Category: Steve Osuji

The other day, our octogenarian elder, General Theophilus Danjuma, in hailing President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat, threw a barb at Late Ikemba, Odumegwu Ojukwu. If Ojukwu had conceded the defeat of Biafra early as Jonathan did in 2015 election, fewer people would have died during the civil war, he said.

The Nigerian civil war remains a wound in the hearts of millions of our compatriots; Ojukwu is long dead and cannot answer. Why would Gen. Danjuma poke so casually at our wounds?

Now Gen. Danjuma is urging Buhari to probe the Jonathan administration. Again to what end? As President Jonathan has spoken up, are you going to single out his period for probe? We know what Obasanjo did, we remember the Yar’Adua cabal, Abdulsalami’s escapade is fresh; not to mention Abacha and Babangida, etc.

Why don’t we just draw a line, consign Jonathan too to that sordid archive of our history and encourage President Buhari to proceed on a path of national rebirth. By the way is casting the first stone? Can any Nigerian big man stand a probe?

There is hunger in this land; yes, in our own dear country Nigeria, there is extreme hunger. But sadly, we are in a twilight zone, a transition time-warp in which no one is really in charge and the economy is in partial shutdown until May 29, 2015. To compound the situation, the out-going administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has virtually run the country aground, leaving it gasping for breath.

Further still, while this extreme condition persists for the citizenry, both the out-going government and the in-coming one seem either oblivious of this fact or are incapacitated to act. Numerous factors have precipitated the very lean times the generality of Nigerians are passing through today.

Where’s all the money gone? There is a serious cash crunch in the land as so many people have become broke and beggarly. From the months preceding the general election up until now, there has been a palpable austerity among the populace. It is not unusual to have two to three persons daily pestering you for financial help. The immediate causes must be attributed to the blistering election campaigns in which no amount was spared by the two major parties, PDP and APC.

Funds amounting to billions of naira had been stacked and disbursed for the purposes of the election. The postponement of the elections by six weeks further imposed a severe toll on the finances of both the federal and state governments that had to dip into public treasuries to carry through the extended period.

This may also explain why almost all the states of the federation, including the Federal Government (until recently) were carrying back log of unpaid workers’ salaries and allowances. Not in recent memory do we remember workers in Nigeria being owed salaries for between two to six months in many states of the federation. Not even in the period of the civil war did this happen.

Economy, what economy? The current economic debacle came to a head late last year when the prices of crude oil plunged sharply by nearly half. This had immediately impacted negatively on Nigeria and her pedestrian economy that stands precariously on crude oil export as her primary source of revenue. This meant that the fund available for distribution was almost halved. This also meant that states of the federation which are mainly dependent on the revenue allocation from the centre became immediately distressed.

A further implication of the crude prices crash is the steep reduction in foreign exchange earnings and the attendant fall in naira’s exchange rate. For an import-dependent economy, this means that inflation has suddenly descended upon us. Very few things are wholly produced without the need for imported components, therefore, prices of goods and services including foodstuff have been inching up gradually. For those who still manage to get paid, the value has depreciated a notch or two.

However, the energy crises of the past month may have dealt the harshest blow on the people.

The fall in earnings has meant that government can hardly raise the funds to pay for her huge petroleum products imports. Nigeria is the only major oil producing country that still imports most of her petroleum products need. She ships out crude oil as one product and imports nearly a dozen products derived from refining that single crude oil.

Nigeria imports at premium prices such refined products as petrol, kerosene, diesel, engine oil, to name just a few. Today, the quantity of crude exported and its selling price have fallen signaling deep crisis in the land. For over twenty years, Nigeria has been running on imported petroleum products, sometimes plowing back nearly one quarter of our earnings to importing products we can produce here.

In the guise of a dubious subsidy, so much revenue was lost to a long sustained racket that grew into a cancer which killed Nigeria’s old refineries and stifled the development of new ones over two decades. Our chicken has come home to roost now. We can hardly pay for refined products today. There is scarcity of products causing prices to shoot up by about 50 per cent where it is available. This singular factor is almost bringing the country to a lock-down.

