The group in a satement signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Olajide Julius and made available to Vanguard viewed the Ohaneze claim that “The Igbo are key stakeholders in the affairs of the state (Lagos). We constitute over 46% of the population of the state…It is the Igbo that make Lagos what it is and without them Lagos will go to sleep. The Igbo in Lagos have the capacity to defend themselves…”. published on Tuesday August 6, 2013, in the Daily Sun as not only insult to the Yoruba, but also an affront.
Continue After The Break.
The statement in parts read thus
We have watched the systemic and vitriolic attacks on former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, over his article, entitled ‘The bitter truth about the Igbo’ which unfortunately has been condemned by some groups of people.
And despite his explanations that his comments have been greatly been misunderstood, and that his intentions were not to ridicule or malign the Igbo, the attacks have continued. Some Igbo groups have not stopped at attacking him alone, but have gone ahead to issue threats against his wife and children.
While many may see the attack as merely an attack on Fani-kayode, but those with discerning eyes will read between the lines and see that the attack is indeed an attack on the Yoruba race.
You will recall that Fani-Kayode only responded to a national issue and comments made by some Igbos concerning the Yoruba race. It is funny how these people who have found it a game to attack Chief Fani-Kayode
remained silent without uttering a single word when an Igbo man and leader, former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, found it convenient to describe Lagos as ‘no man’s land’ and that 55% of the revenue generated in the state belong to the Igbos.
It should also be noted that Fani-Kayode made those comments as his personal opinion as a Nigerian. We ask, what was he expected to do when his father’s land is being disparaged by an Igbo man?
It is not only funny, but also ridiculous that Orji Kalu would refer to Lagos as a no man’s land. Perhaps he has forgotten so soon that shortly after the June 12 crisis broke out, and Lagos was on fire as a result of the activities of the military junta. No sooner had the crisis started that Kalu’s Igbo brothers packed their loads and headed back to their ‘homes’. It took the Yoruba, the ‘owners’ of Lagos to stand and fight to protect their land.
It is also instructive to remind them that the Yoruba account for between 20% and 30% of buildings and businesses in Abuja. But we had never for one day lose sight of the fact that Abuja belongs to the Gwari people, though it is the federal capital. The reason is very simple, the Yoruba is not in any way covetous, and so will never lay claim to whatever is not his.
There is no gain repeating the fact the average Yoruba is very accommodating. It is for this simple reason that you will find an Igbo, Hausa or even a non-Nigerian with properties spread across Yoruba land without any problem.
It is against this background that we view the comments credited to the Ohaneze in the Daily Sun publication of Tuesday August 6, 2013, as not only insult to the Yoruba, but also an affront. The comments reads: “The Igbo are key stakeholders in the affairs of the state (Lagos). We constitute over 46% of the population of the state…It is the Igbo that make Lagos what it is and without them Lagos will go to sleep. The Igbo in Lagos have the capacity
to defend themselves…”
You will agree with us that this reckless statement is a subtle claim by the Igbo that they own Lagos, with a veiled threat to destroy it if they don’t have their way. Despite the open threat, no Yoruba man has picked the gun to attack the Ohaneze.
Perhaps we should ask our brothers one simple question. How many Yoruba have C-of-Os in Enugu, Aba or Onitsha? It is not because they not want to have it or because they are not as industrious as their Igbo counterpart.
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