De Renaissance Patriots reply columnist, Lekan Sote, says “We are not the imaginary Yoruba far-right”

CITIZENS COMPASS— De Renaissance Patriots Foundation has responded to an article authored by Lekan Sote and published in PUNCH Newspaper of Wednesday August 7, 2024, when he described the Group to be “imaginary Yoruba far-right”

In a statement dated Tuesday, August 13, 2024 and signed by the Media Office of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, responded to the article thus, “Our attention has been drawn to an article authored by Lekan Sote and published in PUNCH Newspaper of Wednesday August 7, 2024 when he wrote that, “The Lagos De Renaissance Patriots want to develop indigenous culture, use indigenous language and allow indigenes to reclaim the Lagos government. Ethnic Eko, who think other Yoruba are “atohunrinwa” aliens, should know that Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja and Epe divisions were excised from Western Nigeria by General Yakubu Gowon to join Eko that was colonized in 1861.

“And that the Western Region Governments led by Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola developed Ikeja, Apapa and Ilupeju industrial parks of the Western Region that the military further splintered into unviable beggar states. To be sure, far-right politics is not peculiar in Nigeria. The Make America Great Again movement, led by former American President Donald Trump, is the antiseptic public face of racist and far-right Ku Klux Klan, Proud Boys and QAnon.”

“First and foremost we take an exception to the tag of far-right on De Renaissance Patriots Foundation. As a socio-cultural group of very senior eminent citizens of Nigeria that have been culturally and constitutionally blessed with indigeneship of Lagos State, we consider such uncharitable, wicked and unguarded use of vulgar language as unacceptable. That vitriolic name tag of far-right on these very responsible citizens does not show sensibility on the members of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation. We are not far-right in ideological description.

“It is a vitriolic name identity which blemishes our moral, social, intellectual and political struggle in ideological terms as a right-wing association. We are not. The ruling elites in Lagos State, whom we suspect are doing the hatchet job, belong to formative association of narcisists, who have seized the state for themselves, family, and friends. The writer got his historical information and its linkage with Obafemi Awolowo wrong. If he could not understand what the outcome of Constitutional Conference in London in 1952 was, we would avail him the details at the appropriate time.

“It is a shameful and irresponsible act to link the faceless hashtag #IgbosMustLeaveLagos (Lagospedia) with De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a highly responsible and respected socio-cultural organisation in Lagos. The organisation has, among its objectives, promotion of our social and cultural values, encouraging such factors that afford the citizens and, in particular, the natives of the state, to partake fully in the affairs of their own state.

“In a progressive clime, commonsense dictates that political, social and economic benefits, among other things, should be the purpose of governance. De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is always ready to stand up against the mean-spirited policies that are considered detrimental to the progress and development of the voiceless indigenous people. The indigenes deserve a fairer allocation of state resources for their well-being; Lagos being the only state they can claim.

“Our socio-cultural organisation is a non-political entity, but that of a mixed nationalistic elements who have, in one way or the other, contributed to the unity and development of this nation in different sectors. We shall forge to maintain our principle of IBILE identities and credible values and integrity, but we will not fail to respond to reckless and derogatory statements, tyranny, and demagoguery. We are open to dialogue and will equally support strategic intents and policies recognising the meritocracy of our indeginous IBILE titizens, both home and abroad.

“We are aware of some other faceless writers, who wish to demonise us because of what we stand for; THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS INDIGENEOUS PEOPLE OF LAGOS STATE. De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is ably led by indigenes of Lagos State from all works of life, including senior citizens, retired top echelon elite and committed indigenous communities from the five Divisions in the state namely Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Mainland Areas, and Epe (IBILE).

“It might be worthy to express the fact that the most acute consequence of the political machinery in Lagos State is denial of the natives in reaching topmost positions in the state administration and the House of Assembly – two-third of whom are non-indigenes. This is a deliberate policy of desperate group of leaders, designed to marginalise and dominate the natives with very few opportunities, which are not commensurate to their true entitlements as natives of the state. The only excuse the defenders of the people in power usually give is that the natives don’t have the qualities and skills to fill top positions. This is their normal propaganda because it is unproven and not emperically tested in any form. We have more qualified, skilled and professional indigenes.

“While it might be concluded that the ruling party ‘won’ the elections at the political level, the party suffers a moral and reputational deficit for keeping the indigenous people at the back seat, preferring non-indigenes over the natives of Lagos State. By this, the ruling elite for 24 years has provoked a savage modern genocide in history in the hearts of the natives in the entire state. There is no state in Nigeria that has suffered such indignity, inferiority and lowest standards of esteem than in Lagos State.

“The Supreme Being has been so magnanimous to have given us a colonial administration in Lagos in 1861 with Badagry joining the colony in 1863, Epe joining in1883 and Ikorodu in 1888. Those areas he mentioned that were excised in 1952 from the colonial Lagos during the UK Constitutional Conference did not last for more than 10 years before they were returned to Lagos State, following its creation in 1967.

“Lagos State was not created on a platter of gold. It was through a struggle by a number of prominent and notable Lagosians who were at the barricade fighting, first for the independence of Nigeria and later for the creation of Lagos State. The slogan GEDEGBE L’EKO WA was led by Oba Musendiku Adeniji-Adele, Herbert Macaulay, Egerton Shygnle, Chief Amodu Oluwa, TOS Benson, the Black Prince Akitoye, Alhaji Muritala Animashaun, Lawyer Kotun QC, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Senu Oke, Honponu-Wusu, Sikiru Shitta-Bay, Adegbenro Beyioku, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, JK Randle, Alhaji Isa Akangbe Williams, HO Davis, IS Adewale, Alhaji Ganiu Dawodu, Alhaji Jubril Martins, Alhaji Awe and many other eminent Lagos indigenes.

“The slogan ‘GEDEGBE L’EKO WA’ was the motivational spirit behind Lagos leaders opposition to the clamour for Lagos to join the West. Those parts of Lagos that were excised and joined with Western Region only enjoined inconvenient honeymoon for 10 years. While Ibadan became the political headquarters, the overlordship to the lands were the Royal and Chieftancy families in Lagos and its environs (Those Lagos families include the Oluwa, the Ojora, the Oniru, the Olumegbo, the Basua, the Ashogbon, the Aromire, the Onisiwo, the Soenu, the Oloto families). They were all based in Islale Eko and its environs.

“We thank Papa Obafemi Awolowo for developing Ikeja but many Yoruba communities also contributed to developing Ibadan as the capital of Western Region.

“However, we most profoundly thank the General Yakubu Gowon-led Federal Government for creating Lagos State in 1967, supported by Brigadier General Mobolaji Johnson, Alhaji Lateef Okunnu, and non-indigenes like Chief Phillip Asiodu, Allison Ayida and other members of Council, who worked behind the scene for the creation of Lagos State.

“We, De Renaissance Patriots, are not far-right in our demands and we welcome the Igbos in our midst. On the issue of Igbos leaving Lagos State, the Igbos have the right to live and work in any part of Nigeria and can engage in legitimate business of their own choosing. Authorities of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) should fish out the faceless group masquerading as Lagosians and prosecute them.”