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Lagos Monarch Counters Oba Of Benin, Says You’re Wrong, Aworis Are Lagos’ First Settlers

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Oba Sulaimon Bamgbade, the Olofin of Isheri and Adimula of Awori Kingdom, on Thursday said the Aworis were the first settlers in Lagos.

Bamgbade urged the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, to retrace the origin of the Benin Kingdom to Ile Ife, like the Aworis have always done.

This is coming in response to a recent comment by Oba Ewuare II, who traced the origin of Lagos to the Benis.

The monarch’s comment has elicited opposition from a prominent Awori monarch, the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege; some academics and a Lagos chief, among others.

Oba Ewuare II sparked controversy among Nigerians especially on social media during a visit to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, when the king said the Binis founded Lagos.

“It is in the history books that the Binis founded Lagos. When some people will hear it now, they will go haywire; what is the Oba saying there again? But it is true. Go and check the records. Maybe not all over Lagos as we know it now but certain areas in Lagos, maybe the nucleus of Lagos, were founded by my ancestors. The Oba of Lagos will say so,” Oba Ewuare said.

But reacting to the comment in a statement on Thursday, the Olofin said contrary to Oba Ewuare’s claim, Lagos was founded and established by Olofin Ogunfuminire, the progenitor of the Awori people.

He said, “Olofin Ogunfuminire left Ile-Ife to settle at Isheri before migrating with his wife, Ajaiye, to present-day Iddo in the heart of Lagos. It was at Iddo that Ajaiye was blessed with the fruits of the womb. Her offspring are the Idejo who are the actual traditional landowners of Lagos.

“The spatial region of the land owned by the Idejo spans from Lagos Mainland (Iddo) to Lagos Island and up to Eti-Osa which he allocated absolutely to his children and other descendants.

“In this regard, he assigned Iru to the Oniru, Ikate to the Elegushi, Lagos Island to Aromire, Iganmu to Ojora, Otto, and mainland to the Oloto (up to Odo–Iya Alaro). Isheri was the dispersal point where other Olofin Ogunfunminire descendants left to found other Awori towns. For instance, Akeredun left Isheri to establish Igbesa, Odoyi left Isheri to find Agboyi, Osolo and Eleidi Atalabi left Isheri to find Ota.

“These facts are firmly established and supported by extant literature written by foreign authors and researchers such as Kristin Mann who in his book titled ‘Slavery and Birth of an African City: Lagos 1760- 1900,” wrote and I quote: ‘Migrant fishing people first settled in Lagos and from the beginning water and canoes had a prominent role in the lives of its inhabitants. Prior to the sixteenth century, Aworis, the southernmost of the Yoruba-speaking people, dispersed from Isheri, a village twelve miles up the Ogun River. A group of them settled at what is now Ebute Metta, on the mainland.

“Until the need for greater security drove the community to a smaller island in the lagoon opposite Lagos Island. There, they established two settlements, Otto and Iddo, and soon attracted fresh immigrants. In time, people from Iddo moved to the northwestern corner of the larger Island opposite, which eventually became known as Lagos, looking for land to farm.

“The settlers recognised the paramount ruler called the Olofin, based in the more populous community of Iddo but tracing mythical descent from Isheri and via the founder of that village to Ile-ife, the cradle of Yoruba civilisation.”

Olofin added, “The Benin who later came to Lagos as mere traders met Olofin and his descendants on the island of Iddo and its neighbourhood where they, Benin settled down and were well received and hosted by the community. As time went by, a feud broke out between the Benin and their hosts. Facing imminent defeat, they called for reinforcements and assistance from the Oba of Benin.

“Olofin Ogunfunminire and his mentees vehemently and successfully repelled these attacks. As a compromise, and as part of the tolerant disposition which is the character of the typical Awori, the Benins were eventually relocated to live with Aromire on his pepper farm on Lagos Island at Iga Idungaran (Idungaran in Awori means pepper farm) where they after a while and probably due to the indifference of the original land owner, introduced a more structured organisation.

“The first settlers in present Lagos are Aworis and the dispersal point of Aworis is Isheri. As the Olofin of Isheri and Adimula of Awori Kingdoms, I implore The Oba of Benin to retrace the origin of the Benin Kingdom to Ile Ife, like the Aworis have always done.”

