Nigeria is a country with immense potential for greatness but may never get there if things continue the way it is going now. For a country to achieve their full potential, they must set clear goals, enact strong laws and above all have moral clarity of what is acceptable and unacceptable and perhaps have the courage to hire officials who will enforce the laws without prejudice.
Lagos state government rounded up some Igbos who hails from Anambra state couple of weeks ago and deported them back to their home state by dumping them at Onitsha bridgehead located at Anambra and Delta state boundary. Deportation of any Nigerian from one state to another is uncivilized and an egregious violation of their fundamental human rights. It is also a violation of Nigeria law and international norms. It is another example of moral depravity bedeviling Nigeria.
How in the world would a governor who claims to be a progressive democrat engage in such outrages and immoral depravity. It is perfectly acceptable for a state government to pass a law against panhandling or destitute persons roaming the street. If that is the case, those destitutes should be arrested and arraigned before a judge who will decide if they need to go to jail or be rehabilitated and set free. Such laws must apply to everyone irrespective of gender, sex, political affiliation, religion, race or state of origin.
Why is it that Nigeria seems to careen from one man-made crisis to another? Nigeria has been battling another man-made crisis with alien ideology called Boko Haram for years and now another lexicon, deportation has been introduced to Nigeria by so called progressive governor. Other states may follow this reprehensible behavior if this idiocy is not nipped at the bud.
The bottom line is that no Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa or other ethnic groups should apologize to any Nigerian for choosing to reside in any part of Nigeria. The right of every Nigerian to reside or live temporary or permanently wherever he or she chooses is an inalienable right that must be protected at all cost. Any Igbo or Hausa or Yoruba or other groups who works hard and accumulate enough capital to buy properties or establish business in any part of the country should be encouraged not discouraged. Let me say this again, western states do not belong to Yoruba’s alone, eastern states do not belong to Igbos alone and northern States do not belong to Hausa’s alone. Same applies to Niger Delta, central and Midwestern regions and federal capital territory.
The federal government should send a strong message by condemning such reckless behavior. The affected individuals should sue Lagos state government individually or collectively for gross violating their fundamental human right. Again, Lagos state action is illegal, inhuman and uncivilized and must be resisted by all Nigerians before such moral failure becomes the norm.
I have read articles written by some demagogues and tribalist who claims that Lagos state belongs to Yorubas and as such the Igbos should thank the Yorubas for letting them live in Lagos. Such utterance is nothing but rubbish. How did some of these purveyors of-all-that-ails Nigeria claim to be educated, let alone find their way to positions of authority at the states or federal levels of both present and past governments. These individuals need to be send back to school for re-education because their statements and logic really shows that they are either ignorant or illiterates. They appear not to understand the difference between country, nationality and ethnicity.
One of them even suggested that the Igbos should thank the Yorubas for returning their properties after the civil war. Why should any property be forcibly taken from one Nigerian by another without compensation in the first place. Some of these people need to cover their faces in shame. It is quite possible that they are shameless. Here in United States, nobody will dare imply that I do not belong here even though I am originally from Nigeria.
Enough is enough. This country has been going around in circles for years now and this craziness must come to an end. The federal government must take a stand and institute civil action against any state government who deports any Nigerian from one state to another. It should also be illegal for any governor to sack duly qualified state employees from another state on the ground that they are non-indigene of the state they reside in. It is practice that has taken place in various states of the federation.
The obligation of every Nigeria citizen should be to obey the law of the state they reside in. The state government should only arrest and prosecute any person who violates the law irrespective of their status, religion or state of origin. Convicted individuals should serve their sentences if found guilty. If Nigerians decides someday that they no longer want to be a country and end up breaking apart like former Soviet Union, Yugoslavia or Sudan, then Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas and other groups will then establish internationally recognized border before deciding who should come and go and who should be deported. Until then, all public nook and corner of Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians who must assert their right wherever they choose to reside, and must never, never apologize or thank anybody for being there. Whoever says otherwise should be damned and totally ignored so they can peacefully wallow in their ignorance.