LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT AND THEIR EXCESSES The deportation of 67 Nigerian citizens from Lagos State to Onitsha, Anambra State, expectedly dredged up many shades of emotions. Those who make capital out of ethnic paranoia read the act as a throwback to the Igbo-Must-Go pre-Biafran War frenzy; the vampires who feed off the same bad blood they generate latched on the deportation to the case of Ladipo Market shutdown, and throw both up as examples of anti-Igbo behaviour. Take for instance, ex-governor Orji Uzor Kalu, who wants to sue Governor Babatunde Fashola over the deportation. His threat smacks of carpetbaggery; he needs this to revive his rested political relevance. The Lagos State PDP also came into the ring, demanding a public apology from the governor, all to snag some political mileage out of the situation. Some NGOs are also threatening to sue on behalf of the poor Igbo deportees. As always, the poor are cannon fodder for political opportunism. All these bawlers need to get over themselves and understand that given Fashola’s antecedents, this cannot be about regionalism. There are many well-to-do and middle class Igbo in Lagos and Fashola enjoys a good relationship with them. During the 2011 elections, they hosted dinners in his honour, gave him a chieftaincy title, and donated generously to his campaign. The charge of ethnic profiling and its attendant bickering is unhelpful, as it does not advance germane arguments. In 2009, the Oyo State Government accused Fashola of dumping mendicants in Ibadan (Molete Bridge, specifically) but not many were paying attention then, probably because it was Adebayo Alao-Akala (the dude no one wants to be caught defending) speaking. In the third quarter of last year, about 600 Nigerians were reportedly dropped off at the same Upper Iweka, Onitsha. There have been reports of deportations of beggars to their Northern homesteads. In a documentary, Lagos, Africa’s Big Apple, Fashola stated that Lagos is home for all. What he didn’t add was that it is not a place for beggars and the underprivileged. You have to be rich (and taxpaying!) before you can live in Lagos. What we see, therefore, is a problem of class discrimination. The forced deportation is about classism — the oppression of poor people by the rich and powerful and, the culture that perpetuates this. In May, eight men, all from Northern Nigeria and aged between 50 and 65 were sentenced to jail for the offence of street begging. Come on, when middle-aged men beg for alms, it implies a malignant social problem a stint in jail will never cure. It is a human index that indicates that despite Nigeria’s much-touted optimistic economic growth figures, her bottom poor is rapidly sinking. In June, a World Bank report indicated that the rate of statistical growth in Nigeria contrasts the reality of her ever-growing proletariat. The deportation is a sweet case study for Marxian theorists; Lagos does not welcome poor and destitute people. When the “Welcome to Lagos” documentary pointed this out in 2010, Lagos went on the offensive. The state government paints Lagos as if it is an oasis, separate and distinct, from the general malaise afflicting other Nigerian cities. As things stand, there is an unbelievable amount of poor people in Nigeria; opportunities are few and far between; unemployment rate is high and, people are frustrated in the hinterlands. In such a situation, people, naturally, will migrate to urban centres where they believe they can at least increase their chances of survival. There is very little Fashola’s deportation can therefore achieve. For every mendicant he deports, another 70 X 70 are moving, at breakneck speed, towards Lagos. The response of Lagos to the allegation does not even help issues. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Youths and Social Development, Dr. Enitan Dolapo Badru, was quoted as saying Lagos was merely being altruistic, and reuniting them with their families. First, if the goal is a family reunion, why dump them on the bridge at the crack of dawn? Whether Upper Iweka or Molete Bridge, did Lagos contact their parents/guardians to come and pick them at a rendezvous? Second, did they try to assist them find their way home? Was there any documentation whatsoever signed by parents/guardians that states they received their children/wards in good health? Were Anambra State officials even informed of this reunion? By the way, who thinks they are all minors? The persons who appeared in the pictures accompanying the news reports do not all look like 18-year-olds and below. The response of Lagos is a poorly thought-out lie that suggests the state government did not think it would answer to anybody on the issue. The flipside to criticising Fashola, however, is also to understand that urban planning and regeneration requires a lot of tough measures and the poor are always the first to go. Tourists who visit New York to gawk at the skyline hardly see the drying blood of poor people sacrificed in the process. Indeed, a lot of us will like a cleaner and more functional Lagos where beggars do not constitute social nuisance; where Okada riders do not drive on the few sidewalks; where street-lights function; where the roads are tarred; where there are minimal robberies and a thriving nightlife; where many “Fashola-Is-Working” projects are not concentrated on Lagos Island. Yes, a Lagos where people do not hang clothes on bridge railings or major highways; and a proper city where you do not have to encounter open sewers everywhere. This kind of urbanisation is a lot of work and sacrifice but one that must not lose a human face in the process. Deporting poor people, for instance, is no solution. If Fashola can find enough money to deport people, he can find enough money to rehabilitate them, right there in Lagos. In certain rich cities like New York, they have homeless shelters and soup kitchens where they house and feed the poor. And this is where the rest of us should come in: Such social programmes for poor people are usually supported with charitable contributions from the society. Let those who truly care about the poor –Igbo and non-Igbo alike — not merely stop at criticising Fashola for deporting them. They should help the poor live by going to the beggars’ rehabilitation centre in Ikorodu to donate food and clothing items. It is called putting-your-money-where your-mouth-is, or something like that.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:10:49 +0000
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