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Femi Fani Kayode Blasts The Igbos: Yoruba People Developed Lagos According To History
August 5, 2013 – Femi Fani Kayode Blasts The Igbos: Yoruba People Developed Lagos According To Historical Facts
”The claim that the igbo helped to develop Lagos is hogwash. The major institutions of the south-west were developed by the diligence, hard-work, industry and sweat of the yoruba people. This is a historical fact”- Femi Fani-Kayode
I posted these words on my facebook wall as a fall out from the hot debate that was generated after the relocation from Lagos to Anambra of 19 igbo destitutes by the Lagos State Government and Governor Fashola. Immediately after the posting all hell broke loose on my wall and all sorts of exciteable and emotion-laden comments and assertions were made on the thread. I welcome each and every one of those comments including those that accused me of being a tribalist and a yoruba nationalist.
That is the spirit of debate and we cannot all possibly agree on everything. Needless to say I stand by every word that I wrote in the post and those that do not share my view are free to hold their own opinion. My assertion is based on history and knowledge and not emotion. The facts are clear and the records speak for themselves. I will go no further than that because it is about time that Nigerians from the younger generation learnt to do their own research and to study their own history. I will not allow the mob mentality or the wild emotions of others to becloud my thinking or to intimidate me into distorting the truth.
The igbo had little to do with the extraordinary development of Lagos between 1880 right up until today. That is a fact. Other than Ajegunle, Computer Town, Alaba and buying up numerous market stalls in Isale Eko where is their input? Meanwhile the yoruba of the old Western Region and Lagos were very gracious to them and not only allowed them to return after the civil war to claim their properties and jobs but also welcomed them with open arms and allowed them to flourish in our land. This is something that they have never done for our people in the east. Such gestures of love and fraternity were never reciprocated. Now some of them have the effrontery to call Lagos which is our land and the land of our forefathers (I am half Lagosian) ”no-man’s land” and others have the nerve to assert that up to 50 per cent of the development in Lagos came as a consequence of the input of the igbo. This is utter rubbish.
Those that do not know any better ought to go and learn rather than vent their hostilities and ignorance against me here or on my facebook wall. I am not a tribalist but a great believer in Nigeria and more importantly I am a historian and a student of history. I will not distort the facts of history just to keep some people happy. The history of the yoruba and of Lagos particularly is very well known to me and the fact that Lagosians and the yoruba people generally are so generous and accommodating in their ways and to non-indegenes that settle in their territory should not be mistaken for ignorance, stupidity or weakness. We know our history, we know who we are, we know who and what developed our land and made it into what it is and we urge those that yearn to be like us to go and emulate our efforts and attitude to non-indigenees and hard work in their own states of origin.
I have nothing against my fellow Nigerians from other parts of the country and I have proved over and over again that I love Nigeria and that I am a Nigerian before anything else. However if, in the twisted imagination of some, speaking the truth about the history and development of Lagos and the Western Region makes me a tribalist, then tribalist I am. Servants of truth do not fear such labels and are often hated and misunderstood. If I was worried about what others thought of me I would have stopped writing long ago.
Meanwhile permit me to recommend to all and sundry to read and learn from the following words of an insightful Nigerian by the name of Mr. Sina Fagbenro-Byron. He has had the courage to analyse the matter in a very honest, clear and forthright manner and he has spoken the truth. Let us hope that those that have no knowledge of that truth are humble enough to learn from it. He wrote-
”It has become a recent habit by a number of our young Igbo brethren to refer to Lagos as a ‘no-man’s land. The great Zik, Mbadiwe, Mbonu Ojike, Ajuluchukwu, Opara etc would never have made such statements as they knew better. It is not only unfair but in extremely bad taste apart from the fact that it is historically false. How can you call a land that has had over 400 years of traditional rulership and cultural definition as a no man’s land.? It shows contempt for the indigenes, ingratitude of hospitality and a betrayal of ones host.
The late Herbert Macauley( a Yoruba Lagosian) on his dying bed endorsed Zik as successor leader of the NCNC because of his nationalism, intellectual sagacity and it was endorsed by a group of Yoruba elders and not by any Igbo population who is anycase were infinitesimal as at the time, for Chinua Achebe records in his book, and we can roughly confirm that there were not more than a few thousand Igbos in Lagos before the civil war. So after having been received, accommodated by their host Yorubas since the 1940s a generation that is ignorant of history and careless of historical relationship refer to Lagos as no mans land, this attitude is the cause of the perennial Jos crisis amongst others.
