Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday
Thursday Sept. 26th apologized to the Igbos over the deportation of destitute from the state to Anambra State a few months back.
Governor Fashola tendered his apology at a ceremony to mark the Silver
Jubilee anniversary of Aka Ikenga, an Igbo social-cultural group in
Lagos. He said:
“The truth is that I do not have a problem with the Igbos, they
know that because the largest herd of cattle I received during my
father’s burial came from the Ndigbo. Those people who came under their many colours are not people I have a problem with, they are my kindred and my people. Also,
there were people who did not clearly understand me and they have
misunderstood words said or misrepresented actions taken in the way that
it has pleased them to do so. To those people, I owe an explanation,
not a defence of what has happened and that is partly why I am here.
“We
have built a relationship based on tolerance, mutual respect, trust and
love. That relationship was started by our ancestors, it was handed
over to us and we have nourished it with a lot of trust, with a lot of
understanding and with a lot of fidelity.
“Those who misunderstand
that relationship, think that there is no value in that relationship, I
have come here to correct that because I place a lot of value on that
relationship. If those people have misunderstood me or they have
misunderstood actions taken by our government, here, now and today, I
offer an unqualified and unreserved apology."
“Why should people
feel compelled to migrate from one place to the other? Is there one part
of this country that is less endowed whether in human or natural
resource? Is that the problem? Is it the case that perhaps some parts
are so endowed or not adequately managed?"
“Those are the honest
debates that we must have. The political storm is gathering and
allusions have been made to the issues I address, not only by the
chairman, but by the President of
Ohaneze Ndigbo. How can
development be so difficult in the part of Nigeria that gave us Ike
Nwachukwu, Chinua Achebe, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Alex Ekwueme
and so on, how can development be so difficult in that part of this
country? I think those are the real issues.”
“I think we have been
in the news of our relationship for the wrong reasons in the last few
weeks, but if you listen to the voices of those who speak the loudest,
you would see that they do not speak about us, they do not speak about
the problems, but about themselves. The majority of us are concerned
about how to make it better, that is what concerns us always in Lagos,
and it is not an easy decision for me.”