Electricity power supply has also declined rapidly and long outages have become the order of the day. Official power generation is reported to have dropped abysmally below 2000 mega watts for a population of about 170 million people. This is perhaps the lowest in the last two decades. The usual dry season ferment at the hydro facilities and  pipeline vandalism have been blamed. No matter what the cause may be, the spiral effect of this is sure to reverberate in the pockets of the people – especially the medium to low income earners.

Many companies are retrenching quietly having been hit hard by the naira slump and the energy crises. This, of course, compounds the already dire unemployment situation in the land. The revelation that the Federal Government has borrowed about half a billion already this quarter ostensibly to service recurrent expenditure is a pointer to the severity of Nigeria’s situation. State governments are also overly exposed. But we know it is the election; the damned election that has crunched most of our cash.

No one is admitting it but Nigeria seems to have a long night ahead of her.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but that is certainly not true for Iara Fortes-Oshiomhole, the brand new bride of our comrade governor, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. The exquisite beauty of 32-year-old Iara must be in the eye of every man that beholds her unless such a man is especially challenged. Tongues wagged so much last Friday when her pictures started streaming in the media one may have noticed some guys’ tongues hanging out as they stared at the picture.

Last weekend, the governor roused his home town of Auchi when he took his Cape Verdean queen for wife in a grand and elaborate ceremony. Almost everyone who mattered in Nigeria today was there beginning from the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

At some point in a man’s life, he must award himself a gift of a grand ceremony, a festival of colours and conviviality if only to reaffirm life and the essences of living. This conviction is more apt for Oshiomhole who lost his first wife to cancer five years ago. But the timing of this bash seems not quite right; it seems a bit insensitive to be throwing a party at a time most of Nigeria’s workforce are not sure of their monthly pay. We must be careful how we revel in a season of hunger.

A recap of five quick points On May 1, I had listed what I termed “Five quick points for General Buhari”; some initial actions he could take upon stepping into Aso Rock, to set the tone of his administration. I had called them low hanging fruits he could reach for quickly and achieve some immediate salutary changes.

By way of a recap, I had noted that, one, he must let the system work; the old rule books must be reactivated. For instance, there are rules for tackling corruption through the Office of the Auditor General. Two, he should get the federal budget back on track immediately. This means it MUST be read on January 1 without fail; capex MUST be at least 60 per cent of total expenditure and we MUST achieve at least 70 per cent performance.

Three, he must block leakages of government revenues, especially in revenue-earning MDAs. He MUST put round pegs in like holes. They MUST have targets and they MUST render annual accounts publicly the way private companies do.

Four, he MUST ensure that the 774 LGAs across the land come back to life. This will be a long-drawn battle but it is important that he makes the statement from day one that anyone pocketing the allocations meant for any LGA anywhere in the land would be incurring his wrath. All sorts of evil have infested the land because LGAs are virtually shut down across the land; a few people pocket their allocation and the entire economy of these units of government is vitiated.

Five, though this is a tough call, he must endeavor to make the right appointments that suit his character and temperament. He has promised to declare his assets; he must make all appointees do same and depose them where they are accessible to the public.

And now, five other things General Buhari might want to consider in the course of his administration.

One, the amazing power of personal example and precepts Leaders like Obasanjo, Abacha, Babangida and Jonathan failed woefully because they never pretended to be good leaders nor did they show personal examples of good leadership. It may sound trite and stupid but this is the key. You must live by the rules you set for the rest of the populace. For instance, these aforementioned leaders were busy doing violence to our treasury day and night yet they insisted they were “fighting corruption”. How can corruption fight itself?

In other words, you must be an exemplar of all the great virtues you expect from the people and for your country. In the next four years, the state of the country, her image, her successes and failures will represent the very archetype of who you are and what you are. In other words, leadership is the key; whatever you do will permeate all the way down.

Two, rebuilding our institutions, physical and moral There would not be any need for such fancy 10-point or 100-point agendas; no need for any dubious reform programmes.

