Lagos Assembly wants Epetedo, MKO Abiola Declaration Centre preserved
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday called on the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode to direct the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola to list all the historical centres and monuments in the state with a view to preserving and promoting them as cultural heritage and tourist centres.
This call was the resolutions of members of the House at Monday plenary after a thorough debate on a motion to preserve monuments in the State sponsored by some members led by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade.
The motion which specifically identified, highlighted and analyzed the significance of Epetado in Lagos Island where Chief MKO Abiola the presumed winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election made the historic self declaration as the president of Nigeria as been worthy of preservation for historical purpose and for the benefits of generations to come.
Other monuments and centres such as the first story building in the country, Carter Bridge as well as other similar sites according to the lawmakers, should be listed and preserved for future generations and economic values.
While expressing his agreement and support to the position earlier expressed by majority of his colleagues on the need for the motion to scale through, the Speaker, Rt.Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who presided over the plenary explained that the preservations of those historical centres would enhance the state interest in attracting tourisms into the state.
“I quite agree with the sponsors of the motion. There is need for us to identify and list all these centres and have access to them. When you are encouraging people to come to our state, we should get them to know the historical centres, it does not necessarily have to be government edifice,” the Speaker explained.
Earlier while presenting the motion, the prime mover, Hon Agunbiade had categories the listed historical centres and monuments into three.
According to the lawmaker, monuments that falls into Grade A will include all centres that the government will list and take over. Grade B will include those centres that the State government will compensate the family of the owners and Grade C will be listed and marked without any compensation.
In his contributions, the lawmaker reprensing Epe constituency 01, Hon. Abiodun Tobun thumbed down the system where such centres are demolished rather than preserving them for future generations.
“If such monuments are listed and preserved, it will enhance our value; it will enhance economic benefits rather than demolishing them,” Tobun explained.
The House Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Muyiwa Jimoh in his contributions said, “If we don’t know our history, we won’t know where we are coming from. Just like CMS which is the first Secondary school in the country. Herbert Macaulay’s statue fell down but people don’t feel the sense in re erecting it. If we don’t preserve our collective patrimony, it does not show us as human.”
Hon. Bisi Yusuff while emphasising the need to preserve the Epetedo centre argued that Abiola paid the supreme sacrifice to defend democracy. The lawmaker who believes that democracy being enjoyed in the country today was as a result of Abiola’s doggedness and how he fought the military said such historical centre should be preserved.
By Alade Tasma
