Being The Text of Speech by Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi, Convener Apostolic Round Table on the Platform of the LAGOSIANS; Leaders After God’s Own Spirit Initiating A New State, to sue for peace tagged *After The Storm.*
Date: Tuesday, 21st March 2023.
Protocol
Let me start by appreciating the Almighty God who stepped into my bedroom on the 10th of January 2018, to mandate a change of order demanding that the things I am doing would from then be done differently. In clear unmistakable terms, the Lord wants me on His side to stand for the oppressed citizens of this country and to become an Apostolic Voice to the voiceless. Ministry for me; will no longer be a denomination but service to His Kingdom and my life an insignia of His coming kingdom. To God be all the glory for how far He has brought us!
To friends so concerned for what our impact had been in ministry before the “change of direction”, worthy of note being the consequent rejection and withdrawal from identifying with us by some, your decision left us to God, thank you we say, for making us happen.
To Christians across the length and breadth of the nation who see us as God sent stewards for the hour of Church reform for this Apostolic age, may we be transformed together into his very image to fulfill his plan in this end time in the name of Yeshua! AMEN!
To the Kingdom Group of Plummet Mission, a new family where we have found love and true fellowship, may Yeshua keep us growing in His love and life.
I am particularly grateful to non Christians, particularly our Muslim brethren with whom we are often programmed for collision by evil politicians whose intention is to keep us divided to perpetuate their rulership over us!
*Introduction:*
In the brief developed by the Lagosians for this event, the aim is:
After The Storm: Uniting to build One Lagos for all.
This of course doesn’t look like something that should be a difficult venture to undertake within the geographical entity called Nigeria given that the motto of our nation is Unity and Progress.
A statement of fact, but not understood by both the leadership and the people. In the context of the phrase; progress is an undeniable product of united minds and hands.
The answer to our failure hangs on our coat of arms, read by the world but unattended to by the people it portrays.
*Ticket Transformation: From Muslim/Muslim To Yoruba/Igbo Battle*.
I was at the forefront of the protest against Muslim/Muslim tickets and within the context of events that led to it, I tender no apology for demanding justice for my Christian constituency.
I am however shocked to the marrow that those within our faith who saw nothing wrong with Muslim/Muslim ticket are at the forefront of Yoruba against Igbo in Lagos and so called “Igbo must not take Lagos” agenda; with those who are marketers of political endorsements; thus pushing Lagos to the brink of war!
Let me start with my beloved in battle, Prof Ishaq Akintola, the religious leader of Muslims Rights Concern, MURIC. While our rights as Christians no one has thought it wise to champion, I must commend the work of the Professor on behalf of his Islamic constituents.
The endorsement by Professor of His Excellency Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a Christian is one cardinal reason his re-election raises fear for our faith.
If His Excellency Gov Seyi Makinde in Oyo is a Christian and H. E Babajide Sanwo-Olu is, why the endorsement of Sanwo-Olu and non endorsement of Makinde by Professor Ishaq Akintola?
In a free and fair election in Oyo, MURIC’s endorsement was inconsequential as Makinde won without it. Much is left to be desired of Lagos where the endorsements of MURIC and his Christian political business partners ran the state riot, their Oloro, Alale and all sorts of beast from the forest of a thousand demons collaborated to take Lagos 500 years backward.
I am lost to why those who will raise their voice to fight on the side of Akintola, and lend their voices to Oro, cried at midnight as Yoruba but can’t find reason to offer Igbos words of consolation for the sake of eternal value; our faith!
ART may appear like a nuisance to those who are trading with our faith, but to the larger Christian populace, our “nuisance value” is seen and appreciated as the rod we have become in the hands of the Master chasing and exposing political traders from the Body of His Holy Temple!
Back to MURIC’s endorsement of Sanwo-Olu, one wonders if it is premised on the unfinished mission of the 9th Assembly led by Obasa under whom the customary law of lagos was reviewed to accommodate the establishment of Sharia Courts? Only time will tell. I put this here on record for posterity.
