We Resist Alleged Effort by Lagos State to Rename Our Home, Ilaje Community Speaks
- Members of the Ilaje community in Bariga, Lagos, stage a protest against the plan to rename Ilaje Street after musical legend King Sunny Ade
- The Ilaje community accuses the Lagos State government of attempting to erase their historical identity and cultural involvement in the creation of Lagos state
- Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide condemns the plan, threatens legal action, and argues that the local authority lacks constitutional authority to rename streets
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Bariga, Lagos State - The Ilaje community in the Bariga area of Lagos State is fighting against the renaming of Ilaje Street after King Sunny Ade, claiming the move by the state's authorities would strip the area of its cultural heritage.
Source: Twitter
The former Bariga Local Council Development Area Chairman, David Kolade Alabi, in a bid to pay tribute to notable personalities, recently unveiled plans to rename several streets, including Ilaje Street.
The decision has triggered widespread criticism, with many taking to the streets and social media to express their disapproval, arguing that it shows a lack of respect for local heritage and favouritism towards certain ethnic groups.
Members of the Ilaje community staged a protest on Wednesday, July 30, calling for the reversal of the planned street renaming, which they claim would compromise their cultural identity and historical legacy, as reported by The Punch.
Speaking during an interview with PUNCH Metro, the President General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Raphael Irowainu, condemned the planned renaming as a “calculated attempt to decimate” the Ilaje people in Lagos State.
“It was a calculated attempt by the political elites and some Yoruba ethnic groups to erase the historical and cultural involvement of the Ilaje people in the creation of Lagos State.
“The Bariga community was founded in 1948 by our great-grandfathers. The entire place was like a forest." Irowainu explained.
He lamented that the renaming was a disguised and deliberate attempt to marginalise his people in the state.
He said, “On March 7, the Lagos State Government, in connivance with some persons, went to another Ilaje community and demolished the area.
The president narrated the historical importance of the Ilaje group in Lagos State.
“The Ilaje are among the three early settlers of Lagos State —alongside the Awori and Ijebu.
“We are not strangers. We are Yorubas just like any other Yoruba. Ilaje is a recognised sub-ethnic group in Yorubaland.” Irowainu added
Irowainu questioned the motive behind the renaming of a street in the Ilaje community, where there are other places where the musical legend can be honoured, as he disapproved of the renaming as an attempt to wage war against the Ilaje community.
He disclosed that the community had already filed a petition against the decision, threatening legal action, arguing that the LCDA lacks constitutional authority to rename streets as it was not recognised by the constitution.
Source: Twitter
Falana condemns street renaming in Lagos
Legit.ng previously reported that amid the controversy over the renaming of Charly Boy bus stop to Badoo terminal, Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has condemned the recent wave of street and bus stop rechristenings in Bariga, Lagos.
Legit.ng recalls that recently, the Bariga local council development area (LCDA) announced the renaming of several streets within the council and inaugurated community-focused projects.
The LCDA Chairman, Kolade Alabi, announced that Ajidagan Street has been renamed Olamide Adedeji (Baddo) Street, and the well-known Charly Boy bus stop is now Olamide Baddo bus stop. He renamed Ifeanyi Street to Abolore Akande (9ice) Street and Ayodele Street in the Ladi-Lak area to Tony Tetuila Street.
Media personality condemns Lagos street renaming
Legit.ng also reported that a media personality, Noble Igwe, has expressed his thoughts on renaming the famous artist Charly Boy's bus stop to Olamide's bus stop.
Legit.ng reported that the Bariga Local Council Development Area has renamed the popular Charly Boy Bus Stop in Lagos after indigenous rapper and music executive, Olamide aka Baddo.
Kolade Alabi David, chairman of Bariga LCDA, announced the inauguration of certain infrastructure projects in the LCDA on Friday, July 25th. He stated that with the renaming of Ajidagan Street to Olamide Adedeji Baddo Street, Charly Boy Bus Stop will now be known as Baddo Bus Stop.
Source: Legit.ng
