nigerians on the basis of ethnicity or state of origin. The fact that Nigerians have done this and somehow expect interethnic ethic tension to to magically die down or even vanish just shows how far we need to go to even figure out the fundamentals of nationhood.

On the occasion of Ojukwu's funeral activities last years, Governor Fashola flaunted his cousin Ganiyu Louis Okafor while chastising those Igbo he understood as beating the drumbeats of war and cessation. I did not know it was a big deal to have cousins from other ethnic groups in today's Nigeria. Fashola completely missed the point if he thinks having a cousin from another ethnic group means a whole lot. It is a real tragedy because such thinking may foster a false sense of immunity from committing ethnic discrimination. His take exemplifies the empty patriotic clichés that have failed to inspire, because the people who make these sanctimonious declarations frequently act against what they preach. Who knows how many times he would have reminded those now criticizing him for deporting fellow Nigerians that he has an Igbo cousin! 

I for one have many relatives from other ethnic groups – most of them Yoruba, as well as quite a few Fulani, Efik and Edo – to fill one page with. But what is important -- and the way I want to be judged -- is not how many cousins from other ethnic groups I have or how loudly or frequently I sanctimonize about my commitment to Nigeria or who is quicker off the block to accuse the other of tribalism in debates about national issues; it is about my deeds in the way I relate to fellow Nigerians. There may well be people to whom the occasion of Ojukwu death signaled war and cessation, as Fashola noted, but for the majority of Nigerians the occasion reminded -- or should have reminded -- them of missed opportunities and what we can still do to salvage the nation. And how can we simply wish away the cessation of any group if we continue to maintain the sort of ethnic discrimination that exists in Nigeria? That is the problem; we wish things but actually act against their realization.

For me, such a Nigeria as Fashola professes to desire (not the one his action promotes) is one in which a Nigerian from any part part of the country or ethnic group has rights to full residency and citizenship after a short period of residency in any other part. No Nigerian should be made to remain a stranger for generations on end and subject to "deportation" to his/her presumed ethnic homeland.

This is not to pick on Lagos State because Nigerian leaders have historically treated Nigerians of all ethnic origins as trash and Lagos has been one of the more accommodating states, but deporting fellow Nigerians on the basis of ethnic origin is a new low and nobody can disguise this pig with putting on it a coat, wig and lipstick! There is no "because", "but" or "if" about this. People have been identified in this case, not by state (in which case people from Ogun, Oyo, etc., would have been deported too, although even that is unacceptable) but by ethnicity. 

It is this sort of mindset, if rationalized away instead of being recognized, condemned and contained in good time, that leads to genocide. 

Ugo

On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 11:06 AM, <olakassimmd@aol.com> wrote:

Dear All:

 

We are conflating two unrelated issues on this thread, The poor and homeless Nigerians

of SE origin who were deported back to their states of origin were not deported because

the Igbo didnot "own" Lagos, but rather because the Gov. Fashola led government of Lagos

state felt it could no longer continue to bear (alone without financial assistance from the federal and other state governments) the huge financial cost of looking after the homeless and the destitutes in Lagos state--most of whom ae migrants from other states in Nigeria and sometimes from other neighbouring countries including the Republics of Niger, Chad and Mali.

 

As I will argue later even though I consider this act of deporting fellow Nigerians to their states of origins not only unconstitutional and undemocratic but also immoral, I do not agree with the critics of Gov Fashola that he alone and his government should bear all the blame for this unfortunate action,

 

Conflating the issue of the deportation of destitute and homeless Nigerian citizens

some of whom suffer from varying degrees of mental illness from Lagos to their states of origin

with the issue of who owns or who does not own Lagos is not only an unfortunate distraction from an important social problem

it is like engaging in a fruitless task of watching to see whether or not

two runners on straight parallel lanes would eventually converge or collide at a single point if they run long and far enough.

