Coalition of Lagos indigenous people petitions Sanwo-Olu over renaming of old streets
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwolu has been asked to urgently halt the renaming of historic streets by the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government before it generates a crisis.
In a ‘Save Our Soul’ petition to the governor in Lagos, yesterday, by the Coalition of Indigenous Peoples of Lagos State (COLIP) and signed by its spokesperson, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, the group said the action of the Council was a dangerous attempt to erase very important heritage of Lagos State, particularly the indigenous peoples.
The petition, titled, “Save our historic street names: A petition for the preservation of Lagos heritage, state: “The Coalition of Lagos Indigenous Peoples (COLIP) has received with great concern the announcement by the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, approving the renaming of a number of historic streets within the council area.
“While we have no objection whatsoever to recognising and honouring distinguished sons and daughters who have served their communities with dedication, we strongly object to doing so by erasing the historical identity of Lagos.
“Street names are far more than signposts. They are part of the living history of a city. They tell the story of how Lagos evolved and remind successive generations of the people and events that shaped our society.”
COLIP said the proposed renaming of Freeman Street, Glover Street and Jones Street raises profound historical and cultural questions.
“Henry Stanhope Freeman was the first Governor of the Lagos Colony following the Treaty of Cession in 1861. John Hawley Glover served as Governor of Lagos and established Glover’s Hausas, widely regarded as the foundation of today’s Nigerian Army.
“Dr. Curtis Adeniyi-Jones was one of Nigeria’s foremost medical pioneers, a distinguished nationalist, a co-founder of Nigeria’s first political party and an outstanding public servant.
“Whether one agrees with every aspect of colonial history is beside the point,” the COLIP argued, stressing that history cannot simply be rewritten because contemporary politics finds it inconvenient.
“Every period of our history, whether glorious or controversial, forms part of the story of Lagos,” COLIP said.
The group noted that the world’s great cities understand this. London, Paris, Rome and many others have retained historic street names for centuries because they recognise that heritage is an asset, not an obstacle to development. Perhaps, the finest example is Singapore.
“Although Singapore has transformed itself into one of the world’s most technologically advanced and prosperous cities, it has carefully preserved its colonial buildings, historic districts, street names and cultural landmarks.
“Rather than demolishing or renaming its past, Singapore integrated its heritage into its future, creating one of the world’s leading tourist destinations and a city admired for respecting its history while embracing modernity.
“Lagos can and should do exactly the same. The Yaba, Ebute Metta and Oyingbo axis represents one of the most historically significant parts of Lagos.
“It is closely associated with the development of the Nigerian railway system, which for decades, was the backbone of the nation’s transportation network, moving passengers, petroleum products and goods throughout Nigeria.”
COLIP noted that instead of preserving and celebrating this remarkable history, “we appear determined to erase it.
“If today’s leaders wish to leave their own lasting legacy, there are far better ways of doing so.
“Let new roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, health centres, libraries, community centres, innovation hubs, sports facilities, digital learning centres and other public infrastructure bear their names after they have conceived, funded and delivered them.”
It pointed out that history should never become the casualty of political expediency.
We must also ask a simple question. “If every administration renames streets to honour people of its choice, what prevents the next administration from changing them all over again?
“Where does it end? Lagos cannot continue to erase its past one street at a time.
“For several years, there have been proposals to introduce Heritage Blue Plaques on the homes and buildings associated with distinguished Lagosians, similar to those found in many historic cities around the world.
“Such plaques celebrate achievement while preserving history. They do not destroy one legacy to create another.
“We, therefore, call upon the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government to immediately suspend the proposed renaming of these historic streets and to engage historians, traditional institutions, resident associations, professional bodies, indigenous Lagos organisations and other stakeholders before taking any further action.
“We respectfully call upon His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, to intervene in this matter in the interest of preserving the rich historical and cultural heritage of Lagos.
“We urge the governor to direct that all proposals to rename streets of historical significance across Lagos State be suspended pending the development of a comprehensive Heritage Preservation Policy, prepared in consultation with historians, traditional institutions, professional bodies, indigenous Lagos organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
“We further call upon the Governor to champion legislation establishing clear guidelines for the naming and renaming of streets, public buildings and landmarks, ensuring that places of historical significance cannot be altered arbitrarily by successive administrations.
“We also call upon the Lagos State House of Assembly to enact legislation protecting historic street names and other heritage assets so that the history of Lagos can never again be erased by administrative discretion.
“Lagos is Nigeria’s former capital and one of Africa’s oldest and most historically significant cities. Its identity has been built over centuries.
“That identity belongs not only to those living today, but also to future generations that deserve to inherit the history, which shaped their city. A society that loses its history gradually loses its identity.
“Let us honour today’s achievers by celebrating what they built today, not by removing the recognition earned by those who came before them.
“As the saying goes, a man who is in a hurry to erase his past will not have much of a future, for he too will one day be erased by those who come after him.
“Let us preserve the history of Lagos. Let us protect its identity. Let us leave future generations a city that remembers where it came from,” COLIP concluded.
