The Board of Trustees chairman of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Prof. Adele Jinadu, has disclosed that the ongoing agitation for Lagos indigenes’ rights were not perculiar to the state alone.
Mr Jinadu, in a statement addressed to the Lagos traditional rulers on Thursday, stated that the agitation was justified in order to protect against “genocide by immigration”.
According to him, a glaring example of genocide by immigration existed in the USA where native Indians were routed from their homelands while settlers took over their lands by force and with every other conceivable means.
He said in the case of Nigeria, the issue of indigeneship was essentially put in the Nigerian Constitution to ensure that owners of the land (indigenous people) were not supplanted by non-indigenes by strength of population or for ‘owners of the land’ not lose their natural endowments as indigenes.
While calling on all indigenes of Lagos to join hands and stop “this untoward trend”, Mr Jinadu urged the traditional rulers to key into the project in order to address issues affecting indigenes of your state.
“It is therefore incumbent on us to draw the attention of our Traditional Rulers to specific issues affecting indigenes of your state. There will be no doubt that your loyalty may falter. You are not being asked to make a choice now as to who owns your loyalty as King.
“Is it the people who used political exigencies to influence your choice or those over whom you reign. Any mortal who assisted in that regard was truly a tool of ELEDUMARE. It is your birth right that you are King,” the statement noted.
Mr Jinadu noted that the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation is on a course that is clear and unambiguous.
“Our mission is to stop the continued slide of our people into insignificance and obscurity on our soil. To stem this genocide by Immigration. It is an achievable task and a necessity to have an indigene with the love of the people, our values and our passion for greater heights to emerge as the next GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE. An indigene in this regard is one from any of our five divisions of Lagos State.
“We believe that they will be better managers of our resources. They have a background inherent in our roots. Lagos State is not a ‘no-man’s land’.
“The creation of Lagos state was not happenstance or a figment of anybody’s imagination but a set of decisive actions that eventually made our small city states, a bulging empire, a colony, a country and a people before our amalgamation into Nigeria a force to reckon with both internally and internationally.
“As the natural ruler, your commitment to our GLORY will be pleasing to the memories of your ancestors. You must rise to defend the rights of your people,” he added.
