South East lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly have called for an end to anti-Igbos narratives imported into the ongoing nationwide protest against poor economic policies and hunger tagged #EndBadGovernance protest. The narrative propagated by supporters of the President Bola Tinubu led federal government, has since accused some high profile personalities such as the Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as being behind the citizen action allegedly caused by high cost of living, corruption, rot in the judiciary, a corrupt electoral system, amongst others.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Recall, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement posted on his verified X handle, “accused supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election of plotting to unseat President Bola Tinubu under the guise of protests.”
Failing to provide any evidence to substantiate his allegation, Onanuga wrote, “The malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. He should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.”
Lagospedia, another X handle with over 41,700 followers, and purported to be ‘proclaiming the virtues of Lagos’, on July 27, tweeted a call for the Yoruba in Nigeria’s southwest to march in protest against Igbos residing in the region.
“Lagosians and every Southwest stakeholder should prepare for the massive protest of #IgboMustGo on the 20th – 30th of August,” Lagospedia tweeted.
“They have one month from now to leave and relocate their business from all southwest states. We urge all Yorubas living in the southeast to return home.”
While the Lagos State government has dissociated itself from the position of the Lagospedia platform, the presidency was yet to do the same on the position taken by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Also recall, Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar condemned the social media campaign for forced relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other states in the South-west region of Nigeria.
Atiku in a statement denounced it as “deeply troubling and fundamentally opposed to the principles of unity and coexistence that define our nation”.
“History has shown us the consequences of allowing hatred and bigotry to fester, as seen in Rwanda. What began with inflammatory rhetoric led to devastating outcomes. We must learn from these lessons and act decisively.
“I call on the Nigerian government and relevant authorities to take immediate and strong action against those inciting such hatred and division. It is imperative to investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals promoting ethnic discrimination and violence. The rule of law must prevail, and those found guilty of incitement should face the full extent of legal consequences,” he maintained.
Continuing, the South East caucus of the National Assembly in a statement signed by the duo of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Senate), and Hon Igariwey Enwo (House of Representatives), described the developments as an “unfortunate and dangerous ethnic profiling of Igbos in the ongoing mass protests across the country.”
The statement reads in part, “For the record, the Igbo nation, in obedience to the advice of their leaders- Governors, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, parliamentarians and others in the private sector- had taken a reasoned and strategic decision not to participate in the on-going nationwide protests. This is evident in the relative calm experienced in the five Southeastern states.
“We are, therefore, surprised and disappointed, that Igbos are still made scapegoats, and targeted as instigators of protests, as shown in several statements (such as the Igbo Must Go hashtag and call by a certain ‘Lagospedia’ X (Twitter) handle) and videos seen online.”
It warned that “This dangerous ethnic profiling is unwarranted, and must stop. It was such profiling that led to the millions of deaths in Nigeria from the 1950’s to the unfortunate civil war in 1967 to 1970. Elsewhere in Africa it led to the genocide in Rwanda and the xenophobia in South Africa. Such should not be our fate again in Nigeria.”
This is as the Lawmakers called on security agencies to bring to book, the purveyors of “these hate speeches in line with the cybercrimes act and criminal laws of the country.”
They also urged Igbos across the country to stay away from the protests, and remain law abiding.
