Fashola’s Human Cargo: Who is a Lagos indigene? Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, present day Lagos State Governor hails from Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti State. His immediate predecessor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is from Osun State. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola now governor of Osun State, was a former Commissioner in Lagos State. So was Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele (from Ekiti State), Tunji Bello (from Kwara State) Dele Alake (Ekiti State) and many other personalities who had served or are serving the state in various capacities. In fact, about 70 per cent of Tinubu’s cabinet was drawn from non-indigenes. Little wonder that the original owners of the land (Omo Eko) had not ceased in their quest to have a “full-blood” son or daughter rule the once capital of Nigeria. Why am I going through this long history? It is only to belie the claim by the Lagos State Government that the recent deportation of persons of Ibo extraction to Onitsha, Anambra State was because they were non-indigenes. Hear what the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Umar Manko said last week while briefing newsmen after the State Security Council meeting at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos: “What happened was the state did rehabilitation and resettlement of citizens from other states who came into the state and turned into destitute, after, the state government revived and reformed them. After that, they indicated their interest of going back to their home town to be resettled. That was what happened.” The police boss said. In another meeting with Senator Chris Ngige, Mr. Fashola was quoted to have said that contrary to claims, “the issue in question has nothing to do with deportation, but a social welfare intervention, involving several homeless destitute and other psychiatric cases roaming the streets and some living under the bridges in Lagos.” Assuming the people were of Lagos State origin, would Fashola have deported them? And to where? If Fashola himself is not a Lagos indigene, does he have the moral right to call another person, non-indigene not to talk of deportation under the most bizarre condition? It is said that he who goes to equity must go with clean hands. As a lawyer, Fashola knows what the law says. And I think the Nigerian constitution had put to rest the issue of indigine and non-indigene. Recent happenings in Plateau State are a case in point. At what point does a person become an indigene of a state? And at what point does he/she cease to be one? Why has Fashola not deported his kits and kins from Ekiti, Osun and other places? What of the notorious Yoruba Area Boys who managed his campaign and helped rig elections for him and his predecessor in office? It is a known fact that the fear of these dreaded miscreants in Lagos is the beginning of wisdom for any resident. Why is Fashola tolerating and pampering these boys and girls? One simple reason! They are Yorubas. And if the allegation against the hapless deportees was true, does it mean only Ibos sleep under the Lagos bridge? Tinubu once called himself Lagos Boys. Anybody who has lived in Lagos knows what being a Lagos Boy means. Can Fashola muster enough courage to deal with Tinubu and the profligacy that has come to be associated with both governments including owning more than half of the properties in Victoria Island and Lekki? Suffice it to say that Lagos by virtue of its location, attraction, commercial activity and status is today a cosmopolitan city offering shelter to people of various tribes, religion, language and culture. It will therefore be out of place for anybody to tag another non-indigene. Every resident is called Lagosian. that is the unifying word. It is an indisputable fact that more than 70% of the residents including yours faithfully have their origins from outside the state. But in real fact, these people have contributed and continue to contribute to the positive growth and development of Lagos. If in doubt, visit Lagos on Xmas day when most people have travelled. Hence, the recent deportation is strongly condemned. Or how else would you describe a situation where human beings were arrested, detained in a congested cell, packed like cattle and transported at night to their state? That is callous. As an alternative, when a particular state feels that the population is getting out of control, it should create laws that will take care of the situation. If Fashola does not want people to loiter about, let him create a law that will handle that. He can thereafter, arrest and prosecute any offender. Till date, I am yet to see Nigerian law that deals on deportation of a Nigerian citizen from one state to another. Section 34 (i) of the constitution states: “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person”, while section 41 (i) states: “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereof or exit therefrom.” Chapter four of the same constitution creates a wide range of rights to citizens. This section says no person shall be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment. The combined effects of these constitutional provisions is that the right of a Nigerian to dignity of human person, right to personal liberty and right to freedom of movement are expressly guaranteed in our Supreme Law. There are, however, limitations to these provisions, but such limitations are carried out with a caveat i.e. in accordance with a procedure permitted by law. Under our constitution, no state government has the right to deport. Deportation is from one country to another. If a Nigerian resident in any part of the country commits a crime, he ought to be tried and if found guilty, punished within the state. The action of Lagos State Government is condemnable and a complete violation of our constitution. And it gives the impression that Ibos are criminals, who are merely being tolerated in Lagos. The government ought to know that the brothers and sisters of those deported are the ones developing Lagos. If you deport a fellow Nigerian because he or she has no home or mentally is sick, have you not failed as a state in assisting the needy? Eko oni Baje o!
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 15:49:00 +0000
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