The Lagos State House of Assembly has proposed a merger of Eti-Osa with Epe  Division, which we strongly oppose to.

One of the tenets we cherish as Lagosians is our history and culture that we are forever proud of. The proposed merger stated above is one that we believe is completely against historical and cultural antecedents; thus, should not be allowed to continue.

The history of Eti-Osa and that of Lagos Island predates those of the people the bill proposes to merge them with.

In fact more than four of the kingdoms in the area have fillial and consaguinal relationship with Lagos Island and later the Kingdom of Lagos. The area collectively known as Eti-Osa was populated by members of Idejo, whose first place of contact was Iddo Island and they belonged to the children of Olofin, the legendary founder of Lagos whose children were collectively known by that name (Idejo or Aladejo) who were considered as the land-owning class in Lagos. 

Such Kingdoms as Iru, under the Oniru, Ikate, under the Elegushi ,Ajiran, under the Ojomu as well as Ajah and Okun-Ajah under Olumegbon all have fillial relations with Olofin and spoke a dialect of Yoruba known as Awori.

The area was also populated by many refugees from Lagos, who thronged the area during succession disputes in 19th century Lagos. In fact, as far back as 1949, there had been a proposal for the creation of a separate Natives Authority for the people as contained in T. F Barker's recommendations in his reorganisation of Eti-Osa Area.

Culturally, the people were noted for the celebration of Adamu Orisha play as well as  the popular Elegba Ejiwa festival commonly celebrated by some of Olofin's children which distinguished the Awori of Eti-Osa from their Ijebu neighbors in the Ibeju and Epe axis.

Merging the people of Eti-Osa with Ijebu of Epe will be setting the hands of the clock backwards to undo the efforts of the founding fathers of the area, who had formed an Association of Eti-Osa  Descendants Council prior to 1967 to request for the excision of Eti-Osa from Ikorodu Native Authority where they were wrongly placed during the Western Regional era, in spite of the recommendation of  T. F. Barker's report mentioned earlier.

We believe that Eti-Osa is better placed under Lagos Island as it is more affiliated with Lagos, where there is a shared common historical antecedent and cultural link. Alternatively, the area should be created as a Division as earlier proposed by T. F Barker who wanted a separate Native Authority for the area then, but due to its seeming lack of economic viability then, was later merged with Ikorodu Native Authority.

Consequently, we strongly oppose the said merger, and urge the Lagos State House of Assembly to refrain from passing this Bill.