Fashola's Lagos Expulsion: A Case Of The Igbo, Bigotry And Hatred

BY AMBROSE EHIRIM

Reuters file photo shows a party supporter hangs on to a bus with an election poster of Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola during a campaign rally for his reelection in Lagos March 29, 2011. Image: Joseph Penney

I had thought there probably wouldn't be any need for me to add my comments regarding what Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola had done to the Igbos. I had taken the time off, out of the commentaries that had poured in; some in favor, and some against an order which had singled out Nd'Igbo for persecution, a trend that begun from the moment the colonial administrators fused different tribes together, and had continued apace. I had also thought, when I heard the news, that it may not be true for one who studied law to have taken such draconian measures. And I had wandered as Obafemi Awolowo once proclaimed during the constitutional conferences that there's no such thing as Nigeria, that it doesn't exist, and that what was going on had been a fabrication of nation states in which Fashola had thought about and implemented.

In what had begun from the Lagos State government and its state governor Fashola's order to expel what had been said to be Igbo miscreants around the Lagos metropolis, which was indeed implemented without considering implications of human rights violations on the individuals who had not been initially handed any legal notice to vacate and quit squatting on the state's property, the federal government, so far, declined patently and outrightly to get involved into a case its own citizens Fashola had expelled without due process, and had not questioned Fashola what had amounted to his acts of bigotry and hatred towards the Igbo.

On due process, and based on the rule of law, and for the fact that Nigeria is a practicing democracy, a government supposedly run on all grounds with the peoples consent, it is ironic that the federal government kept a sealed lip on an issue that had to do with discrimination of its own citizens by a tiny fraction of government which decided to negate normal procedure, carrying out an order that is harsh in concept, and destroys all aspects of civil liberties.

What also is disturbing, is that Fashola did not timely allow due process to play out as in all respectable democracies, the creed he had taken oath to defend affirmatively. However, Fashola's order of expulsion of Nd'Igbo for the time being was not really what had mattered, since, eventually, and with time, the situation would be handled in its natural way or perhaps dragged on a Yoruba-Igbo feud over time, recalling the nation's founders and how ethnic rivalry played its course during the constitutional conferences through independence; and how the founders of what would be a fabricated nation state left an incomplete project hanging on till today, and how an end in sight has not been seen despite all the attempts for a fix by way of dialogue and diplomacy.

Meanwhile, the expulsion situation had not been taken so seriously as Igbo took the breath to study what had gone through Fashola's head, and what had amounted to the decision taken and applauded by the Yorubas. What had been mind boggling was Femi Fani-Kayode who had seized the moment and hijacked Fashola's "expulsion orders" when the reactions had called for sanctions on Fashola regarding his actions on the grounds Igbo contributed immensely to the development of Lagos, and following Orji Uzor Kalu's commentaries that Lagos was a "no man's land."

Fani-Kayode, all of a sudden, changed the subject matter, adding insult to dishonor, exploding with series of articles, deriding the Igbos in every way he could. He had called the Igbos all kinds of names, insulted their women and bragged about encounters with the finest women Igbo had produced. He had talked about their easy virtue. He recalled Igbos back, to retrace their history and find out how they begun, and where exactly was their starting point. He had said the Igbo was not well educated and the only thing baked in their genes was the ability to buy and sell items the old fashioned way. He said the Igbo had caused too much trouble in the country, beginning a crisis that led to the pogrom and civil war. He also said the Igbos were not appreciating, not acknowledging the kind gestures and warmth attitude by his Yoruba kinfolks and all that they have done for the Igbo over the years. He said the Igbo was uncouth and uncivilized. In all his sayings and all the blah, blah, blah, he had spewed out, he said he spoke against killing of the Igbos and that the Yoruba had saved the Igbo from being wiped out from the face of the planet.

Fani-Kayode never stopped talking. He declined to give Igbo any credit on the foundations of a city-state, especially Lagos; or nation state, which was actually structured by Nnamdi Azikiwe for the interest of the entire nation. Fani-Kayode, rather, the man, Awolowo, who should have been kept permanently slammed or eliminated until the nation's internal strife was resolved, was rather released from prison to help the vandals in orchestrating an ideal to kill children and their mothers, had been who Fani-Kayode  gives all the credit. He cites Awolowo as the father of the modern Yoruba nation, and the figure who had introduced utopian experiment and a welfare state from around which Igbos had been beneficiaries.

