FG cannot sell TBS in Lagos -Fashola

AGAINST claims that the Federal Government has sold the historic Tafawa Balewa Square, located in Lagos Island, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunda Fashola has refuted such claims, while describing it as spurious.

The governor, who made the clarification at the City Hall, Lagos, venue of the Public presentation a historic book on Lagos, ‘Possession- A History of Law and Justice In The Crown Colony of Lagos; 1861 – 1906’, authored by former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State, Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN), said because of ignorance of the history of Lagos, most people make spurious assumptions and statements that offend the sensibility of Lagosians such as the one by the Federal Government saying it has sold the Tafawa Balewa Square.

Describing those, who say they have sold the Tafawa Balewa Square as wallowing in absolute ignorance, Fashola declared that the Square “can never be sold”, pointing out that the place used to be part of the land that belonged to the King of Lagos, who was a ‘Sovereign’ before the conquest and possession of Lagos by the British.

“It became a Crown Land administered by the British Crown and at the end of the Colonial Era, it passed on to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and when Lagos was created as one of the first 12 states of the country in 1967, it became State Land and all of the lands the Federal Republic of Nigeria inherited from the Government of the United Kingdom were handed over to each of the states in which those lands were and Tafawa Balewa Square then metamorphosed from Race Course to Tafawa Balewa Square,” he said.

Fashola maintained that the only legislation that presently exists is the Tafawa Balewa Square Management Act by which the Federal Government was given managerial power as caretaker or agent and not owner of the Tafawa Balewa Square.

He added that the dearth of records as well as lack of documentation of historical events in the country have impacted negatively on upcoming generations who know little or nothing of their origin or learn of historical events in their country from foreign institutions.

The governor praised Mr. Shasore for the painstaking devotion with which he wrote the book saying, “unlike many history books where only the very subjective accounts of the historian is what we have to deal with, Supo has tried, perhaps inescapably, to remain a lawyer, supporting every position he has taken in the book by facts, evidence, documents and judicially certified documents”.

According to Fashola, one of the most important facts the book has established is the sovereignty of Lagos before the coming of the British and the subsequent possession and conquest of Lagos adding that although more races including African, Asians and Arabs now occupy the streets of London than the Englishman, there were original Londoners before those people came.

He said what has happened in London has also happened in Lagos where some hitherto rural villages have become a highly urbanized, commercial and multi-ethnic centre, adding, “Nothing is wrong with that because, perhaps, in another 500 years this place will not be like this”.

On how Lagos has grown into a mega-city of multi-ethnic and highly urbanized and commercial centre, Fashola said it started in the 1970s when Nigerians from many ethnic groups were streaming to Lagos to see such landmark development and infrastructure like the National Theatre, the National Stadium, Eko Bridge and others adding that as people came, they began to settle and buy property and acquire Rights of Residency.

The governor described the recent Centenary celebration by the federal Government as “a great disservice to the spirit of nationalism, the sacrifice and the labour of men like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ikoli, Hubert Macaulay and all of those who said it was enough”, adding, “I think those who celebrated that centenary do our people a great injustice”.

Source: Guardian Newspaper