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Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has hailed the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the numerous intervention programmes and palliatives the Lagos State Government has given out to alleviate the hardship suffered by residents of the state.
The coordinator of Ohanaeze Ndigbo South West Regional Directorate, Chief Everest Ozonweke, while commending the governor for the steps so far taken to mitigate the economic difficulties in the state, also charged him on the importance of ensuring an equitable distribution of the relief measures to benefit all residents of Lagos, without regard to ethnicity or political allegiance.
Ozonweke whose appointment as the coordinator of Ohanaeze Ndigbo South West was recently ratified by the National Executive Committee of the apex Igbo organisation, urged the governor to act in a way that would dispel feelings of perceived lack of inclusivity of people of Igbo ethnic extraction in the administration during the current tenure.
He noted that many Igbo had actively supported the governor and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but lamented the prevailing sentiment of exclusion within the Igbo community.
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He added: “Instances of unexplained demolitions of places of businesses by the Lagos State task force and the Urban Development Agency have further exacerbated tensions, with no transparent justifications provided by the authorities, (thus) allowing opportunistic individuals and overzealous property developers to exploit the situation for personal gain.
“Looking ahead, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive healing process to address the existing communications gap between the Igbo community and the Lagos State Government.”
He advocated for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to governance to address the community’s concerns effectively and prevent further marginalisation, adding: “It is imperative for the government and its agencies to engage directly with the community, transparently address grievances, and take decisive action to rectify these issues for the benefit of all residents.”
He reiterated the position of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in advising Ndigbo to exercise caution and refrain from participating in the ongoing protests in some part of the country.
According to him, the position of the President General is driven by the vision and effective leadership based on “our past and present realities and in recognition of the critical existential threats and uncertainty that define our collective future in the contraption called Nigeria.”
Ozonweke said the assumption of Chief Iwuanyanwu as the President General of the apex Igbo organisation remained a beacon of hope for Ndigbo.
