It is more than a proclamation of the mouth, illusion, pontification, deception that the minds of the people have been coloured.

There is no need for falsity statement but how to architect modern Badagry with strong determination that stimulates our unity in diversity with no flippancy achieving this aim of new architectural plan of new Badagry that triggers development for the next generation.

Or else the pendulum clock will continue to ring the alarm and only the deaf will hear but it would be too late for the wise to decode the bell of warning because they failed to make hay while the sun is still smiling at them.

There is no iota that Badagry is a Local government in Lagos State, Nigeria, and it’s never a doubt that Badagry could be traced back to colonial epoch because as at early 17th century.

It was widely accredited as a home of civilizations and a home of slavery for European slave traders, however, this has been one of the major emphases often pictured by many Nigerians today whenever they want to make reference or stress the historical events that originated Badagry.

Badagry was believed to be founded in 1425 A.D; a coastline community located at 6°25′N 2°53′E and sited in the South-East coast of Nigeria dominated with Ogus, Ewes and Aworis respectively.

Badagry covers approximately 170 sq/m (441 km2) with over 240,000 populations, bordered in the west by Republic du Benin.

It’s very important to acknowledge and commemorate Badagry past dynamic, articulated, imperturbable, indefatigable, indomitable, distinguished, sagacious leaders who had fought tirelessly for the interest of the people of Badagry and had served humanity assiduously with all their life within and beyond Nigeria.

Bluntly speaking, they have painted a remarkable and long-lasting picture that never faded living us with footprints to trigger our courage in achieving colossal dream exploring and radiating within and beyond Africa because of their strong patriotism encompassed with love, empathy, nationhood spirit which is a billboard of courage in rehabilitating the glories of Badagry, and transpiring the spirit of patriotism to the young ones (leaders of tomorrow) who are the next in line to take the baton after the old had gone; fulfilling the mandates of their ancestors.

There is no iota doubt that the problem on ground is highly complicated but because we have a historical background, there is a need to protect and promote our dear community in love, unity and togetherness in order to build patriotic and credible future leaders rather than breeding traitors or green snake under the green grass who are ready to bastardize the dignity of Badagry within Africa and beyond Africa.

There are myriads of problems that militate against socio-economic and political development of a society, one of these problems is bad leadership.

Leadership is one of the integral parts of governance which drives the affairs of the people, but today many leaders lack vision and this is because they are shortsighted in diagnosing the major forces that wage weighty war against the citizens but because they lack good qualities attributed in a good leader.

There is no doubt that shortsightedness in leadership would lead to barrenness, in order not to risk the future of our next generation there must be a step too radical transformation architecting best and new Badagry for the indigenous people of Badagry to see and live with a sense of pride.

Why don’t we continue to strive towards best Badagry contributing massively to the development of our hometown a pride of Nigeria civilization rather than pontificating on past glories?

It seems very difficult to restructure and build the Badagry a hometown of pride in Lagos Nigeria, Africa and beyond but it’s easy to syphon or amass the wealth of the public becoming one man’s own.

This is not the time to castigate or vilify anyone but it’s time to draw and ring the bell of warning to everyone both the leaders and the people (The Ruled and the Ruling) to come in cohesion to architect structural balance in projecting best Badagry in order not to regret as a result of negligence in taking prompt step towards revamping our history for our posterity.

It won’t be good if the architectural plan for new Badagry is not well structured on solidified foundation so as to consolidate our unity and cooperation in love; one of the ways to actualize and envision development from the prism of civilisation.

This is the time to actualise our long-lasting dream in term of development and transformation, and this is the right time to fashion out the best Badagry rather than delusion.

In the past, the indigenous people of Badagry had clamoured for Leader of purpose, leader of honesty, leader of humility, leader of transparency, leader of good representative, leader of big dream, and leader of positive change but after supporting and voting in these leaders some of them failed to fulfil their promises which they dished out to the people during their various manifestos respectively.

It is a pity that a home of civilization is now a dumping zone where outsiders come in to exploit the natural resources in exchange for peanut and spurious promises because we have leaders who never thought of representing the interest of the people on their behalf, of course, they have also conspired to trade Badagry at their own benefit… very injurious!

They love the people of Badagry had for their leaders are nothing but unconditional, but today their love for their leaders has been blown away from their mind because their hope and joy have been trampled upon living them with deceitfulness without considering the state of their hometown, and this is because they have acquired enough wealth thinking that they have nothing to do with the people and their hometown, therefore they abscond to another country where they will enjoy the rest of their lives in comfortable zone having no empathy for the people they left behind.

Why? Their consciousness has been battered, therefore no more human feelings (empathy).

This is not because Badagry Local Government has no representatives at the three tiers of government but because they are nonchalant having no sense of building best Badagry, but having a sense of syphoning funds.

More importantly, knowing fully that the future lies in the hands of the youth, and how are these Badagry Leaders architecting best Badagry through their future leaders (youths)?

Are they granting scholarship to aid in actualizing their dreams? Are the leaders representing the interest of the masses or the interest of the nobles? Are the Badagry Leaders capable of building bridges to architect best Badagry?

What are the plans put in place in helping graduate? Are they protecting the interest of the graduates during the recruitment process into various position be it in Arm forces, Police force, Administrative or civil services and many other governmental recruitment? Why not wanting to help the people who you share the same ancestral background with and who may likely have contributed to your success during election?

