The Coalition of Igbo Political and Social-Cultural Groups, as well as market leaders in Lagos State, on Tuesday, distanced themselves from the planned nationwide protest expected to kick off on Thursday.
Made up of 16 large groups, which included the Council of Ndieze in Lagos, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, South-East Forum in Lagos, Igbo Mandate, seven Igbo Towns Unions, Igbo Speaking Community, Igbo Vision APC Lagos, Igbo Market Men and Women Associations, and Ndigbo in APC, the coalition advised Igbo traders to stay home and not open their businesses on days of the protest to avoid being attacked.
While acknowledging that there is no dispute that there is hardship in the country, the Igbo stakeholders noted that the current economic situation bedevilling the country is not limited to Nigeria and was not caused by the incumbent government led by President Bola Tinubu.
According to them, the present situation of things in the country is a cumulative effect and result of past bad governance, which cannot be attributed to Tinubu’s administration, which is a little above one year in the saddle.
Speaking during a press conference held in Ikeja, the Coordinator of the Coalition, High Chief Anselm Njoku, said a national protest at a time when the Federal Government is trying to revamp the economy is going to be counterproductive, hence ill advised.
He said, “We are distancing ourselves and the entire Ndigbo in Lagos from the planned protest by some unscrupulous faceless elements, who are partly using Igbo nomenclatures to fan the embers of unsounded agitation. Nigerians should develop a culture of dialogue with the government and deploy constructive criticism without resorting to unnecessary provocative protests and violence.
“It is in this regard that we enjoin all Igbo of all extraditions, stakeholders, residents, traders, and captains of industries not to join in the protest. Lagos is Yoruba land, and Ndigbo, who are residents here, have contributed immensely to its development, so they cannot be used, coerced in whatever form, to destroy assets.
“We are not destruction-prone and cannot be part of those seeking to destroy what we partly built. Ndigbo are not wired for destruction but develop wherever we are residing.
“Let it be known that from all intelligence gatherings, the faceless organisers of this planned protest are not known to us, not Igbos, and are merely hiding under Ndigbo names, dropping Igbo names to create confusion and gather credibility.”
Njoku expressed gratitude to Tinubu for approving the South East Development Commission and appealed to him to expedite action on the release of Nnamdi Kanu through a political process rather than judiciary means.
“We are also using this opportunity to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the South-East Development Commission, for deeming it right, and due to appoint an Igbo illustrious son as the Chief of Naval Staff, therefore allowing the Igbo ethnic group a say in the National Security structure. We will greatly appreciate it if the President makes the Commission rewarding and beneficial to Ndigbo in general, touching the lives of people in that zone.
“In line with the robust relationship between our President and the South-East people, we appealed to the President, as a gentleman Democrat, to expedite action on the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu through a political process rather than judicial means, just as many prominent Ndigbo leaders had recently appealed and advocated,” he advised.
Also speaking, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, Chief Sunday Ossai, said the Igbo in Lagos have always been wrongly accused of organising protests in the state, and appealed to Ndigbo in the state to be cautious.
“Ndigbo have always been wrongly accused, so we have come out to deny accusations against us. We don’t know anything about organising the protest. Ndigbo are not part of it. We are innocent. I appeal to Ndigbo to be cautious of their movements and urge them to stay home and not go for their businesses on the day of the protest,” he said.
The Eze Ndigbo Ikeja and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Council of Ndieze in the state, Eze Dr. Uche Dimgba, declared that Igbo will not participate in the protest, adding that all Ndigbo have been advised not to take part in the protest.
On his part, the President-General, Igbo Speaking Community, Sunday Eze, who noted that Igbo are legitimate businessmen and women, appealed to the Lagos State Government to protect their businesses, homes and their families during the protest as they are not part of it. “We cannot leave our hometown and come to Lagos to destroy property,” he said.