Thursday, February 8, 2007

Lagos indigenes fault appointment of non-indigenes to cabinet
By Isaac Taiwo

AN outcry has gone against the appointment of non-indigenes into cabinet positions of the Lagos State government.

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The reservation against the appointment of non-indigenous cabinet member was expressed yesterday at a special meeting of Indigenous Association and Distinguished Elders of Lagos State held at the Ikeja Airport Hotel.

The group called for the stoppage of the practise, arguing that it was not justifiable as the state was blessed with rich human capital to occupy such positions.

The stakeholders, under the chairmanship of Chief Babatunde O. Benson (SAN), decried the trend in recent years which has seen crucial ministries put in the hands of non-indigenes, who only turn around later to go back to their home state to pursue political ambitions.

They said, henceforth all incoming chief executives of the state who must be bonafide indigenes must align themselves against the appointment of non-indigenes in future.

Such chief executives must demonstrate commitment to the policy of rotation of the governorship among the five zones of Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe as well as equitable distribution of top political appointments among the zones.

The meeting, which was also attended by Chief S.O. Bakare; Dr. Deji Bankole; Mr. Abayomi Amosu; Prince Biodun Adeola and Chief R.O. Shoderu among others, however threw its weight behind the Lagos State government's rejection of the population figure of 9,013,539 million from the National Population Commission (NPC).

They commended Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his position, and affirmed their support towards the government's decision to file a petition at the appropriate tribunal.

The figure published for the state, the meeting insisted "is very much against the interest of the state."

One of the elders and the general secretary of Ibile Forum, Bankole, called for the creation of an all-embracing body of the several indigenous associations from the five zones of the state to better articulate and prosecute agenda that would be beneficial to the people of the state.