Cyriacus Nnaji

His Royal Highness Eze (Pastor) Okey Anorue, Ezesinachi I of Igbogbo Kingdom, has counselled Ndigbo in Lagos State to stop threatening their hosts.

Eze Anorue who is also the Babaloja of Tejuosho Ultra-Modern Market (Phase 2) also appealed to the Igbos to be more taciturn in order to strengthen the existing peace in Lagos, adding that Sanwo-Olu has no problem with the Igbos.

The highly revered Igbo Monarch who is also a former President of the Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) made the appeal while speaking to the media at the occasion of the Endorsement of the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for Second Term by G50 Ofuobi Ndigbo which took place at Muson Centre, Lagos Island, on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Eze Anorue was speaking against the backdrop of incessant attacks on Igbo traders and their properties by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs, adding that you don’t threaten your host and urged them to hold what they intend to do in their hearts.

Speaking on the significance of endorsing Sanwo-Olu for the Second Term by traditional rulers, the monarch said “Why this is unique is because we are Diaspora Eze Ndigbo in Lagos, and we understand that Lagos is a cosmopolitan area in nature.

“Why we are doing what we are doing today is because of series of threats that are being given to the Igbos, and the Ezes have come from their various domains to advise our people in various ways, in smaller associations and in larger associations to tell our people, please there is an Igbo adage that says ebe onye bi k’ona awachi, (the need to contribute your quota in the development of your place of residence). Let us, whatever interest you have in any party, tread with caution. It is not by coming out openly and start threatening your hosts; that you are going to do this, you are going to do that,” Eze Anorue insisted.

He maintained that Governor Sanwo-Olu has done so much and he deserves another tenure. “We are coming here to show that the man here in Lagos has done so much, having done much, he has no problem with the Igbos; there is nowhere he has gone against the Igbos. This man during covid-19 he did the needful to the Igbos. Anywhere there is issue and you call on his attention, he does the needful also. If this man has a listening ear, why can’t we give a listening attention to him? There is a way of paying back to the man that has done the needful to the people. He has humbly associated and humbly attended every Igbo organization, he has identified with us in various ways; we are not the ones that will come at this very moment and turn our back to a man who has exchanged that handshake across the Niger. It is a payback time,” Anorue stated.

On what appeared to be double standard whereby a segment of the government party is appealing to the Igbos, while another is coercing them, the monarch responded, “The only thing we are doing is to appeal to our people, we can only appeal, we can’t persuade anybody. No amount of threat can change anybody, no amount of threat given to any Igbo man, he would like to do what is in his mind and see the last end, but we are only appealing to them for understanding. The appeal is in two ways: shut your mouth, stop speaking loud, you can’t be in the Beer parlor and you are making unnecessary threats against your host, will they be happy? You can’t incite problem and at the same time raise alarm of threat against yourself, when we raise unnecessary alarm against ourselves, we are just like the squirrel, who out of his looking for what he wants to eat, shout kpikpikpi, he is calling the attention of the snail and calling the attention of the hunter, an attention that will affect the snail and every other animals around that environment. We don’t throw such words. We tread with caution. We know where we are, this is an indigenous area; we must show ourselves that we are mature, Eze Anorue stated.

Speaking on the character of Governor Sanwo-Olu that endears him to the Igbos, Anoruo said “During the Covid, you know how the situation was, he paid serious attention to the Igbos more than every other tribe, in a many ways the Igbos have approached him in one way or the other, and he did the needful. He used his good offices to address issues that concern the Igbos.”

Speaking on how to ensure peaceful coexistence between the Igbos and the Yorubas at this critical political season, Anorue said “Let us stop speaking loud. Let us stop speaking loud for God’s sake, the unnecessary threat is not too welcomed. We are the ones making the threat. If you go through the social media, we are the ones making the threat, if you watch in the social media, someone will manufacture something from America and they will post it in Lagos, someone in Australia will say don’t agree, they don’t base here in Lagos, they are always unknown faces. Let the person identify him or herself and say I am from so so place, if you are making a statement of threat, then we would know you are the one making it. How can you be in your room and say tomorrow morning that Moslems just gathered, they want to slaughter Christians, and it becomes news. It is not good, this is condemnable.”

Eze Anoruo also spoke on how he has ensured peace in his kingdom. “Okay, for instance, we have been hearing threats, baale of this has spoken, baale of that has spoken, but let me shock you, where I come from, just about four days ago, the baales and other people living around, they brought the House of Assembly member to my palace, they brought their native Eyo Masquerade, it is the way and manner you carry yourself, building synergy among your people. How do you achieve that? It is not by magic, it is all about humility, tolerance. Whenever I am celebrating my new yam festival, you see the Oba sending his people to come and be part of what I am doing, they exchange support, when they are having their own ceremony I also attend, that is the way it should be. It is not a matter of you are this or you are that. I have been a market leader, I am also the past president of Imo State Towns Development Association, ISTDAL, in Lagos. What are the criteria of those who find themselves in that category where they are today? If you have led one association, out of your past experience you would know how to handle people,” Ezesinachi disclosed.