No Man's Land: We Are Solidly With You On Indigenous Laws - Awori Youths To Obase

​ON THE LONG AWAITED INDIGENOUS LAWS OF LAGOS, WE ARE SOLIDLY WITH YOU

By; Ogbeji Ajibode Abdulkabir O.

- An Indigenous Youth of Orile Agege and Ota Awori Land

For; Awori Youths of Lagos & Ogun State

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It is very expected that in a sane community/society, there would be indigenous laws, rights and privileges to guide the historical and ancestral indigenes of the land, but the opposite has been the case in this our southwestern part of Nigeria most especially Lagos state.

One would be surprised as to what has caused the hullabaloo on the promised made by Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the Speaker of the 10th Assembly of Lagos State as part of his acceptance speech at the proclamation and inauguration of the new State Assembly, to enact laws that will protect the rights and privileges of the accommodating Lagos indigenes whom cut across the 5 (Five) major divisions that made up Lagos State i.e Ikeja division, Lagos Island division, Epe division, Badagry division and Ikorodu division. 

Now the question we keep asking those of who are against Rt. Hon. Obasa who said in his acceptance speech after he was re-elected to the office of the Speaker that “There would be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles and we will reverse all that are reversible to protect the interest of the indigenes", is that; do they really wish the original land owners bad to the extent of having the intentions to take over and rewrite the ancestral history of Lagos? God forbid.

Now let us remind ourselves that Nigeria's Constitution has given rights to other indigenous laws to guide the rights and privileges of the citizens and such laws are the Shari'a and Customary laws.

And for the shari'a law to have succeeded in guiding the affairs and norms of the northerners, why then must we southerners continue to berate our rights and privileges across our states all in the name of having different political ideologies or process of politicking.

Let us also remind ourselves that our constitution has given the legislative arm of each state across the federation, power to make laws and resolutions in such ways that would befit the culture, traditions and norms of their lands and the people therein respectively. Such laws are therefore set up to articulate the natural or original thought of the people who are indigenes of the geographical area where the laws operates. What then is the reason for the ranting?.

I have taken my time to read several reactions from the enemies of the progress of the indigenous people of Lagos whom are only what our people do refer to as "awọn atọunrinwa alejo to ba onilẹdulẹ" i.e migrants dragging with the landowners, they are everywhere on social media hurling all sorts of abuse on Mr Speaker for his submission, but we make bold to say that they will not succeed in their mission to take over our ancestral land and pride all in the name of claiming to hold the same rights as citizens of Nigeria. 

Yes! We are one Nigeria, but that doesn't give us the right to disrespect other people's ethnic backgrounds/ancestral origins, especially when we reside in their domains, but calling other people's land as a "No man's land" will never be tolerated, although it is always better for the benefit of all, to see our diversities as a blessing to accommodate and respect ourselves as fellow compatriots that belongs to one nation.

However, some miscreants are all over social media spaces insulting the political leaders of the indigenous people of Lagos. Minewhile, these miscreants are the same set of people that still maintain their agitation of pulling out of Nigeria claiming that they are not longer citizens of a faulty country, but they have forgotten Lagos is part of the faulty country they claim not to further belong to. 

Let us again reiterate that the reason why these laws will come and stay is the same reason why Nigeria have Commission's that protects rights and privileges of the indigenous people of some part of Nigeria some of which are the Niger Delta Development Commission, North East Development Commission while other parts of the country do not have. 

There is no place in the where protection of the rights and privileges of indigenes is seen as an offense, what then is the reason for the cries and yellings.

The earlier you take the fact that our Lagos is and never will be a "No man's land" is the better for you all, so it is for your own good to hold your lane as visitors that you are and stop being ingrates to your host and accommodating landowners.

It is on this note that we call on the attention of our indigenous leaders in Lagos and all across the Southwest States to start taking precautionary measures in their dealings be it politically, economically, socially and so on, because it is their past mistakes and selfish interests that has gotten us to where we are today, we just pray that such mistake would not repeat themselves as we forge ahead towards the right path by taking the interest of their fellow kinsmen as their priorities.

We therefore commend the bold and courageous step that has been announced by Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa and we hope that he ensures to fulfill on his promise as we look forward to this legislative laws that has long been overdue to bring a lasting end to the menace of claiming our Lagos is a "No man's land", and we are using this medium to assure him of our total support in his bid to make this laws come to existence.