When the military stopped the teaching of history in schools in the 1980s, we knew that by allowing them we courted confusion, but it was deliberate. Up till 1968 , Mushin, Apapa, Ikeja, were all part of the Western Region. The English treaty was with the Oba of Eko Ile,(Lagos). Lagos traditional families all are Yoruba and the founder of Eko was Ogunfunminire who migrated from Ife before the 16th century. Lagos traditional Obaship was confirmed on behalf of the Oduduwa dynasty. If we consider it unfair to call Igbo property ‘abandoned property’ after the civil war, why should they refer to another mans backyard as no man’s land.
Lagos had been the commercial nerve center of West Africa before Nigeria was created and this was attributable to the welcoming attitude of coastal Yorubas, which was first betrayed by the Portugese who introduced slave trade, the Kiriji war and the 100 year Yoruba civil war of 1769-1869 also saw a huge population from the other Yoruba Hinterland moving to Lagos to procure salt, guns,seek out their freed slave brethren etc and these led to the growth of Lagos. Since independence and after the civil war, other Nigerians have made Lagos a home for themselves , but none have been so unkind as to call Lagos a no mans land.
Igbos who say this and claim credit for the development of Lagos should remember that the first Industrial Estate in Nigeria was built by Awolowo in Ikeja as Premier of the West and the Western house on Broad street has significant historical importance. I would urge my Igbo brethren not to make true the words of Sardauna when he described the Igbos as having a tendency to come in as visitors and seek to claim ownership to the exclusion of indigents, if Onitcha or Abakaliki is not no mans land why should Lagos be. Imagine how our Niger Delta brethren will feel if we refer to their space on God’s earth as no mans Land?”
Fagbemi-Byron has hit the nail on the head and I wholeheartedly commend him for his courage. Frankly I could not have put it better myself. How I wish that more of those that are in the younger generation today would indulge in the type of research and scholarship that this man has obviously done. He, and those that value truth and knowledge like him, are the true Nigerians and thankfully I believe that there are many like him in every tribe and nationality in this great country. May God grant them the courage to speak out and cure the ignorant of their ignorance.
God bless Nigeria.
Femi Fani Kayode
Agu
August 5, 2013 at 11:13 AM
Wetin dey for lagos..ndi ara
7stars
August 5, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Lagos as no man’s land per se doesn’t mean that is not own by the yoruba’s rather it is a slogan since it became a capital city of nigeria in 1967, if you are scared that ur area is claimed by invaders be sure that majority street is named after yoruba’s even the governors elected are the yoruba’s lagos is situated in western region which prove that it’s own by the yoruba’s b/c everybody travel to lagos and work hard to end a living, it is a centre of sucess i so much like the yoruba’s because is not easy to manage the population that is in lagos state. I remembered the day i lodge in the hotel at zik avenue in enugu state were they wake me up by 12 midnight and threw me outside the hotel b/c the company i was working for paid the hotel bill into my account and the cash was not cleared for withdrawal in my Atm card the same day. I plead the man that the money is going to be paid. Still this Igbo man refused to let me stay to stay till dawn.
Oluwatomisin
August 5, 2013 at 12:06 PM
You have spoken well. Welldone! Of all the tribes in Nigeria, yoruba is the most generous and accommodating tribe. They welcome non-indigenes that come to settle down in their territory. I wondered why they always call Lagos a no-man’s land.
Oluwatomisin
August 5, 2013 at 12:08 PM
I served in Igbo land and i know what they are up to
You Go Laugh
August 6, 2013 at 12:20 PM
I am an Igbo guy, served in Osun state, I enjoyed their hospitality, indeed the Yorubas are not that hostile but still they have their own forts. Likewise the Igbos, Hausas infact, everybody.
Some Yorubas are very good while some aren’t and same it is everywhere.
MATILDA
August 5, 2013 at 12:22 PM
THANK YOU SIR FOR THE DETAILS. I AM HAPPY WITH YOUR FACTUAL WRITE UP.I FEEL BAD PEOPLE TELL ME MY STATE IS NO MAN’S. I THEREFORE STRESS THAT, THERE ARE BONAFIDE LAGOSIANS.
Daniel
August 5, 2013 at 12:51 PM
MR SAN i respect u so much even wth ur level of education bt it is lugubrious dat inspite of dis level u’v attained u still want 2 stir up tribal war amongst d IGBO’S n YORUBA’S…retrace ur steps Mr Femi
kingman
August 5, 2013 at 12:54 PM
I believe something critical should be done about the statement being made by the ibos becos a time and a generation will come when they (ibos) will totally distort the history and take over the land. Our yoruba kings and leaders should rise up NOW. Eko o ni baje oo.
kingman
August 5, 2013 at 12:56 PM
It is quite insulting, this is what no tribe in Nigeria will tolerate. Yorubas should wake up now
kayode
August 5, 2013 at 1:21 PM
you are very correct sir. Lagos belong to the Yorubas
Myk
August 5, 2013 at 1:48 PM
I weep for the Igbos investing in Lagos because they refuse to understand that home is home. Lagos is for the the yorubas so come back home and invest at home.
