Lagos: Deportation is lawless, vexatious
on July 28, 2013

By Obi Nwakanma

Once again, the Lagos state government deported
Nigerians from a Nigerian state; an action that is as
lawless as it is vexatious. Newspaper reports last
week indicated that the Lagos authorities out of
possibly excessive enthusiasm, and certainly out of
pitiable ignorance and overreach, rounded up all
manners of the city poor from the streets, sixty-
seven of them, put them in a vehicle, and
transported them across the bridge to Onitsha,
Anambra state.

The Lagos state government crossed two state lines
to dump its human cargo. The question of course is,
why Onitsha? It is provocative, both as a question
and as an action. It underlines that the Lagos state
government is in the care of those who think the
immigrant poor should not be seen, and who
promote an active policy of xenophobia. These
deportations have become a ridiculous challenge by
the government of Lagos on the validity of the
federation as shared national space; the powers of
the federal government, and the rights conferred on
the Nigerian citizen by the constitution of the
federation of Nigeria.

It challenges the core principle of nation and
national-belonging. Never mind that the constitution
that the Lagos state government flouts so cavalierly
is the very same document or authority from which
the entity of Lagos also derives its own legitimacy.
The Fashola administration, in embarking on these
illegalities; in threading this route in solving a clearly
sensitive social problem, subverts a key or cardinal
provision of the constitution of this republic that
guarantees every citizen of Nigeria protection and
equal residency in any part of the federation.

*Sranded persons numbering about 70
allegedly dumped at the upper axis of
Onitsha, Anambra State at about 3:20 a.m. by
unknown persons, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN.
lSee story on page 14.
The forced deportation of Nigerians from any part of
Nigeria denies Nigerian citizens their right of
domicile, and threatens or questions the very
existence of Nigeria as a commonwealth. By its
action, the government of Lagos ethnicizes the
residency rights of Nigerians, and makes those who
choose to pursue their constitutional rights to live in
any part of the federation insecure and potential
targets of xenophobic violence and official
discrimination.

It also usurps the power of the federal government
and disregards the constitution of the Federal
Republic in a willful and egregious manner. It is as
though Raji Fashola’s administration is challenging
the Federal government under whose protective
power lives every Nigerian citizen, by saying, “what
can the federal government do? Lagos state can act
above the laws of the republic and nothing can
happen!” Something ought to happen, and very
quickly to forestall this extremely discriminatory and
narrow-minded action against Nigerian citizens by its
constituent part.

The federal government must restore the rights of
these Nigerians deported from Lagos, and enjoin
these rights, even if it takes the deployment of
federal troops to enforce their recall and
rehabilitation. It has happened in a different clime:
when the state of Mississippi, in disdain of the laws
of the United States sought to maintain
discriminatory laws, it took the Kennedy
administration to enforce the rights of American
citizens by deploying th
e National Guard. It might have to come to that in
Lagos.

This is the second time that the administration in
Lagos is conducting this ritual of mass deportation of
Nigerian citizens from Lagos, on the rather
scandalous claim that people migrate from other
states to Lagos. Duh! Migration is the oldest human
pastime: people seek new pastures; new dwellings;
new economic and social life. Intra-national migration
is the reality of shared nationhood, and the
constitution of the Federal Republic guarantees that
Nigerians shall have the right to live anywhere it so
pleases them in this republic.

There is no abridgement to that right in the letters of
the law. For the avoidance of doubt, let me cite the
very words of the Nigerian constitution to which the
Lagos state government pays very scant regard:
“Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely
throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof,
and no citizen shall be expelled from Nigeria or
refused entry thereby, or exit therefrom.”
There is no part of the laws of Nigeria that empowers
a state – its governor, or its state Assembly, or any of
their agents – to forcefully remove any Nigerian,
against their will, to another state. Chapter 2 of the
Nigerian constitution that spells out the fundamental
objectives and principles of state policy holds that
“…national integration shall be actively encouraged,
whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of
origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic
association shall be prohibited.” 3(a) in fact notes
unambiguously that the state is obliged to “provide
adequate facilities for, and encourage free mobility of
people, goods, and services throughout the
federation.”

The Lagos governor, who apparently ordered such a
deportation has therefore acted with utter malice and
in utter disdain of the laws of the federation. We are
told, that he is to boot, a senior advocate of Nigeria
even though he is busy advocating and applying a
Third Reich solution to urban poverty. The Lagos
state government is indeed creating a very
dangerous precedent that not only questions the
sovereign basis of the Federal Republic, but
threatens its very meaning.

The solution to urban poverty in Lagos is not to haul
the poor to other states, but to design and create
effective social programs, that require deeper
thinking, rather than abrasive, knee-jerk policies that
tend to perpetuate class and ethnic ostracism and
divisions. To put this very mildly: Lagos was built by
Nigerians with massive Nigerian resources, and it is a
migrants’ city. Fashola’s administration cannot hide
its dirt-poor under the carpet and by forced
deportations.


www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/lagos-deportation-is-lawless-vexatious/

Raji Fashola is a disgrace to the legal profession and the seat of a Governor.I sudder to think such a rascal aspires to be nigeria's vice president.God forbid tis tribal bigot ever holding a national office one day.

