We noted some rather unusual protests against the Igbos, some fear could lead to blood baths if not checked on time. It is the recent protest being mounted by some Yorubas in Lagos against the Igbos of Lagos, and world wide, reminding the Igbos that they cannot reasonably assume their well merited comfort in Lagos, we believe ,we helped to build, and should claim too.
This writer alerted one Dr. Ola, one of the reasonable Yoruba cyber warriors, that Igbos in Lagos seem subdued and constrained about this late hate mongering by Yorubas because we believe these newly found awareness by some Yorubas against Igbos is senseless and would be ineffectual.
I think I alerted him that the Igbos are not the only race in Nigeria that can bleed. I hope Ola would not support any blood shades that may come out of these, since it seems to be blaming the Igbos for their right in rejecting Igbophobic tendencies by some prominent Yorobas, home and abroad.
Some protesters in Lagos claimed they are angry over some claims by Igbos and arguably people of the SS of Nigeria, that Lagos is a “no man’s land”.
Some Yoruba cyber warriors say the seeming awakening of the Yorubas to reclaim Lagos, was instigated by a seeming protracted protests by Igbos, against some Igbophobic sentiments expressed by Ariyo, a Yoruba medical doctor in Texas, who some report claimed, has suggested to have all Igbos in Lagos and Abuja, exterminated if they fail to behave.
That came too, following a decree by a Lagos Oba, during the last election season in Lagos, mandating Igbo Yorubas to support his candidate or get drowned in a Lagos Lagoon.
Seems one thing leads to the other . This time, We the Igbos were hit twice on our bare faces, with same strokes and by a class of Yoruba no one should ignore.
We can justifiably claim the Igbos now are once again being reminded of our sour history in Nigeria which always, lead to massacres of Igbos and our SS brothers in what may well be known as genocidal attacks. The Igbos are now used to that, and I think getting better to resist a repeat of history, hence my warning to Ola, that other Nigerians can bleed too.
Lagos: A ” no man’s land” :
No “man’s land” some call Lagos , I think has been gravely misunderstood by some of us that believe Ekene Dili Chukwu, the Igbo luxury bus company in Lagos , can easily truck away physical Lagos to Abakakiki or who believe the Oba of Lagos, all of Lagos streets and natives would be forced by the Igbos of Lagos, to take Igbo names and identity or be sank in a Lagos Lagoon.
Lagos, our NYC in Nigeria
NYC can be said to be a no man’s land in consideration of her great cosmopolitan nature and housing immigrants and none immigrants and any body that steps a foot in it, without a lot of discrimination on official basis.
It even has laws that guarantees that the government should ensure her residents must have a place to sleep, provide food and basic healthcare for her residents, irrespective of where on earth you may have arrived from.
The effect , this welcoming nature of New York , like I can say, Lagos has been, is greater income to the city, faster development and reckoned good will wishes from her admirers.
I liken Lagos in same manner to NYC.
No man’s land some say Lagos is, could mean an expression, a complement to the indigenous people of Lagos , for making themselves available and accessible and kind to their guests.
In turn, their guests became like the hosts, and helped to make her, Lagos, a great and hospitable city it is today.
There is this story in the East of Nigeria, on why some parts of Igbo land are still trying to know some modernity. It is said that any people that rejects guests may not see the light of development. I have taken some time to visit some areas around town, Imo state, reported to be anti guests in those days, and can say it is true, indigenous people cannot always make their towns cities. Settlers do.
Lagos would not have been this developed if the owners have been stingy and anti guests or had rejected moves to make her our National capital.
Igbos without Lagos.
A lot of successful families in Eastern Region can trace their luck , prosperity, to a Yoruba family in Lagos and Lagos itself. These families I believe , are very grateful to the land and people that gave them life. They would belong to a group that may probably turn the next cheek until the slap in his face comes x 3, from a Yoruba mob.
I noted yesterday in one of my pieces here that Yoruba owns Lagos land and anyone that has a property in it owns what he bought. That is a given even in NA.
Again, governments establish capital cities to be “no man’s land” in a sense.
That means anybody, from anywhere that wishes to live and do business within the capital territory can also claim that federal capital city, property, is also his property.
Lagos had a status, as our federal capital, and still does for some ordinary people, who still believe it is the capital of Africa now andtomorrow.
Their claim that it is no man’s land defines how homely they feel in their new home, Lagos, and in acknowledgment of a city , federal capital city of Nigeria , it was , for all Nigerians.
This patriotic sentiment should not be misconstrued as attempts to cart Lagos land away to Asaba, Igbo land.
You and I and every Nigerian , can say without fear that we are all co-owners of Abuja, same way we would not be wrong in claiming we are also co-owners of Lagos, based on her historical status.
I therefore consider Yoruba recent rare awakening over the status of Lagos, as the center of Nigerian life and a lot of families as a precursor to their agitation for Oduah republic and not necessarily to a mantra , no man’s land, a land of freedom, a place you, especially the Igbos survive for just stepping into.
Lagos: A land forever for the living:
My uncle that lived in Lagos from 1959, then took a break during the war, went back to Lagos about June , 1970, married a very decent and well behaved Yoruba woman, acquired some Lagos and owned his acquisitions in Lagos , lived and died in Lagos too . He insisted in his will that he be buried in Lagos. His kids visited my village for the first time in their life in Dec, last year during the burial of their dad in my family in the East.
This uncle left Lagos for the indigenous owners, he failed to haul his houses to his grave. Those houses are there and accounting in part, for revenues and good look of Lagos.
I do wish, Ariyos and the Yoruba Ayos and Afis that might be funding the next Igbo massacre in Lagos, would
find some interest in Orlu, Igbo land, my home too, build skyscrapers in Orlu, convert my village name to a Yoruba name, develop it like other Nigerians have helped to develop Lagos. Live as long as they want and in the end, tourists to Orlu would be talking about the edifice Orlu represents and not about who made it and if Orlu would now be owned by people that just share her land mass with her indigenous people.
So welcome to my side of town, Orlu,Imo state, and feel free to call it yours too, because at the end, you can never take the land with you back to Ibadan when you die or decide to leave.
Once again, Lagos remains a good haven for all Nigerians that live in it, and acquired some of it. The idea is very good for the owners and guests alike.
It is in a way, a no man’s land , a complement , a recognition of her status as a one time Nigerian capital. It is a free land for all to enjoy to the kindness of the indigenous people, whom we owe a lot of thanks , and who will forever keep their land, if it must come to that.
For now, Yorubas have to deal with the reality that Igbo Yorubas in Lagos are already like hills. You can nip a hill, and the stump will still be there to keep telling a tale.
Lastly, what will be Lagos, when and if the Igbos leave?
Bye.
Dan. Akusobi.
Ajegunle, Lagos.
