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Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? - Politics (2) - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? (4049 Views)

You Can Only Bark In Your Land, But Won’t Dare It In Kano – Kwankwaso to Yorubas / Igbos A Threat To Yorubas ? / President Jonathan And Yoruba Oba's, Blessing Or Curse? (photo) (2) (3) (4)

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Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by excanny: 6:22pm On Feb 27, 2011
kildran:

@ excan
You r quotin a 10 yrold data 2 butress 2day's fact! People who study statistics wil tel u dis data is irrelevant, because it dosnt tak in2 acount hw d population is weighed. Bt den dis is probly their best showin at d exam.

Well it agreed with my previous comments when a poster asked if Yorubas were more dumber/less populated than Igbos. Which I disagreed with him, citing a higher per capita income as a reason. This is exactly what the writer pointed out in the case of the North, and that applies across board for others.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by ifele(m): 6:24pm On Feb 27, 2011
Awo did some good thins for Yoruba students but he is dead now. It is our turn to hep Yoruba students not only them but the whole student body of Nigeria.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 6:25pm On Feb 27, 2011
When it becomes clearer to Yorubas that they don't go to school is when the North will overtake them in enrollment.
Now, they can deny every data there but we are laughing.

The major factor is that, on the average, Yoruba families are poorer than Igbo families. You don't go to tertiary institution without fund.
Next Yorubas will come up with their silly per capita income which was calculated using GDP[b](PPP)[/b] rather than GDP alone which tend to put them on a better per capita income than the SE states.

If a thorough research is done comparing Igbo progress vs Yoruba progress and a plot is made, it'll be a shocking revelation.
The gap between Igbos and Yorubas will widen significantly in the next 50 yrs.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by presido1: 6:51pm On Feb 27, 2011
xxxxxx
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by excanny: 6:57pm On Feb 27, 2011
@Obiagu

This is a most likely reason for the lead.

An Igbo family is more willing to venture into hostile territory, with the risk of their heads being chopped up, to seek economic opportunities while a Yoruba family dares not.

I'll take some time out to look into those GDP. But I'll put into consideration the average per capita GDP with population figures to see if this reason holds true.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Igwe12: 7:36pm On Feb 27, 2011
You have to give NDIGBO a standing ovation. A people that were left to suffer after Biafra war, given 20 pounds even when they were millionares(Only given to those with Bank account those days), Denied university Education by the harsh policies of Awo and Aboki and abondoned by everyone;  now controls Nigeria economy, Finances, and Education and can easily boast of the highest population in Nigeria, well travelled and integrated. These are a people to fear. We only need one last grip and that is political power, and it is already in our doorsteps no matter how you interpret the april polls.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by EzeUche2(m): 7:40pm On Feb 27, 2011
Enough of the chest beating my Igbo brothers. Everyone knows that our population is getting educated. It takes away from the myth that Igbos are only spare parts traders. The average Igbo family wants their children to achieve educationally so they can brag to their neighbors.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Ramnon2: 7:44pm On Feb 27, 2011
EzeUche_:

Enough of the chest beating my Igbo brothers. Everyone knows that our population is getting educated.

No one is chest-beating. We are only taking back the lies that Yoruba press have peddled all these years due to the skewness of the press and especially, Igbo penchant not to always challenge issues to avoid been branded names. Now every single point is up for challenge, including the census and the Igbo population in Lagos.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 7:51pm On Feb 27, 2011
Ramnon.2:

No one is chest-beating. We are only taking back the lies that Yoruba press have peddled all these years due to the skewness of the press and especially, Igbo penchant not to always challenge issues to avoid been branded names. Now every single point is up for challenge, including the census and the Igbo population in Lagos.

