Bode George Slams Ohanaeze Over Claim That Igbos Developed Lagos

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has slammed the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, over a claim that the Igbo community made significant contributions to Lagos’s development.

Recall that the President of Ohanaeze, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, hailed the Igbo community as the unsung heroes of Lagos, crediting them for transforming the city from swampland to today’s thriving metropolitan city.

Speaking about the time when Lagos became the capital of Nigeria, Iwuanyanwu highlighted the significant contributions of Igbo forebears, who invested massively in developing Lagos into a befitting national headquarters.

But in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, George berated Iwuanyanwu and Ohanaeze for chipping tribal sentiment of contributing to the development of Lagos.

The PDP stalwart described Iwuanyanwu’s claims as a self-serving lie, insisting that Lagos was not a slum before the Igbos arrived.

He said: “It is laughable to hear Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo, chipping tribal sentiment of contributing to the development of Lagos.

“If people have nothing to say, they should just keep their peace. We have serious numerous problems begging for attention. Our economy has a near-disaster challenge, which needs urgent government solutions to transform people’s lives.

“When we were growing up, we had Igbo, Hausa descent classmates who spoke fluent Yoruba language. We did everything together: education and sports. There are better ways to co-habit, not through frivolous issues like who is the true owner of Lagos.

“My great-granduncle, Herbert Macaulay, was the man who established the first political party in the country. He was a selfless Nigerian who cared about the well-being of every Nigerian.

“He was all over the place, trying to emancipate the people from colonial rule, motivating the people on how to gain independence from the colonialists. Unfortunately, he died in the struggle after contracting a disease on his way from a trip to the Northern part of the country. He did a lot of sensitisation against colonial rule, influencing the emergence of nationalists like Nnamdi Azikiwe and others who took over from him.

“We should not allow tribal sentiments to cloud our sense of reasoning and focus on making positive decisions for society, irrespective of where you live.”