The basics, the basics and the basics again are what he must focus upon. There is no doubt that most of the institutions of state are comatose, if not dead. We are also in dire need of moral re-armament and value re-orientation. We have over the years, become like the denizens of the jungle where anything goes and nothing is held sacred. All the rules, procedures and codes of conduct in our public lives have broken down or are completely eroded.

There is need for a deliberate effort to rebuild our institutions along the line of rules and procedures. Starting with the civil service, the police, the military and the entire security system, the democratic apparatuses, and indeed every instrument of government; we simply need to get them working again according to laid down rules.

On the moral end, the presidency, appointees and top government official must shun ostentation and hedonistic lifestyles. No more a dozen aircraft in the presidential fleet (just two should suffice); no more such endless stretch of presidential convoys and wanton feeding allowances. It must be made explicit that money and good life are not the purposes of holding public office.

Three, protecting our strategic assets It is either that our past governments did not appreciate our strategic assets or they viewed them as honey pots to be plundered. Our crude oil and electricity are our key strategic assets and the Buhari administration must take an especial care of them. Why would a government worth its name tell us we lose 400,000 bpd (about 20% of total production) of crude oil to theft yet such a government remains in power? It is unheard of anywhere else. Why would untrained, rag-tag militia groups be paid billion of naira to guard our most important national asset? This must be the worst form of criminality perpetrated against the state by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

It is the same scenario with our electric power asset. This crucial aspect of our commonwealth have been parceled out to buccaneers and profiteers some of whom have not invested a dime and who have been creaming off the assets and holding the nation to ransom.

General Buhari must take a critical look at these assets and make sure the right things are done in the best interest of the country. Let it be noted now that if Nigeria is still importing petroleum products four years hence; if Nigerians do not enjoy at least 12 hours of power supply in four years’ time, then it would be deemed that his government failed. I don’t think Nigerians are interested in how he gets these things done.

Four, rescuing the legislature, judiciary from themselves The legislative arm of government both at the national and state levels has been as sick in the last 16 years. The legislature has been caught up in the morass of corruption-induced ineptitude and inertia. Most members the senate and the houses don’t seem to have any idea why they are elected or their significance in the polity. All they crave is a share of the treasury.

The legislature headed by Senator David Mark in the last eight years has been a disgrace to Nigeria with their rapacity being the subject of scorn and the benchmark for graft the world over. Our legislators are remarkable for being the highest earning in the world. Recall that former central bank governor Sanusi Lamido accused them of gobbling up about 25 percent of our annual budget.

This is not sustainable. The new president will have to work with the new leadership of the legislature to ensure that fiscal sanity returns  to that arm of government.

The judiciary may not be as far gone as its legislative counterpart but it is also on the downward slide. The late jurist of note, Kayode Eso left us a telling marker about billionaire justices. The judiciary must be given the necessary fillip it needs to operate. It must enjoy its fiscal autonomy and must stop existing at the whims of the executive as we have currently. But strong fiscal probity must be instituted across all arms of government. The budget of all arms of government must be transparent and open to public scrutiny.

Five and finally, what to do with our federation First, there are some quick wins an honest president could achieve if he is so minded. For instance he could send a bill to the assembly to cede more revenue to states and also cede some unnecessary baggage carried by the federal government to the state.

The Buhari presidency must, without raising obtrusive dust, impanel bodies to look at the LGA structure; the national confab report, the botched constitution review and state police among other issues. But let it be noted that the structure of the federation is not the most critical ill we suffer.

Sensible and honest leadership are the lubricants that will have the engine of state run at optimum.

Who is to teach Aliko Dangote, Nigeria’s, nay Africa’s own Midas how to apply money? He must have been sleeping on money-beds (a la Floyd Mayweather) since his teenage days. Besides, we love our Arsenal F.C. anyway. There must be at least 20 million Arsenal fans in Nigeria.

Notwithstanding, it still jars our poor and untutored (moneywise) sensibilities that our own Aliko would want to shell out billions of dollar to buy English football club, Arsenal. That seems like vanity investing. We all know that football club business do not make commensurate returns.

