We are Lagosians

The President of the Association of Ewe Indigenes of Nigeria, Mr. Albert Ayeadun, has urged the Lagos State Government to accord the people all benefits due to citizens.

Ewe people are mainly found on Lagos coastline, with their primary business being fishing.

But Ayeadun noted in an interview with our correspondent that because the people were also predominantly found in Ghana and Togo, many stakeholders tended to overlook their presence in Nigeria.

He said, “The Ewe people left Ile-Ife around 12th century. Some settled down in Dahomey and Togo. But the majority are in the Volta Region of Ghana. But some decided to return, alongside the Egun to found Badagry around 1425.

According to him, Badagry comprises three ethnic groups of Egun, Awori and Ewe.

He added that Ewe people later started migrating to different parts, including Apese, in Victoria Island.

“Some people say Ewe people are only in Togo and Ghana. This is not true. Even the UNESCO, in its reports noted that the Ewe stretch as far as Ghana, Togo and Badagry in Nigeria. Because we are a minority group, we don’t enjoy much recognition. Although our forefathers once migrated outside, we are originally from Ife. We have our Yoruba culture and religious practices. Amosu, Akapo, Famuyiwa are some of the Ifa names we bear,” he added.

Ayeadun lamented that his people had been suffering discrimination in the hands of government, some traditional rulers and agencies such as immigration.

He said he once wrote a petition to the state government accordingly, but he got no response from it

“At times when our people want to get international passport, we are denied attention when we require letters of identification from some traditional rulers,” he added.

He noted that because the Ewe man is a fisher almost from birth, he is also a good swimmer any day

He said, “If you can’t swim, you can’t fish. An average Ewe man, put him in a Lagoon, he will swim across. That is why we also encourage government to employ Ewe people to manage our coastlines.”

To underscore the fact that they are Yorubas, the Ewe people have been very active culturally. Ayeadun says the people, for instance, took some cultural troupes to the Oranyan Festival recently held in Oyo, Oyo State.