On the tribal and ethnic narrative engineered against the Igbos that became the principalities and powers that engaged with them in flesh and blood, it is safe to hold the lives lost to all who lent their voices to that evil in the name of politics. May the blood of the dead be required from their hands by the Lord of Host!
The hatred for the Igbos, I saw coming from those who were unconcerned about a foreign tribe Invading our forests, turned around to disparage the Igbos as the kidnapping tribes and asked us for cow when the daughter of a Frontline Yoruba leader was killed in defence of their political Fulani partners. They have led us back to the bitter battle in enmity between our forebears and that of the Igbos, and since we can’t find reasons enough to hate the Igbos, they shopped for a most silly one; the Igbos want to own Lagos. From the relics of history, they magnified the 1966 Coup as Igbo coup as if a whole tribe has ever held a meeting to plan a coup before. The memory of hungry kwashiorkor stricken children, over 3 million who died as a result of the civil war seems to serve the Igbo right, if I read their body language right! Yesterday was the bedrock on which today sits. Today is a foundation for tomorrow. Let’s gladly announce to them that we are too strong to be left to the evil they called an election last Saturday. That the past is not in view, the pain of the moment notwithstanding we will continue to live and give our best to Nigeria and Lagos in particular in hope of rewards of deeds according to everyone’s work which the future will definitely serve.
My Lagos Story was their narrative before now, of _a Lagos where all tribes and nationals can dream and see their dreams fulfilled!_ where then comes the no man’s land accusation?
Though, we can’t deny that the heat and the division in our polity is a proof of work to be done in the direction of one united Lagos.
This task can’t be done by those who for political gains plunged us into the abyss of hatred. It’s therefore the duty of all truly loving indigenous Lagosians and non indigenous Lagosians to rise up to the challenge that this election left us with.
Religious or tribal, we should be done with hatred. I personally will look forward to laws that will punish anyone who stigmatizes any tribe or religion. Our disagreement with individuals must never again be tagged to their tribes or religions.
I have heard of Lagos Economy being the 5th Largest in Africa. The monopoly advantage confered on her as the former federal capital hosting the nation’s seaport and several other national infrastructures not withstanding. Lagos belongs to the Yorubas?
This economy, in my assumption thrives on the private sector 80%, 60% of this is on the formal and 20% on the informal, let me conservatively leave the remaining 20% to the State Government. To the informal belongs the transport unions, their affiliates and all market locations. The responsibility of Government is security of lives and property for which it collects taxes, administers and distributes same. If the Parks and Garages Management Agency of the APC led administration in Lagos is in competent hands for collection in that informal sector, and to the Iyaloja goes the collection from our markets, as part of the arms making Lagos to run “smoothly” and from which we had hands from among the collectors to ruin the ENDSARS protest, giving it a bad name for the mauling (by the military) that followed, same hands came handy on Saturday to rig election for APC Governorship candidate. Area Boys subjugated electoral laws and institutions aided by security agencies, the infraction of the system was approved by INEC and endorsed as the process through which the winner emerged and so was declared. I have no problem accepting this decision and I am here saying congratulations to Babajide Olusola Sanwo Olu and to all who rejoice in the chaos that elected him. However, let’s all bear in mind that that our “Governors” whose impunity on election day ruined the day and provided platform for anarchy that we go ahead to install as the government of the people, by the people have the right to exercise same at any other time they so deem fit.
Pictures of some of the persons who hijacked the #EndSARS protest are all over the internet. The onus is on Sanwo-Olu administration to fish them out and arraign them in court to answer for their atrocities. The same contractors of chaos; Baales, Traditional rulers with the organized Area boys subverted the law and ran the instrument of state during the Governorship election. Until this persons are arrested and brought to book, Lagos remain unsafe for all. The appeal is for Lagos State Resident Registration Agency to assist the committee that must be set up at fishing out this men and women living among us but hiding to carry out evil because the government is shielding them. If a masquerades could vote after BVAS certification, then no one should remain hidden.