coco
August 5, 2013 at 4:44 PM
No igbo man go go back to invest in Igbo land,because igbo’s greed make them hate one another, so they try to attach to unsuspecting tribe in order to carry-out their greed,Yorubas should take action against the Ibos just like Sardauna of Sokoto did years back, Ibos are parasites. Myk, you know say una be greedy people,una no go go home. Ibo is the wrong thing that has ever happen to Nigeria.
chioma
August 6, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Coco u re crazy wat is d meaning of dat its bcus of idiots like U dat I hate reading comment u left wat der saying 2 another thing mumu if u don’t ve anything 2 shot up!I no blame u if is nt d igbo’s dat left der home 2 anther mans land fools like wouldn’t talk shit #YDS#
Esther
August 5, 2013 at 2:35 PM
No let them remain there to receive the insult of thier lifes, why remainding of were they came from? Fulls.
SEUN
August 5, 2013 at 6:14 PM
I did my NYSC in an Igbo land, they are very generous and hardworking. so Esther or what ever u call urself stop talking rubbish moreover it is not remainder but it is reminder.
Esther
August 5, 2013 at 2:37 PM
No! Let them stay there and receive the insults of their lifes, why remainding them of were they came from? Fulls.
Mike Uche
August 5, 2013 at 2:37 PM
It is rather unfortunate that this small issue is degenerating to a tribal war. And people like Mr Kayode instead of using their vast knowledge constructively, are being destructive in the name of tribal superiority. To a start, no tribe is superior to the other. Lagos being called “a no-mans- land” does not mean that it does not belong to a certain people( where is your education Sir). People that bought lands in Lagos, did they buy them from “ghosts”. rather from the indigenous people. Since the era of democracy, which tribes have produced the governors? But that does not means that other tribes have not contributed in the development of Lagos. What is he meaning of development in the first instance? – an additional improvement- so when someone builds a house,a modern market, a school, a hospital, etc; what do we call those Mr Kayode?
Governor Fashola is a man I greatly admire , and will continue to admire. But in this instance he made a mistake. No Nigerian should be “deported” in his or her own country. There are facilities for lunatics and destitutes please.
Wani25
August 5, 2013 at 3:29 PM
But 50% of d development is igbos.
Peace Love
August 5, 2013 at 3:37 PM
Mr Femi,I don’t know truly if you are the governor or not.This is not only tribalism but also childish of you,take it or leave it.I don’t fear men,I respect men but fears God.all these long stories is just because of no man`s land and why did you deport people from their country instead of rehabilitating and integrating them.I taught you are a governor or have you abandoned your job of how to better the lives of your electorates.Is like you have filled your pockets hugely as usual recently.Historian or history man, no mans land as refered to Lagos is just a slogan that every tom,dick and harry uses on the street of Lagos over the years especially when seeking for God to bless their hustles.even the yorubas and other tribes also uses such .Everybody even you the governor have used that slogan before during your hustling days.Lets face reality.wasting energy and time talking about lagos as a no man`s land is like telling Nigerians not to speak pigdin english which you as a governor speaks or have spoken sometimes ago.How you at ur level refer a tribe as infinitesimal.You are simply been tribal,where is the president of the country from today? tomorrow someone will say the Ijaws are infinitesimal,no wonder people like you do not appreciate Mr President because of this tribal war of who owns lagos and who owns Nigeria and where the president should come from. Pls divert ur energy in ur job than fanning the ember of tribalism with your time at ur age and level.as a historian how many historians have to trained in Nigerian or yoruba land.how many people have u made doctors,lawyers and scientists.This is what makes great men not wasting time on facebook responding to what people of ur last kid age are doing on the internet.Go and do research about prophet TB Joshua,the man at the synagogue in Ikotun Lagos to learn how a man should live a life worth of emulation.He is a Yoruba man that does not recognize that word Yoruba,Igbo or Hausa.Talk about Peace and Love,talk about how to help those idle kids you waste ur time responding to.they are writing those things because they are not in the university,bcos they are not in work place,because they are hungry and stop this nonsense of planting the seed of discord amongst the already angry Nigerian youths and leaders of tomorrow.it does not befit ur person if you are truly the one talking.
OLU
August 5, 2013 at 3:52 PM
Cock n bull story!! Iam a bonifide Yoruba and i want to make it clear to you all that no Igbos, no Lagos. Like it or not, Igbos hold the key to Lagos success, without them, we are lost!! Truth is very bitter! Lagos i know is no man’s Land! God bless Nigeria n Oduduwa!