Well, unless he seeks global mass recognition and brand value but then he needs to invest in Nigeria’s football first. Nigeria must be among the top three naturally talented footballing nations, bettered only by Brazil and Argentina. Lack of training facilities and poor talent management has circumscribed millions of our youths who would otherwise be employed gainfully plying football trade.

With just one-tenth of the cost of buying Arsenal, Aliko could build six zonal standard football facilities across Nigeria, like Aspire in the UAE. He will marvel at the impact of this and Nigerian youths will be eternally grateful.

Those who know a bit of the Holy Scripture would find some similitude between Nehemiah in the Old Testament and General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s soon-to-be President. Nehemiah was among the surviving remnant of Israelites carried into captivity to Babylon and then Persia. He was merely a cup bearer in the palace of the great King Artaxerxes. But because Nehemiah was on a divine mission, this king whose kingdom stretched to India would be moved to look his ‘cup hand’ in the face one day and ask him: “Why is your face sad?”; whereupon Nehemiah would answer that the news emanating from his homeland Judah – a conquered territory – troubleth him to no end as the place lay waste, and its gates burned with fire.

Now even if a king would care about his servant, is he also required to endorse the rebuilding of a distant vassal territory? But Artaxerxes did not only allow Nehemiah to go rebuild the walls of Judah, he granted him leave, written authority, security and munificence for the project.

But this is the better half of the story. The other half is that when Nehemiah got to his homeland he found that the authorities at home and some of the elite of his people were profiting from the ruins and they resisted change vehemently. And Nehemiah noted pointedly that: …It grieved them exceedingly that a man had come to help the people.

Coming home to now, why would an aging, and perhaps ailing old general contest four times in Nigeria’s grueling presidential election? He had ruled the country before so he is unlike some who wistfully wish they could sit on the gilded seat if only for a day. He is not in great lack; in fact he could probably get anything money can buy that he needs. He is not rapacious like some of his contemporaries. I once was in his Kaduna residence during the June 12, 1993 crisis to interview him for The African Guardian. His abode was a simple, single, one-storey duplex apartment which in my youthful eye then, was not befitting of a former oil minister and head of state. So to what can we put Buhari’s relentless quest to rule Nigeria than to say that like Nehemiah, it is a divine call especially at a time when the nation is in ruins and it profits the elite of the land so much that it remains so.

Surely, it would grieve them exceedingly that this wiry old man has come to seek the welfare of the Nigerian people.

Now what is to be done? One does not pretend to know the answers any better than the next guy; besides, Nigerians have inundated him with ideas since he was declared winner of the March 28 presidential election. Had he been collating them, he would have enough materials to make such tome of a book that the mere thumbing of it would take some time and effort. I will loath to add to his troubles.

So here are five quick, simple, actions (low hanging fruits) I think General Buhari can take to set the tone for his administration and hopefully make the change Nigerians desire.

One, don’t ‘fight’ corruption, let the system do the fighting. Yes, contrary to what many people have been clamouring for that he must fight corruption to a stand-still. We say no, you are not a pugilist; you must let the system fight corruption. There are simple, basic rules for tackling corruption in the system, just dust them up and put them to work.

One such, a sure bet, is the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF). If President Buhari reactivates this office and puts a diligent and honest man at its helm, he would have by that singular stroke, without lifting a finger, reduced corruption by about 50 per cent in Nigeria. The other leg is to revamp ICPC and make it follow-up on all audit queries emanating from the AGF’s annual report and deal with them openly and to a quick conclusion.

This is a quick-win because all the president needs is a memo directing. He should simply make the AGF’s office the most important in the land; make it fiercely independent and mandate it to do its job thoroughly and release annual reports to the public (and the Assembly) promptly.

Two, he should accept no excuses for late annual budgets. President Goodluck Jonathan and his crew toyed with our budget all through his tenure. This document epitomised his lackadaisical attitude to statecraft and presented him as one not understanding the magnitude of the office he occupies. Jonathan and his team treated the budget with so much levity. But after the constitution, the appropriation bill is the next most important document in the life of any country. Serious governments would send the draft budget to parliament by the end of the first quarter each year. It must not only be prompt, the numbers must be skewed in favour of capital expenditure.

