Governor Ambode has named Professor Soyinka and Rasheed Gbadamosi as co-chairmen of the Lagos at 50 celebration which comes up next year. Lagos indigenes, under the aegis Eko Foundation, have, however, decried the appointment of Professor Soyinka who is not an indigene of Lagos State.
They lamented the fact that Lagos indigenes had been marginalised in their own land as people from other states were taking appointments meant for them. They have also rejected the appointment of former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Ifueko Omo-Okauro as the chairman of a committee to manage the N25bn Employment Trust Fund established by Governor Ambode.
Eko Foundation members who expressed their opposition to the appointments include Professor Oluwole Smith, Peju Philips, Taofiq Folami, Lawal Pedro, Oba Akran of Badagry represented by Chief Gbonugan Ajose-Harrison and Lai Ajayi Bembe. Eko Foundation president Professor Smith said Professor Soyinka’s appointment as the chairman of the committee for the celebration of Lagos state at 50 was a wrong choice and unacceptable.
According to Professor Smith, successive governments in the state had retained the penchant of marginalising those he called, true indigenes for the past 18 years. He added that they would henceforth resist government decisions to give sensitive appointments to non-indigenes of the state.
Professor Smith added: “There are very many elders, octogenarians, septuagenarians, former governor, ministers, academic, public and civil servants and other indigenes both at home and in the diaspora, that are more than eminently qualified to celebrate their state. Professor Wole Soyinka’s choice is an insult to the indigenes and he should decline to serve, to accord with his reputation as a protester, who has tirelessly protested wrongs and injustice in the better part of his adult life.”
He said the choice of Alhaji Rasheed Gbadamosi, an indigene to co-chair the committee with Professor Soyinka was a deception and mischievous make-believe. According to Professor Smith, they have decided to cry out to enable them partake as their right and in accordance with extant laws, in the government of the state.
“At the moment, we have six Ibos occupying seats in Lagos, in the Federal House of Representatives, we have a non-indigene as a senator, there are several non-indigenes in the Lagos State House of Assembly and in the executive council of the state. In the past, indigenes of other states have taken over our ministerial slot and occupied positions in various parastatals both in the state and at federal level. These are not replicated in any other state in Nigeria,” he added.
Professor Smith said the implication of the abnormality was that Lagos indigenes would have to passionately appeal to the non-indigenes to secure employment for themselves and their children in their own land. He added that appointments in the state must conform with Federal Character Commission Act, the constitution of the country and other subsidiary legislation.
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