 

 

 

There are two concepts about ownership of a given place at any point in time--namely anncestral ownership and legal and or economic ownership

of specific real estate properties and businesses in a given jurisdiction. The entire new world (Noth and South America and the Caribbean is the ancestral home of native Indians (or First Nations Peoples.Aborigenes). Even though the Aborigenes would always collectively claim sole ancestral ownership of the homelands of their ancestors, the economic ownership of this same jurisdiction is now withing theuir reach.

 

Lagos is unarguably a 'Yoruba' city and more specifically a city 'owned' in ancestral terms by its original settlers--the Omo Ekos

who are unquestionably of Yoruba ancestry.

 

Apart from the original Omo Ekos (the real Mckoys  amongst  Lagosians)

the rest of the millions of Nigerians who reside in Lagos are foreigners (Ara Okes--peoples from the north, but also applies to those from the east, west or south--possibly ncluding also some mammie waters --water dwelling species (mermaids etc.)--including the majority of fellow Yoruba and non Yoruba --who were either born or who have always lived in Lagos. The varying degrees of araokeness (foreigness) is directly proportional

to the distance between an indvidual's original hometown and Iga Idunganran--the palace of the Oba of Lagos, located in Isale Eko area of Lagos Island. The longer the distance your hometoen is from Lagos Island, the more deserving of the araoke label you are regardless of your ethnic origin.

 

Hence Lagos (Eko) could be deemed an ancestral Yoruba city only to the extent that the original settlers and ther progenies identify with their other Yoruba kins as being of common stock. 

 

Regardless of whether or not the Arabs or the Asians end up buying up 90% of all real estate properties and businesses

in London, England the owneship of the city of London (in ancestral terms) will continue to rest

with the English for the same reason that Lagos will always be a city owned (again in ancestral not necessarily economic

terms) by the Yoruba. Both London, England and Lagos, Nigeria would remain both English and Yoruba respectively

regardless of whether or not the English or the Yoruba become minority populations in these two cities.

Thus while the Igbo, the Hausa and other Nigerian ethnic groups might have legal ownership of properties in Lagos--which give them the rights to do whatever they want to do with properties (as longer it is not illegal), such ownership would never replace or supplant the ancestral ownership of Lagos--the same

for the same reason that Kano, Enugu and Benin City would forever remain Igbo, Hausa and Edo cities respectively.

one is ancestral the other is legal and economic

 

Regardless of the states of origin of the deporated Nigerians, the deportation from Lagos or ny other jurisdiction

fails the following yardsticks originally suggested by Tope Fasua: Constitutionality, Morality and Tradition.

 

Constitutionality:

 

The deportation of some Igbo destitues and earlier beggars from Norrthern Nigeria

back to their states of origin  is an egregious violation of the civil rights of the poor, economically marginalized

and mentally ill Nigerian citizens.

 

 The government of Lagos state cannot win this fight on  constitutional grounds, even though it might successfully argue that there was nothing else it could have done considering that the Federal and other state governments in Nigeria have failed

to negotiate a fair compensation for the extra burden  its government bears in having to to look after hundreds of thousands of additional migrants from all over Nigeria--all in search of the golden fleece.

 

In well developled and fully functioning federal democracies, e.g Canada, the Federal government compensates the regions/provinces and states with additional funds which assist the state governments in looking after the welfare of the destitute, homeless and mentally ill migrants.

 

One of the salient civil rights of a citizen under a federal model of government in constitutional democracies is the right

to free movement and ability to settle anywhere within the geographic boundaries of the country.

The deportation of destitutes from Lagos bythe state government is an illegal act that must be ecognized for what it is.

A poor citizen in a democractic setting should be accorded the same rights as that of the richest of her citizens.

 

The failure of leadership that led to the painstaking decision by Gov. Fashola to start deporting the poor and the homes as well as the sick and infirm amongst them rests squarely with President Jonathan and the Federal government and at alower level

with the collective of the state governors for their failure to negotiate how the states which eceive most of the homless migrants

would be compensated.