Fani-Kayode's seriously viral series was among others, a slap on the face of the Igbo. He said besides the slums of Lagos, that Igbos hadn't any privilege to have accessed upscale Lagos metropolis. And he was ready to fight, according to him; especially, when former minister Obiageli Ezekwesili in the Olusegun Obasanjo's administration had called for his arrest regarding his inflammatory remarks on the Igbo. Fani-Kayode would never shut up, warning that his firepower could not be neutralized until an advertorial at the This Day Newspapers by the counsels of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu gave him an ultimatum of seven days to take back his comments on Ojukwu or an ensuing lawsuit would be leveled against him for slander and other punitive damages.

I had looked forward to Fani-Kayode keeping up to his words even though he had recklessly made the mistake of mentioning names on his series of Igbo bashing, retracting all his comments; first, from his alleged courtship with Ojukwu, to the other two women he told us he had slept with.

Enter the second coming of Fashola's continued insult on the Igbo, who at the Aka Ikenga convention said he apologized  but noted his actions had been misconstrued by some of his Igbo friends and the media, in which he added more insult to the humiliation, questioning the Igbo problem and why they (Igbo) had lacked the ability to develop Igbo land and make their hub the depot for their trade where people would come and exchange goods and services.

From what had gone down, I had begun to think that Fashola, who had been trained as a lawyer, was up to something -- to send the message that the Igbos, obviously, one day, would be compelled to leave en-masse the Yoruba related states, setting up the experiment with the expulsion of those labelled as destitute and a reaction, and opposing views that did not create much of an impact, since the leading Igbo men of thought and industry could not seize the moment to begin a process that would prosecute Fashola and his gang of Igbo haters to the limit of the law on human rights violations and on discrimination charges.

Fashola's apology was way too late and the Aka Ikenga forum was not the appropriate place to have rendered his so-called apology which by the way, was wishy washy, with no shred of honesty in it and, damage already done, and statements and actions permanently  stamped as a stigma attached to the Igbo.

Fashola Gives Account Of His 2300-Day Stay In Office

 Channels Television
September 14, 2013

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Saturday  rendered tan account of the stewardship of his administration in the last 100 days with an appeal to the citizenry for support, mutual co-existence, ethnic and religious tolerance as well as obedience to law and order. 

 

Saturday’s event, which is the the 23^rd in the series, commemorates the 2,300^th day in office of the present administration and marks a fulfillment of the Governor’s commitment since 2007 to render to the citizenry, through town hall meetings with various segments of the society, the account of the administration’s performance every hundred days. 

Addressing members of the Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs),  corporate and private citizens, religious and traditional rulers as well as artisans and market women and men at the LTV Blue Roof Hall on Agidingbi Road, Governor Fashola said the continued development and transformation of the State would only be possible with the full cooperation of the citizenry in terms of maintenance of peace, law and order.     

 

The Governor, who enumerated the various projects executed across the State in the last 100 days, appealed to the citizenry; “Your support, peaceful co-existence, religious and ethnic tolerance, discharge of your civic responsibilities such as payment of taxes and voluntary obedience of laws and regulations, keeping the peace are all that we ask for, to make your aspirations materialize”.

Beginning with the Budget performance in the first and second quarters of the year, Governor Fashola said the impacts were already being felt in some projects in the Health Sector, Education Sector and in the area of infrastructural development as well as other sectors of the economy.

According to the Governor, such projects include the completion of the Trauma and Burns Centre in Gbagada, two more flagship Primary Health Care Centres in Eredo Epe and in Itire, the Folarin Coker Health Centre for public servants in Alausa, the street light of Carter Bridge, the progress in the Technical and Vocational Education Colleges as reported during the State’s Enterprise Day and the reports from the education sector at the Annual Governor’s Education Award.

