APC Accuses Gov. Peter Obi Of Playing Politics With Nigeria’s Unity

[img]http://ireports-ng.com/wp-content/themes/goodnews47/framework/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://ireports-ng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Peter-Obi.jpeg&h=275&w=599&zc=1[/img]

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as a very dangerous game that could threaten the nation’s unity the decision by Gov. Peter Obi to sensationalize the recent home return of 14 (not 72 as widely claimed) Anambra indigenes from Lagos.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said instead of reaching out to his Lagos counterpart, as he has done on less important issues in the past, Gov. Obi fired an over-dramatized letter to the Presidency and leaked such to the media, thus setting off an avoidable friction between the Igbo and the Yoruba that will not augur well for Nigeria’s unity.

It said indications are that Gov. Obi’s resort to a media campaign, which has triggered a vicious Lagos State/Yoruba bashing, is aimed at gaining an undue advantage ahead of the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, instead of being borne out of sheer altruism

”We are not saying Gov. Obi has no right to play politics, but he must fight clean and avoid any action that could hurt not just the enduring harmony between the Igbo and the Yoruba, but also the unity of the country.

”Resorting to primordial sentiments anytime election is approaching is Gov. Obi’s modus operandi. He did it just before the 2009 election, when he labelled the ACN under which Dr. Chris Ngige contested as a Yoruba party, and he is going down the same path now. This is all about the November 2013 election. If Gov. Obi is sure of his performance, he should allow that to speak for him and stop whipping up tribal sentiments.
”It is very dishonourable for a political leader at the level of Gov. Peter Obi to show total disregard for the truth and to whip up emotions for personal gains, as he has done on this issue. By his deliberate and blatant distortion of facts, as we will show shortly, Gov. Obi has raised a serious doubt about his leadership qualities.

”Equally guilty of indiscretion at best and deliberate peddling of falsehood at worst are the various ‘analysts’, ‘commentators’, out-of-luck NGOs and organizations that have jumped onto the bandwagon of Lagos bashing over the issue, mischievously tagged ‘deportation’ instead of what it is (home return for proper integration), when they could have sought the truth from the Lagos State Government.

”Even some of the respectable Igbo socio-political organizations failed the simple test of fairness by not unearthing the truth before making pronouncements. Even if they do not trust the Lagos State Government, they could have at least inquired about what happened from their son, who is a ranking member of the cabinet of Lagos State,” APC said.

The party said Gov. Obi and his fellow travellers forgot that those who live in a glass house do not throw stones, hence they resorted to sensationalism and downright lies, first on the process leading to the home return, and then on the number of those involved and finally on the motive behind it.

”All those who consider the home return of 14 Anambra indigenes as a reflection of the Lagos State Government’s (and by extension the Yoruba’s) ill will toward the Igbo should consider the following facts:

1. There was an exchange of correspondence dated 9th, 15th and 29th April 2013 between the Lagos State Government and Anambra State Government, through its Liaison Office in Lagos, about the ‘integration’ not ‘deportation’ of the 14 people.

2. Anambra State Government did not respond to requests by Lagos State to come and validate/identify the people who claimed to have come from Anambra. Had it done so, this issue could have been better managed.

3. Lagos State itself received notice from the Government of Akwa Ibom to come, identify and pick up two Lagos indigenes whom they picked up in a ‘lunatic clean up’ exercise in Uyo. Lagos responded promptly without making any noise about it.

4. In Dec. 2011, the same Anambra State Government that is now crying foul over the home return of Anambra indigenes arrested and repatriated 29 beggars to their home states in Ebonyi, another Igbo State, and Akwa Ibom. Then it was conveniently not ‘deportation’ but ‘repatriation’ and no tribal meanings were read to such action. This information can be accessed here: http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/9600/2011/12/04/anambra_orders_arrest_child_beggars.html

5. Also in 2011, Abia State Government sacked 3,000 non-indigenes (but fellow Igbo) from her work force and asked them to go back to their respective states, yet not even a whimper was heard from all those who are now raising hell over the ”deportation” of 14 Anambra indigenes from Lagos.

”If Gov. Obi’s logic is to be followed, then the government of Akwa Ibom, and the entire people of the state, harbour bad intentions toward Lagos state and the Yoruba by asking Lagos State to come and pick up two ‘vagrant psychotics’ identified as Lagosians who have been rehabilitated.

