The Apex Igbo Socio-cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on the Federal Government to intervene into what it has described as the “profile of the Igbo ethnic group in Lagos State” since the 2023 elections begin.
The group also wants the Federal Government to look into the plight of the Igbo people with a view to averting future tragedies.
This was contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia in Enugu on Monday, titled “What the Igbos have done”.
According to him, there is a need to stop the cruelty against the Igbos in Lagos State before it degenerates into other untold consequences.
“Therefore, we are calling on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of DSS, the Governor of Lagos State, as well as Bola Tinubu and others, to wade into this ethnic profile of the Igbo in Lagos.
“Ohanaeze wants the world to know that Ndigbo have paid the ultimate price for the unity of Nigeria,” he said.
Ogbonnia added that despite the horrific experiences they had in the South-East during the civil war, the Igbo people have embraced Nigeria with enthusiasm, openness, hospitality, entrepreneurship, creativity and patriotism.
“The question on every lips is what is the Igbo doing?” He asked.
Ohanaeze wondered why in every election, the Igbos in Lagos would be the target of attacks by traditional institutions and government agencies when “the federal government would completely watch and sanctimoniously preach that the unity of Nigeria is indivisible and indivisible.
“Once again it is shown that Lagos was the capital of Nigeria at the time of Nigeria’s Independence in 1960; just as Abuja is now the capital of Nigeria.
“It is inconceivable that certain ethnic groups are excluded from social, economic and political activities in the federal capital region of the country or in any part of the country.
“Instead of praise and appreciation for the immeasurable contribution of the Igbo in Lagos State, some criminals have committed extreme barbarism by killing and maiming the Igbo as they came out to vote in the democratic elections,”.
According to him, Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not want to see Yoruba ethnicity through a narrow lens governed by illegits, miscreants, hoodlums and jaundiced half Yoruba who have met half culture and civilization.
“This is because, Ohanaeze cannot forget the likes of Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere and all prominent Yoruba people who stood on the side of justice, equality and history by supporting Mr. Peter Obi of the Labor Party for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023.
“We also do not know about many Igbo sons and daughters whose wives are from the Yoruba ethnic group,” he said.
The group pointed out that all those at the top, such as Bayo Onanugas who had seized the threat, killed and murdered Igbo people in Lagos were never brought to book as a deterrent to other unrepentant ethnic chauvinists.
He describes Ndigbo as “republican and cosmopolitan in nature” with a very open society that recognizes far-reaching competence and transcends ethnic sentiments.
“In the First Republic, a Fulani was elected Mayor of Enugu.
“In the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections last Saturday, a Yoruba man, Chinasa Abiola was elected as a member of the Abia State House of Assembly to represent Umuahia South State Constituency,” Ogbonnia added.