• Oluwo urges peace, lauds Ohanaeze’s intervention
• Says Tinubu will address Igbo grievances
Igbo leaders in Lagos State have condemned the outburst of some South-East leaders on other ethnic groups in the country, saying that such disposition would set the region up for trouble.
Leader of the group, Joe Igbokwe, who spoke at a media briefing yesterday, specifically condemned Rev. Fr. Ebube Muonso and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu’s statements, noting that no ethnic group in the country deserves such demeaning statements.
Similarly, the Paramount Ruler of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has appealed to Yoruba to exercise restraint on the statement credited to Iwuanyanwu.
Oluwo said that Iwuanyanwu’s statement and the subsequent clarification by Ohanaeze Ndigbo should not be traded at this fragile moment.
The monarch, who said that grievances should not be allowed to tear the nation, urged the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to prioritise healing the wounds on Igbo by the civil war.
He, however, commended the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Indigbo Worldwide, for its timely intervention, noting that their clarifications have doused the tensions and reposed more dignity on Igbo.
Igbokwe, while reacting to a video where Muonso was addressing the people and said one Igbo man is equivalent to 500 Hausa men and Iwuanyanwu’s statement that Yoruba are political rascals, said: “These two individuals are putting us in danger. We are not ethnic bigots, ingrates and tribalistic. We are not betrayers, neither are we haters. We have conscience; we know our history and background. We don’t take things for granted. We love Nigeria, we love our diversity, which is supposed to be our strength. Asiwaju taught us to love and that is why we are in All Progressives Congress (APC). He taught us to be patient and we are not tired.”
“We should be mindful of what we say. None of these people speak for the Igbo race. What they said are entirely their personal opinions but the danger in them is that they can spread and give false signals. Already, there is tension in the land because of the election skirmishes and now you are adding to it.
“There is no state in Nigeria that is a no man’s land. If tomorrow they cede Abuja to a state, it ceases to be the capital. The Yoruba owns Lagos. We are not competing with them or are we dragging it. Anybody saying that Lagos is no man’s land is looking for trouble. We are civilised enough to know that.
“Saying that one Igbo man is equivalent to 500 Hausa men is an insult to the whole northern Nigeria and it can cause war. We have issues already in South-East and now you are creating more.”
He added: “Rev. Fr. Muonso’s statement is demeaning, unacceptable, kindergarten and foolish. You know that your people are major travellers in Nigeria and you are telling a region this?
“Every ethnic group has something to bring to the table and the Presidency can come from any ethnic group.
“Do we know that majority of the things we eat come from the North? Go to Mile 12-Ketu market and you will see them dropping food everyday.
“The northerners are the most political-sophisticated ethnic group in Nigeria and the most successful farmers.”
He, therefore, urged the duo to tender unreserved apologies to both Yoruba and northerners.