Exactly, not only do they lie about us, they also portray us in bad image, gave us "crazy" stereotypes, and tried to diminish our dignity.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Igwe12: 7:54pm On Feb 27, 2011
^^
IGBO population is around 40%  in lagos or more and this is not an overinflation. I saw an article from a lagos press recently about it but i cannot find it. I will share it when i do. There was similar article that Igbos control 70% of oyo business and economy and Ezeindigbo of  Oyo was given a commendation by oyo government on contributing positively to there economy. No matter what some nigeria animals make you think, igbo's are the most open minded, open hearted nigerians, willing to go anywhere and everywhere to contribute. Nigeria will never acheive its highest potential until it taps into the can-do spirit of the IGBO man fully.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Ramnon2: 7:57pm On Feb 27, 2011
Igwe-1:

^^
IGBO population is around 40%  in lagos and this is not an overinflation. I saw an article from a lagos press recently about it but i cannot find it. I will share it when i do. There was similar article that Igbos control 70% of oyo business and economy and Ezeindigbo of  Oyo was given a commendation by oyo government on contributing positively to there economy. No matter what some nigeria animals make you think, igbo's are the most open minded, open hearted nigerians, willing to go anywhere and everywhere to contribute. Nigeria will never acheive its highest potential until it taps into the can-do spirit of the IGBO man fully.

I read that article too. The interviewee alleged that when Tinubu, who had conducted an independent population count, found out that Igbos were huge in Lagos he underrepresented their population by giving them 43%. Please get it and share it.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Ramnon2: 8:02pm On Feb 27, 2011
Igwe-1:

Here is the article here
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/politics/2011/feb/26/politics-26-02-2011-005.htm

2011: Igbo will assert electoral strength in Lagos-Uche


By DURO ADESEKO  Saturday, February 26, 2011

•Uche
Photo: Sun News Publishing
Chief John Uche is the chairman of the Coalition of Lagos State Opposition Political Parties (COLLASOP) now warming up to give the incumbent Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola a good fight for the Lagos House in 2011.
Chief Uche is confident that the 26 parties would win the governorship election. He spoke of the numerical strength of non- indigenes in Lagos during elections and emphasised that the Igbo constitute more than 52 per cent of the electorate.

During the last census, he said, former Governor Bola Tinubu realised that the Igbo constitute well over 60 per cent of the population but officially reduced it to 43 and gave the Yoruba 47 per cent.

According to Uche, Lagos is a no man’s land and only the Lagoon can claim to be a Lagosian. To him, every tribe in Lagos came from somewhere.
He posited that the days when the Igbo in Lagos can be exploited are over. According to him, the Igbo contributed immensely to the economy of Lagos and would be ready to assert its electoral strength at the general election next year.

He confidently stated that the Igbo in Lagos are merely waiting for INEC to blow the whistle at the beginning of the registration exercise and anybody who cares to monitor the exercise would realise that the Igbo and other non-indigenes are determined to take over Lagos.

Chief Uche however said a memorandum of understanding with other parties in the coalition stated that a Yoruba would be governorship candidate while a non- indigene would be his deputy.
He also spoke on the much talked about performance of Fashola.
Excerpts:

We leant that 26 political parties came together with the intention of taking over Lagos from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). What informed your decision to come together?
We believe Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. We also believe nobody can lay claim to Lagos. Some people may think nobody can challenge them. They think because we are smaller parties and we don’t have resources and they are at the helm of affairs. We now have to form a coalition and muster our resources to take over power in Lagos State in 2011. We are confident of doing so.





The point is that 26 political parties are involved under your chairmanship and people don’t believe that the parties put together have grassroots support.
I don’t know if ACN has grassroots support either because all the political parties started at the same time. When I brought APGA to Lagos, they did not believe that APGA could spring a surprise. I know what I did to make it in Lagos. At the end of the day, I disproved the impression that I am an underdog. Today, I want to assure you that we are on ground. The only thing that can stop us in Lagos is if one-man one vote does not count. If one-man one vote will count, I can assure you, on May 29th 2011,the governor of the coalition would be sworn in Lagos.



