Traditional rulers in Kosofe Local Government Areas of Lagos State have backed the call for the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the state’s daily social, political and economic activities of the local government and the two LCDAs in the area.

The Oba of Ikosi land, Oba Alamu Oloyede, and Oba of Ketu land, Oba Isiaka Balogun, recently assured the youth that the traditional rulers in the local government have agreed to intensify the call for the inclusion of Awori indigenes in the governance of the state rather than people from other states running the affairs of the local government. The two royal fathers spoke at separate visits to their palaces by the Awori Indigenous Forum (AIF) in Kosofe Local Government Area, led by Hon. Yakubu Balogun.

Oba Isiaka Balogun, during the visit, called some traditional rulers in the local government on his mobile phone as witness to their demands from the State Government during a recent meeting with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, which he said lasted eight hours.

AIF in a letter presented to the traditional rulers applauded Governor Ambode for his decision to relocate the Mile 12 Market following a fight that broke out between the Yorubas and the Hausas in the area.

The decision, they said, is in the best interest of Lagosians living in the area but urged the governor to ensure that all shops and markets must close by 7:00 p.m. and that on no condition shall anybody be found to be sleeping at any of such markets as all markets gates should be shut by 7:00 p.m.

Their other demands: “That adequate security should be provided around such markets and other public facilities and especially the Mile 12 Market and others henceforth;

“That all miscreants, waives and strays around such markets and public facilities should be strongly discouraged from milling around as they face the risk of being arrested and prosecuted for constituting public nuisance and security risk;

“That the Traditional Rulers like Obas, Baales, C.D.A Executives, Youth Leaders and elderly in each neighbourhood should be at the vanguard of joint and cooperative security outfits with the law enforcement agents (police and other para-military force); to ensure water tight security of all areas within the state;

“That the state should create an enabling social and political atmosphere to encourage indigenes to compete in the local politics and elections with non-indigenes;

“That in order to allow both indigenes and non-indigenes to participate in the political process of their areas, the former should be allowed 60) percent while the latter, that is, the non-indigenes should be allowed 40) percent participation at all times; thereby ensuring an enduring, peaceful, social and political atmosphere at all times in all areas of the State;

“That proper co-existence and good co-habitation of the people shall be entrenched if the above political system is engendered into our state and the polity;

“That the Recognition of the indigenes and the non-indigenes in the proportion suggested above will also be a veritable change in the new order as promised by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“That the culture of peaceful co-existence of all tribes and ethnic groups should always be encouraged.”

News Express reports that there have been recurrent complaints of marginalisation of Awori indigenes in Kosofe Local Government Areas of Lagos State.

AIF had recently warned that the peaceful and accommodating nature of the Awori should not be taken for granted. They stressed that the people would no longer sit idly and be cheated out of their right to govern themselves, reiterating that it is their turn at governance in the local government ahead of the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

•Photo shows Governor Ambode.

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