What are the Leaders of Badagry doing in the National House of Assembly and State of House of Assembly concerning infrastructures? e.g. (Road, Electricity, seaport et al). How are the People of Badagry contributing to the development of their Hometown? Are they positively or negatively minded in projecting development? Why not embracing unity than polarity? Are we developing or we depreciating?

Are we not been blessed to bless other Local Governments around us? But because we have failed in the beginning and our rights have been substituted with trials and peanuts there is no how these rights won’t be trampled upon by outsiders.

(Let’s come together and realise our historical background, and come with the aim of putting codified architectural plans for projecting best Badagry with no delay if not there won’t need to amend or renovate anymore) It is now, not tomorrow, because tomorrow may be too late! The time is now!

Moses Hontonnu via https://www.thecheernews.com/2020/02/28/badagry-a-call-for-architecting-best-badagry/

The Ògù people were the original settlers of Badagry kingdom because Badagry was part or extension of the Dahomey kingdom before the “Scramble for Africa” in 1900.

The Badagry kingdom has eight quarters with eight traditional high chiefs: Àgólótó of Gànhó, Akran of Jègbà and paramount ruler of Badagry kingdom, Jegén of Àwhàjígò, Bààlá of Àsàgò, Fihentò of Whlàkó, Mobee of Bòékó, Wàwú of Àhòvíkó and Pòsú of Posúkó quarters.

To further prove it, the names of the quarters are in Ògù and the installation of the Àhólú (king) and Kògán (white capped chiefs) has no resemblance of the Yorubas.

The second settlers were the Aworis. We are twin sisters gave birth to by Ògù father and Yoruba mother. The Awori are the nearest neighbours to the Ògu people.

The Ògù and Awori people have been living together in Badagry for over two hundred years but failed to confederate. The Ògù and Awori confederate in October 10, 1939.

Later in the 1870s, came the invasion of the Yoruba people who were integrated into the main town because they were from Oyo, the Ogu people rather called them Àyọ̀nù or oyonu which simply means Oyo person.

They established compounds like agbole-onisasun, agbole-olusi, agbole-ajape, agbole alaro, agbole-onilude, agbole-seriki, etc in Badagry town. Most of them were businessmen and Islamic scholars.

They introduced Islamic religion, so the headship of the Yoruba people in Badagry was Iman. Although through the successive Imams, the Yorubas paid tribute to the traditional chiefs of their constituency. They acknowledged political sovereignty and custom of the land.

Another set of settlers in Badagry were the Nupe or Tapa from Niger. They came to Badagry in 1900 and established the Àgbolé-Tápà (Idi-oro) along Joseph Dosu way. They brought Igunuko masquerade to Badagry.

Other settlers in Badagry are the ilajes, hausas, ibos, saros, agudas and the ganyins. All these people make up Badagry. So all of the above people are the Badagrians.

To answer the second question, “the position of Badagry in development of Lagos”. As we all aware that Badagry is the first seat of Lagos colony. The British colony was established in 1861.

Record shows that then Lagos colony included three divisions: Ikeja, Epe and Badagry. The last British commissioner for the colony Mr. E. A. Carr and his deputy Major J.C. Allen both of them had their residence in Badagry.

Beside, Badagry was the centre of the Lagos politics from the proclamation of the colony in 1861. Therefore, Badagry is one of the pillars of Lagos.

The first political meeting of “Black Movement for Emancipation” comprising of people like Herbert Macaulay (founder of Democratic party in 1922), Nmamdi Azikwe, Ibiyinka Olorunimbe, James Churchill Vanghan, Kofo Abayomi, Akinola Maija, H.O. Davies, Jubril Martins, Ernest Okoli (founder of Nigerian Youth Movement in 1933), Senu Oke, C.D. Akran, orisadipe Obasa, Kiroyi Ajasa and Haratio Jackson was held in Badagry District Office in 1949.

The second edition of the meeting that involved Obafemi Awolowo was held in the same venue in 1950. Then, Awolowo was a political boy and loyalist to Papa C.D Akran. Both of them engineered the formation of Action Group at Owo in 1951.

Apart from the political involvement of Badagry in Lagos, Badagry economic prosperity made from salt making, palm oil and fish was second to none. The boom economy attracted rivalry and attacks from the British, Lagos, Abeokuta and Oyo. The attack later led to the movement of some Ògu people to Ilaro, Abeokuta and Ibadan in the late 1950s.

After the attack in 1953, the new Governor of Nigeria, Sir John MacPherson summoned the first assembly of representatives of the people of Nigeria at Ibadan General Conference.

Because of the boom economy of Badagry, eleven delegates including Oba Adesoji, Aderemi, the Oni of Ife, Bode Thomas, Akinpelu Obisesan, S.O. Awokoya, Adegunle Soetan, M. A. Ajasin, T.A. Bankole, chief Ogulana II, C.D. Akran and Arthur Priest submitted a report compelling the British Government to merged Badagry (Lagos colony) with western region. The secretary of the colony acceded to their request and Badagry became part of western region.

Based on the outcome of the C.D. Akran was appointed by the Lagos colony to represent Lagos colony on the board of Agriculture and Economy.

Subsequently, he was elected through the electoral college to represent Lagos in the western Nigerian parliament. Later, he became minister of local government development and minister for economic and planning respectively.