 

 

Morality:

 

The deportation of fellow Nigerian citizens from any region of Nigeria is an immoral act.

We cannot accept the rich, the middle class and the working poor (source of cheap labour)

from any region of Nigeria who actively contribute to the economy of Lagos  or any other jurisdiction

in Nigeria, while turning away some

 other citizens who are unable to cater for themselves  because they are indigent and or mentally ill and are temporaily

o permanently incapable of providing for themeselves.

 

Tradition:

 

This is about the weakest argument anyone could use to justify the deportation of the destitute and homeless Igbo from

Lagos--considering it is untaditional for Lagosians not to accept and help assimilate new settlers--a tradition that is

enshined in the saying that:

 

"Eko Gbo'le; O Gba Ole"

 

(translation--Lagos accepts all comers including the seasonald thieves and the lazy).

 

Begging and being homeless is neither unique to the Igbo nor to Nothern Nigerians.

 

In conclusion, while I disagree vehemently with Gov. Fashola's decision to depot some Igbo to their states

of origin, I can understand what could have led him to take such an unconstitutional, undemocratic, untraditional (for a Lgosian)

and immoral action of eporting fellow Nigerian citizens.

 

We must learn to call a spade a spade. Those amongst the Yoruba who are jubilating over thie illegal and undemocatic deportation of Nigerians fom within thei own country should remmeber the morals in the following quote: First they Came for The Jews" by {Pastor Niemoller)

 

 

"First They Came for the Jews"
By Pastor Niemoller

 
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

 

 

 

The need to start deporting fellow Nigerians back to their homestates is a symptom of leadership failure and deficit in Nigeria. The federal government should be calling a meeting of all state governors and members of the Council of state to consider and solutions to the problems of the homless that are

plaguing not only Lagos but all other major Nierian jurisdictions,

 

The blame for the deportation of Igbo destitutes from Lagos by Gov Fashola from

is a shared responsibility of all levels of government of Nigeria!

 

Bye,

 

Ola

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---- Original Message ----
From: ericayoola <ericayoola@aol.co.uk>
To: Innocent Igwilo <igwilocent@yahoo.com>; Baduba54 <baduba54@aol.com>; biokonkwo1 <biokonkwo1@gmail.com>; OKONKWONETWORKS <OKONKWONETWORKS@googlegroups.com>; omoodua <omoodua@yahoogroup.com>
Sent: Sat, Aug 10, 2013 8:37 am
Subject: Re: FANI KAYODE'S FLAWED ARGUMENT

Lagos is and will always remain in Yoruba land! Whether some chose to be asinine and deny this indubitable fact is neithet here nor there.

If Nigeria were to break up today, Lagos will undoubtedly be the commercial, if not the administrative capital of Oodua Republic. And all non Yorubas would have a clear choice, to relocate to their home-lands, stay as foreigners or take on Oodua Citizenship.

What they will not be able to do, in a million years, is to wrap up Lagos, put it on the bacl of an Ekene Dili Chukwu bus and transport it to Onitsha or to Enugu!

If you don't like this unassailable fact, then go jump into Lagos Lagoon. Or better still relocate to your homeland to recreate your own Lagos where Yorubas would also love to come to for settlement and for ownership claims!

In the meantime, the Yorubas as great host will continue to create a warm and enabling environment for all and sundry to settle, succeed and thrive! Simple as that!

Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media

---

From: Innocent Igwilo <igwilocent@yahoo.com>

Sender: okonkwonetworks@googlegroups.com

Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:44:00 +0100 (BST)

To: Baduba54<baduba54@aol.com>; biokonkwo1@gmail.com<biokonkwo1@gmail.com>; OKONKWONETWORKS@googlegroups.com<OKONKWONETWORKS@googlegroups.com>

ReplyTo: Innocent Igwilo <igwilocent@yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: FANI KAYODE'S FLAWED ARGUMENT

This write up by Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba is the truth of the matter. Simply put, it is the rich vs the poor. Period.