On Health, he said while the State Government’s Health  policy remains a matter of non-negotiable commitment, the honest truth is that free healthcare does not cover every illness that afflicts the people, adding, “That answer is insurance. This is the way that I think we can unlock and optimize the idling capacity and specialties that exist in over 3,000 privately owned health facilities that ordinary people cannot access”.

Governor Fashola explained that of the two supplementary budgets presented by the Government after the second quarter, the first, with the size of N7 billion, was to enable Government finance the building of more houses under the Lagos Homes Scheme, while the second, amounting to N7.5 billion was for the early acquisition of the Lekki Concession as provided under the Concession Agreement “in a way that helps us to keep investor confidence and control any possible increase in the toll fees”.

 In the Education Sector, Governor Fashola expressed joy that more students are getting into secondary schools from the JSS 1 placement examination results which, according to him, showed an increase in the number of candidates from 49,316 in 2012 to an almost doubling of 95,255 candidates in 2013 adding that the results show a pass rate increase in the examinations from 67.01 percent in 2012 to 96percent in 2013.

“If you recall that we have since 2011 reviewed conditions of pass from what was about 30% to a minimum of 50% pass in each of English and Mathematics in addition to a total aggregate average of an overall of 50% as the minimum pass, you will appreciate the progress that our children have made and the effort that your Government has made”, the Governor said.

 Expressing optimism that his administration is heading in the right direction in terms of its new education policies the Governor added, “I am also able to report that we have received the results for 2013 WAEC Examinations which show that out of 51,604  students who sat for the examination, 21,193  secured the five credits in Mathematics and English in one sitting representing, according to him, a 41.06% pass rate over the 39% of last year.

“If you recall that we started from a 7% pass rate in 2007 you will appreciate how far we have come, to now record an over 41% pass rate”, the Governor said adding, “For now, all I can say is that, as far as our children’s education is concerned, we are heading in the right direction and I see a brighter and rewarding future, even as our work remains unfinished”.

Throwing more light on the Government directive that all schools in the State, whether public or private, should reopen on the same day (September 23), Governor Fashola said  it was aimed at achieving a unified school calendar for the State adding, “There are many positive consequences for these, ranging from security planning, transportation planning, career development to mention a few”.

On Security, the Governor, who said there has been an aggregate reduction in crime in the State, however, noted that as a daily growing State, “in a world that is getting increasingly complex and where no nation is crime free”, the State was getting its own fair share of problems associated with population increase with some of its citizens falling victims to crimilals.

“But we remain resolute to fight crime and criminals with every resource that we have”, the Governor said, expressing joy that the determination to fight crime in the State has yielded some noteworthy successes against crime and criminals”.

He listed some of the successes to include  arrest of a notorious gang of five robbers who have been terrorizing the Lagos Island and the apprehension of the kidnap gang that abducted a number of people including a Local Government Chairman adding “This was made possible by the dedication of the officers in the Lagos Command after almost a month of surveillance that eventually led to the arrest of the criminals”.

“Another notorious gang leader who had been on the Police wanted list for 14 years, and who had been launching attacks on our citizens from outside Lagos is now in custody after a well-planned operation that led to his arrest in his hiding place outside Lagos”, the Governor said adding that the Command also rescued a foreign national from kidnappers during the period.

Commending the gallantry and dedication of the members of the Command, the Governor declared, “Our officers must be proud of themselves, and so must all of us be, not only for the work that they have done, but also the value they give for the support that we give to them from your taxes and your voluntary contribution to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, “especially MTN Nigeria who just gave 25 new patrol values to the Fund while he urged all citizens to continue to pay their taxes promptly and to support the Trust Fund with donations.

Another area where progress was recorded during the last 100 days, Governor Fashola said, is in the Transportation sector where, according to him, “the commitment of Government in improving efficiency in public transportation is yielding results”. Such results include the recent formal handing over of the 7 kilometer Ibeshe Road, the over 200 inner city roads currently under construction across the State, the on-going resuscitation of five ferries retrieved from the Lagos Lagoon.  

The Governor, who said repairs on three of the ferries would be completed this year so that they could join the 59 already operational ferries on the States waters, put the monthly passenger ridership on at 1,788,370 passengers per month from 495,010 passengers per month in 2010 expressing joy that work is moving towards conclusion of the Osborne and Mile Two Jetties preparatory to making them fully functional in a short while.

