PDP, APC trade words over relocation of non-
indigenes from Lagos


* New party decries alleged politicisation of
issue

* Reverse policy, Babatope tells Fashola,

Igbo groups give ultimatum

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned
the alleged forceful relocation of some indigenes of
Anambra State by the All Progressives Congress
(APC)-led Fashola administration.
However, the APC has described as a very dangerous
game that could threaten the nation’s unity
Governor Peter Obi’s alleged sensationalisation of
the recent “home return of 14 (not 72 as widely
claimed)” Anambra indigenes from Lagos.
In a statement issued in Lagos 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, Governor Obi fired an “over-dramatised
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.

Meanwhile, former Minister for Transport, Chief
Ebenezer Babatope, Sunday urged Governor
Babatunde Fashola to reverse the policy. Also,
South-East Ndigbo Lagos, an umbrella body of all the
major market associations and Igbo professionals in
Lagos State threatened to take legal and economic
action against the government within 21 days.

A statement issued by PDP Acting National Publicity
Secretary, Tony Okeke, Sunday described the
relocation as “inhuman, abominable and callous”, as
it was a violation of their constitutionally-guaranteed
rights to reside in any part of the federation. The
measure showed the wickedness of the APC-led
government and portrayed the party as one with the
agenda to promote sectionalism and stoke the fire of
division among Nigerians, it claimed, adding that it
was a dehumanisation of innocent Nigerians by the
state.

APC, however, maintained that Obi’s “resort to
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.”

‘’Equally guilty of indiscretion at best and deliberate
peddling of falsehood at worst are the various
‘analysts’, ‘commentators’, out-of-luck NGOs and
organisations 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
organisations 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.

Babatope said: “I have read all arguments on the
deportation of some Anambra State indigenes living
in Lagos State by the Fashola administration. I
submit that the Lagos State’s action is highly
unfortunate. It is undemocratic, illegal as well as
being a grand assault on the fundamental rights of
the affected Nigerians under the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Governor Fashola must urgently reverse this
disturbing policy with apologies to the affected
Nigerians. Fashola has a good record of performance
in office but his present action will destroy his
credibility. All well-meaning Nigerians must
denounce this obnoxious policy.”
A statement by South-East Ndigbo Lagos Public
Relations Officer, Chidi Nwafor, stressed that the
illegal deportation, repatriation, relocation, or any of
such similar treatment of Ndigbo anywhere in
Nigeria is totally unacceptable.

They, therefore, urged Fashola to redress the
unpleasant situation or else they would have no
option than to “demonstrate our sadness legally and
economically after 21 days.”

“Ferrying humans overnight in trucks only brings
back sad memories of the many years of slavery
when Africans were packed like sardines and
inhumanly shipped abroad. There is absolutely no
justification for this very degrading and inhuman
maltreatment of Ndigbo. Curiously, this indecent
treatment came from a government which Ndigbo
hold in very high esteem and had always hugely
supported; a government which has
unprecedentedly transformed Lagos State and
respected human dignity and rights. Ndigbo
therefore, find it difficult that Governor Fashola’s
government should be linked with this indecent act
more so when Ndigbo have lived harmoniously with
the good people of Lagos,” the group stated.

www.theguardianmobile.com/readNewsItem1.php?nid=16058

Babatope said: “I have read all arguments on the
deportation of some Anambra State indigenes living
in Lagos State by the Fashola administration. I
submit that the Lagos State’s action is highly
unfortunate. It is undemocratic, illegal as well as
being a grand assault on the fundamental rights of
the affected Nigerians under the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Governor Fashola must urgently reverse this
disturbing policy with apologies to the affected
Nigerians. Fashola has a good record of performance
in office but his present action will destroy his
credibility. All well-meaning Nigerians must
denounce this obnoxious policy.”

When I read this bit I say there is hope for Nigeria afterall

Thank you Ebenezer Babatope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSEP6GQhneM



For Babatope...eni ba da ile a ba ile lo..

mikeansy:

When I read this bit I say there is hope for Nigeria afterall

Thank you Ebenezer Babatope

SEE YOU HAVE HOPE FOR NIGERIA WHEN IT SUITS YOU. BUT WHEN IGOKWE, ADINUBA AND NGIGIE MADE THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS, YOU CALL THEM ALL SORT OF NAMES AND THREATEN TO DECLARE ONE OF THEM PERSON NOON GRATA. IN IGBO LAND.
AS FOR BABATOPE , HE IS NOTHIMG BUT A CHEAP POLITICAL HACK JUST TRYING TO SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINT.. REALLY AM NOT SURPRISED. THIS SAME UNPRIMCIPLED POLITICIAN SERVED ABACHA AND GAVE ALL SORT OF INANE JUSTIFICATION. HOPE FOR NIGERIA INDEED.