”Suffice it to say that these home returns have been going on for a long time among states, even within the same ethnic groups (as we pointed out above), and has never before elicited the kind of jaundiced interpretation that has been given to the return of 14 Anambra indigenes,” it said.

APC said it is also important to point out that this home returns are not limited to Nigeria. The US State of Hawaii has recently offered one-way tickets to homeless persons to return to their home states within the US, as part of the State’s efforts to take the burden off its welfare system. It is estimated that Hawaii’s ”return-to-home” programme will affect its 17,000 homeless residents. This information can be accessed here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381732/Hawaii-sets-aside-100-000-offer-17-000-homeless-people-way-airfare-home-states.html

In the light of the above, the party asked Gov. Obi to apologize to the people of Nigeria for engaging in a blatant distortion of facts, making himself an agent of destabilization and sensationalizing what is not more than a routine issue, all because he wants to give a certain political party a bad name just to hang it, while at the same time feathering his own nest ahead of his state’s governorship election.

radiofreaked: people were reunited with their peeps up north ndigbo rejoiced.

Oyo and osun state indigene were dropped at molete and oke afia respectively at wee hours no noise were made.

Igbo governors sack and evict non natives no noise either.

14 igbos were taken eastward after proper communication with their liasion office. The nigerian jew start whipping up triibal sentiments.

Thanks for all the noise y'all made you have sentisize meek yorubas to the animousity your people secretly nurse again us. We itsekiris are with our cousins in this and will standup with them in any situation that we come out of this present milieu.

Dreal1247: If he is playing politics with the deportation of the Igbo indigens, what of the confessions from the victims that they were held in detention camps for as much as seven months? The imposition of leader on the traders av Ladipo Market is yet another issue. Tomorrow when the governors react, they will convert it to political talk. FASHOLA GATES IGBOS.

kkkp: E still dey pain u?? Go hug transformer

PointB: APC and co can repeat the reunion lies as many times as they wish, the fact of the matter remains that Nigerians were held captive against their will in poor condition, kept incommunicado for several months, and then dumped by the foot of a bridge in the dead of the night! All these with the active connivance of wicked Fashola, the Lagos State governor.

That is what threatens national unity, not Governor Peter Obi indignation which many rational people share!

We still call on governor fashole to release many still held captive in his glorified concentration camps. Government sponsored kidnapping of citizens is akin to state sponsored terrorism!

eagle,eye:
So it is now Obi that is playing politics with the unity of Nigeria? When Fashola decided to dump Igbos at the head bridge at an ungodly hour he was not playing Nigeria's unity?
Fashola did a wrong thing, he should admit it and stop using politics to cover up his error.

PointB: By the way, those who went through the horrible ordeals of state sponsored kidnapped ochestrated by Fashola have told severally of the way and manner they were treated. Their concern was how they were abducted and imprisoned while kept incommunicado, before they were finally dumped by the bridge head. These folks had little or no interest in politics.

One has recently died as a result of the terrible. Who ever did that them should be reprimanded and should face criminal prosecution. It is sheer wickedness.

radiofreaked:


fashola even padlock igbos not only gate. Their is a babaloja in mile 12 and alaba rago our northern bros ain't shouting about it but the peeps whose dna as been inscribe with whining will make big issues out of nothing.

I spoke with a social worker today and he say that its the standard practice to put them up before the relocation ditto for the 2 lunatic in akwa ibom.

To you and your fellow whiners you are not yet started crying yet.

radiofreaked:


please stop all your lies and propangada. All the peeps you claimed to be deported we have'nt seen their pictures nor get them interview on t.v or radio. No matter how you spin the lies its dead on arrival.

Standing5: Yes they were accomodated for several months by LASG. Whats bad in it. Are they suppose to take them to anambra without any attempt to reabilitate them and empower them? Or what's PointB crying over.

Standing5: Yes they were accomodated for several months by LASG. Whats bad in it. Are they suppose to take them to anambra without any attempt to reabilitate them and empower them? Or what's PointB crying over.

awodman: Just a question...what will it cost Fashola to apologize for dumping people under a bridge by 3am in the morning...I have never seen Fashola admit been wrong on any issue...

PointB:

why dont you keep quiet and read if you have nothing to contribute. It's not by force to post. I can't imagine someone will be disputing that deportation took place. Did you even bother to read the article? Better go join the growing number of the FTC looners.

confusion247: You people called dumping of human beings under the bridge by 3am reunion? You people set the ball rolling not OBI.
How many people needed the unity of a country where some tribes are treated like second class citizens?