On the implementation of the States Road Traffic Law, the Governor said it has resulted in the reduction from 646 reported accidents in August 2012 to 118  reported accidents in July 2013 and the reduction in motorcycle related deaths from an average of 12   in August 2012 to an average of 1 over the same period, adding, “This justifies the commitment with which we intervened”.

Governor Fashola warned commercial motorcyclists who still ride on the restricted roads “either with the wrong motorcycle or without helmets or without registration plate or with more than one passenger” to retrace their steps adding, “Nobody will be allowed to act outside the law made by our House of Assembly. Our commitment to enforcement remains very high”.

He also warned operators of tricycles that they must comply to the same provisions of the Traffic Law relating to safety and the routes they can operate; mainly the inner streets and not on highways adding that except for the fact that the tricycles have cabins, they are not different from the commercial motorcycle.

“However, we understand that our public transport policies are still developing and it is not our intention to inflict any hardship on our people who rely on them. This is why I gave clear directives last year that we will not seek to enforce the Traffic Law as it relates to them if they keep off the major highways”, he said.

The Governor promised that other safety policies under the Traffic Law would soon be unveiled “to make motoring in our State a happy experience and raise standards to global competitiveness”.

He recalled that during period the State hosted the Lagos State International Table Tennis Championship with 350 participants from 13   countries. According to him, ‘Our sporting centres, hotels and transporters were kept busy”, adding, “It is the first of a ten Sport Championships now known as the Lagos Sports Classics”.

Pointing out that the hosting was a fulfillment of his commitment to Lagosians at the closing of the 2012 National Sports Festival that the State’s athletes would be kept busy while keeping all the upgraded sports facilities in good and efficient use, the Governor said soon the State would be hosting the athletics events of the Sports Classics and the remaining other eight sporting events, adding, “So to our sportsmen and women, get ready for a busy sporting calendar. And to our Ministry of Sports, coaches and all supporting agencies, I say keep up the good work”.

Governor Fashola also reported with joy the verdict of the National Census Tribunal on the petitions by his administration, on behalf of 14 local governments in the State against the Census figure allocated to the State by the National Population Commission after the last 2006 Census exercise in the country saying as a result of the petitions, the Tribunal has ordered a recount in 14 out of 20 communities in the State.

The Governor advised, “No nation that wants to prosper and solve human challenges should ever be tardy or play politics with data collection projects such as population census. You cannot manage what you cannot measure”.

He also announced the Supreme Court verdict on the State Government’s case against the Federal Government  relating to the latter’s incursion in the area of tourism saying the the Supreme Court was emphatic in affirming the position of the State Government that it is only a State Government and its House of Assembly that have powers to regulate tourism, with the exception of tourist traffic which deals with issuance of visas, length of stay and immigration into Nigeria.

He declared, “Apart from the revenue erosion, the incursions made it difficult to grow that sector and create jobs, because the operators were caught between two governments; and understandably were often unsure of who their appropriate regulator should be, between the State and the Federal Government” , adding that the victory   “is victory for federalism and for all the 35 other States including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who can now take their tourism destiny in their own hands”.

Still on the courts, Governor Fashola said the State Government was ready to go to the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal which acquitted Major Al Mustapha on charges of conspiracy and murder of late Qudirat Abiola.   

Governor Fashola declared, “Because our Constitution permits a further appeal to the Supreme Court, and because we place the highest premium on every human life and because the families of the victims deserve every right to agitate the matter to the final court, just as the accused would have been entitled, your Government has appealed on behalf of the people to the Supreme Court”. 

 Other areas which the Governor reported include the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC),which he said became a reality in spite of the criticisms of the opposition, commencement of Saturday service in Government departments such as Lands, Physical Planning, Motor Vehicle Administration and the Vehicle Inspection service from 10am to 2pm and the payment of compensations to those who lost property as a result of the Dana air crash and erection of a cenotaph at the site of the crash among others.

 Noting that  the periodic briefings have helped to deepen the democratic experience in the State, Governor Fashola  said its uniqueness, in the sense that no other no other government in the country has committed to a regular 100 day, town hall style meeting, the State Government has never failed to hold it and has never changed the date.