Number three, block the leakages: All revenue-earning agencies of government must render annual report and accounts publicly without fail. Some of these include NNPC, NLNG, NIMASA, NPA, NCC, FAAN, FIRS, JAMB, WAEC, NECO, Railways, name them. They are also to remit to the CBN all earnings and are not to spend even a dime without express authority; they are to have a uniform accounting period of the year. The accounts are to be placed in the public domain on a stipulated date.

By this simple measure, you will be amazed how much money we have in this country. By this, managers of these public companies will be on their toes just like in the private sector as they would have targets to meet. This move is sure to put the lie to the claim that government cannot run businesses.

Four, insist that LGAs must work. This may be a tough call  in the immediate term but the message needs be passed from day one that you will not live with the grand larceny that have been perfected by governors across the land in the last 16 years. What we have today is that one third of the country is in perpetual shutdown as their resources are kept in private pockets. This is why terrorism, kidnapping, human-trafficking, baby factory and all sorts of vices fester in the hinterland unfettered. Any president who must make any impact must address the current LGA aberration in the country. Remember we are talking about our people and country here and not some self-serving federalism arguments.

Five, make the right appointments; appointees must declare assets. The kind of team he selects will define the tone and character of his administration. This is actually his first litmus test; his toughest first task. Of course assets declaration is statutory but more important the depositions must be accessible to the public on request.

In summary, these are simple but far-reaching actions he can take without breaking a sweat or upsetting the system. As the days go by, more complex actions requiring institutional tinkering would have to follow. For instance, the activities of some critical sectors of the economy in the last few years will have to be scrutinised if only to correct the ills; he will be expected to take a look at the continued importation of all sorts of things we can produce in abundance here – from food crops to petroleum products and all sorts of junks. Nigeria has simply become the dumping ground of the world. This must stop.

While many of his colleagues are still basking in re-election euphoria, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun seems to have put that ‘distraction’ behind him. While many would see their second term in office as ‘cool off’ period, it’s morning yet in Ogun State, it seems.

Again, if you thought that big thicket projects like bridges and expansive highways the Amosun team actualised in the last four years were really big, then as the Americans say, “you ain’t seen nuthing yet,”

Early in the week, Gov. Amosun moved to eclipse all records when he signed a contract with a Chinese firm to build an inter and intra-city rail line. The project which must be the first of its kind by any state government in Nigeria will traverse the major towns and cities of the state. The project, estimated to cost $3 billion and scheduled to be completed in three years is a product of a big heart and great vision; it’s a great leap forward for Ogun State and indeed, Nigeria.

A DELUGE of hurtful missives: After reading my installment on this space last week titled: Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town’, a colleague had called quite early in the day to warn that though he found it a great piece as usual, that I should expect fireworks. Himself a well-regarded columnist on the stable, his words turned out prophetic as my sms box was almost jammed a few hours later.

I never had such number of responses from readers since I ventured into public commentary. Expectedly, most of the respondents were Yoruba but sadly, most of them misunderstood my theses or didn’t even bother to read the piece having made off angrily with just the title. And even the title at that, many missed the inverted commas attached to town (‘town’). Worse, very few responded to the issues I raised. Most of them simply inflict me with abuses and even curses as if by that very piece, I had managed to cede Lagos to the Eastern region. I was truly shaken by the effusion of animosity over this ‘small’ matter.

I was really disheartened that we have become a generation that cannot throw jibes at each other or sustain simple, civilised debate without resorting to ‘naked’ insults. Most of us seem so comfortably tucked in under the duvet of our stereotypes. We cannot bear any dissection of our misconceptions or flawed generalisations.

