By Okey Muogbo
The Igbo nation on Thursday tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the hostilities against Igbos especially the on-going demolition of houses in Lagos.
At a World Press Conference on the plight of Igbos in present day Nigeria, the President-General (PG) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu urged President Tinubu to intervene and ensure that Igbos are not targeted with any form of injustice.
He also urged Lagos State Governor to suspend the planned demolition of houses by the State Government.
Iwuanyanwu also used the occasion to assure Tinubu that Igbos recognize him as the President of Nigeria and would be loyal to his administration, regardless of whether they voted for him or not during the last presidential election.
Said the worldwide Igbo Leader: “The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR as Governor of Lagos State was very good to Igbos. Throughout his tenure as the Governor of Lagos State in Eight Years, There was no complain or report of any maltreatment of Igbos in Lagos.
“Tinubu is now the president of Nigeria. We did not support him during the presidential election but that did not in any way undermine our trust of his capacity to lead the Country. “Now that the Supreme Court has ruled in his favour, His Excellency President Tinubu can be rest assured that Ohaneze Ndigbo will recognise, respect and be loyal to him as the president of Nigeria.
“What Igbo require is Peace, fairness justice and equity. We will demand what is our share, be given to us.
“We believe in one united Nigeria where people of different tribes, creed or ethnicity can move with pride and confidence and get what they rightly deserve without any hindrances”, .
On the issue in Lagos, the Ohanaeze PG said: “I have carried out investigation on what has happened in Lagos, and I appeal to the Government of Lagos State to intervene and ensure that justice is done.
“If any body fails to obey the laws of the Land, the Igbo leadership will never support misconduct from any Igboman anywhere they live
“I will make attempt to see the Governor of Lagos State in the next few days. I will therefore appeal that the Governor of Lagos State to kindly suspends the demolition of buildings until all the facts are cleared”, Iwuanyanwu said.
Going down memory lane, the former veteran politician said, “Long before the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorate by Lord Lugard in 1914, Igbos had lived in Lagos.
“They had lived very peacefully and established a good relationship with the indigenes. They established businesses and made investments in Lagos. These Igbos had been recalled by the Almighty God but their good works still remains.
“Lagos at the time it became the Capital of Nigeria, needed Foreign and Local investments. Igbos took up that challenge and invested in Lagos. They built both commercial and residential homes. They lived as law abiding citizens.
“Any Property they owned was properly bought from the owners according to the laws of Lagos State and Nigeria.
“I must say that Igbo carried out the same investments to other parts of the Country North, East and West. And wherever they invested, they prospered and they reinvested their profit to the development of the area. I must say that Igbos have lived very peacefully in Lagos over the years.
“In 1966, there was an unfortunate Coup de-tat against the Federal Government. Igbos as a people were completely ignorant of the Coup. To the contrary, that government of 1960 and 1963 had been the best to Igbos since the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria.
“This Coup and its after effect culminated into civil war which made Igboland a theater of war. Thousands of Igbo lives were lost and properties worth billions of naira belonging to Igbos were destroyed.
“After the war, Igbos suffered a very severe blow when the Rivers State Government made a law seizing all Igbo properties in Rivers State at the time claiming that they were abandoned properties.
“In spite of many setbacks suffered by the Igbos, We have risen from the dust of hatred and frustration, to reinvest.
“Today all these experiences are confined to the archives of history. But the ugly signs of hatred for Igbos have started rearing its head in some parts of the country.
“I as a leader of Igbos, I most humbly appeal to all Nigerians in the thirty-six States and Federal Capital Territory Abuja to rise to the support of Igbos against this ugly experience of wrong profiling and threat to Igbo lives and property”, he appealed.
Turning to the people of the South East, Iwuanyanwu said, “Therefore, as your leader, I am assuring you that there is no cause for alarm; you don’t have any reason to panic, please continue to leave in Lagos and other Western States. Continue to go about your normal businesses, there is no fear.”