“It has been beneficial to you and to us because it keeps us on our toes to deliver and it reinforces how seriously we hold your mandate and value your support”, he said adding that apart from the fact that the administration has remained true to it as a commitment it freely made, the unsustainable attempt by competitors “to sloppily copy it, in a very poor imitation about which they have now gone quiet, speaks volumes about the commitment of your Government”. The credit, he said, “certainly belongs to all our public servants and officers who work tirelessly to deliver the progress that I am always delighted to report”.

Japan signs agreement with Lagos on maternal, child mortality

The Japanese Government on Tuesday signed grant agreement with the Lagos State Government to reduce maternal and child mortality rates through the provision of medical equipment.

The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Ryuichi Shoji, signed the agreement for his government, while Dr Yewande Adeshina, the Special Adviser to Gov. Babatunde Fashola on Public Health, signed for Lagos State.

"The aim of the project we are signing today is to provide medical equipment, such as delivery beds and ECG machines, which measures the rate and regularity of heartbeats. They will be given to 10 Primary Healthcare Centres among the 57 in Lagos State.

“I hope that this project will contribute to reducing maternal and child mortality rate,” the Japanese envoy said.

Shoji said that the project was designed to synchronise with the technical assistance project for improving maternal, newborn and child health in the state.

“Looking at the situation of maternal and child health in Nigeria, it is worrisome to note that mortality rate is very high due to lack of healthcare facilities, medical equipment and medical practitioners.

"We wish to remedy this situation by forming a partnership with the Nigerian people, especially to complement the efforts being made by the Lagos State Ministry of Health in tackling these issues,” he said.

-----------DAILY TIMES NIGERIA

Jonathan Cannot Fix Nigeria’s Vehicle - Fashola

By Shuaib Shuaib and Tony Amokeodo/Leadership Newspapers

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government lacks the requisite knowledge and capacity to tackle Nigeria’s problems, saying that there is the need to effect a change at the centre in 2015 for the country to achieve positive development.

Fashola, who stated this during an exclusive interview with a team of LEADERSHIP editors in Abuja yesterday, was giving the rationale behind the ongoing merger talks by his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),  and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) towards dislodging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the centre  in 2015.

Explaining that their push for political alignment was not only to seize power but to use it to better the lives of the people, he likened Jonathan’s government to an unskilled auto mechanic who consistently failed to correctly service a vehicle, causing it to continuously break down, a fallout that would necessitate the owner to try another technician.

“You buy a car and it breaks down and you go to a mechanic and he fixes it in the morning, and it breaks down again in the afternoon. You go back in the evening, he fixes it but it doesn’t take you home. You go and call him again; he tosses it up and says you should come back by 6am the next day.

“You take it at 6am and it doesn’t take you home. Are you going to stay with that mechanic?” he asked.

“Nigeria needs a new mechanic. The country’s problems need a new pair of eyes and pure heart that can see, and clearer minds that can articulate the problems better. That is the heart of the matter. It is now left for the electorate to decide whether they are satisfied with this mechanic.” 

Fashola insisted that the desire of the ACN and CPC to take power at the centre was to utilise it according to the general wish of Nigerians, who want the country’s myriad problems fixed immediately.

He described the ACN as an issues-based party which had a lot to offer, which is why it has consistently defeated the PDP in Lagos since the return of democracy 13 years ago.

“In Lagos, the PDP has been failing since 1999: in 2003 it failed, in 2007 it failed, in 2011 it failed again. The most interesting thing is that the margins get wider in Lagos due to the improvement of services,” he said.

He further said that, with ACN’s recurring victories and exemplary leadership across the six states it controls, its leadership was taking proactive steps to salvage Nigeria from PDP’s misrule at the national level by going into a merger with the CPC ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Fashola gave the assurance that the ACN, with its issues-based outlook, would take Nigeria to the Promised Land, just like what is happening in United States, saying that “elections without debate won’t give value and the electorate needs people who understand their problems without pretence.”

He noted that the Democrats in the US openly articulated the issue of tax while the Republicans were vague and the people swung to the side that convinced them.

