Why Ndiigbo Must Leave Lagos Now & Invest in the East – Dokubo

by Dokubo Asari

1. First and foremost, Lagos is not a no-man’s land. Lagos belongs to the Yoruba.

   In the event of an uprising, the owners of Lagos will eliminate any group they consider a threat and Ndiigbo are first on the list. You cannot continue to invest where you are not willing to defend with your blood.

2. The main reason why Igbo are rushing to Lagos is because of the ignorant belief of making more returns or profiting very fast which, on its own, is greed for quick money. Other tribes mock them for idolizing money more than anything.

3. Ndiigbo always claim the Igbo abandonment of their zone is because there is no seaport in Eastern Region, including Rivers and Calabar. While this may be true, they are not the only ones affected. People living in Kano and Kaduna equally travel long distances to Lagos to bring back their imported goods. But the difference is that they move the imports back to Kaduna or Kano to invest in their land. Nothing stops the Igbo businessman/woman from doing the same thing.

4. The Nigerian system is skewed to sabotage the Igbo economically. But we must learn from the Ndi Nnewi; they have created an economic hub for themselves thereby bringing back their goods down to their hometown. We can do this in other places in the East.

5. We can have our own Lagos in Anambra (Onitsha) and Abia (Aba). It starts by bringing back your investment one after the other. Gradually, there will be a cluster of businesses and economic boom. People in Lagos will come down to the East to look for you. This can be achieved in 2 years’ time if you start today.

6. People falsely claim that the East is small. It will not fit all of today’s the Igbo population. That’s a lie from the pit of hell. Lagos is just a little bigger than the size of Abia state. Despite the massive influx of people from all over Nigeria into Lagos, including Igbo right from the creation of this country, it still accommodates everyone. That’s not an excuse at all. There are empty lands all over Alaigbo.

7. Ndiigbo must realize that it’s all a grand plan to spread them out and make sure they can’t unite again after the Civil War as a strong opposition. They monopolized the seaport to Lagos alone and strategically located federal structures outside the East to weaken the zone economically and politically. Why are we naively supporting a grand plan that was designed for our detriment? The national railroad plan under Buhari quietly excluded the East.

   This has made Igbo to leave the East for Lagos or Abuja in other to get these things they have been deprived of. The result is that Igbo now live outside the East, get married, develop outside the East and have their children outside the East – and even hate their kinsmen in the East.

   These children have little or no knowledge of their language and culture. They only travel back home during festive periods. They are forced to learn the language and practice the culture of their masters.

   This federal strategy has also worked wonders for the Nigerian leaders. By strategically blocking the Igbo from education and employment in Nigeria, the bulk of the Igbo were forced out of Nigeria to search for survival outside the country. Some of these people are now the second highest source of income for Nigeria after oil due to their remittances back home in their quest to invest in Lagos and Abuja as designed by their master.

8. This has led to Igbo language becoming endangered and increase in disunity among the Igbo. That’s why you can bet that Igbo in Lagos or those outside the East will never support the idea of Biafra because they have made investments where they were not supposed to, and they are so scared to death about losing their idol – Money – located outside the East.
9. Igbo must learn from history. After the war, Igbo properties were taken away with the full consent of the government. Yet, they have not learned anything from that.
   

   Central Nigerian government policy has been to shutter the Nigerian Eastern Economic Corridor (NEEC) since the eve of the Civil War. Port Harcourt City wharf and rail station used to be at parity with those of Lagos until 1966.

   Recently, when Arewa youths gave Ndiigbo living in the North quit notice, no single arrest was made by the central government. They were already targeting Igbo properties to be taken when the time comes. Yet, Ndiigbo have nothing to learn from all these?

10. Let’s stop the idea that we should be the ones practicing UNITARY Nigeria. That’s a lie. Hausa said they want one Nigeria on their terms but over fourteen Northern states have instituted Sharia Islamic law over the Nigerian constitution. The Islamic Sharia law happens to be binding on Christians and non-Moslems too.

    The Igbo quest to invest in other people’s lands is strictly driven by the mindset of making quick money or returns. Let’s tell ourselves the truth.

    Dangote, with all his wealth, doesn’t own a piece of land in the East. You only find cement depots. How many Hausa or Yoruba own any land or investment in East? Are we now more Nigerian than them?

    The average rich Northerner will bring his cows to the East to sell during Christmas, even though he hates Christians. But he will not even sleep in your hotels. He will rather sleep underneath his trailer and will quickly depart from the East after selling his cows. For God’s sake, why do you think you are smarter than these people who share a common unforgivable passion to spill the Igbo blood?

11. The government of Lagos is demolishing markets dominated by Igbo traders and relocating them to the outskirts of town. This should be a wakeup call for Ndiigbo to return home and create their own Lagos in the East. They usually assign Ndiigbo to any undeveloped forest or swamp and in a matter of weeks, the Igbo business community would spring up a new market at the site. They still pay taxes, levies, bills for the reclaimed sites.

    

    Local youths display their readiness to enforce threat issued by Oba of Lagos against Igbo Lagosians who would dare to oppose the favorite candidate endorsed by the regent.

    The property tax alone which Igbo traders pay yearly where they reside is enough to pay the salaries of the teachers in these places, especially Lagos.

12. Ndiigbo must now understand that they are being used due to their ignorance. During the budgetary period, the places where you reside include you in the count but after the money has been allocated, they tell you to go back to your state of origin.

How many times do you want to get screwed before you learn that these people are taking turns screwing you for free?

Stop this self-imposed marginalization and empower Alaigbo and the East instead.