HISTORICAL FACTS:
THE BRIEF HISTORY OF EKO NOW CHRISTENED LAGOS STATE
There was no Lagos State in 1960. What we had was Lagos Federal Capital called former Lagos Colony by the British, then our colonial master.
That problem is that our present non Yoruba leaders deliberately muddle things up for the young ones to believe.
Lagos Capital of 1960 comprised of Isale̩ Eko, Victorial Island, Ikoyi, and part of Apapa.
Ebute-Me̩ta, Yaba, O̩jo̩ta, Somolu, Bariga, Iso̩lo̩, Ike̩ja, Alimo̩sho̩, Ipaja, Ikorodu, E̩pe̩, Lekki, Ajah, Badagary, Mushin, Surulere Agege all in Western Region.
Lagos State was only created in 1967. Let me tell you the good intention of what the General Yakubu Gowon regime did in creating Lagos State.
Chief O̩bafe̩mi Awolo̩wo̩ as the Premier of Western Region of Nigeria created industrial estates in Ike̩ja, Iso̩lo̩, Iganmu, Ilupeju, Apapa and those places were in the Western Region.
General Yakubu Gowon simply merged the industrial estates Awolo̩wo̩ created with Lagos Colony to form Lagos State in 1967. Awolo̩wo̩ created those industrial estates with cocoa money.
Lagos State is made up of five provinces of Ike̩ja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos (Isalẹ Eko), and E̩pe̩. Only one was Lagos Colony from 1914 to 1960. And that is Lagos Island. The remaining four provinces were in the Western region.
So when any non indigene tells you the usual trash that they made Lagos or that Lagos was a former Capital or that Lagos is a No-man’s land. Please educate them by not joining them. They are only publicising their ignorance.
What took most people irespective of tribe to Lagos was the industrial estates Chief O̩bafe̩mi Awolo̩wo̩ created as the Premier of Western Region, not the Federal capital. The same is the story for over 90% of the people in the state today.
The Carther Bridge was the only bridge linking Lagos Colony to the Western Region. It was after Odumegwu Ojukwu attempted to blow it up during the civil war that Chief O̩bafe̩mi Awolo̩wo̩ facilitated the building of Eko Bridge in 1975.
Awolo̩wo̩ as the Finance Minister and de-facto number two man, being the vice chairman of the Federal Executvie Council to General Yakubu Gowon, revolutionized infrastructural development of the new Lagos State.
Amun ni ilu Eko._ It never dries, it feeds everybody but that does not mean you should now leave your own towns and villages and come to another man’s town and take him for granted by telling him his land is a (No man’s land).
Look around Lagos State today. All you see are the works of Chief O̩bafe̩mi Awolo̩wo̩, Lateef Jakande, Tinubu, etc. After God, who created Lagos strategically, O̩bafe̩mi Awolo̩wo̩, Mobo̩laji Johnson, Lateef Jakande, Bo̩la Tinubu, Babatunde Fasho̩la, Akinwumi Ambode, Babajide Sanwolu etc made it what it is today.
So know this and know peace and enjoy your stay in Lagos. This is plain reality and not about any partisanship or political sentiments.
Please share and educate other Nigerians accordingly.
Eko ko ni baje̩ o!
