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| Photo credit: Google |
By :Okunniyi Racheal and
Olunuga Moyosoreoluwa
Welcome to Lagos statue is one of the most prominent statues in Lagos. It simply means "Agba Meta or Aro meta" in the Yoruba language.
It is an art decor statue of three Lagos white cap chiefs, constructed by Bodun Shodeinde in 1991 and was commissioned by the government of colonel Raji Rasaki.It was built to welcome individuals coming into the city of Lagos.
The three statue Chiefs can be found on a high pedestal along Lagos-Ibadan toll gate to welcome individuals coming into the city of Lagos.
The statue was said to be burnt in 2004 by some group of people due to aspersions that the "welcome to Lagos" statue was the cause of the road accidents which was a regular occurrence along the Lagos - Ibadan expressway. It was later reconstructed.
The message is encoded and esoterically demonstrated by the wise men sculpture with the placing of the right hand on the left saying: ‘Don’t be dummy’, ‘Don’t be a sluggard’ and ‘Don’t be goofy in Lagos’. It is popularly re-echoed in the Yoruba parlance as: “O gbodo ridin”, “O gbodo suegbe”, “O gbodo ya mugun l’Eko”.
The important of this interpretation is that Lagos is depicted as a place for the smart, the strong, and the rugged. Lagos does not condone nonsense. It neither welcomes sluggishness nor entertains laziness. Others see ‘The Three Wise men’ as deities that protect Lagos and punish anyone working against the prosperity of the city and as such they must be revered and worshipped.
Edited: Adebayo Nurudeen
Published by: Mondiu Sherifat Oluwaseun