'All Lagosians' By Adesina Ogunlana

The Learned Squib

If you are educated, not to talk, learned, and you are not a General Olusegun “Babanyabo” Obasanjo, ex third-term presidential aspirant, ex life-time presidential hopeful, the chances are that, you won’t mind reading newspapers, at least Nigerian dailies.

Generally people read newspapers to get information. All manners of information, obituaries inclusive. By the way obituaries can make very interesting reads. For example there was this obituary (trust me to fabricate one) where the announcer started by stating that it was with a heavy heart that the family of the deceased was announcing the passing away of their “grand father, father, uncle, (area uncle?) brother, son e.t.c but mid-way paused to ask Mr. Death a rather-silly question-Death, where is thy sting? Now if Death had no sting, where did the family fetch their heavy hearts from?

Just this Saturday morning (May 24 2008), I stumbled on a fascinating advertisement on page A28 of the Punch newspaper of the day. The advert was placed by no less a worthy than one Professor Bamidele Badejo, described as Honourable Commisssioner for Transportation. Of Lagos State, I presumed.

The advert, a full page, carried in-toto the provisions of a new law, PUBLIC ROADS, SET BACKS (Social Religions and Commercial Function Prohibition) Removal of obstruction law.

This new law has some rather interesting aspects, which include criminalising the holding of religious activities or maintaining mechanic workshops on public roads. But I am not bothering my nose about any such aspects. And, you can’t blame me. I am not a pastor or the son of a pastor but a mere in-law to one or two pastors- of the Pentecostal hue-so the chances of my holding a religious crusade on a public road is rather slim. I am also, not a mechanic, a fairly obvious fact, so again I cannot be affected by the law.

What I find most fascinating in the advert is just a line in the preamble to the law. The line reads-
“All Lagosians are enjoined to adhere strictly to the provision of this law as violators would be apprehended and prosecuted”.
And in this line, what I found most touching and alarming at the same time were the first two words “All Lagosians.”

From the sentence, it appears that the notice of the law is specially meant for Lagosians, so that they will not run foul of it.

But who is a Lagosian? Is it anybody habitually resident in Lagos, whether from birth or otherwise? Or is it any member of the families of the founders of the various communities in the state, the so called Omo-Onile?

All these questions, to me are pertinent now more that ever when juicy positions in the Lagos State Government are given in preference to Lagosians above non-Lagosians. In such contexts, the only persons who qualify to be called Lagosians are those whose roots are located ‘from time immemorial’ in sons-of-the-soil families. It doesn’t matter whether the other Lagosians have been paying tax to Lagos State ‘from time immemorial.’

But could this definition apply to the observance of the new law?

I looked at the interpretation section of the new law but could not find any listing or definition of the word ‘Lagosian’.

So once again ladies and gentlemen, who is a Lagosian?