Stop tribal attacks in Lagos
Recent happenings in Lagos State suggest that unhealthy rivalry is gradually building up among the Igbo and Yoruba tribes in the city of aquatic splendour.
Lagos State which is considered as the commercial nerve centre of the country is home to over 20 million people of various tribes across the country. Many of them, the Igbos, Hausas, Fulanis, Ijaws, Itshekiri have all migrated to Lagos in search of greener pastures because of the inherent abundant economic potentials and truly many of them have had the Almighty God prospering their moves in Lagos.
These people have over the years been cohabiting with their host, who are predominantly Yoruba and every one has been contributing to the advancement of the socio-economic and cultural development of Lagos.
The Igbos who are particularly gifted in the area of entrepreneurship and trading have really latched on the enabling environment provided by Lagos and have therefore been able to carve a niche for themselves becoming a force to be reckoned with in the state.
The beautiful relationship that had for years existed between the Igbos and their host, the Yorubas however seem to be under threat and may be sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics if some restraint is not exercised.
The loss of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate during the February 25 presidential elections in Lagos State had been seen as the very handiwork of the Igbos who refused to vote for Tinubu but Obi, an Igbo man from Anambra State.
And as the governorship election is five days away, there have been series of fire works suggesting that tribalism will play lot of roles in the contest and if not carefully handled, there could be very disastrous consequences.
It is against this background that we must all guard against making unguarded statement or those inciting one tribe against another.
Rather than warming up to unleash violence against one another, we should rather resolve to cast our votes to that candidates of our choice and leave.
Caution also must be sounded to those making provocative statement of Lagos being no man’s land because the truth is that Lagos is proudly Yoruba land and it will forever be.
It will therefore be better for the Igbos to continue to respect their host while also playing their politics in a way not to be seen as if they are purposely undermining the very essence of their host.
It is also instructive for the Yorubas who have gotten a lot of things to do in common with the Igbos such as marriages businesses, politics among others to continue to be accommodating and stop viewing everything with prism of ethnicity. The truth is that we all need one another to fulfill our shared destiny. We must continue to appreciate the strength and beauty in our diversity and should therefore guard it jealously.
We must continue to bear in mind the madness of genocide killings in Rwanda some years back during which over one millions Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed and maimed in one month.
The popular saying of the former President of our country, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that election is not worth the blood of any Nigerian due to the sanctity of life still subsists.
Before Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Yorubas and Igbos have engaged in intertribal marriage. The security agencies should take charge of the State and bring to book those perceived to be ethnic and religion trouble makers planning to use the guber election to extort and create crisis.