CHIDI
August 5, 2013 at 4:30 PM
Mr Kayode,u pretend to be detribalised,but your write-up show u are a bitter,jealouse and ungrateful Yoruba man.By this 1967 you quoted,how developed really was Lagos.From mile 2 down to Badagry was thick forest inhabited by animals and a little scartered hamlets of primitive inhabitants.From mile 2 dowm to Kirikiri was also bush,uninhabited.So was most part of lagos,at least,i was born and brought up here in Lagos.
Yes i admire the yoruba people alot,you said they are accommodating,i totally agree with you.You said Lagos belongs to the yoruba,i totally agree with you(it is not a no mans land.).But to say the Igbo did not in a very big way contribute to the rapid developement of Lagos state is a big LIE and coming from a man of your status is very unfortunate.
Look at the quality of houses igbos have built in Lagos,no other ethnic group in Nigeria,not even the yoruba can claim of doing better,yet that is not development,
Look at the major markets in Lagos,Alaba international,Trade fair,Lagos island,etc.Igbos morethan anyother ethnic group have contributed to the rapid developments of this markets,some now of international status.This has given rise to motor parks,haulage business,restaurants,Banks,settlement etc,springing up in those places.
No other ethnic gruop in Nigeria can claim to having its people in more numbers engaged in profitable ventures in Lagos.
Mr Kayode,have you gone to TINCAN and Apapa ports,which ethnic group brings in container of goods worth millions of naira.Yes you are right,Igbos, and this sustains the commercial life of Lagos.A life inwhich the yoruba people as well as other ethnic groups have immensely benefitted from.Do i need to go on?
Mr Kayode,you are simply bitter for heaven knows why.Yes yoruba accomodated igbos in Lagos and they have reaped immensely from that.IGBOS deserve respect and honour as no ethnic gruop can lay claim to nation building morethan the igbo race.A race of very industrouse and peaceful people.Mr Kayode you can close your eyes with both hands as you walk the streets of Lagos and whenever you decide to open it,the truth will stare you in the face.
It is really unfortunate,that a respected gentleman like you,Mr Femi Fani Kayode can distort truth and mislead unsuspecting youths because you are bitter and a hater of Igbos.No matter what you say or do,he who God has blessed,no man can caurse.
Sunny udoh
August 5, 2013 at 7:14 PM
From ur write up, its clearly indicate ur level of tribalism $ ignorance of the fact about unification of nig. $ d pain of marginalisation irrespective of looting our natural resources to built $ develop lagos at the detriment of d region, yet we are treated as 2nd class citizen of the nation. Imagine yorubas dat we see as one deporting fellow nigerian $ fools instead of condeming such act are supporting evil. Fasola has bite more than he can chew $ if yorubas are not interesting with the forceful unification, let stay apart or any more deportation will spark a riot dat may lead to division. How can nigerians be deported from other country $ even own nation also deport nigerian just because our resources have been move to develop the center of the country. Tomorow, hausas will come up in abuja to deport nigerians claiming that they develop the city of abuja.
Pls if we all want to continue as a nation, let bury every symptom of tribalism $ unit as one nation with common goals not trying to segregate ourselves thro deportation with any name of justification. Let understand dat each tribes are useful $ has contribute to the progress of others as a nation.
Thanks $ remain blessed! One nigeria!! One unity $ common goal!!
Urs Ifreke Sunday Udoh
ikenna ajagun
August 5, 2013 at 9:10 PM
mr femi i used to have so much respect for u, i hope u r reading ppl’s comment now, is dat wat u really want? U just make a really full of urself sir, so is dis ur really level of historical knowledge? Jst make a fool of urself, trace ur origin fool.
miiiiiiii
August 5, 2013 at 9:13 PM
Its no tribal war at all. One of d things yoruba pple don’t joke with is history and respect and its important that its cleared now cos soon some pple (igbo or any tribe) wl wake up and start to dey claim lagos like hausa pple did in kaduna till date dt gwari pple no get mouth again. Plus wat da hell is wrong with dis our igbo ppl? U r always claiming impt in all states even in small kwara state! And wats wt d beef wt yoruba pple abeg? If ur states r fyn, developed, interestin as u claim abeg pack ur kaya and waka go. An igbo geh wey dey live 4 clay house 4 village wl com to lagos and b forming “lagos is dis and dt, my state is better”. Abeg if una state better waka go and give us space 4 our fatherland cos it seems u r overstayin your welcom. Don’t curse me ooo, if u try am sango wl smite u *smiling*. Bt seriously its unfair to call lagos a no mans land
J.P.(Zionist)
August 5, 2013 at 9:53 PM
@Chidi,well spoken and may God bless u. Mr Kayode ur just been jealous of the Igbo’s progress.Moreover nothing u and ur likes say or do will stop the blessings of God upon the Igbos.For the records,they are the black jews take it or jealously leave it. Lagos till tomorrow is no man’s land and the yoruba’s has no right to deport anybody from Lagos unless if they are seeking to breakaway from Nigeria.When the Igbos sought for secession stupid Yorubas joined the rest of the country to fight for one indivisible Nigeria,now they are shouting over impending invasion of their land by the Igbos. Infact Mr Kayode should be arrested by the EFCC and other security agencies in Nigeria for singing tune of division out of his personal vendetta on the Igbos based majorly on jealousy,greed and personal wickedness.All haters of Igbos to hell with u all!!! U are all mother fuckers!!! U will continue to wallow in abject poverty till u wake up in eternal damnation!!! Long live Igbo race,long live one Nigeria!!!
