No cause for alarm, Ohanaeze tells igbos in Lagos

President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene has called on Igbos resident in Lagos to remain calm over fears that they may be attacked by their Yoruba host communities.

Addressing a press conference at the Ohanaeze state headquarters in Surulere, Lagos on Tuesday,  Chief Ogbona said nothing could be farther from the truth, saying the Igbos have enjoyed a cordial relationship with their Yoruba host communities in the state.

He said though there were pockets of skirmishes during the last presidential and national assembly elections in some parts of the state, especially in Okota and Oshodi areas of Lagos state, Chief Ogbonna said the Igbos have enjoyed a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship with their Yoruba host communities over the years.

While describing the Yoruba people as the best friend of the Ndigbo in Lagos and beyond, he advised Ndigbo resident in Lagos and their host communities not to allow some mischievous elements to destroy the long standing friendship between the two tribes in Lagos.

“The Igbos in Lagos are active contributors to the thriving Lagos economy through their individual and collective enterprise and industry helping to open up new economic and investment corridors in Lagos State. The Yorubas on the other hand have warmly welcomed and received the Igbos offering access to choice political and economic opportunities. To cement this very cordial relationship between the Igbos and the Yorubas, sons and daughters of Igboland over the years have been appointed or elected to enviable positions of leadership here in Lagos.”

Chief ogbona said the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, being the umbrella body of Ndigbos has met with constituted authorities in the state, and has gotten the assurance that no such crisis exist.

“We therefore call on all citizens to remain law abiding, and respecting constituted authorities, we urge them to go about their normal businesses while we iron out all the grey areas including the immediate and remote causes of the alleged breach of public peace and possible solutions to prevent reoccurrence.”

He also called on all political actors and government authorities in the state to begin to take steps to address noticeable gaps and trust deficits leading to regular ethnic disharmony here in Lagos.

“We call on the Lagos State Government, the National Orientation Agency, the political actors and other critical stakeholders to do more in terms of orientation to help douse inter-ethnic rivalry, jealousy and mistrust,” he added.

Collaborating Chief Ogbonna, National leader of the People of south East Region (POSER), Amb. Obuesi Phillips, said most often the people creating the crisis are not from the southeast as being insinuated, adding that Ohanaeze and POSER have been advocating for a peaceful co-existence between Igbo resident in Lagos and their Yoruba host communities.

He expressed gratitude to the leadership of the AFENIFERE for their fatherly role in nipping the challenge in the bud and the Police authorities in Lagos state for their swift response to the very ugly and unbecoming turn of events which was meant to taint the already existing cordial relationship between the Igbos and the Yorubas in Lagos.

He said the Igbos in Lagos have pledge to continue to work assiduously for the good, betterment and advancement of the city of aquatic splendour.