That was a quote from a June 26, 1963 speech, by United States President J.F. Kennedy in West Berlin. He was declaring the support of the United States for the people of West Berlin, after the then Soviet Union erected the Berlin wall to prevent the mass emigration of East Germans to the West Germany.
That quote comes to mind today as I reflect on some of the news coming out of Lagos.
As I understand it, the Lagos State Government is considering a plan to “indigenize” Lagos. The Lagos State Assembly I’m told, is deliberating on a new bill, the “Indigenization Bill”. The bill, if passed, states that any citizen of the country, who has lived in an area for 10 years, can claim to be an indigene of that area.
And I thought I have seen it all.
This doesn’t make sense to me at all, and I’m scratching my head for answers. Am I missing something here, people? Since when did individual states in Nigeria take on the role of conferring “citizenship”? Has the Nigerian constitution been amended? Do States now have that type of autonomy in Nigeria?
I used to be very proud of the ethnic diversity of Lagos State. The only State in Nigeria where the content of a man’s character matters more than the dialect he speaks, or the tribal marks on his cheeks. “Eko Ile”- a home to everyone, regardless of ethnic background – a home away from home."Eko for show" - showcasing its inclusiveness and uniqueness. Isn’t it the same Lagos where an Ibo man was appointed a State Commissioner?
What changed? Why now? What is the meaning of this? Why destroy the reputation of this great State? Have these folks thought through the ramifications of this proposed bill? So the Bill is passed, and then what? Would non-Lagos indigenes now require entry visa to Lagos? As a non-indigene, would I be disenfranchised – denied the fundamental right to vote in local, state and national elections? Would I, as a non-indigene, be required to carry on me at all times, and ready to show to the police upon request, my “resident permit” or “visitor permit”? Would non-indigenes pay higher school fees than indigenes? Would I be required to pay business taxes at a higher rate than the indigenes? If I break the law, will I be deported back to my State? Would I become an illegal alien, if I don't have a valid visa to visit or live in Lagos?
The Indigenization bill is a dumb idea. It is a dangerous precedent - a Pandora's box that should rather be left untouched and unopened. The bill should not pass. It is an assault on the peoples – from the East, North, South, and West, who toiled, night and day – some even pay the ultimate price – to make Lagos what it is today. This law, if passed, is a stain on the collective moral consciousness of all Lagosian. It is an affront on the memory of men and women who have sacrificed to make Lagos a home for all. The law is another corrosive element that'll only eat away the rather tenuous cord of unity that binds the Nigerian nation together.
And so I declare today, “Ich bin ein Lagosian!!! We are all Lagosian!!!
By Akin Ojumu
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