‘Deportation’ Of Igbos: Fashola Expresses Disappointment At Gov Obi’s Handling Of The Matter

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has warned his Governor Peter Obi of Anambra not to incite the Igbos against the Lagos state government, following the recent resettlement of some Igbo destitute to Onitsha.

Speaking with newsmen, Thursday,Fashola, after inspecting the on-going light rail project and Jetties in Mile 2 area of Lagos, Fashola accused Obi of playing politics with the matter and using the media to blow the issue out of proportion.

He expressed his disappointment at not receiving a call from Gov Obi before he turned the issue into a media issue.

“There is too much at stake for anyone to begin to incite the Igbo community against their host state. There is too much at stake here. It is a very dangerous and unwarranted precedent.

“And I hope that common sense will prevail here. Also those who are baying for blood should know that there is too much at risk here. When I get a formal complaint from the government of Anambra State or notification from the Presidency, I will lay the facts bare.

“It is unfortunate that my colleague governor has made this a media issue. As I speak, I haven’t received any telephone call or letter from him to complain and I don’t think that is the way government works. On less important matters like this, he had called me before,” he stated.

According to Fashola “this is a political season and Anambra will be up for contest and in a political season, unusual things happen and perhaps we are living in an interesting times. And some of the evidence was when one see two adults kissing on television, it tells you that some things are afoot.”

Fashola described as regrettable the way issues of governance has been trivialized or tried on the pages of newspaper.

Reacting to Anambra governor reporting him to the presidency on the issue, Fashola said he was not aware if there was any place in the constitution that gave the president powers to adjudicate in disputes between states.

“Yes, I know that the president has a moral authority because he is the head of the sovereign state of the country. But I am not aware that the constitution states that the dispute between states should be settled by the Presidency.

“If Anambra State has an issue on this matter, and they feel aggrieved, they should call or write to us. I feel that the final arbiter should be the court. And it is really important to say that our hospitality in Lagos state is legendary. And it is a global legend that the people of Lagos State are hospitable people and so is the present government of the state and previous administrations,” he said.

Fashola stated that there is a large Igbo population in the state involved in many commercial activities, doing their business peacefully while the state government is working tirelessly to provide the required transport system, that would help improve the travel time and their businesses.

15 COMMENTS

  1. THIS FASHOLA OF A MAN IS MENTALLY HANDICAPPED. DID YOU CALL OBI BEFORE DEPORTING THEM? WHAT IS RURAL URBAN MIGRATION? WHAT IS LAGOS WITHOUT AN IGBO MAN? LET ME TELL IF YOU READ THIS DEAR FASHOLA, YOU GAVE A NAKED (YORUBA)MAN 100K IN THE NIGHT BUT YOU RAID AND DEPORT IGBOS AT NIGHT. DID YOU CONTACT THEIR VARIOUS GOVERNORS?
    SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT MAKES ONE A LAWYER. USING YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY IS NOT THE WAY OF GOVERNANCE YOU DON’T EVEN CARE DO YOU?
    FASHOLA USE YOUR HEAD OH.

  2. Mr Fashola,talking about constitution, is it written any where in the constitution that you have such right as to deport people from the state you are governing? what you’ve done is repugnant to natural justice equity and good conscience.you’ve just made mockery of the Igbos.Nonesense!

  3. Lagos is the centre of excellence and we must strive to maintain that.My dear Igbo friends,do not weep over this.See it as an opportunity to develop your area.Akwa -Ibom State is fast developing now due to the diligence and development ideas of Godswill Akpabio.Cross Rivers too is not doing badly.What are your Governors doing.You are crying foul when there is non.No responsible Government will fold her hand at a time like this when there are reports of Boko haram influx and security challenges.The Igbos are quick to saying that they are the ones sustaining Lagos economically in terms of their business acumen and returns to the state therefrom.Well,correct to some extent but,we also know that to an average Igbo man “everything is business”Don’t bring ethnicity into the action of Gov.Fashola please.

  4. what do you fashola mean by, after inspecting the on-going light rail project and Jetties in Mile 2 area of Lagos, ibos’ and yorubas’ who are more deities.

    that obi would have given you a call before going to the media, means what, what did he fashola call himself now he knows that obi is his governor my colleague did he give obi a call or write to him before his action.

    don’t com and tell “that there is a large Igbo population in the state involved in many commercial activities, doing their business peacefully while the state government is working tirelessly to provide the required transport system, that would help improve the travel time and their businesses”. you are enemy of igbos, before you come into power are there not in this Lagos doing their business peacefully, or are they not transporting their goods to where they want it to be, for the buses you provided, they paid for what ever services the buses rendered to them and know well that without the ibos, you would achieve much on that your buses. it is since you came into power that you increase of tax, payment of this and that, upon that you are not still happy.

  5. So far i am concerned,this is Nigeria where lot of oppuntunity is avaliable anywhere u go.how many people where deported if i may ask?.where are they right now,probably some are back to lagos state.trust Igbo man.always on the move for greener pasture.whether fashola like it or not,the more you are deporting them,the more their brothers are overflowing ur city.so think twice governor.if i may guess, no more freedom of settlement.

  6. ABEG ALL OF YOU STOP MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE & LEAVE FASHOLA ALONE. WE CAN’T BE LIVING WITH DESTITUTE WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR VILLAGES TO RETURN TO. IS IT NOT LAZINESS THAT BRINGS ALL OF THEM TO LAGOS? LET THEM GO AND FARM IN OIL PALM PLANTATION NOW.

  7. @nasir,u r an idiot raised to power 100! R u from lagos state! Stupid arse! Whatever we will survive & will choose to live anywhere! Who is talking about US,has US not failed dr own people? Human government is babash! Let Gods kingdom come!

    • @Dorothy God bless you, that’s the point I have been trying to make them understand and they keep perceiving one to be against them (Igbo’s). They always have the deception that they developed area’s that they are found, while they leave their own states undeveloped even though they have a lot of CRUDE OIL PALM. If the destitute and unemployed ones among them return home to embark on plantation agriculture, just imagine where they will be on the world map in terms of agriculture, but instead they keep running to develop other people’s community and at the same time tend to disrespect & disdain their host community.

      @Gail as for you, I no get your time, if you don’t like the truth jump inside HOT PALM OIL KILL YOURSELF MTCHEEEEEW.

      • @Dorathy and @Nasir are you guys proposing that every states in nigeria should deport those so-called non indigenes resident in their states? Are you sure two of you would be spared?

        An hausa adage says, ‘if you see your neihbours bears on fire, pour water on your own’.

        Be careful. Don’t let them use you!

  8. All of u taking this to tribal level are all goats. Instead of u people condemning the deportation of Nigerians by a Nigerian from one state to another u guys are here stoking tribalism. Stupid people

  9. its a matter of time my dear Igbo people. the Yoruba said Ur services is no more needed in their land, then u want to put up a fight, instead get Ur properties together and live their town for them and you will see all this will later be to your advantage. YOU IGBOS ARE THE MOST HARD WORKING TRIBE IN NIGERIA, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR TOWN TOO WILL BECOME THE ECONOMIC CENTRE THAT OTHER TRIBES WILL COME TO FOR ECONOMIC SHELTER , BY THEN THE STORY IS CHANGED….