Anybody who has ears , let him hear. Lagos state is not the only state in nigeria.all those PDP states in nigeria share one thing in common.
They do not spend anything on the welfare of their people. the reason why all these beggars gravitate towards the south west.
At one time or the other, I was a residence of all the regions apart from the northwest .so I know what I am talking about.
They spend their resources on monuments without practical usage or steal it outright and then discard their laggard citizens to the southwest.
Using access to media for example .
You are sure of getting
Ogtv,LTV,Galaxy,ITV,channels,OSRC,channels,osun tv and all the NTA stations in the state.
In short, a poor man has access to at least 8 tv stations in any part of the southwest.
Why would he want to live elsewhere when he can access cheap schools ,health ,leisure etc.
What are the others doing with their resources?
those beggars are being deported from Abuja,can anyone tell me why Lagos should not do the same?
If okada and tricycle banned elsewhere, are migrating in droves to Lagos . Why shouldn't Lagos do the same?
That piece of paper called the nigerian constitution is only as good as suya wrapping paper .
The beggars should go back to their states to beg in front of their governor's residence

What in God's name is stopping the SW from declaring independence?

Why do they still want to remain in Nigeria and at the same time discriminate against other Nigerians?

The North was the first to raise a secession bid early in the country's infancy followed by the East and the Niger-Deltans are actively waiting for an opportunity to leave this useless "arrangement", why then is the SW not talking about independence even though they openly beat their coward chests about how "progressive" they are above others?


The level of hypocrisy, xenophobia, tribalism and stoopidity among Yorubas is staggering.

bloggernaija: Anybody who has ears , let him hear. Lagos state is not the only state in nigeria.all those PDP states in nigeria share one thing in common.
They do not spend anything on the welfare of their people. the reason why all these beggars gravitate towards the south west.
At one time or the other, I was a residence of all the regions apart from the northwest .so I know what I am talking about.
They spend their resources on monuments without practical usage or steal it outright and then discard their laggard citizens to the southwest.
Using access to media for example .
You are sure of getting
Ogtv

Other than Lagos which part of the SW is a destination for rural migrants from other sections of the country?

Why don't you think before you post?

Big_Lebowski:

Other than Lagos which part of the SW is a destination for rural migrants from other sections of the country?

Why don't you think before you post?

Everywhere.
For example,
All the major cities and towns have huge immigrant populations and sabo gari
In ekiti has a huge igbirra community ,mostly farmers who contribute a lot to the economy. They are very welcome.
Ondo state has a huge urhobo and benue community ,farmers as well and they contribute to the society , they are welcome .
These communities are known to integrate very well, hard working and leave very little foot print.
They also reciprocate the gesture by taking good care of the south westerner in their land.
Recently, oshiomole told yoruba farmers not to pay slum dog millionaire igbinedion any slave money.
These are interactions that have been going on for centuries.

bloggernaija:

Everywhere.
For example,
All the major cities and towns have huge immigrant populations and sabo gari
In ekiti has a huge igbirra community ,mostly farmers who contribute a lot to the economy. They are very welcome.
Ondo state has a huge urhobo and benue community ,farmers as well and they contribute to the society , they are welcome .
These communities are known to integrate very well, hard working and leave very little foot print.
They also reciprocate the gesture by taking good care of the south westerner in their land.
Recently, oshiomole told yoruba farmers not to pay slum dog millionaire igbinedion any slave money.
These are interactions that have been going on for centuries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t0stJkUWUyM

you problem is actually your race . video above will explain further

Nice one fashola.. I rlly like dis.. But were he got it wrong is dumpin dem in state dat is not theirs, he would v sent dem to dia village.. Many crimes happening in some states r done by non indgines and after dat dey run bck to dia state. Mkin d law enforcment agency clueless on dia were abt. I like dis

Rt FNJ: Nice one fashola.. I rlly like dis.. But were he got it wrong is dumpin dem in state dat is not theirs, he would v sent dem to dia village.. Many crimes happening in some states r done by non indgines and after dat dey run bck to dia state. Mkin d law enforcment agency clueless on dia were abt. I like dis

The agbereos and touts terrorizing the streets of Lagos are mostly from the surrounding southwest states.

Did your fraud fashola not see them as a nuisance as well or did he turn a blind eye to his rogue mercenaries who have helped him and his Asiwaju Corporation Party maintain a vice grip on Lagos state affairs?

Answer this first before we look at the constitutional violation of the fundamental rights of Nigerian citizens to reside any where in the country, then we can then delve into the moral perspective.

Where is that Human Right professor on issues like this? Oh I forgot he has descended to attacking other people's wife with his poetic licence.

Hypocrites!

Big_Lebowski:

Other than Lagos which part of the SW is a destination for rural migrants from other sections of the country?

Why don't you think before you post?

I have not seen a Yoruba town that does not have a huge population of igbos or northerners.