Lagosians should give due respect to those you saw on election day snatching ballot boxes. Where possible pay taxes they demand of you we must help the government to sustain the status they elevated those outlaws to. Those who returned you home if you aren’t going to vote their party must be sent to jail where they belong and if not to them goes our allegiance until the government is ready to earn it. Those, the law and its enforcement institution couldn’t protect you against who killed and maimed without recompense are over and above the law then let it be so. See and relate with them that way, for in principle we have in place a government of the thugs by the thugs and for the thugs. If you are therefore not a thug, you have no part in this government and must behave yourself.
Is the judiciary on trial with what we witnessed? I don’t think so! Rather the morality of our collective consciences vis a vis the roles we played, the silence we maintained and the docility we entertained.
We can therefore save our anger against the Judges knowing that in the system are men like us playing to the gallery. We are all dancers, dancing to the tune of a very well paid piper.
An understanding of how the Electoral Jurisprudence runs or how laws relating to our elections are made will save us a lot of post-election depletion of energy that should be channeled to building *One Lagos for all*.
The Law is blind to all the gory tales we bear of our most sadistic election. Laws aren’t made based on emotion and its interpretation will never court our emotions. In the orchestra of the piper is a musical law instrument called technicalities. It will ease the steps of dance for our dancers on the bench.
To the real Lagosians, Omo Odu’a Anibi Niran, the Emissary of the Oba of Benin on the Island and also Sons and daughters of the Yoruba race who returned from slavery your exposure and maturity has kept Lagos going and growing thanks for your hospitable spirit. The Eguns, Aworis and the Ijebus of Lagos inter-land and riverine, your love sailed us through the storming waters stired by those who are stranger in the commonwealth of Lagos but who have conquered the Treasury and would rather die holding to it! You must never allowed those whose “ibi” are not known and “iran” no one can trace to turn you into what you aren’t. Please, stay loving for that is your heritage.
*Will Proxy Government still continues? (Se Ijoba Baba Sope a de ma lobe na ni?*).
From 1999 – 2007 H. E Bola Ahmed Tinubu had his time running Lagos and he successfully restructured same for personal control for the rest of his life after leaving office and since we allowed him, he hopes to leave it as an inheritance for his children and children’s children.
From Lagos came the fund that executed an individual’s inordinate desire of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The alleged need to increase percentage of commission of collections by Alpha Beta, an illegality turned legal by the rubber stamp State house of Assembly. It was the same Emperor of Lagos who got rid of Akinwunmi Ambode and kept his replacement humbled doing his bidding without questioning. It’s believed that a total of 5Billion Naira is being paid to Alpha Beta monthly as commission. This of course Nigerians must expect as the fulfillment of this inordinate ambition becomes the nemesis of our lack of vigilance and activism.
Reflect on 2002 till date and imagine what the funds collected by Alpha Beta could have done to Lagos? We aren’t talking about corruption in the system but legitimized corruption.
I leave you with this to ponder on, as the status quo is maintained in Lagos, elsewhere in Rwanda, rebuilding Kigali a city brought down by tribal war laced with religious bigotry to a world class city has taken just 19 years. Asiwaju has been in control of Lagos for 24 years. Please, put Lagos side by side Kigali, be reminded that Rwanda is not on the list of the first 10 economy in Africa. Then Ask what have we spent 24 years building with the resources available to Lagos?
In 2021, Global Innovation Index ranked Rwanda first among 13 low-income economies and 7th among the 27 sub-saharan African economies. Fast forward, the world Bank reports that the country has seen “strong economic growth… accompanied by substantial improvements in living standards”.
Nigeria can be better and Lagos can give us much more. If only you will frown at the evil of corruption limiting her potential.
But if Lagos been the cash cow of the “Yoruba” excites you, then so be it. “Since Lagos belongs to the Yorubas”. Please, ensure you show at 8:00AM in Baba’s house on the 1st of April to collect your portion of the “Isakole” accruing to all Yorubas from the Ka bi o osi of Lagos. See you then.
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