Many believe Governor Babatunde Fashola has done a lot of things people can see and many believe you are all jokers because you don’t have the financial muscle and you don’t have the structure in all local governments and wards?
Well, I don’t know what you mean when you say Fashola has done a lot. We have not seen that. Recently, somebody argued with me that he has performed very well in Lagos and how do you think you can defeat him? I said there is not a single thing Fashola has done in Lagos State. I will like to know what he has done.
I believe if Fashola has done well, there will be no need for us to challenge him. We are progressives. I also believe that if any of the progressive’s is doing well, it is our duty to support him so that he can do more. But Fashola has done nothing. What has he done? All the photo tricks you see in Lagos are World Bank assisted projects. LAWMA is World Bank assisted project. LAMATA is World Bank assisted project. Agricultural Project Scheme is World Bank assisted project. Water is World Bank assisted project. Then what is he doing with the statutory allocation from the federation account? What has he done with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which runs into N53.6 billion every month? Though he declares only N30 billion.

Go to the streets of Lagos and you will see that all the local councils chairmen did nothing. The roads are bad. When there is little rain, Lagos is paralysed. So, tell me what has he done? Some said he constructed Cele /Itire bridge and I said it is a World Bank assisted project. All the contractors are the people they invited and they are the people siphoning the economy of the state.
In our World Press conference, we raised a lot of issues that they should respond to. To my greatest surprise, the ACN Publicity Secretary who we all know is a political jobber could not even say one or two things against what we raised in our Press Conference. We believe that he is an errand boy. I cannot trade words with an errand boy. Fashola has done nothing in Lagos.



Politically, people believe ACN has the structure to win election any day in Lagos. They meet regularly and plan while the 26 parties in the coalition cannot win a councillorship election.
I think election is around the corner. We would know who-is who-when the time comes. This is no longer a time they will sit at the Government House and write results. In 2008, during the council elections, we were persuaded to participate and we won in many local governments. But they wrote results and schemed all of us out. But we have no laws to contest the result in the tribunal because the Lagos Electoral Commission did not give us copies of the laws governing the election. But this is a Federal election. We would know-who is-who at this election. We are on ground and we are putting the structure on the 57 councils and not on 20. We shall match them one on one and Naira for Naira. We shall match them rice for rice and propaganda for propaganda. We are prepared.



It is believed that some corporate organizations are funding you.
If corporate organisations are prepared to bank-roll us, we won’t say no. But I can tell you that the 26 political parties are buoyant enough to finance us.



Does that mean the allegation is not true? Or you are not expecting assistance from corporate organisations?
Our room is open to donations from anywhere. Even if you can donate we shall appreciate it and record your name as one of the people that assisted the party. It is allowed. But, I am telling you that we are not banking on any business community. The 26 political parties are prepared. We are not jokers as some are saying. It is at their own peril to think we are jokers. We are prepared to take over the government of Lagos State.



Is it true that the Igbo community in Lagos is in support of the move by the 26 political parties? It is believed that the Igbo constitute 30 or 40 per cent of the Lagos electorate.
Let me tell you that the Igbo in Lagos State constitute 52 per cent and not 30 or 40 per cent. In the last voter exercise, Igbo in Lagos constitute 60 per cent of the total voters register in Lagos State. What I want to tell you is that in 12 out of the 20 local governments, Igbo are 60 per cent. But each time there is election the cabal in Lagos would come to the Igbos and use them as campaigners and voters and after election, they dump them and wait for another election. We have already had our meetings, we have concluded to slug it out this time. Whoever is associating with them is pretending. We have concluded that we must be part of governance of Lagos State. We contribute 80 per cent to the economy of Lagos.

If Nigeria can congratulate Obama on winning election as president of US, what stops us from doing the same in Lagos? There are some people answer Smith, Ransome- Kuti, Cole, Jonhson, Williams and they’re tolerated and they held political power in Lagos. So tell me, what stops Ibrahim, Musa, Okonkwo, Okorie, Uche from contesting in Lagos? Most of the people that ruled Lagos apart from Mobolaji Johnson and Micheal Otedola, the rest are non-indigenes. So, if somebody from Osun State can be governor in Lagos and somebody from Ekiti can be governor, it means somebody from Kano, Imo, Anambra can also be governor. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. It is a no man’s land. The only indigene in Lagos is the Lagoon. All others migrated from different places to settle in Lagos. Therefore, we are all Lagosian and we shall leave Lagos better than we met it.



