9th August, 2010
The Committee of Indigenes of Lagos State Association, Lagos, Nigeria, has stated that there are so many matters of importance to be addressed in the state rather than calling for the creation of a new state from the existing one.
Justice Ishola Oluwa, Grand Patron of the committee, made this known during a press briefing held recently.
The committee stated that the call for the creation of Lagoon State out of Lagos State has a political expression by those who have nothing to do with the committee.
Oluwa stated that although the committee is indifferent on the Lagoon State project, that does not mean it has no interest in it and that it does not give its full support.
The 92-year old man also said that there are more relevant matters such as education, employment and getting the full control of the state is of more relevance than calling for creation of a new state.
“We are neither in support of the idea of Lagos State nor against it. If it comes, good and if it does not, good, but we are not participants as we do not mix up indigenous movement with the Lagoon project.
“We are supporting nobody on the issue, we are in for the things that matter to us in Lagos State. The issue is political and the creation of a new state would be of benefit to those who are funding it and that is why we are indifferent about the matter,†declared Oluwa.
Chief Joseph Olasehinde, another elderly member, also stated that the committee will continue to have interest in pressing issues that concern Lagos indigenes directly, rather than those that are of less importance.
He highlighted employment, education and political offices, among other matters that would uplift the status of real indigenes of the state, as those that the committee would be more interested in and not that of creating a new state out of the existing one.
—Paul Sanusi