Credibility Group, a socio-political and cultural Think-thank, has noted with alarm the frenzy caused by the disinformation and misinformation cascading from supposedly enlightened people to the rank and file in Lagos, warning against looming tribal crisis.
In a statement he personally signed, Chief (Sir) Goddy Uwazurike,
President General of Cultural Credibility Development Initiative, CCDI, said: “This premeditated devil’s master plan, which is aimed at causing a violent crisis, is targeted at Igbo people in Lagos.
“On daily basis, all kinds of allegations are disseminated with vigour.
“Since the release of the presidential election results, Igbo people have become objects of conspiracy theories. The most heinous currently trending is that Igbo people want to take over Lagos.
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“This is designed to turn a charged situation into a frenzied mob action. The much-touted reason is that Igbo people want to elect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivor,” he said.
Credibility further advanced reasons the purveyors of these inciting statements should retrace their steps.
According to him, neither Gbadebo, Sanwolu nor Jandor, the leading governorship candidates of the Labour Party, LP, All Progressives Congress, APC, and People’s Democratic Party, PDP, respectively is Igbo.
“All three have approached Igbo people for support and have active support groups,” he added.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivor has answered the question of his identity by pointing at the Lagos City Hall as a donation from his Lagos Island family.
“The propagators of the conspiracy theories against Ndigbo are not even Lagosians by birth and cannot point out the graves of their forefathers in Lagos. Further inquiries show that the real lagosians are very sociable and receptive of increased business activities.”
The group noted that Igbo people living in Lagos State came to Lagos the same way as those from Kwara, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Kogi and Oyo states.
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“Non-Yoruba people, just like non-Lagos Yoruba people in Lagos buy land for residence. There is no free land. Nobody dashes anyone land in Lagos. Lagos is a cash and carry state beginning with rent to what and where you eat.
“Property acquisitions are legal and constitutional. This right is for all, notwithstanding the state of origin. Those who are consumed by envy should be advised to desist forthwith.
“There is a freedom of choice of who to vote for. This is constitutional. It must not be tampered with.
“Nigerians have been elected freely in different countries and there is no objection to them. We have also rejoiced over such elections.
“Those who are beating the drums of violence have forgotten that the evil they want to unleash does not discriminate on its target. The market people whose goods services were burnt in the Olodi- Apapa area are not all Igbo.”
Credibility urged the governor and security operatives to take preemptive steps to forestall any outbreak of violence in any part of Lagos State and frowned at their seeming silence.
“Nothing encourages evil doers like the silence of the people in authority. Here, the Governor, the Commissioner of Police and other security outfits have not seen evil and have not heard any evil. Violence and strife multiply in different directions. A stitch in time saves nine.”
Pointing out the close affinity that has developed between the Igbo and Yoruba over the years, the statement pointed out that “there is no family in Lagos today without an Igbo Yoruba marriage. The young ones do not want to practice tribalism. Tribalism is a debilitating disease of the older folks. Let our kids be. Violence is an evil wind that bears no one any good.”