Lagos: Ohanaeze fires back at Bode George over anti-Igbo comment

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has insisted that some of the houses built in Lagos State used to be a swamp.

Ohanaeze made the remark while berating a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George for criticising Igbos who built houses and developed Lagos State.

The organization said George’s remark was “unstatesmanly and bigoted.”

George had said it was disheartening and unpatriotic that despite the challenges facing the country, it was ‘who owns Lagos’ that some people were preoccupied with.

He said: “Why couldn’t the Igbos focus on developing their own states instead of Lagos? What stops Iwuanyanwu from developing the Igbo land instead of developing Lagos?”

Reacting, Ohanaeze in a statement by its spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia said: “Any person who knows Lagos will agree with the Igbo leader that some of the Igbo properties are standing on what used to be swamps.

“The George theory will also query why other Nigerians are obligated to the development of Abuja to give it the required international status.

“For Bode George to suggest that the Igbo erred by contributing to the development of Lagos is not only un-statesmanly, bigoted, narrow-thinking and self-serving but stands at variance with the ethics and decorum of a man who has benefited immensely from the corporate existence of Nigeria.

“George alluded to the prevailing pervasive poverty in the country and in his judgment, believes that destruction of peoples’ property in Lagos is an antidote to poverty.

“Ohanaeze has watched with dismay, the selective vocality of Chief Bode George; when many parts of the Alaba International Market were destroyed, George was mute. When there was intimidation of voters in Lagos State, George was mute, among several others.”