king
August 5, 2013 at 10:32 PM
Is this the hope nigeria shld look foward to see in your newly registered party call A P C, like father like son, like Tinu like Buhar like(TGCP) , Tribal Group of Company Party (TGCP).After reading this we can see the type leadership a party that have femi fani k as one of its leader can offer to good people of nigeria. That is why my heat bleeds when ever i see my able govn owele among this dirty mind men, that hates his tribe without reason. my prayer is that God will protect & seprate him APC tribalistic men who never see anything good in Igbo man & lead him to work with the national party for one day God will install him to the number one position of this nation true a nation party not a tribal party like (TGCP).
uche
August 5, 2013 at 10:59 PM
We all knows dat igbos re hustlers and blessed people dat is y wherever we go we develop dia jst bcos of our progressive change most languages afterall the scripture made it clear dat whoever d lord has blessed must surely faze trials and temtations bt once God is wit them dey wil always conquer them…….
E.C.Kenneth
August 5, 2013 at 11:43 PM
There is no going back on the fact that igbos contributed 60 percent in the development of Lagos state. Anybody against it can hug transformer. We dont care.
bolaji
August 6, 2013 at 12:57 AM
Even in developed countries such things do happen,lagos and abuja are strategic point in 9ja so u dont allow destitute,metally derainged and beggers to pollute and constitute nuisance in the streets.Nothing tribalistic in the action.
Eve
August 6, 2013 at 3:14 AM
(Laughs)yorubas,d trouble wey mr femi or wetin be him name wan cos ,wil he(femi) be able to to handle it?lets all d igbos leave lagos and lets see who wil suffer. Ruubbiisshh………..
chima
August 6, 2013 at 5:08 AM
I thought that mr femi fani kayode was in a state of mental stability , i never knew that he is mentally deranged ; because “no sane person with the level of academic attainment of mr femi will wash his dirty Undies in a public place ” how can you mr kayode; a public figure and a respectable nigerian post this disgusting article to us nigerians . Maybe you have forgotten that you are not a monopoly of knowledge , This shows that you truly take the igbos as fools .you said in your words that you are not tribalistic , and i ask , how much more tribalistic can one be than this ? You denied that IGBOS has not contributed to the development of lagos state , a robust lies which will often stare at your face to hunt you are you walk along the streets of lagos . A man like you who claim to be a true nationalist is here fanning the embers of tribalism. What do you intend to achieve by the viture of this post ?do you wish that the remaining IGBOS be reported ? You said that igbo say that lagos is a no mans land and I am asking you mr historian kayode , “where is your wisdom ” What Denotation do you make from this ? Is that not a general acknolodgeme of the hospitality of lagos ? How can you be stupid enough to mislead the yorubas by saying that IGBOS tends to take over lagos ? Has there been a time upon which any igbo man rise to lay claim on any portion of land or other property in the name of indigenship ? I can continue to express my disgust over your reactions this days , but your God be thanked that we have a very tolerant president in this country today ; otherwise , you deserve to be cooling off in prison now for fanning the ember of separation in nigeria .
Frost
August 6, 2013 at 6:03 AM
Hmmmm am nt an igbo or yoruba,bt as a nigerian i stand for d truth, Mr femi and all those who support him should recount Der teeth D igbo are people who lik development dat is d fact lagos is lagos today nt only becus of d igbos, bt d igbo’s made it more popular and develop wat d governor is doing nw shows dat he is jealous of dem and dis can lead to tribal war.
Emeka Don Ibe
August 6, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Mr. Kayode you sound scared with a tone of jealousy in your write-up. Damn that historical thesis of yours.Most of development in Lagos is attributed to the struggle and sweats of the Igbos.There is no doubt about that! Being a talkative will never again earn you relevance in Nigerian politics.Writing trash will never endear you to FASHOLA government.Really man you have lost !
