Aggressive Urbanisation Of Lagos May Lead To Extinction Of Native Lagosians – Prince Adeniji-Adele

A logical and strategic dialogue on the social engineering of Lagos State to factor in the concerns of aboriginal Lagosians in the rapid and aggressive urbanisation of the State will constitute the focal point of the IBILE Eko Summit slated to hold later this week, according to Prince Adelani Adeniji, the national coordinator of the IBILE Eko Summit Group.

Prince Adelani was speaking in an interview with Eko Hot Blog ahead of the highly anticipated parley that will feature key stakeholders and Lagosians of note.

The summit, entitled “Strategic Planning of Socio-Cultural Development of Lagos and Regional Agenda: An Indigenous Perspective” will hold on October 30, 2021 at Eko Club Surulere, Lagos.

According to him, the summit is a pre-emptive measure geared towards charting the course that will birth the pathway for sustainable socio-economic and socio-political development in Lagos State.

Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN)

“It’s a combination of many positive thoughts concerning the way indigenes of the state are feeling. Those who have their origins from Lagos State – Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe,” Adeniji said.

“50 years from now, if care is not taken we are probably going to be extinct.
People come around, take our land and sell it to the highest bidder, out of reach of our people. In their social engineering, very few consideration is being given to the indigenes. In fact, I am talking about the marginalisation of indigenes, and it’s been out there for long. People have been talking about it.”

On the choice of guest speakers at the parley, Prince Adelani noted that the veteran academicians were chosen for their immense contributions to discourse of economic and social re-engineering of the state and that even Lagosians outside the shores of Nigeria have espoused the summit as a necessary step towards address the unceasing plundering of the state over the last few decades.

Prince Adelani Adeniji Adele

“We are worldwide, we have people in Diaspora, the UK and USA, and we’re talking. They {the speakers} are Lagosians of note who have made their respective foray into public life. The topics they are going to talk about are on their various professions. The topics are going to be centered around the theme. We want to make it a recurrent event. Professor Adele is very erudite and is going to give the keynote address.”

Prof. Fila Tayo

“Professor Fola Tayo will be speaking on the socio-political development of Lagos State. Barrister Shashore is a foremost legal mind and he’s also a historian of note, he is speaking on the role of stakeholders in the development of Lagos.

Prince Adelani also spoke on the tempestuous agitation for Yoruba nation, whose chaperones have erroneously foisted on Lagos State, which, by implication of its geographical classification has been considered a proponent of the secessionist struggle.

“The other aspect which we are very passionate about is this issue of identity. Lagos has never been under any Yoruba sovereignty, be it Oyo or Ife. We have come to the conclusion that you cannot talk of Lagos as a Yoruba territory and you’re not talking to us. We look at things differently. Since the late 1930s, some say Lagos is on its own, and truly, we are backed by history.”

Read Also: IBILE Eko Summit Group To Host 2021 Parley In October

“These are the passions driving everybody out there, but there has been no vehicle to really put it up for debate. So this group wants to open that debate up for people to come and talk. Let’s talk if it’s right for you to take the land of indigenes in Epe, build estates, sell it in millions when you know indigenes cannot afford it and those people who will buy will not be indigenes of the community, and the indigenes will be poorer. We want to stop the marginalisation.”

Dr. Olawale Lawal

He noted that the essence of the Summit is not to discriminate against the non-indigenes of the state who have habitually thronged to Lagos State for greener pastures over the past decades, but to discourage indiscriminate pillaging of the state and design a blueprint to foster the socio-cultural and socio-political, and socio-economic development of Africa’s economic hub.

“We are not against immigrants, immigrants were attracted to Lagos State because of the wealth Lagos has. Lagos has had a buoyant economy right from one hundred years ago. We are only against pillaging the state.”

Prof. Adele Jinadu

“We have issues concerning cultism, issues concerning drugs. You can say it’s a general problem, but we are very affected. We believe that with some social engineering, we can impact the lives of our youths,” he said.

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