The argument that Lagos is a no mans land dates back to a very long time. But there are traditional rulers all over the place. They consider it an insult to say that Lagos is no man’s land.
Those people should check their race to know where they come from. The Benin people who first came to Lagos never laid claim to Lagos. The first Oba of Lagos, Oba Kosoko is from somewhere. Why is it that …I don’t want to talk about Obas so, I don’t insult some people.
But let me tell you, before 1817, Igbo have come to Lagos to settle, inter marry, socialise and intermingle with people they met. They contributed immensely to the development of Lagos State. Their contributions have run into several billions of Naira. Lagos was just a swamp. We sound filled and built houses. If anybody can go to Oweri, Onitsha and Enugu and contribute economically, he would be made governor without contesting election.
Everybody has the right according to the constitution of Nigeria to contest election anywhere you find yourself if you have stayed over 10 years. I came to Lagos with nothing. Today, I have children, I built my house, and I have cars and other things. So, I am a Lagosian. I only travel home once in a year and I come back to settle in Lagos. Why must you call me non- indigene? Are you the ocean? Only the Lagoon can claim to be omo onile. All others are settlers.

You said Igbo constitute 60 per cent of voters. But those called the indigenes said you are not up to 20 per cent.
If you talk of the Aworis, it spills to Ogun and Oyo States. They are not only in Lagos. They come from somewhere. But I am telling you that the last census count, when the Federal Government was conducting the count, Bola Tinubu, His Excellency was also doing his own. He was able to do accurate count and found that Igbo is 52 per cent. But for the fact that he cannot say so, he reduced it and said we are 43 and Yoruba 47. Even if we are 43 per cent, we can seize Lagos if we like. We only need 5 per cent of the Yoruba. We are the beautiful bride and the numerical strength of Ndigbo determines who becomes the governor of Lagos.



Are you implying that an Igbo would likely be presented as governorship candidate on the platform of the 26 parties in the 2011 election?
Anybody can be governorship candidate. We are not discriminating. As I am talking to you, we have seven governorship aspirants from different tribes of Nigeria. But we believe that a Yoruba man must be the governor. Then, we have ceded the position of deputy to non-indigene. There must be a credible candidate who may be Hausa, Igbo or any other tribe in Nigeria. They will all go through primaries and whoever emerges would become our candidate.



Would that not result in fighting?
We know ourselves. We have a memorandum of understanding and we are gentlemen. We have come a long way in political movement.

How do you hope to get the message across to all Igbo in Lagos?
We have concluded and mobilisation has almost been concluded. We are only waiting for the day to come. When the voters registration starts, you will be a witness to what I have been saying. You as a journalist can go to INEC to check those who registered. We are prepared. It is not only Igbo but also other non-indigenes. What is happening in Lagos is affecting everybody.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Igwe12: 8:12pm On Feb 27, 2011
^^^
Thanks my Brother. Let the truth be told in Nigeria. Igbos have the higest population in the country and Obasanjo and the North knew this, that was why they fought to remove the ethnicity question from the last population and grossly undercounted igbo states, Bastards,
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by damas11111(m): 8:30pm On Feb 27, 2011
A meaningless thread.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 8:32pm On Feb 27, 2011
Ramnon.2:

You said Igbo constitute 60 per cent of voters. But those called the indigenes said you are not up to 20 per cent.

