Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the Chairman of the Council of Elders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has denounced individuals who made ethnic remarks against the Igbo in Lagos State during the governorship election. He referred to them as political troublemakers and affirmed that there is no hostility between the Igbo and the Yorubas.
Speaking at a ceremony in Anambra State to mark Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s one-year anniversary in office, Iwuanyanwu urged those responsible for the attacks to recognize that their actions were unacceptable and promised that they would be dealt with appropriately. The secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okey Emuchay, has been tasked with setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate the damage caused and to hold those responsible accountable.
At a meeting of the Ohanaeze Council of Elders worldwide on Wednesday, attendees from branches in America, Canada, Europe, London, and Nigeria expressed their solidarity with the Igbo people in Lagos and pledged to take action to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Iwuanyanwu emphasized that the Igbo people are not leaving other parts of Nigeria and that they have invested heavily in the country. He called on those responsible for the rhetoric to recognize that the Igbo are fellow Nigerians and should be treated with respect.