The umbrella socio-cultural organisation of the Igbos, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in Lagos State as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu embark on structures demolition in the Alaba International Market.
The Lagos State Government had on Friday started the process of removing what it described as distressed buildings in the Alaba International Market in the Ojo Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the enforcement team of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the Lagos State Task Force embarked on the joint exercise.
The team reportedly went round to re-seal several buildings that had been marked with previous multiple quit seal notices by LASBCA, saying that the measure was to prevent disaster.
But reacting to the demolition exercise in the market mostly dominated by business owners from the Igbo-speaking Southeast region of Nigeria, Ohanaeze Ndigbo appealed to President Tinubu to prevail on Governor Sanwo-Olu to temper justice with mercy on Igbos in the state.
Ohanaeze’s Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, warned Igbos in Lagos to stop playing bad politics, saying that bad politics was affecting Igbo businesses in Lagos.
Isiguzoro said, “We have been informed that the demolition of some parts of Alaba International Market has begun; most of those who called us said they were given only three hours.
“Most of them complained that they are being witch-hunted due to the 2023 general elections; they complained that they are systematically trying to make them leave Lagos by destroying their properties.
“We want to beg Mr President to call Sanwo-Olu that the best thing to do at this point is to temper justice with mercy. We would not accept that this is a political witch-hunt or issue threats on the crisis that has befallen Igbos in Lagos.
“At this moment in time, Igbos should stop politics and concentrate on what they are looking for in Lagos. Ohanaeze has already told Igbos to relocate the headquarters of their businesses back home to have a fallback position when politics are targeted against them.
“Our Republicanism should end in the Southeast; they should not take it to Lagos. Some people threatened Igbos to leave Lagos, but we won’t leave any part of Nigeria for anybody because we have contributed to the development and building of economies with every state and local governments in Nigeria.
“Igbos are Nigerians; so Ohanaeze is saying that the demolition of Alaba International Market is a wake-up call for Ndigbos to come and invest in Eyimba economic city.
“Ndigbos should stay in Lagos, but they should stop playing bad politics because it’s affecting their businesses.
“We supported Sanwo-Olu during the elections, even when Tinubu lost Lagos, so we urge him to halt further demolition of Alaba and other Igbo-populated markets as this would make Igbos to continue supporting Asiwaju’s government and make him to succeed.”
