Lets Settle Our Differences, Igbo Group Begs Lagosians

A Lagos-based Igbo think tank, the Igbo Conscience, has urged all Igbo and Yoruba living in the state to settle their differences and move on.

The group in a statement by its spokesmen, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani and Mr. Peter Oparah, said the call had become necessary because of the bad blood generated during the elections.

The group said if the bitterness was not addressed, it could lead to conflicts in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party won elections in areas dominated by the Igbo indigenes while the All Progressives Congress won in areas dominated by Yoruba which showed that tribal affiliation determined the outcome of the elections.

The statement read, “The Igbo Conscience has noted, with grave concern, the increasing negative fallout of the last general election, which, if not checked, may lead to much more unsavoury developments in the country.

“Of particular concern to us is the increasing spate of hate messages that have now taken over the once cordial and fruitful relationship between Ndigbo and the Yoruba. We note that the cordial relationship between the two great races has been greatly soured by the process leading to the last general election.

“We note that the events that are tragically spiralling into a dangerous exchange of hate messages have now gone to the extent of some Yoruba groups mobilising some Yoruba indigenes to mount anti-Igbo protests in Lagos.”

The group noted that the rivalry even transcended the borders of Nigeria as some Igbo in Texas, United States, picketed the hospital of a Yoruba doctor, Dr. Ayo Ariyo, for defending the comments made by the Oba of Lagos, Riliwanu Akiolu, who said Igbo would perish in the lagoon if they did not vote for Akinwunmi Ambode, the governorship candidate of the APC.

It urged Igbo in the US to let sleeping dogs lie.

The statement added, “Equally, we note the concern of these Igbo groups to the continued picketing of a Yoruba, Dr. Ayo Ariyo, in Dallas, US, by some Igbo over some comments he allegedly made for which he had been reported to have made sufficient clarification.

“We condemn both actions and we see these as very dangerous and warn that no one, either Igbo or Yoruba, will gain from a degeneration of this situation.”