If you talk of the Aworis, it spills to Ogun and Oyo States. They are not only in Lagos. They come from somewhere. But I am telling you that the last census count, when the Federal Government was conducting the count, Bola Tinubu, His Excellency was also doing his own. He was able to do accurate count and found that Igbo is 52 per cent. But for the fact that he cannot say so, he reduced it and said we are 43 and Yoruba 47. Even if we are 43 per cent, we can seize Lagos if we like. We only need 5 per cent of the Yoruba. We are the beautiful bride and the numerical strength of Ndigbo determines who becomes the governor of Lagos.

So Tinubu did a parallel census at that time? It's really interesting that Tinubu put the official Igbo population in Lagos at 43%.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Cougar2: 8:38pm On Feb 27, 2011
Ramnon.2:

Kildran
Yoruba hardly patronize public unis? This one is a big fat lie.

Come to the US and see Igbo students compared to Yoruba
Go to Germany and Singapore, South Africa just to mention a few, the story is the same
Go to Ghana, our neighbour, the story is similar. Igbos beat Yoruba everywhere

UK has lost attraction as a destination for Niaja student because of cost consideration
Nigerians now even go as far as Australia, Philippines, Canada etc to study
Moreover, an average Yoruba family is poorer than an average Igbo family
So you cannot claim to be able to go study abroad more than the Igbo
If you claim so, please provide the proof.


you are a tool!
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by excanny: 8:44pm On Feb 27, 2011
Obiagu1:

So Tinubu did a parallel census at that time? It's really interesting that Tinubu put the official Igbo population in Lagos at 43%.

Yes. He did. This is what the Igbo leaders ought to be doing in Igbo land whenever there's a census instead of running around in Abuja. It shows they are not that smart, no wonder they are politically impotent.

I'll still like to see where Tinubu declared the 43% figure though.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Ramnon2: 8:45pm On Feb 27, 2011
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Nobody: 8:50pm On Feb 27, 2011
damas11111:

A meaningless thread.

meaningless is an understatement. . .stupld makes more sense grin
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by EzeUche2(m): 8:51pm On Feb 27, 2011
~Bluetooth:

meaningless is an understatement. . .stupld makes more sense grin

It was a Yoruba who created this thread. Yet, you people do not want to listen to the truth.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by EzeUche2(m): 8:52pm On Feb 27, 2011
excanny:

Yes. He did. This is what the Igbo leaders ought to be doing in Igbo land whenever there's a census instead of running around in Abuja. It shows they are not that smart, no wonder they are politically impotent.

I'll still like to see where Tinubu declared the 43% figure though.


Exactly! We Igbos should be doing our own parallel census, to get a more accurate number.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Nobody: 8:54pm On Feb 27, 2011
EzeUche_:

It was a Yoruba who created this thread. Yet, you people do not want to listen to the truth.

and what do the poster stand to gain ? how does the title relates to the content of the first post ? angry
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 8:54pm On Feb 27, 2011
excanny:

Yes. He did. This is what the Igbo leaders ought to be doing in Igbo land whenever there's a census instead of running around in Abuja. It shows they are not that smart, no wonder they are politically impotent.

I'll still like to see where Tinubu declared the 43% figure though.

I'm still skeptical about that figure, though I wouldn't be surprise if it is true. You hardly see a family whose kids are in their late 20s not split into 2 between Igboland and Lagos.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by jason123: 9:18pm On Feb 27, 2011
Ramnon.2:

Igwe-1:

Here is the article here
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/politics/2011/feb/26/politics-26-02-2011-005.htm

2011: Igbo will assert electoral strength in Lagos-Uche


By DURO ADESEKO  Saturday, February 26, 2011

•Uche
Photo: Sun News Publishing
Chief John Uche is the chairman of the Coalition of Lagos State Opposition Political Parties (COLLASOP) now warming up to give the incumbent Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola a good fight for the Lagos House in 2011.
Chief Uche is confident that the 26 parties would win the governorship election. He spoke of the numerical strength of non- indigenes in Lagos during elections and emphasised that the Igbo constitute more than 52 per cent of the electorate.

During the last census, he said, former Governor Bola Tinubu realised that the Igbo constitute well over 60 per cent of the population but officially reduced it to 43 and gave the Yoruba 47 per cent.