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Reps Reject Bill Seeking Single Six-Year Term, Zonal Rotation For President, Governors

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The House of Representatives on Thursday, November 21, rejected a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at instituting a single six-year term for the president, governors, and local government chairmen across the federation.

The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 co-sponsors, also sought to divide the country into six geopolitical zones and establish a rotational system for the presidency and governorship within these zones.

Additionally, the bill proposed that all elections be conducted on a single day.

It aimed to amend Section 132 of the Constitution by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4), and renumbering the entire section accordingly. The proposed amendment would have stipulated that elections to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be rotated between the North and South regions every six years.

The bill also sought to amend Section 180 of the Constitution, replacing “four years” with “six years.”

Furthermore, it proposed altering Section 76 by inserting a new subsection (3), which would read: “(3) For the purpose of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

When the bill, which was scheduled for a second reading, was put to a vote, the majority of lawmakers voted against it. This is not the first time the House has rejected a bill seeking a six-year single term for the president and governors.

In 2019, a similar bill, sponsored by John Dyegh from Benue State, also failed to progress to the second reading.

Dyegh’s bill had also proposed a six-year term for Members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. He argued that a six-year term would allow members of the National Assembly to gain more experience, as opposed to the current four-year term.

According to Dyegh, re-election for the president and governors costs three times more than the first election and is often marked by violence. He believes a single term of five years would help curb the irregularities associated with re-election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also proposed a further amendment to the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, advocating for a six-year single term for the president for each of the six geopolitical zones.

He added that the law must mandate electronic voting and the collation of results, and require the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify the credentials of candidates, among other reforms.

The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, also backed calls in June this year for a single term for elected politicians.

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BIG STORY

I Appointed Aides On Garden Egg, Yam, Pepper To Boost Food Production — Enugu LG Chairman

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Eric Odo, chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA in Enugu state, has defended the appointment of aides for yam, pepper, and garden egg.

On Tuesday, Odo announced the appointments of Ezeugwu Ogbonna as senior special assistant on agriculture (yam and pepper) and Nwodo Ugonna as special adviser on garden egg and pepper.

The appointments attracted criticism from many Nigerians, who viewed the positions as an anomaly.

In his defense on Wednesday, Odo explained that the appointments were designed to increase the production of these crops in large quantities, aiming to meet local demands and support export.

The chairman emphasized that the Igbo-Etiti area is particularly well-suited to cultivating these crops and holds a significant comparative advantage.

“Their appointments are to ensure that local farmers receive adequate attention, needed resources, support, and expertise to enhance production, improve market access, and increase income for farmers,” NAN quoted Odo as saying.

“In essence, the appointment, which is wrongly misunderstood by disgruntled individuals, bad losers, and opposition, reinforces my determination to create a thriving local economy based on the strengths and potentials of Igbo-Etiti’s agricultural landscape.”

Odo explained that the decision was part of a carefully considered plan aimed at boosting productivity, creating jobs, and improving the livelihoods of farmers within the LGA’s communities.

He called on the public to disregard any online or offline comments intended to discredit the appointments, asserting that the council is committed to massive food production and sustainable development.

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Simon Ekpa, Four Others Arrested In Finland Over Terror-Related Activities

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Finnish-Nigerian separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, and four other individuals have been arrested in Finland over terror-related activities.

A local report in Finland stated that Ekpa, the self-declared “Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government In-Exile,” was remanded in custody by the district court of Päijät-Häme on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.

In a Thursday statement published on its website, the Central Criminal Police in Finland said it had arrested five people on suspicion of terrorist crimes.

The police said the main suspect was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” while four others were arrested “for financing a terrorist crime.”

The police added: “Claims will be heard in Päijät-Häme district court today, November 21.”

The statement reads: “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.”

“The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland by means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria.”

The statement quoted the head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen from the Central Crime Police, as saying that “the man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels.

“Four other persons are suspected of financing the aforementioned activity. All five suspects of the crime have been arrested during the beginning of the week.”

“International cooperation has been carried out during the preliminary investigation,” the statement added.

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