Emmanuel lkpeama
An Igbo Social Cultural Organization – lgbo Buru Otu Association of Nigeria has made a passionate appeal to all Yoruba Elders and Traditional rulers in Lagos to find reason to refrain from utterances capable of tarnishing the image of Ndigbo residing in Lagos.
Addressing newsmen at the association’s secretariat,Thursday 1st of August,2024, the President and founder of the association ,Eze Dr Chika Nwokedi regretted that since after the 2023 general elections that saw the Igbos trooping out enmass for the first time to perform thier constitutional inalienable,right to vote and be voted for,griveances against them has risen to high heavens.
He therefore pleaded with thier hosts (the yorubas) to refrain from making provocative and unguided utterances as crisis and chaos are evil wind that blows no one any good.
The lgbo leader who is the Chairman Council of Ndieze, Lagos State went further to state that the lgbos have ever remained peaceful and law abiding to thier host, and to all constituted authorities, stating that as major stakeholders in their present abode,such profiling of Igbos as ‘bad eggs’ whose interest are to destroy lagos is unfounded and laughable as no one will destroy the house he built even as the Holy scriptures say ‘where a man’s treasure is, therein lies his heart’.
He said,”l was at a security meeting together with other yoruba traditional rulers and baales and all they were saying is lgbos wants to destroy Lagos,my question is how can one who has invested much wants to destroy what he or she has built ”
“The Obas who are meant to be preaching peace are seen instituting war,l have been in Lagos for over 40 years and they have never heard that an lgbo man had issues with anyone until the avent of this last election”
” They will never call any other ethnic group like the north or those from the South South causing trouble rather it is the lgbos ,if they have said some lgbos,it will be understandable than saying every lgbo man.As a custodian of lgbo tradition,l want to appeal to them to refrain from using such utterance because lgbos are no longer happy. They have pushed the lgbos to the wall for so long,we are always having patience because we don’t want to have issues with our landlords”he stated.
Eze Nwokedi, the Okpoko 1of Okpoko and the Okpoko of Obodoukwu emphasized the need to live in peace with each other, noting that everyone is equal before God and as such should remain as brothers.
” Let us remain as one big nation,we the lgbos came here to do our business,so allow the lgbos to live in peace as we have done nothing to warrant such names,if anyone has offended them,let them not tag as lgbos in general ” he submitted.
While advising the lgbos to continue to live in peace and obey the laws of the land as they are here to do their lawful business, urging them to love other ethnic group and see them as brothers.
Speaking in the same vein,the National Secretary of the association, Chief lfeanyi Igwegbe noted that lgbos are not the cause of Nigeria problem or the hunger affecting the citizens because the lgbos are also facing the same challenges.
He queried that the threats against the lgbos should be treated with kid gloves as lgbos are no longer safe after the just 2023 general election.
“There is a threat on our lives, our markets are being destroyed and if this continues,it might breach the peace that we are enjoying in this part of the country. We are appealing to our yoruba brothers and sisters to understand that we are one and according to Nigeria constitution,we have every right to reside anywhere in Nigeria.”he said.
Lending his voice the 2nd Vice President of the association,Rev.Dr C.C.Okwuosa urged all Nigerians especially the clergy’s to continually pray for the President and all State Governors for God to give them directions and wisdom on how to pilot the affairs of the country.
Rev Okwuosa advice the yoruba community to see every lgbo man as their brother as no man has the right to kill anyone but rather make Nigeria great which is our collective effort, while urging the government to provide the basic amenities for the citizens so that the issue of protests would be a thing of the past.
