As the public debate continues to rage on Lagos Is No Man’s Land debate, a bestselling author and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, fact-checked an internet tweep for claiming that 60% of Lagos wealth is in the hands of Igbo people.
Igbeo people are an ethnic group in Nigeria, primarily from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.
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The tweep, in response to some of a post by the author, stated that his tribesmen can never bow down to anyone.
In his response, Omokri informed the tweep that based on the verified statistics, wealth of a state can only be controlled manufacturers, but Igbo people are basically traders in Lagos.
He wrote:
“Thank you for your feedback. You may or may not be right that our Igbo brethren control 60% of Lagos’ wealth. However, according to renowned economist, Adam Smith in his book, The Wealth of Nations, the capital and wealth of a state is usually controlled by manufacturers.
“Our Igbo brothers and sisters are not heavily into manufacturing in Lagos. They have a cluster in Nnewi, but are not known manufacturers in Lagos or its neighbouring states. They are more into trading. Thus, it would be strange if they control 60% of Lagos’ wealth.
“Before your ‘revelation’, I had seen data showing that when you take into account the volume of taxes paid to the Lagos State Government, Oando, Globacom, Forte Oil, Guinness Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Limited, Nigerian Bottling Company, West African Portland Cement Company, Nestle Nigeria, Flower Mills of Nigeria, Unilever PLC, and Seven-Up Bottling, which are either wholly or partially owned by persons of Southwest origin, control the largest percentage of Lagos’ wealth.
“With regard to non-Yoruba capitalists, from the same data pool, I was under the impression that the Dangote Group, BUA Group, and Intels, owned either wholly or partially by Northern Nigerian Fulani, were the largest non-Yoruba investors in Lagos.
“But perhaps you have access to data not available to the World Bank, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say maybe you are right.
“With regards to the 20 pounds issue, historical records prove that the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon, through radio broadcasts, urged people in the breakaway region of Biafra not to accept the Biafran Pounds as Nigeria would not recognise it.
“Upon this announcement by the Federal Military Government, many prudent ‘Biafrans’ withdrew all their Nigerian Naira and kept it at home. One such Biafran was Evelyn Okororie, who is still alive and told her story to CNN, which published it on January 16, 2020, in a piece titled ‘Biafra war: Survivors relive account 50 years after Nigerian civil war ends.’
“After the war ended, the Biafran Pound was useless. Even Colonel Emeka Ojukwu did not take them with him when he fled Nigeria to Ivory Coast.
“The £20 was a gift from Chief Obafemi Awolowo to Biafrans. He did not have to do it. Both Gowon and his military colleagues were against it.
“After the Union defeated the Confederate states during the American Civil War, the Confederate States’ dollars became worthless from May 26, 1865. The Union did not give any $20 to holders of the Confederate States dollars, as it should be. After the war, holders of the Confederate States dollars just lost their money. Period. That is the sad reality of war.
“As for an Igbo man “bowing” to no one, I counsel you to listen to the ‘Yes Daddy’ audio between Peter Obi and Bishop Oyedepo.
“Thanks again, and may God bless you.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
