Way forward for Lagos: Man reignites ‘no man’s land’ debate with controversial proposal

A social media consumer, Dr D Udoh, has reignited the favored ‘no man’s land’ debate in regards to the standing of Lagos State with a controversial proposal.

Udoh advised that Lagos ought to be adopted because the business capital of Nigeria, with the President appointing a minister to go the state, similar to the Federal Capital Territory.

He argued that with the state’s standing amongst comity of states in Nigeria, it ought to be given a particular standing that features defending everybody’s curiosity.

Taking the controversy to a different top on Monday, Udoh in a sequence of posts on his X deal with, @Udoh_D, listed 5 new proposals that ought to be adopted by the Federal Authorities to make sure Lagos achieves a particular standing.

He wrote, “Lagos State, by advantage of being a former capital of Nigeria and a business metropolis that’s cosmopolitan, ought to be granted a particular standing that achieves the next:

1. Defend the curiosity and strategic funding of all Nigerians which might be domiciled in that state.

2. Decouple the state from ethno-religious politics and bigotry that would threaten the strategic place of the state as a melting pot for all Nigerians.

“A future president who is totally detribalised and never emotionally biased in the direction of the politics of the state by means of laws ought to sponsor a invoice earlier than the Nationwide Meeting that seeks to realize the next:

(a) Fully and formally undertake Lagos State as a business capital of Nigeria

(b) Vest the powers in each elected President to nominate a minister for Lagos who will preside over the affairs of Lagos State similar to the President at present appoints a Minister for the FCT

(c) Some headquarters or departments of Federal Authorities infrastructures and parastatals could possibly be formally moved to Lagos.”

Countering his proposal, one other social media consumer, @de_generalnoni, instructed Udoh to ask others to develop their states reasonably than strip Lagos of its constitutionally assured standing.

He wrote, “Solely non-Yorubas are saying to this…. Physician abeg delete this trash. How will you say folks whose Lagos is their homeland ought to lose such? By no means ever! Lifeless this agenda. Others ought to go and develop their states not put eyes on Lagos. Lagos is Yoruba land and can stay so!”

Responding, Udoh defined that his proposal was not to make sure Lagos is stripped off from the unique indigenes who’re Yoruba from South West.

“No, they received’t… the Yorubas that personal Lagos, it’ll nonetheless be their ancestral dwelling. Similar to the Gbaygi’s and others nonetheless personal Abuja,” he posited.

Sharing Udoh’s sentiment, @konibajeooo, wrote, “I would favor replicating China (Deng Xioping) mannequin of financial improvement through est of Particular Financial Centres(SEZs). States having seaports and economically viable states akin to Anambra, Imo, Oyo, Kano, Delta, Kaduna and many others ought to be made SEZs to expedite financial improvement.”

Responding, Udoh mentioned, “That may nonetheless be adopted in a restructured Nigeria. However the above suggestion is to make Abuja Nigeria’s political (official) capital and Lagos to be Nigeria’s financial capital. There are nations with a number of capitals, so it’s not an odd proposal.”

Not glad together with his proposal, one other X consumer, Yinka Oladejo, wrote, “We are able to begin this experiment with Anambra or River state. Then unfold it to different components of Nigeria. Lagos shouldn’t be the primary with all the pieces. Thanks.”

Additionally, @abiolapharays, mentioned, “All you guys do is to be disrespecting us. Abuja is the present capital, y’all ought to go there and proceed from the place you stopped with Lagos. The phrase cosmopolitan is extraordinarily annoying to me.”

On his half, @AjiseAyode66166, wrote, “As a substitute of you to champion progress of different subnationals, you might be as a substitute serious about land grabbing. Let every state be developed on the similar stage and velocity, sufficient of all this nonsense.”

Responding, Udoh mentioned, “All these ‘Lagos Boys’ crying underneath my point out….did I burst a serious artery? All the main oil corporations in Nigeria are headquartered (sic) exterior their (sic) manufacturing areas… and this govt is already introducing the decentralisation of FG workplaces and headquarters to Lagos. The presidential home in Dodan Barracks and VP residence have been already captured within the finances for renovations to function the alternate presidential residence.

“So why are you crying at a proposal to formally undertake Lagos as one of many nation’s capitals. A number of capitals aren’t a brand new idea; some nations have it….”

However reacting to the controversy, the Lagos State Authorities defined that the proposal by Udoh stays a private opinion.

Talking with our correspondent throughout an interview on Wednesday, the Particular Adviser, Media and Publicity to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile, mentioned the proposal was towards the standing given to Lagos constitutionally.

He mentioned, “That’s simply the opinion of that individual. I imply, is it a constitutional factor? The individual solely expresses his personal opinion. Whoever is saying that’s solely expressing his private opinion and it’s not a constitutional factor.

“Lagos is a state. It is likely one of the states listed within the structure of Nigeria. I imply, the controversy on whether or not Lagos ought to be like Abuja the place the individual on the central will appoint a minister to supervise its affairs will not be constitutional.

“The particular standing that we, as a authorities, are clamouring for in Lagos is that the state ought to be handled like New York within the US. Lagos was a former capital metropolis and there may be a lot left by the Federal Authorities to be dealt with by the state. So, this is sort of a heavy burden on the state.

“So, that’s the reason persons are clamouring for the state to get a particular standing whereby extra assets ought to be given to Lagos when it comes to income and to get a commensurate quantity in allocation from the centre. So, that’s the sort of particular standing we’re speaking about.”

On his half, a Lagos indigene from Lagos Island Native Authorities Space, Dr. Ganiyu Okunu, mentioned the particular standing deserving of Lagos was that of financial development and never the one being proposed by Udoh.

He mentioned the capital standing given to Abuja was sufficient, and Lagos ought to solely be supported by the central authorities to totally realise its financial potential.

“What I’ll need as a particular standing is for the Federal Authorities to grant extra financial advantages to the state. Financial advantages when it comes to assembly the developmental wants of the state.

“Sure, Lagos has indigenous populations and the state can also be a house to a whole lot of non-indigenes and it’s the financial capital of the nation. So, if there may be something the federal government ought to do, it’s to supply extra assist to help the event challenge of the state, that might be higher,” Okunnu, who’s a lecturer on the Lagos State College, instructed our correspondent in an interview.

Lagos – the nation’s financial and business capital – was created on Might 27, 1967, by States Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14 of 1967 which restructured Nigeria’s Federation into 12 states.

Earlier than this, Lagos Municipality was administered as a Federal Territory by the Federal Authorities by means of the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs because the regional authority, whereas the Lagos Metropolis Council ruled the Metropolis of Lagos.

Nevertheless, with the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Authorities to Abuja on December 12, 1991, Lagos ceased to be Nigeria’s political capital.

There had been ongoing debates in regards to the standing of Lagos, notably on social media, earlier than and after the 2023 basic elections, sparking ethics faceoff among the many South West and South East folks domiciled in Lagos.

Whereas one occasion argued that Lagos ought to be dwelling for all no matter ethnic leanings, Nigerians of South West extract insisted that regardless of its centrality, Lagos stays a part of South West, with identified indigenes and a definite historical past.