PDP GOVERNMENTIN THE FCT ALSO RELOCAYES AND REUNITE DESTITUTES. ALSO KANO AND AKWA IBOM AND THEY ARE ALSO PDP STATES. SO NOBODY SHOULD TRY TO SCORE CHEAP POLIT7CAL POINT.
THE MAJOR ISSUE HERE IS WHEN THESE DESTITUTE ARE REMOVED FROM THE STREETS AND TAKEN TO REHABILITATION CENTERS WITH LIMITED CAPACITY, WHAT IS THE BEST NEXT STEP AND HOW CAN IT BE DONE IN A HUMANE WAY.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY CANNOT BE HOUSED FOR TOO LONG IN THOSE FACILITIES BECAUSE ROOM NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR NEW ONES AND TO ME IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO SIMPLY ALLOW THEM BACK TO THE SAME STREET. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT RELOCATION CLOSER TO THEIR FAMILIESTO THEIR FAMILOES REMAINS THE BEST OPTION. WHAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS OUR MIND TO IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF DOING THIS.AA
YES. SOME MISTAKES WERE ,MADE IN THE HANDLING OF THE ANAMBRA 14 AND PROBABLY IN THE PAST CASES IN TERMS OF A MORE HUMANE MANER OF HANDLING THE MATTER, BIT THESE ARE THE THINGS BE DISCUSSING NOT ALL THE RUBBISH OPPORTUNISTIC POLITOCAL CRAPTRAPS.
WE SHOULD ALSO BE FAIR BECAUSE I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES STAFFS IN URBAN CITIES LIKE ABUJA AND LAGOS WORK UNDER PRESSIRE AND MAY SOMETIMES MAKE GENUINE MISTAKES OR MAY SOMETIMES BE CALLOUS AND UNCARING.

software man:
SEE YOU HAVE HOPE FOR NIGERIA WHEN IT SUITS YOU. BUT WHEN IGOKWE, ADINUBA AND NGIGIE MADE THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS, YOU CALL THEM ALL SORT OF NAMES AND THREATEN TO DECLARE ONE OF THEM PERSON NOON GRATA. IN IGBO LAND.
AS FOR BABATOPE , HE IS NOTHIMG BUT A CHEAP POLITICAL HACK JUST TRYING TO SCORE CHEAP POLITICAL POINT.. REALLY AM NOT SURPRISED. THIS SAME UNPRIMCIPLED POLITICIAN SERVED ABACHA AND GAVE ALL SORT OF INANE JUSTIFICATION. HOPE FOR NIGERIA INDEED.

Yes because the views of the men you mentioned are strange to the Nigerian constitution

this is a constitutional matter and should be discussed as such. Ngige failed to discuss this issue along those lines

we need to uphold our constitution at all times!

mikeansy:

Yes because the views of the men you mentioned are strange to the Nigerian constitution

this is a constitutional matter and should be discussed as such. Ngige failed to discuss this issue along those lines

we need to uphold our constitution at all times!

And your constitution doesnt tell your Governors to make the states they preside over habitable for its residents?

kingoflag:

And your constitution doesnt tell your Governors to make the states they preside over habitable for its residents?

Who says people move to other states because their state is not habitable?

There are Yoruba people in all parts of Nigeria, if you dont know this.

mikeansy:

Yes because the views of the men you mentioned are strange to the Nigerian constitution

this is a constitutional matter and should be discussed as such. Ngige failed to discuss this issue along those lines

we need to uphold our constitution at all times!

what constitution?
Do u undstnd 'by laws' at all?

God bless unbiased Oduduwa descendants like Babatope & shame on inhumane liars like a popular Afonja descendant.

SLIDE waxie: what constitution?
Do u undstnd 'by laws' at all?

what by laws are you talking about?

have you read section 1 of the Nigerian constitution and what it says about the supremacy of the constitution of fedral republic of Nigeria and how any other laws that contravenes its provisions are considered invalid?


And by the way, just for those who rather choose to be arrogant about this issue, Lagos is neither London, New York nor Honk Kong. It is still a Nigerian city and there are not a lot special about Lagos. The Racisim or Tribalism is both unnecessary and has no basis!

mikeansy:

Who says people move to other states because their state is not habitable?

There are Yoruba people in all parts of Nigeria, if you dont know this.

And as expected, his brain automatically shifted into "Tribal Mode".....