President Bola Tinubu’s ex-spokesman in the southeast, Dr Josef Onoh has frowned at the emotional outbursts of the Anambra state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Chief Dan Ulasi for his poor media outing where he insinuated that President Tinubu was not generous in making an Igbo the Chief of Naval Staff, while Lagos state government demolishes Igbo traders shops at Alaba International market.

Onoh also took a swipe at the leader of the Nigeria Delta Volunteers Force, Asari Dokubo for denigrating the Igbo in Aso Rock villa and his continued emotional outbursts, which many have misconstrued to mean that President Tinubu was in agreement with his verbal attacks against the Igbo.

Onoh said that Dokubo Asari spoke on his own accord and personal capacity as a Nigerian which he is entitled to but does not represent the President supports his statements.

Dokubo had claimed to engage in the slave trade and the sale of Ibos by him. But Onoh said that “Although local slavery was officially prohibited by the colonial Authority In 1807, the British government passed an Act of Parliament abolishing the slave trade throughout the British Empire, but slavery itself persisted in the British colonies until its final abolition in 1838.

“They tacitly permitted it to continue well into the 1930s, ending entirely only in the 1940s. In 1961, the newly independent First Nigerian Republic ratified the 1926 Slavery Convention.
Melford Dokubo Goodhead Jr. AkA Asari Dokubo was born on June 1, 1964, in Buguma, Nigeria. Obviously, it’s clear his claims of selling Igbos can only be taken as a personal outburst propelled by his anger amongst the select politically exposed Igbos who are best known to him and the negative roles they played during the immediate past elections.

“Dokubo’s claims would have been taken seriously if he were to have been born prior to the abolishment of the slave trade. Slavery and everything related to it in itself is shameful hence nothing to take pride in. As much as Asari Dokubo may have his personal anger towards some select few I don’t and will not support any derogatory outbursts on any ethnic group in Nigeria by any organisation or person for this does not represent the values President Tinubu’s administration stands for.

“This administration inherited a united Nigeria and will rule the same. So far by actions since assuming office, our president has demonstrated his commitment to Nigerians to ensure we renewed hope,” Onoh said.

He accused the PDP stalwart, Ulasi of bad politics, attempting to instigate strife because his preferred Presidential candidate lost the election to President Tinubu. Onoh said he expected Ulasi, at his exposure and age to heal the wounds of the nation other than exacerbate it, promoting divide than peace. Onoh urged Ulasi to emulate President Tinubu’s renewed hope other than being obsessed with the President’s achievements.

He faulted Ulasi’s ethnic lean, particularly on the appointments of Security Chiefs, stating that the appointments were based on merits and competence and not by politics. He warned Ulasi not to use the security appointments to promote hate and division by attempting to politicise the appointments.

“In the case of Asari Dokubo, as a Nigerian citizen, he has the right, like other Nigerians, to visit Mr President, but his comments after his visit did not represent in any way the opinions of Mr President, or the Presidency. They were personal utterances and did not in any way represent the opinions of Mr. President hence any attempt by any quarter to politicise it is condemned.

“In as much as I do not condone Asari’s outburst in so many ways, his comments were personal to him and that’s why Mr. President cannot join issues on that. If anybody feels injured or offended by Asari’s comments, he or she is free to seek redress in the court or make an official report to the security authorities rather than in media platforms.

“However I condemn in entirety Dan Ulasi’s divisive motive. Asiwaju respects the Igbo and all other ethnic groups that make up our great nation in every way and so both Ulasi and Asiri Dokubu should not try to paint Mr. President in any bad light of nationalism, rather we should join hands and build the Nigeria of our dream.

“I’m proud to say that today by his actions and commitment since assumption of office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the undisputed father of modern Democratic Nigeria,” Onoh stated.