Traditional
rulers in Kosofe Local Government Areas of Lagos State have backed the call for
the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the state's daily social, political and
economic activities of the local government and the two LCDAs in the area.
The Oba of
Ikosi land, Oba Alamu Oloyede and Oba of Ketu land, Oba Isiaka Balogun,
recently at separate visits to the palaces by the Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF)
in Kosofe Local Government Area, led by Hon. Yakubu Balogun, assured the youth
that the traditional rulers in the local government have agreed to intensify
the call for the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the governance of the State
rather than the norms of people from other states running the affairs of local
government.
The Oba of
Ketu land, Oba Isiaka Balogun, during the visit called some traditional rulers
in the local government on his mobile phone as witness to their demands from
the state government during a recent meeting with the governor which he said
lasted eight hours.
The Awori
Indigenous Forum (AIF) in a letter presented to the traditional rulers
applauded Governor Akinwumi Ambode, for his decision to relocate the Mile 12
market following a fight that broke out between the Yorubas and the Hausas.
The decision
they said is in the best interest of Lagosians living in the area but urged the
governor to enforce that all shops and markets must close by 7:00pm and that on
no condition shall anybody be found to be sleeping at any of such markets as
all markets gates should be shut by 7.00pm.
Besides:
"That adequate security should be provided around such markets and other
public facilities and especially the Mile 12 market and others henceforth;
“That all miscreants, waives and strays around such markets and public
facilities should be strongly discouraged from milling around as they face the
risk of being arrested and prosecuted for constituting public nuisance and
security risk;
“That the
Traditional Rulers like Obas, Baales, C.D.A Executives, Youth Leaders and
elderly in each neighbourhood should be at the vanguard of joint and
cooperative security outfits with the Law Enforcement Agents (Police and other
Para-military force); to ensure water tight security of all areas within the
state;
“That the
State should create an enabling social and political atmosphere to encourage
indigenes to compete in the local politics and elections with non-indigenes;
“That in
order to allow both indigenes and non-indigenes to participate in the political
process of their areas, the former should be allowed 60) percent while the
latter, that is, the non-indigenes should be allowed 40) percent participation
at all times; thereby ensuring an enduring, peaceful, social and political
atmosphere at all times in all areas of the State;
“That proper
co-existence and good co-habitation of the people shall be entrenched if the
above political system is engendered into our State and the Polity;
“That the
Recognition of the indigenes and the non-indigenes in the proportion suggested
above will also be a veritable change in the new order as promised by the All
Progressives Congress (APC).
“That the
culture of peaceful co-existence of all tribes and ethnic groups should always
be encouraged.”
It would be
recalled that there have been worries over years of marginalisation of Awori
indigenes in Kosofe Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
The group
had recently, warned that the peaceful and accommodating nature of its people
should not be taken for granted, adding that its people would no longer sit
idly and be cheated out of their right to govern themselves, reiterating that
it was their turn at governance in the local government ahead of the
forthcoming local government elections in the state.
Tags
Politics