I thought I could show another side of the Igbo-Yoruba debate; afford us some fresh insight but I might have only stoked the fire some more. Most of my readers took the title literally and the meat of their response is: how dare you suggest Lagos is not a Yoruba town? But of course Lagos is a Yoruba city in Southwest Nigeria; I thought that was an eternal fact that is trite in itself. I simply meant that Lagos is fast growing into Nigeria’s megacity, a cosmopolis and a leading world capital every Nigerian is proud of as opposed to a Yoruba ‘town’.

Another preponderant response is: what you will never allow in Igbo land you want to do in Yoruba land.

No medicine for prejudice: I want to imagine that most people saying this probably never toured Nigeria. The truth is that Igbo have won election in the north if we care to check our records. The truth is that in Owerri, capital of Imo State, which is deep in Igbo land, there is a Rotibi Street, off Douglas Road. Ages ago, a Yoruba had built a house there and had the street named after him, right in the heart of Owerri.

Also down Douglas Road is Ama Hausa, a large settlement of Hausa which has been there for ages and with an increasingly large and mixed population. That population will win election in Imo House someday soon as votes begin to count and if the people need their own representation. In Garki, Enugu, the story is the same; as in Umuahia and even Abakaliki, while Onitsha is a united Nigerian nation with Hausa, Yoruba, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ika, etc. They have lived there in Igbo land for decades. This is a verifiable fact. Someday, a party will find the strength in their number and canvass it for political gains.

In 2010, one Mr. Igharo was a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Imo State. The story was that he was retained after Youth Service and he rose to be perm sec in Imo State Civil Service. Mr.Tito Asekhome, a professional surveyor/town planner from Edo State was a Special Adviser (SA) in charge of urban planning during the era of Governor Ikedi Ohakim in Imo State. In Enugu, Dr. Wale Adedayo was Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani for about eight years. The point here is to educate most of my readers who responded rather violently that Igbo are not what they think. Our hospitality and civility to visitors and strangers are legendary and that is the truth. Those who are married to Igbo, those who have lived or served in Igbo land will bear me out. Yet this is not to say that there are no black legs in our midst as in all other tribes.

But the point I must not fail to stress is that there are so many misconceptions and fallacies out there that people purvey to stigmatise Ndigbo. Many people simply project their deep-seated prejudices and ingrained malice to tar Ndigbo at every opportunity; some ignorantly and some propagating sheer mischief. They want Ndigbo to live by different standards and codes of behaviour but of course that would be patently unfair thus unacceptable.

Blame it on the ‘new’ politics: A crucial point many missed which I must reiterate is that for once, two equally matched parties were in a keen contest for votes as has never occurred before and under an improved voting system. Trying to vilify or label Ndigbo for the outcomes will only make us lose the crucial lessons to be learnt from the exercise. We need to help the new government in Lagos understand that the last elections signpost the future of elections to come.

Parties will have to work harder for votes by targeting specific ethnic divides henceforth. Blaming or scape-goating any tribe or group will not help.

We must interrogate what happened prior and during the last Lagos election. We must think through all the tendencies and possible grievances; constructive engagement and rapprochement will have us better equipped for the next voting season.

Below is a sample of some of the readers’ responses:

Happy Sunday dear brother Steve Osuji. I always enjoy your column. Last Friday’s was no exception. I only wish to say that whatever that one deserves to achieve in life discreet decorum and tactics (are required) whether one is in Lagos, London or New York.

We have Ndigbo here in Akure and we know which party they voted for… no qualms. There was no affront from them. Ndigbo in Lagos carried their campaign beyond mere elections that would come and go. Their open campaign mandating their sons and daughters to vote for a particular candidate was too confrontational. Agbaje would have won but for his sectional approach. Yoruba in London or elsewhere would have acted differently to score their goals. Arrant arrogance does not work positively in most cases. That is the simple lesson here. As for Kabiyesi, I disagree with him 100% – Prince Bola Faloyo, Akure (08038258389)

Re: Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town’. Steve honestly you really fouled my day by your submissions on the above article. That Lagos has grown to the status of what it is today and peopled by diverse tribes does not mean it has lost its original owners by history.

