Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Monday, described Chief Bode George’s comment on the demolition of property belonging to Ndigbo in Lagos as ‘misdirected’.
Chief George, while reacting to the comments of Ohanaeze’s President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, on the demolition, had asked Ndigbo to develop their region instead of Lagos.
Iwuanyanwu had said that when Lagos was elevated as the capital of Nigeria, it attracted persons, groups and governments from all parts of Nigeria and across the world. He added that Lagos was a federal capital and gave rise to multi-ethnic inflow, population explosion and diverse economic activities.
Dr Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnia, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, said the position of Ohanaeze’s president general was correct because the Igbo “did not acquire property in Lagos by brute force; instead were lawfully purchased and evidenced with certificates of occupancy’.
He stated that, “Any person who knows Lagos will agree with the Igbo leader that some of the Igbo property are standing on what used to be swamps”, adding that Iwuanyanwu “used the press conference to condemn the demolition of property by the authorities of Lagos State, most of which are owned by the Igbo.”
The statement continued, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo would have ignored such malicious comments by Chief Bode George, but we, however, believe that since silence may lend credence to the unsuspecting minds or may give validity to a whimsical figment of a transactional imagination, this press release becomes very imperative.
“In the first place, the unsolicited support to the policies and programmes of the Lagos State government led by Babajide Sanwo-Olu by Chief Bode George is both curious and misdirected. Otherwise, how will an elder statesman in the mould of Bode George query an ethnic group for their loyalty, allegiance, commitment, and development of the former capital of Nigeria.
“The George theory will also query why other Nigerians are obligated to the development of Abuja to give it the required international status. For Bode George to suggest that the Igbo erred by contributing to the development of Lagos is not only unstatesmanly, bigoted, narrow-thinking and self-serving but stands at variance with the ethics and decorum of a man who has benefited immensely from the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“Bode George alluded to the prevailing pervasive poverty in the country and in his judgment, believes that destruction of peoples’ property in Lagos is an antidote to poverty.
“Ohaneaeze Ndigbo has watched with dismay, the selective vocality of Chief Bode George; when many parts of the Alaba International Market were destroyed, George was mute. When there was intimidation of voters in Lagos state, George was mute.”
Ogbonnia concluded that “the Igbo will remain broad-minded, hardworking, law-abiding, forward-looking, dynamic and courageous even in the face of daunting challenges.”
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