According to Uche, Lagos is a no man’s land and only the Lagoon can claim to be a Lagosian. To him, every tribe in Lagos came from somewhere.
He posited that the days when the Igbo in Lagos can be exploited are over. According to him, the Igbo contributed immensely to the economy of Lagos and would be ready to assert its electoral strength at the general election next year.

He confidently stated that the Igbo in Lagos are merely waiting for INEC to blow the whistle at the beginning of the registration exercise and anybody who cares to monitor the exercise would realise that the Igbo and other non-indigenes are determined to take over Lagos.

Chief Uche however said a memorandum of understanding with other parties in the coalition stated that a Yoruba would be governorship candidate while a non- indigene would be his deputy.
He also spoke on the much talked about performance of Fashola.
Excerpts:

We leant that 26 political parties came together with the intention of taking over Lagos from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). What informed your decision to come together?
We believe Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. We also believe nobody can lay claim to Lagos. Some people may think nobody can challenge them. They think because we are smaller parties and we don’t have resources and they are at the helm of affairs. We now have to form a coalition and muster our resources to take over power in Lagos State in 2011. We are confident of doing so.





The point is that 26 political parties are involved under your chairmanship and people don’t believe that the parties put together have grassroots support.
I don’t know if ACN has grassroots support either because all the political parties started at the same time. When I brought APGA to Lagos, they did not believe that APGA could spring a surprise. I know what I did to make it in Lagos. At the end of the day, I disproved the impression that I am an underdog. Today, I want to assure you that we are on ground. The only thing that can stop us in Lagos is if one-man one vote does not count. If one-man one vote will count, I can assure you, on May 29th 2011,the governor of the coalition would be sworn in Lagos.



Many believe Governor Babatunde Fashola has done a lot of things people can see and many believe you are all jokers because you don’t have the financial muscle and you don’t have the structure in all local governments and wards?
Well, I don’t know what you mean when you say Fashola has done a lot. We have not seen that. Recently, somebody argued with me that he has performed very well in Lagos and how do you think you can defeat him? I said there is not a single thing Fashola has done in Lagos State. I will like to know what he has done.
I believe if Fashola has done well, there will be no need for us to challenge him. We are progressives. I also believe that if any of the progressive’s is doing well, it is our duty to support him so that he can do more. But Fashola has done nothing. What has he done? All the photo tricks you see in Lagos are World Bank assisted projects. LAWMA is World Bank assisted project. LAMATA is World Bank assisted project. Agricultural Project Scheme is World Bank assisted project. Water is World Bank assisted project. Then what is he doing with the statutory allocation from the federation account? What has he done with Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which runs into N53.6 billion every month? Though he declares only N30 billion.

Go to the streets of Lagos and you will see that all the local councils chairmen did nothing. The roads are bad. When there is little rain, Lagos is paralysed. So, tell me what has he done? Some said he constructed Cele /Itire bridge and I said it is a World Bank assisted project. All the contractors are the people they invited and they are the people siphoning the economy of the state.
In our World Press conference, we raised a lot of issues that they should respond to. To my greatest surprise, the ACN Publicity Secretary who we all know is a political jobber could not even say one or two things against what we raised in our Press Conference. We believe that he is an errand boy. I cannot trade words with an errand boy. Fashola has done nothing in Lagos.



Politically, people believe ACN has the structure to win election any day in Lagos. They meet regularly and plan while the 26 parties in the coalition cannot win a councillorship election.
I think election is around the corner. We would know who-is who-when the time comes. This is no longer a time they will sit at the Government House and write results. In 2008, during the council elections, we were persuaded to participate and we won in many local governments. But they wrote results and schemed all of us out. But we have no laws to contest the result in the tribunal because the Lagos Electoral Commission did not give us copies of the laws governing the election. But this is a Federal election. We would know-who is-who at this election. We are on ground and we are putting the structure on the 57 councils and not on 20. We shall match them one on one and Naira for Naira. We shall match them rice for rice and propaganda for propaganda. We are prepared.



