Obi Of Lagos: Provocation Taken Too Far, By Tunde Abatan
Lagos, indeed people of Yoruba, South West Nigeria were once again taken by surprise about the arrest in Lagos Wednesday September 10,of Engineer Chibuike Azubike 65,and three others namely Chibuzor Azu,57,Chief Martins Nwaodika 65 and Mr Ikechukwu Frankly Nnamdi 41, over the launching of a N1.5billion Palace of Obi of Lagos in Amuwo Odofin local government Area.
Really, the law provides for those seeking Eze Ndigbo of Lagos to seek approval of Ministry of Local Government and chieftaincy Affairs.
Failure to do this is punishable with two years imprisonment.
By definition, the Eze Ndigbo is a lesser title than Obi which carries with it territorial control over an area vis a vis ethnic enclave.
Except the Obi of Onitsha which is a well recognised title in the South East, nobody has ever play with the idea of an Obi in another ethnic ancestral area outside the South East.
Having an Obi is equivalent of an Oba whose in Yorubaland has authority over the ancestral area which itself is defined by geographical setting .
The staff of office is normally presented to such by the local government on behalf of the state government which holds the prescribed authority after due diligence have been followed in the selection and picking by ruling houses recognised by traditional ancestry.
This is the reason why the action of Chibuike and his cohorts is suspect and an affront on ancestral land and enclave and challenge to authority .
The question to ask is, are these characters the youngest of who is 41, acting on unknown laws existing in the state.?
Ironically, three of them including the leader himself is a chief from his native Imo State.
Does it mean that, Imo State prescribed native authority has been extended to an area carved out of Lagos -a state with no known historical connection or linkage with Lagos, a predominantly Yoruba enclave.
Does it also mean that he as Obi will preside over a territory where Yoruba and other tribes are predominant or that a new set of laws will be created solely for the Igbos in a foreign territory with no ancestral semblance or connection to the South East.?
Beside, the premises of a foreign embassy, could an immigrant operate separate laws different from their host communities?
It is also curious why the action of Chibuike is coming barely six months after a High Court in Lagos sentenced one Frederick Nwajagu, self- styled Eze Ndigbo of Ajao estate to 12 months imprisonment for parading himself as a certified chief in Lagos an action which contravenes the Oba and chiefs law of the state.
But the presiding Judge Yetunde Adesanya set him free after conviction because he has spent two years in detention.
In the second charge of planning insurrection by threatening to invite IPOB to Lagos he was discharged fir want of evidence by the prosecutor.
It will be recalled that he was clamped into detention in April 2023 for allegedly threatening in a video circulated during the general election , to invite members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB to Lagos to protect the properties of Igbos resident in the state.
He issued the threat on account of disputation of election result they claimed fellow Igbo, Rhodes Vivour of the Labour party won.
Before his threats, it is an open secret that majority of Igbo believes Lagos is in their own definition…No Man’s Land.
This claim received impetus when Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of Labour Party defeated then candidate of APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the state during the presidential election.
It is also on record that this result emboldened the Obidients who are regarded as foot soldiers of Obi to invade entrance of Lagos State secretariat with placards to signify the probable defeat of incumbent governor Babajide Sanwo -Olu in the forthcoming governorship election.
Has this been the case, a justifiable reason would’ve been established for ‘No man’s Land’ label on Lagos.
But then, how did we get to this stage in the history of Nigeria before and after independence?
Unknown to many, except those who are conversant or read corrective narrative about the genesis of Yoruba cum Igbo mutual distrust, it all started in Lagos in the early 50s prior to the pre- independence election in the Western Region.
Since none of the then Action Group and NCNC had a clear majority, an election took place in the Western House.
Prior to this, the Yoruba political class some of who are followers of Dr Nnamdi Azikwe were suspicious of motive for Zik to send Dr Mike Opara to emerge as Premier of East Region while he came to Ibadan to contest for Premiership of the Western region.
But for the intervention of traditional rulers who saw through the hidden agenda still manifesting today, and the Ibadan Peoples Party…Mabolaje delegates, led by late Chief Meredith Adisa Akinloye who voted on the floor for Chief Awolowo, it would’ve been another story today.
The progressive strides in the south west which sets it ahead of other regions till date would have been jettisoned.
The firsts recorded by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in free education, integrated rural development, building Cocoa house then tallest in West Africa, Liberty Stadium, Western Nigeria Television established ahead of France, and other pace setting achievements would have been elusive .
