Threat to Igbo: Dr Ikedife lashes Oba of Lagos

Negative reactions have continued to pour in from notable Igbo leaders over a statement credited to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu who was quoted to have insisted that the Igbo in Lagos must, without fail, vote for an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode who is being supported by the Oba in the April 11 governorship election or face the dare consequences.

Reacting to the statement, former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife said he was not sure that the statement came from the Oba of Lagos he knew, that the Oba might have been quoted out of context as to say that Igbo would be thrown to Lagos Lagoon or quoted correctly. Read more after d cut.....

In any case, Dr Ikedife said in as much as he did not believe that the Oba in his exposure and position would have made that statement, that it should be sounded as a warning that the Igbo had been threatened enough in Nigeria for those threats to stop immediately.

He said that nobody should for any reason, issue further threats to Igbo wherever they might be in Nigeria, adding that Igbos been pushed so hard that any negative reaction from them would be justified. He noted that the Igbo nation had wanted to establish their own Republic of Biafra but that Nigeria under General Yakubu Gowon resisted it on the advice of foreign powers and insisted on one Nigeria after killing millions of the Igbo. He wondered why the Igbo should not be left alone after all.

“The Igbo had after the civil war moved into various parts of Nigeria to help in growing the economy of those areas in the belief that ebe onye bi ka ona awachi (that is an Igbo philosophy that you help to build wherever you find yourself). It then appears that it is a mistaken philosophical perception that these Igbo should help develop, build wherever they find themselves.

“On the reverse side of it, it now means that the Igbo should be wiser and not to invest all their resources outside Igbo land,” Ikedife advised Ndigbo.

He noted that if Nigeria is actually practising democracy, that nobody should be threatened to vote in a particular direction or forced to vote in a particular way in other to please a local kingmaker. He said that the Igbo had been made escape goats enough and should be allowed to go about their legitmate businesses and vote according to their consciences wherever they are.