It is believed that some corporate organizations are funding you.
If corporate organisations are prepared to bank-roll us, we won’t say no. But I can tell you that the 26 political parties are buoyant enough to finance us.



Does that mean the allegation is not true? Or you are not expecting assistance from corporate organisations?
Our room is open to donations from anywhere. Even if you can donate we shall appreciate it and record your name as one of the people that assisted the party. It is allowed. But, I am telling you that we are not banking on any business community. The 26 political parties are prepared. We are not jokers as some are saying. It is at their own peril to think we are jokers. We are prepared to take over the government of Lagos State.



Is it true that the Igbo community in Lagos is in support of the move by the 26 political parties? It is believed that the Igbo constitute 30 or 40 per cent of the Lagos electorate.
Let me tell you that the Igbo in Lagos State constitute 52 per cent and not 30 or 40 per cent. In the last voter exercise, Igbo in Lagos constitute 60 per cent of the total voters register in Lagos State. What I want to tell you is that in 12 out of the 20 local governments, Igbo are 60 per cent. But each time there is election the cabal in Lagos would come to the Igbos and use them as campaigners and voters and after election, they dump them and wait for another election. We have already had our meetings, we have concluded to slug it out this time. Whoever is associating with them is pretending. We have concluded that we must be part of governance of Lagos State. We contribute 80 per cent to the economy of Lagos.

If Nigeria can congratulate Obama on winning election as president of US, what stops us from doing the same in Lagos? There are some people answer Smith, Ransome- Kuti, Cole, Jonhson, Williams and they’re tolerated and they held political power in Lagos. So tell me, what stops Ibrahim, Musa, Okonkwo, Okorie, Uche from contesting in Lagos? Most of the people that ruled Lagos apart from Mobolaji Johnson and Micheal Otedola, the rest are non-indigenes. So, if somebody from Osun State can be governor in Lagos and somebody from Ekiti can be governor, it means somebody from Kano, Imo, Anambra can also be governor. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state. It is a no man’s land. The only indigene in Lagos is the Lagoon. All others migrated from different places to settle in Lagos. Therefore, we are all Lagosian and we shall leave Lagos better than we met it.



The argument that Lagos is a no mans land dates back to a very long time. But there are traditional rulers all over the place. They consider it an insult to say that Lagos is no man’s land.
Those people should check their race to know where they come from. The Benin people who first came to Lagos never laid claim to Lagos. The first Oba of Lagos, Oba Kosoko is from somewhere. Why is it that …I don’t want to talk about Obas so, I don’t insult some people.
But let me tell you, before 1817, Igbo have come to Lagos to settle, inter marry, socialise and intermingle with people they met. They contributed immensely to the development of Lagos State. Their contributions have run into several billions of Naira. Lagos was just a swamp. We sound filled and built houses. If anybody can go to Oweri, Onitsha and Enugu and contribute economically, he would be made governor without contesting election.
Everybody has the right according to the constitution of Nigeria to contest election anywhere you find yourself if you have stayed over 10 years. I came to Lagos with nothing. Today, I have children, I built my house, and I have cars and other things. So, I am a Lagosian. I only travel home once in a year and I come back to settle in Lagos. Why must you call me non- indigene? Are you the ocean? Only the Lagoon can claim to be omo onile. All others are settlers.

You said Igbo constitute 60 per cent of voters. But those called the indigenes said you are not up to 20 per cent.
If you talk of the Aworis, it spills to Ogun and Oyo States. They are not only in Lagos. They come from somewhere. But I am telling you that the last census count, when the Federal Government was conducting the count, Bola Tinubu, His Excellency was also doing his own. He was able to do accurate count and found that Igbo is 52 per cent. But for the fact that he cannot say so, he reduced it and said we are 43 and Yoruba 47. Even if we are 43 per cent, we can seize Lagos if we like. We only need 5 per cent of the Yoruba. We are the beautiful bride and the numerical strength of Ndigbo determines who becomes the governor of Lagos.