The article in question has positioned you as an “Igbo irredentist” which I know you are not. Truly, you owe the Yoruba race a great apology because what you are trying to achieve is a distortion of Yoruba history which to me is highly unacceptable. What you have postulated then suggests by inference, that with the cosmopolitan nature of Kano, Onitsha, both cities should never be seen as Hausa and Igbo towns respectively. – Taiwo Osunsanya, Ilupeju, Lagos

Mr. Osuji, the tragedy hypocrites and tribal irredentists like you cannot imagine is a scenario of any OUTSIDER occupying and controlling citadels of your enclaves such as Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, etc. Why can’t your people try out what you do here in places like Kano or Kaduna!

You and your fellow immigrants will soon start getting the Port Harcourt and Kano treatment in Lagos. Igbos always covet the best of other people. Nowhere in the entire Igboland would you find other Nigerians thrive. You are so ignorant of the history of Lagos and its institutions…that’s why you obtusely imply it belongs to no one in particular. But rest assured you and your fellow refugees commence the overdue process of getting the HEAT in diverse ways from now – 07013324163

Steve, the Ibos didn’t vote AD, they didn’t vote AC, they didn’t vote ACN, they didn’t vote APC as well in the last elections. An Ibo man had become an LGA chairman in the north, councilors in Lagos but no Yoruba can ever become even a class captain in any Ibo land. They are too sectional and selfish. – 07059286003

A brilliant write-up but you goofed when you asserted that Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town’ though you confirmed the indigene status. Pray more for Nigeria. All of you did not see what Patience did in Okrika, Rivers State but you can quote our paramount ruler wrong and right all the time  – Yemi Fregene, 08037117145

Truly, Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town… Lagos is a mega city! We may not be able to change the DNA of an Igbo man overnight (since 1914?). Ndigbo must learn to respect the feelings of their hosts globally! The much celebrated tradition of an Igbo man not subjecting himself to a common rulership is faulty especially in the contemporary period… how can you convince others to place you in number one position? Can you imagine what it would have cost the Yoruba race to lose Lagos to PDP now that APC is at the centre? – S.L. Ajao, Ketu, 08029952832

Sir, I am an ardent reader of your column every Friday. I wish we have many of your kind in the media. Your most recent: Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town’ is very explicit, educative as well as informative. Keep it up and God bless you. – Chike, Aba, 08033557480

Lagos is not a Yoruba ‘town’? You got it all wrong. Lagos is known as Eko among the Yoruba; we do not call it Lagos… my problem with Igbo settlers is that they are dubious. Scarcely do you get 20% of them who have made it through lawful means. From business they now turn to land acquisition and now politics of annihilation. This is not acceptable to us. Let them go back to develop Igbo land too. – Binyamin Yusuf, Ede, Osun State, 08039416161

Your headline was provocative as well as your language and ignorance of Lagos history. You may as well tell your Igbo brothers to occupy Ibadan, Osogbo, Abeokuta, Akure and Ado-Ekiti and make them cosmopolitan cities and claim them, leaving Onitsha, Awka, Enugu, etc.

A Yoruba adage says, the dog that would be lost will never hear the hunter’s whistle –  Oluwasanmi Michael, Ado-Ekiti, 08164800725

I am concerned about the way you have put the matter in public domain. The Oba of Lagos is the traditional head of Lagos metropolis and not Lagos State. The election of individuals in Lagos State is not to represent Lagos city but the state. What people might be communicating is that Lagos is the former capital of Nigeria but it is still a Yoruba town as Calabar was once capital of Nigeria but remains a town that belongs to indigenes of Cross River State…

However, anybody can have a claim in any city in the world once you establish your life there. Every Igbo and others who live in Lagos are Lagosians and Lagos is their home. Please be informed that Lagos town is not Lagos State which is parallel to Enugu City in Enugu State.

Lagos belongs to all of us and we shall all prosper together to build a better city to co-exist in harmony and joy – Dr. Lai Olawale, 08102893662.

Haba Steve, nilu to loba to nijoye! You must be a demented writer with bird brain. If Lagos is not Yoruba, is Eko Igbo? Your write-up is an unpardonable affront – 08059696243