“Anybody who wants to serve us must understand our problems; that’s why in America you have to debate before election. Lagos is a good example,” he stated.

Governors not against Jonathan – Fashola

Fashola also refuted the insinuations in some quarters that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) was working against the President Jonathan.

Citing the ongoing suit on Excess Crude Account, the Lagos State governor said that the governors’ occasional disagreement with the president on certain issues was in the interest of the country.

The governor further canvassed for a proper economic management through innovation and tourism, saying they were the key to crime prevention.

He also called for a diversification of the economy since ‘what works today may not work tomorrow’.

“Thirty years ago, our economy was trading. The most prosperous people in our society were dealers. That was the economy of that time and it has changed. The new economy has emerged,” he said.

Nigeria At A Crossroads - Ademowo, Fashola

Babatunde Fashola

LAGOS State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, stated that Nigeria is at a crossroads, adding that the socio-economic problems confronting the nation today has placed much challenges on the doorsteps of Nigerian judges.

"Our country is at a great crossroads facing enormous challenges that put to test our self governance and democracy."

Governor Fashola stated this at the Lagos Central Mosque during special mosque services to commence the 2012/2013 legal year.

According to him, the roles of the judiciary among the three arms of government could not be overemphasised as they cut across all endeavours.

He said law regulates the society, especially when the country was faced with issues of security and economic development, adding that, law regulates man and guarantees his properties.

"Man makes laws to cater for national security, to protect man and secure his property, so our success depends on the success of the judiciary. In Nigeria, road traffic constitutes a challenge to our socio-economic development. If there is traffic problem, a worker will not be able to get to his work place on time. If he stays unduly long in traffic, it will affect his health.

"You should give your judgment and do justice and ensure that nobody is unjustly punished. You are economic engineers, how quickly justice is dispensed with will definitely lead to several developments,” he said.

The Bishop of Lagos and Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, The Most Reverend Adebola Ademowo, at the church service held at the oldest Cathedral in Nigeria, the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina stated that the country was deteriorating and on a downward slope.

According to him, there is so much lawlessness in the country and this does not augur well.

"Nigeria is deteriorating in standard. There is danger everywhere and there is nowhere that is safe in the country, there is no respect for human lives again. Nigeria was not like this before," he said.

.........Written by Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare and Akeem Nafiu, Lagos, Nigerian Tribune, Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Nigeria: Lagos One Day Governor Meets Fashola

Ogbuefi emerged the 2012 winner of the State Secondary Schools Spelling Bee.

By Gbenro Adeoye, Daily Times

Lagos State 2012 One-Day Governor, Lilian Ogbuefi, on Monday, asked that a bus and a 250KVA generator be provided for her school.

During a visit to Governor Babatunde Fashola at the State Executive Chambers, 16-year-old Lilian said her demands would enhance learning at the State Senior Model College, Kankon, Badagry.

For winning this year's State Secondary Schools Spelling Bee competition, Lilian got the opportunity to be governor for one day, as is the tradition in Lagos.

Accompanied by some members of her cabinet, the One Day Governor commended Fashola for improving the state of education, transportation, security and road networks in the State.

She also commended the innovation that brought about the various academic competitions, adding that such programmes had impacted positively on the quality of education in the state.

“I can proudly say that Lagos public schools are the best and the students can shine any time anywhere,” she said

In his reaction, Fashola added that the resuscitation of such enhancing programmes as the Spelling Bee, had proved to be useful building blocks of character.

He said the fact that Lilian was a product of a public school showed how far state-owned schools had gone in competing with the private ones.

Fashola urged the One Day Governor to continue to develop herself, adding that many past winners of the competition had gone ahead to become outstanding students and leaders.

He said some of the past One Day Governors had graduated from the University with First Class honours and some others with Second Class honours.

Explaining the objective behind the One Day Governor concept, Fashola said it would connect young ones to governance.

He gave a commitment that the list of requirements made by the One Day Governor for her school would be worked upon.

Lilian was accompanied by her parents and other members of her cabinet which included the Deputy Governor, Ireti Ogedengbe; and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chibueze Jonathan.