CY
August 6, 2013 at 7:50 AM
@J.P(ZIONIST) & e’tal,i am not interested on the topic above, but i just want to bring to your notice if you are commenting on issues has to do with general public/Regions/Tribes/Community; always mind your YOUR LANGUAGE OR USAGE OF WORDS(bcos of some that know,that can interprete and understand the meaning of expression or message.read your comment again.. what is the meaning of STUPID YORUBAS?. if you are in a developed world you might get arrested bcos of this wrong usage of words and assault to entire tribes or community. i will advice you to be more educated when commenting on WRITE -UP/RESEARCH ARTICLES.
TQ.
jubril
August 6, 2013 at 7:56 AM
If igbo developed lagos and abandoned their home state that show stupidity and ignorance on their part.they should start correcting their mistakes before it so late to do so because lagos belong to yoruba people
Metu Nyetu
August 6, 2013 at 10:28 AM
I am extremely dismayd 2 read dis disentious articl intended 2 subtly forment bitter h8red against d igbos. And d feeble-minded among d yorubas hav promptly swung accordingly. Mr Femi has shown wat he’s gud at. Thumbs up, prof!
I’m sure dat 2moro, 2push ur succes one notch forward, u’l com open & claim dat d French, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, even Africans & evry oda tribe & nation dat hav migr8ed 2 America hav little 2do wit its level of development 2day. I’m quite sure u’r not a child. Odawise I wud hav sought 2 explain 2u d meaning of no-man’s-land. Howeva, as I suspect u r probably intellectualy challanged, I’l hav 2let u knw da d term refers 2 a place where u hav diffrnt ppl of vast racial&tribal roots trying2make their living. I knw u’r a wise man. But try&get wiser. Thank u!
Faktur
August 6, 2013 at 10:44 AM
Mr. Kayode, what history are you refering to? Who wrote it, and for what purpose? As stated by Schopenhauer ‘…History is as thoroughly infected with lies as a street whore with syphilis,’ especially when one considers the trabalistic behaviour of some in that country. And as the Great Voltaire once wrote, ‘History consists of a series of accumulated imaginative inventions,’and failing to realize its ultimate myth and its inevitable ambiguity, is an educational misstep–an error of judgement, which you’re guilty of. I fear for Nigeria with your shameless likes walking the face of the Earth and parading themselves as citizens of our great country. Pity!
chioma
August 6, 2013 at 12:03 PM
Mr. Kayode i thought you are learned, we are still listening. In 1940 how was Lagos. Yoruba are tribalism including u. Come to the offices were your so called people are the head. You will see wickedness in high places. Your story does not change anything
You Go Laugh
August 6, 2013 at 12:13 PM
We are all one Nigeria regardless of our tribe, tradition and custom, and if you (Femi Fani Kayode) believe in that fact, you should have use the statement “We welcomed them with open arms and allowed them to flourish in our land.” I have been to Abia, Imo, Anambra, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Ogun, Osun, Abuja, Jos, but I base in Lagos for now, because I’m a Nigerian and nobody has the right to ask me out of Lagos less you are trying to tell me that the country has been secretly separated without being published.
Bolajiolanrewaju
August 6, 2013 at 2:58 PM
This mr femi is jus creatin problm out of notin, what fashola did is somtin dat hapenin in a mega city any where in de world. Even in my state osun, he deported 20 destitus back 2 de state. De way he intapreted de whole tin has lagos bin no man land does not inprete de action of de gov. I wonda y he is sayin al dat, a typical yoruba dat l no does not talk dat way rada he encourage people 2 live as broda & sis e.g pako kumuyi, adeboye, oyedepo prof wole soyika etc, 4get abot him he must b a bastard yorubaman, yoruba luv evrybody even her enemies. So de igbo u a our broda, we luv u & any oda tribe.
seun
August 6, 2013 at 3:03 PM
King-a day is coming we shall no who truely own lagos may be the yoruba or igbos bcos we ΨђåƮ the hausa does †̥ U̶̲̥̅̊ fools in the north,we send U̶̲̥̅̊ back †̥ the east with with war
femi adeaga
August 6, 2013 at 3:23 PM
Honestly speaking truly you are man of history sir! am not saying this just because am Yoruba but I have being hearing this from the Igbo tribes that Lagos is no mans land. Honestly to me I will not give my fellow human being what I will not eat and I believe it should be applicable to my fellow human being. I serve in the east and I know what I pass through but lets live that. You can only identify with us but you can not claim our land.
