LAGOS DEPORTATION: WHEN TRIBALISM DESTROYS CSOs’ REPUTATION

“First they came for the communists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the socialists, I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Catholic. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”-Martin Niemoller (1892-1984).

The illegal and immoral deportation of some non-indigenes of Lagos State out of the state on account of being destitute and a drain on the resources of the state has again shown the danger of keeping quiet when things are going wrong. I have also seen some prominent individuals and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) keeping silent over this very important matter that hits at the core of our existence as a nation. The Lagos based CSOs at the best of times are the most vociferous in taking federal government to task on fundamental issues in this country. Their silence, to say the least is not golden. I do not want to believe the suspicion in many quarters that the reason the Lagos based CSOs had kept quiet over this matter is because they are dominated by the Yoruba and the people forcefully deported are not of their kind. I had thought that CSOs given their non-governmental status could rise above primordial sentiments. Today it is the Igbo, yesterday it was Hausa beggars, who will it be tomorrow?

I have read a posting on Facebook by a northerner which made a lot of sense to me. He asked why there were so many hullabaloos over the deportation of the Igbo from Lagos adding that there no such outcry when northern beggars were similarly deported by the Lagos State government. He said people are now protesting because the deportation affected the Igbo. I want to state that I wrote against the deportation of the beggars at the time. But how many did write against the practice, I cannot tell. But this northerner’s observation makes a lot of sense to me because if we had spoken out enough at the time, the latest deportation would have been avoided. Already with the noises being made about this deportation, the Lagos State government will not embark on the next round of deportation anytime soon. I hope I am not too optimistic. But the fact is that we owe it to our conscience to be on the side of the truth no matter whose ox is gored. That the Lagos based CSOs who should have all the facts on the deportations and mobilise the rest of the country against it have taken side with the Lagos State government is indeed very shameful.

There are also those defending the action of Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, claiming that Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State whose indigenes constitute the bulk of those deported from Lagos, took similar action against beggars from Akwa Ibom State. I don’t know whether this allegation against Obi is true, but those who are making it now, what did they do when Obi was deporting the hapless Akwa Ibomits? If they did nothing, they were as culpable as the governor, if the allegation is proven to be true. Let us always raise our voice in protest anytime any one of God’s children(Muslims, Christians, Animists, Atheists, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, Ibibio, Ijaw, Nupe etc) is being mistreated by those in power. We are all made of flesh and blood.