 

Innocent O. Igwilo (Ph.D)
Senior Lecturer

Department of Applied Biochemistry,

Faculty of Biosciences,

Nnamdi Azikiwe University,

P. M. B. 5025, Awka.

420211

Anambra State,

Nigeria.

+234 8036780058

---

From: Baduba54 <baduba54@aol.com>
To:biokonkwo1@gmail.com; OKONKWONETWORKS@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, 9 August 2013, 14:02
Subject: FANI KAYODE'S FLAWED ARGUMENT

FANI KAYODE'S FLAWED ARGUMENT

Mr. Fani Kayode argues that the region known as SW Nigeria is Yoruba land. Nothing can be further from the truth. It is possible that at one time that land was  Yoruba land, but not anymore. At that time it was a land that was owned mostly by Yoruba but in practice the land was owned by many Yoruba families. Ondo people did not own Lagos land, just as the Igbo did not own any Lagos land. Even in Lagos, families owned pieces and no one stepped into another family's property. But as time went own ownership of land started to change hands and some Ondo, and Igbo people bought parcels of land and became Lagosians. Today there are many acres of land owned by the Igbo in Lagos some are leased and some are owned in perpetuity depending on terms of sale or lease.

 

So far for the mythology that Lagos is Yoruba land.

 

But the issue of the 'deportation' of the Igbo is something that is beyond land ownership. It is about citizenship. Nigerian citizens collectively own Nigeria, all parts of it. A simple way to think of this is that each sq inch of Nigeria is divided into 140 million and each person owns a fraction. My pieces are located all over Nigeria and the other Nigerians cases are just exactly the same. It is collective ownership. You cannot expel me because you do not have enough space to stand on your piece to expel me.

 

Mr. Kayode does not know that the change in the first paragraph had occurred. And he does not understand the concept in the 2^nd paragraph. If he did he would not have written as he did. It was possible to expel the beggars because they did not belong to the group of the Igbo who have bought the land in Lagos. The concept of Yoruba hospitality could not be applicable to the Igbo who own land. Mr. Fashola could not deport them or expel them from their property even if they became serial killers or worse criminals. He could jail them or execute them after a court trial but could not round them up and send them across the Niger.

 

Their residency in Lagos has nothing to do with Yoruba hospitality. It has every thing to do with commercial transactions.

 

The non land owners: the Igbo, Ondo, Hausa, Efik, Kanuri, etc, in Lagos live there on the basis of collective land ownership as explained in paragraph two above. These citizens can no more be deported at the will of a power drunk Governor Fashola as he did for the same reasons the land owners could not be deported. They too own the place.

 

This brings us to the next set of points. What Fashola did was not to set in motion a tribal warfare. What he did was start a class warfare: the rich vs. the poor. The deported Igbo and the upper-class Igbo that are allowed to live in Lagos are Igbo. The former's offense was poverty.

 

It is the way this matter should be looked at.

 

If you are poor, you are uprooted and thrown into the dust bin; if you are rich you are invited to the governor's mansion. If the beggars were up to it they would have voted for governor Fashola just as their wealthy brothers did and their servant could not have turned around and thrown out his constituents. When I am in Lagos, I would dare Mr. Fashola to try to deport me to Enugu. Or Mr. Kayode to withhold his so called Yoruba hospitality and we see what happens. The poor can be desecrated and played as puns. But it is wrong and sinful. To accept this and to defend it is just as sinful. It makes the person who ordered it and the people who support the order co-conspirators' in a criminal activity.

 

The wise heads that are trying douse the fire from this conflagration are not doing anybody any good. Mr. Orji Kalu if he is a true patriot should go ahead with his threatened law suit not as an Igbo man for this has nothing to do with Igbo. It is through the courts that the rights of the individual as enshrined in the laws should be most secured. And forever. If he does this he would be a defender of the faith.

 

The faith that all Nigerians own Nigeria collectively.

 

All parts of it.

 

Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba

Boston, Massachusetts

August 9, 2013

 

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