By Kamal Ahmed
Lagos is the pride of the West and Westerners and cannot go to the dust. To fiercely protect the sanctity and the cultural/social relevance of Lagos, no effort would have been too much in this quest. Something needed to be done and it was indeed well done. Very well done.
The struggle and schemishes for Lagos in the days leading to this election points to how much Yorubas took their eyes off Lagos and it’s relevance. It was a costly mistake that we would all have been badly bruised from and bitter about if the needful had not been done. We saw it and now, we know it. “Enikan lo mo”
It’s is good that there was sufficient time, commitment and focus to re-educating our sons and daughters about what was at stake and the price they would pay if they acted with grand illusion and emotional self delusion. It’s qually important that our people quickly woke to the reality that confronted them. “Awa o sun asunpiye”
We thank God for the victory. We can feel the palpable joy that has enveloped the entire of the West. The election in Lagos was more important to us than the one that held in the entire of the remaining states of the West. This is for good reasons. We must not count the cost of the victory. It’s worth the price.
Let’s celebrate less. Let’s define our look-ahead clearly and it should include respecting our guests and their emotions and teaching our sons and daughters to respect their hosts anywhere they’re warmly received and allowed to do their businesses peacefully. It’s called Emotional Intelligence. In Yoruba, we call it “imowon ara eni” ati “ogbon ibile”. From now on, “oju inu lejo nlo”.
I hope we all now know what we have and it’s huge value. People don’t fully value what they have until they’re about to lose it. The Aworis must now thread with caution because they hugely contributed to what we suffered. Their elders must inttrospect. “Ina esisi, kiijomo leemeji”.
This affliction, this particular affliction, must not come a second time. It must never come again.
Congratulations.