During the election, Azikwe, it will be recalled has the backings of then stormy petrel of Ibadan politics, Chief Adegoke Adelabu aka Penkelemesi ,Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, JMJ in Lagos but the AG carried the day.
With the benefit of hindsight that election saved the complete subjugation of Yoruba political interest up till the pre- independence election of 1959 and the first post independent election of 1964 when the NCNC faction of United Progressives Grand Alliance, UPGA jettison the agreement with AG and entered into accord with Northern Peoples Congress, NPC.
Subsequent attempts to form a coalition in the South have always met with sabotage by the South East political tendency during the second republic when the then NPP led by Zik again entered into an alliance with NPN to form a coalition in 1979.
Really, a coalition is not needed in a presidential system hence the accord also broke like the First Republic in 1981 just two years into the second republic.
Hence, the attempt by Chibuike though may not be clear to those without discerning mind is a surreptitious attempt to return to the drawing board as it was in the first two republics and this time around change the narrative using a systemic distortion of ancestral demography of Lagos and by extension South West.
Building of ‘Obi palace in Lagos’ is a surreptitious culmination of a long held goal and plot of the Igbo to either replace the ancestral indigenes of Lagos or divide the cosmopolitan city into two claiming they built it together.
Those who understand the history of displacement of local people worldwide knew it always start with foreigners bringing as many migrants as possible to overwhelm the local populace and before you knew it the Yoruba adage..omo eru to fe se bi Oba will become a reality through surreptitious change of demography and gradual distortion of history .
The exodus of people of Southeast extraction to Lagos was prompted not only because of the insecurity which the collapse of the value system in the region has encouraged but also to control access to the coast since the region is landlocked.
This integration and gradual distortion of demography and history could thrive in a cosmopolitan setting like Yoruba whose liberalism has made settlers spit in their face to justify the saying….Eni to fun igbira loti yo lo je ko so pe ..give me another tumbra..(when you give a slave too much wine he will ask for more. )
In other words, if care is not taken, he may even take the gourd from you.
While it is common knowledge that cosmopolitan attitude of any setting normally encourage development which South West has reaped abundantly from in contemporary Nigeria, the slogan of ‘No man’s Land and selling of land’ titles by indigenes an traditional rulers which their people do not enjoy in other regions without regard for caution . This has gravely eroded the ancestral ownership especially of Lagos coupled with exploitation of lack of knowledge of our political history of our ignorant youths recruited for sinister motives during the last elections.
It was done purely for domination and this has exploited the South West .
It is so clear that the activities of Chibuike and his cohorts is a preemptive strike before the 2027 general elections as it is not impossible that politicians are actively working behind the scene.
That Chibuike and cohorts has the effrontery and audacity at a period coming close to election year is a confirmation of grand plot to wired the local government for specific political doctrinarian of voters from a region desperate for power.
It is also curious that the action is coming after some local governments in Lagos State change foreign names of streets to indigenous names which they have the constitutional prerogative to do.
Besides, local government reserve the right to recognise indigenes and protect the erosion of their ancestral values.
The decision by the Police Command in Lagos is only reasonable thing to do to prevent an ethnic backlash of the outright provocation which was the hidden motive of the arrested sponsors.
For the Ndigbo, either acting through a group of faceless agents or political actors, it was a Provocation taken too far and akin to injury sustained over the years by their magnanimous hosts.
For record, only in the South West that people allowed the south east to reclaim their abandoned properties after the end of the Civil War between 1967-1970.
It is on record that throughout the period of the war, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was saving the monthly allocation due to the Eastern region from the federation account.
The money was part of amount set aside by the General Yakubu Gowon government to execute the three Rs- Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the war damaged areas.
To attempt a domination of your magnanimous hosts who made you feel at home over the past seven decades is a Provocation taken too far.
It is an attempt to remind the true owners that their liberalism has gone too far and due for Review in view of our contemporary experience.
Nothing short of Restructuring of the Federation along the lines of what the colonial masters gave us before the military interregnum will solve the emerging conflict in future.
The time to do that is now.
Only a mutual arrangement that gives respect of Indigenous rights, native to Africa can lead to political stability of Nigeria.
If the Ndigbo has failed to achieve domination in foreign countries like South Africa, Ghana to mention a few attempting it in Nigeria is suicidal.