I REMAIN ONE NIGERIA IN ALL! LETS WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE NIGERIA GREAT IN ALL
Esther
August 6, 2013 at 4:46 PM
l am very sad to read this article from a man l respect so much, we all are Nigerians and we have migrated from one state to the other in search of good life but the igbos are second to none in all respect, l am from Calabar but l admire the igbos for who they are because they work so hard to make things happen, not just in Nigeria but all over the world. Anywhere you have the igbos gather together its either one business or the other and l appreciate them alot. if you go to cotonou, you will see how hardworking they are and all over the world so we need to be our brothers keeper. igbos should be respected because if they were like the area boys, we all would have been in trouble as far as lagos is concern.
me
August 6, 2013 at 5:01 PM
“no man’s land”a slogan used even in new York, is dt a phrase dt a “prof” is misinterpreting?Mr fani i think u need a doctor.gov fashiola to mi has his own reasons fr his action wch i greatly don’t think its cox of d slogan.
now you Mr fani i think ur up to somethin else far from watt d gov fashiola mean.
“am not a realist”lol pls tel us who are u? wit al ds tribal saga
Michael
August 7, 2013 at 10:47 AM
Why do the yorubas nd hausa’s hate the igbos?let Biafra stand so as 2 hav peace nd ur fuckin fadas land
truth!!
August 7, 2013 at 3:55 PM
mike uche!!!God bless u sir!!!
peter
August 9, 2013 at 6:55 PM
So the Igbos are now the beggers and destitudes in Nigerian! All these hausa and yoruba beggers and destitudes dat floods the streets of Lagos and other countries who is disturbing them. I see tribalism in dis act my broda.
Ogun Korobiti
August 10, 2013 at 9:55 AM
Dear All
Your analysis of Femi Fani-Kayode write up seem not to address what this revered Nigerian has set out in his mail. What Mr. Fani-kayode simple did was to take the Igbo’s back to time in memory to amongst other things educate you about what has transpired in the past, especially leading to Igbo needless secession, the loss and death of several millions of Igbo, the Igbo defeat and surrender and finally the magnanimous re-integration of Igbo into Nigeria. He wrote a very clear chronological order of events for the Igbo young minds to learn history and for the adults to rethink in their behaviors.
Infact, Mr. Fanimokun gaves examples of Lt. Adekunle Fajuyi putting his life first before Agunyi Ironsi, he talked about accomodating the Igbos back to life in the South West and since then, no single time did the Yoruba sent the Igbo packing or kill them or maim them, rather they allowed them to flourish side by side with the rest of the Youruba people. Infact, 80% of Igbo people became who they are today from the Yoruba Land, which the Yoruba are proud of.
In my view, what has been the hallmark of the Igbo tribe is its unguarded emotional outburst into issues rather than a clinical and methodological approach to situations. Your email below is very laughable, especially as you now say Ondo, Itsekiri, Igala, Nupe are all owners of Lagos…you were right about all those minorities ethnic group you mentioned except the Igbo. Simple reason is that the Old Oyo Empire, ruled over all the ethnicities apart from Igbo, thence, Awori’s, Nupe, Igala, Itsekiri etc. even have ancestral tie to Yoruba’s. You probably did not know that Afonja ruled Ilorin which was under the Alaafin Aole of Oyo empire for several millenia, ending during the wars in 1870.
Now coming to the issue of owning a property in a state that is not your native state and thereby laying claim to the city is mere wishful thinking and very laughable, infact let me tell you a little secret, Yoruba’s a laughing heavily at you people and waiting for you to make the same suicidal decisions you made in 1967. The Igbo’s are always carried away by little success to the extent that forget that no amount of wealth that any Igbo man or all Igbos put to together can acquire, the yoruba’s have acquired multiples of it several generations back. There is always a big deal for an Igbo man and he brags immediately about his little success rather than consolidate. LASG attention has been drawn to your claims and we shall see who has right to grant Title or revoke Title to those properties you claim to own. If your claim is true, you need not approach the state for your title, you should equally be claiming Ancestral Ownership under the Yoruba Native Law and Customs as if your fore fathers farmed or fished on certain parts of land in Youruba Land, infact you can even litigate on your ancestral lands in Yoruba Land.
The Questions this brings to fore is, what happens to your Villages in Anambra, Onitsha, Owerri, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi etc. ? ? ? Will you fore fathers ever forgive you for negelecting them and their graves to claim Ancestral Heir to another man’s land ? Why can the Igbo with its resourcefulness turn an Igbo City into the Port Harcourt of South South, or an Abuja/Kano of Northern Nigeria. Why are Igbo people scattered all over the nation like people with no root. If I where an Igbo, these are questions I would ask my fellow countrymen.
The truth is, should there be a Crisis again, lets face the fact and not brag, Igbo will lose out again, even bigger than the 60’s. Even though there might be casualities from both sides, both Igbo will loose more, because there is nothing to fall back at home.