Are you implying that an Igbo would likely be presented as governorship candidate on the platform of the 26 parties in the 2011 election?
Anybody can be governorship candidate. We are not discriminating. As I am talking to you, we have seven governorship aspirants from different tribes of Nigeria. But we believe that a Yoruba man must be the governor. Then, we have ceded the position of deputy to non-indigene. There must be a credible candidate who may be Hausa, Igbo or any other tribe in Nigeria. They will all go through primaries and whoever emerges would become our candidate.



Would that not result in fighting?
We know ourselves. We have a memorandum of understanding and we are gentlemen. We have come a long way in political movement.

How do you hope to get the message across to all Igbo in Lagos?
We have concluded and mobilisation has almost been concluded. We are only waiting for the day to come. When the voters registration starts, you will be a witness to what I have been saying. You as a journalist can go to INEC to check those who registered. We are prepared. It is not only Igbo but also other non-indigenes. What is happening in Lagos is affecting everybody.




ROM"EFFING"FLMAO!!! grin grin grin grin grin
Na real wa ooo! Ramon, why don't you contest?? grin grin grin grin

But on a real guys, why do you all want to attract violence on yourselves? Do you not all like it as we all live in peace without discrimination?? Do you not like it as there is no "jos" in the south? Why do you all want the locals to feel insecure and then you will scream tribalism? Why are you guys like this? Must someone or OPC start violence before you all know the TRUTH? Although, I am an outsider but I know my place and I am sure that most ethnic groups know theirs, that is why they (other ethnic groups) do not make the locals insecure as you guys do. Even if anyone wants to rule, he should let it happen "naturally" without any sign or intent on forcefully taking it by influxing the state.

Anyway, you guys should win one local government this year oo! Goodluck!!!! wink cool.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 9:25pm On Feb 27, 2011
^^^

Nobody has a monopoly on violence.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by SegzyJoe(m): 9:26pm On Feb 27, 2011
@post
It is BIG Mouthness like this that has undermined Igbo political destiny in the Project Nigeria. A leopard can not change its skin, never.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by jason123: 9:32pm On Feb 27, 2011
Obiagu1:

^^^

Nobody has a monopoly on violence.

shocked shocked shocked shocked
Oh really?! Thanks for reminding me. BTW, how are you going to get "reinforcements" in if/when violnce starts?? Even the Hausas could not get in when it started in Alausa upon the support of the "Mighty" Arewa.

Just to remind you of your map

Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Obiagu1(m): 9:39pm On Feb 27, 2011
^^^

The buffer zone between Igbos and Yorubas is very thin, it's only Edo State. The whole of Northern Delta State to Edo is Igbo.

As for getting reinforcement, ask Lagosians what happened when the Yorubas attacked the Igbos.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by ekubear1: 11:08pm On Feb 27, 2011
At those trying to shout down this thread. . . it is better to know the truth and deal with it accordingly than deny it, imo.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Cougar2: 2:20pm On Feb 28, 2011
Ramnon.2:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-371485.0.html
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-554457.0.html
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-371635.0.html (this one may sound comical but it is coming from a Yoruba)

so these links are supposed to tell me an average igbo family is richer than his yoruba counterpart? i'm sorry for the future of today's nigerian graduates.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Dede1(m): 2:36pm On Feb 28, 2011
Like any mortal, Awo’s legacy is mix bag at best. Even though some visionless disciples of Awo are hell bent to create one of the wonders of earth in Nigeria as Awolowo.
Re: Awo's Legacy: A Blessing Or Curse To Yorubas? by Dede1(m): 2:46pm On Feb 28, 2011
eku_bear:

At those trying to shout down this thread. . . it is better to know the truth and deal with it accordingly than deny it, imo.


At least, you seem to have caught the honesty flu on the truth about the whole political saga in Nigeria as in the case of a post which detailed Awoloow’s political treachery against Zik and NCNC.

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