A trustee of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a socio-cultural organization, Maj-Gen. Leo Ajiborisha (Rtd), has insisted that only an indigene can deliver good governance in Lagos, declaring that enough of some state governors making jests of the indigenous Lagosians that “they borrow us politicians to help build Lagos and at appropriate time they will be recalled home to come and contest for elections.”
Ajiborisha, who is also former Osun State Military Governor, made this declaration in a release made available to newsmen, in reaction to the statement made by the spokesperson of Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Seye Oladejo.
Oladejo had, in response to declaration by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, said the organization would need to shed more light on the context of the statement, noting that Lagos had always been governed by Lagosians and that what mattered was for the people to enjoy good governance and the dividends of democracy while maintaining that the governor would not be distracted by needless politics.
“As a party, we would not be part of any narrative that would divide the people along ethnic, tribal and religious parts. In Lagos you find it difficult to differentiate between those who have come to Lagos to do business, those others you might want to describe as settlers and those who are just passing through Lagos. We are all one big family,” the APC spokesperson said.
But in his reaction, Ajiborisha, in a statement made available to newsmen, noted that Oladejo had served as local government chairman, commissioner, and Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor in Lagos State, notwithstanding being an indigene of Oyo State in a country where one citizen cannot claim dual indigeneship of two states at once, querying: “How many other tribes can contest for LGAs Chairmanship of Ibadan City or of other LGAs in Oyo State?”
According to the former Military Governor of Osun State, Ibadan the hometown of Hon. Oladejo had always been and remains the administrative and economic capital of the defunct Western Region and presently Oyo State where other generations of Nigerian tribes had settled and were still settling while partaking in political parties’ activities and contributing to the economy of the state, and further queried how many other tribes had contested for Supervisory Councillorship seats in Ibadan LGAs or other LGAs in Oyo State and how many other tribes had been elected as Executive Governors or Deputy Governors in Oyo State since 1999?
“How many other tribes have been appointed Chief of Staff, SSG, Commissioners, SSAs, SAs, Special Aides, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Parastatal, Heads of Agencies, and Statutory Board Members? How many other tribes have been appointed to fill Ministerial posts or Ambassadorial slots of Oyo State at the Federal level and when? Ajiborisha queried.
“But this is not the same in Lagos State where Residency is used by political parties which prefer to negate the constitutional rights of Indigenous IBILE Citizens. This is what De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is preaching for all the political parties based in Lagos State to imbibe, engender, and holistically operate.
“Enough of some state governors making jests of us the indigenous Lagos State citizens that ‘they borrow us politicians to help build Lagos and at appropriate time they will be recalled home to come and contest for elections.
This is the level of ridicule Indigenous IBILE Lagos State citizens are subjected to.
“There are many accomplished, erudite and suitable Indigenous IBILE citizens domestically and across the Diaspora. Since we are apolitical, patriotic and nationalistic, we owe Lagos State indigenes the duty to be given the opportunity of harvesting their Innovative, Illustrious and Informative Strategic Management Prowess in all endeavours for an effective and efficient Lagos State towards the holistic attainment of a harmonised direction by 2039,” he said.
Speaking further, the former military governor disclosed that the search for Indigenous IBILE citizens and technocrats globally shall soon be made simple and realisable through the website of the organisation, but quickly laid the blame on the abuse at the doorstep of political parties’ leaderships and some of their cohorts in the state, whom he said cared less “once their child or relation was given a political appointment or elective slot in Lagos or Abuja.”
“Who to blame? Our political parties’ leaderships and some of their cohorts. Once their child or relation is given a political appointment or elective slot in Lagos or Abuja, as far as they are concerned, to hell with anything Lagos Indigenous citizenship,” he said.