Governor Fashola deported and removed destitutes who are native from all parts of Nigeria, LASG will do it again and again, there is nothing Igbo can do about it, so also Governors and people from other regions too. On a finally note, Yoruba Land SouthWest do not need the Minorities, Minorities need South West/Yoruba land. If these minorities can no adapt and be ready to live within the dictates of the SouthWest, they are free to return to their native land, where they are also free to do whatever they like.
I believe the Igbo should be wiser by now, no matter how long you live in another man’s land you will always be a stranger. The Jews own American Finance, they dare not claim New York from Native Americans, the Scottish dare not claim London from English People, so also English Can not lay claim to Edinburg. Igbo make una use una brain…develop you land as fall back.
Ogun Korobiti
August 10, 2013 at 10:04 AM
Can the Scottish man claim London from the English ? Neither can the English man claim Edinburgh from the Scottish.
Igbo should know that one day, they shall return to their native land where no man can expel them… Yoruba people will expel you from Lagos.
For one minute, has Ndigbo and Ohaneze think that should there be a war or disintegration of Nigeria, Oodua Nation will absorb them ? Hello No, Yoruba will push you back to your native land… You will become foreigners in Yoruba land, even if you live here for 40years, except by Marriage or Naturalization like Dangote himself have rightly said – That should there be a war, he will automatically naturalize as a Yoruba Man.
Dangote owns the largest investment in Yorubaland, but he has never said he own’s or lay claim to Lagos/Ogun etc. This is a man that pay huge tax to FIRS and his staff LIRS. Yet un-taxable traders like Spare parts sellers, second hand clothes sellers, Gala and bottle water hawkers, jobless miscreants are claiming to be from here. N’kan ti o da wu Ole..
Nwamazi Pakino
August 10, 2013 at 6:14 PM
This is a tribal war and Mr Kayode u will be alive to see the result of what u just posted, were u drunk or asleep when u said that Igbos has not contributed in developing Lagos? Am here to say what i knows best, where were Yorubas when Igbos were developing Mile 2, Ojo and its environs? Lagos is no man’s land is just a slogan that is being used in the hustling field. Imagine a man of ur Educational level coming up with such article just to distort the truth. I guess u are mentally disorganised when putting this up, who owns most of the major buildings in Lagos? Have u ever see an Igbo man aspiring for a position in Lagos state government? All the lands used in building all this structures were sold to Igbos by Yorubas, are the Igbos dragging or claiming indigenous right Igbos? Mr Kayode u are just a sycophant that can do anything just to earn favour from Fashola. Anytime u will gain anything from the Igbos, Amadioha will strike u into pieces. Hungry bird, i curse the day u post this. Fool..
Nwamazi Pakino
August 10, 2013 at 6:17 PM
U can call me if like, am not afraid of anybody body, am a full Arondizuogu boy…07060741574 or better add me on facebook with Nwamazi Pakino..
Austin
August 11, 2013 at 8:37 PM
The Yorubas should know that we IGBOS have our ancestral land and we are proud to be originated from IGBO tribe. ”No man’s land” is a phrase used to address most developed states and cities and that’s it. So be careful and don’t write to course tribal war please.
Ben ogu
August 14, 2013 at 11:47 PM
Fani kayode, causion you may not contain what you are starting.
Emman
August 18, 2013 at 6:30 PM
Nigeria is not yet a true nation with the tones of all these comments. By reading speeches or comments of people, you can easily know where they come from. Na wa o. Rotational presidency will go round all the tribes before we can sit down to write a better constitution where the best candidate can emerge from any part of a true new Nigeria. All the tribes have pros and cons but that the western and southern zones have what is worth fighting for by the greedy local or international greedy ones is also true and understandable. During the civil war, the igbos would have done well to defend their new territorial integrity in a militant geurillar strategy style, if they were really seriouse,objective, focused and had direction. But they choose to be heading to Lagos. Was it to claim Lagos as the capital of their then new nation??? Instead of claiming Abuja, hey still want to claim Lagos. I viewed the video of the war recently and felt sad as unnecesary suicide mission. It is views and comments like these that make people to get worried about the future of this country. I hope we succeed in producing a leader that will truely unite us. Where nation will be above religion or tribe and people be free as member of the nation to live, claim and rule any part. Indigene should no longer appear in our languages or local government or state of origin in our forms but state and local goverment of residence for true Nigerians under the constitution. I hope we adopt a national language that will not be tribal based to consolidate our unity. Let us forget the past and move foward. This is 21st century. The world is leaving us behind and we are still sleeping and dwelling on irrelevant issues. We should wake up and not disappoint Africa and the human race.
Apology for any part that may have offended anyone.