Those against Mayor of Ndigbo Lagos are jealous – Ohanaeze

The President, Ohanaeze Ndgibo, Lagos State chapter, Solomon Ogbonna, has said those against the Mayor of Ndigbo Lagos title are jealous.

He said this in reaction to social media comments against the title which was to be conferred on the CEO of Chisco Group of Companies, Chidi Anyaegbu.

According to most of the comments shared on X, the title is a sign of disrespect to Yoruba people who own the state.

In a chat with our correspondent, Ogbonna lamented that the voices opposing Igbo interest in Lagos come from the Yoruba who are non-indigenes of Lagos.

“I don’t know why Yoruba are intruding so much in Igbo’s affair. If we talk about our culture, they say we are bringing a demonic masquerade. Why are they concerned and always in every aspect of Igbo breathing? Not even the indigenes but the non-indigenes in Lagos State are the ones intruding in Igbo’s affair,” he said.

Ogbonna pointed out that Igbo people have a huge contribution in the development of Lagos, just as he wondered why defending such automatically renders an Igbo man an enemy.

“Why does any Igbo man become an enemy for simply projecting a statement? If he doesn’t watch well, he may land himself in prison. Is that part of what Awolowo left for them (Yoruba) as legacy?” he asked.

Further speaking, he said those “against the Mayor of Ndigbo Lagos title are not doing it for Yoruba sake but out of jealousy. It’s the politicians that think that if Igbo people unite, it will be difficult for them to assemble some things.”

The Ohanaeze president rubbished claims that Igbo people don’t tolerate half of what they want in other people’s region.

He said, “Is there anybody who tried to buy land in Igbo land but got rejected? Is there anyone who brought his vessel to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which is Igbo land and they said he shouldn’t offload it? Has there ever been a Yoruba airline that was refused landing in an airport in Igbo land? It’s the non-indigenes in Lagos who are not business inclined that are saying all these things and interrupting the Igbo.”

He made it clear that the Mayor of Ndigbo Lagos title was not stopped by Yoruba people but by Igbo people who felt it should not be limited to Lagos alone but made a worldwide title.

When made aware of a statement issued by Anyaegbu in which he rejected the title due to current political tensions, Ogbonna painted a different picture.

“He never rejected it. It was pressure. How can he reject it when he printed card, paid N100 million for a hall at Eko Hotel, and spent over N280 million? Would anyone who rejected something do that? He paid for the day of the inauguration. He paid N500 million for 60 rooms for visitors. He went to meet the Ooni of Ife, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Elegushi of Elegushi, and so many other people. So, those people vibrating on social media are just cowards,” he said.