Being the text of an address delivered by Elder Biyi Adelowo, State of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) protem chairman at a press conference the state ACP called on the furore generated by the deportation of 14 destitutes to Anambra State by the Lagos State Government, on Tuesday August 6, 2013 in Osogbo.
The All Progressive Congress in the State of Osun is calling on the people of Anambra State and all Ibos who were misinformed about the incident of 14 destitute Ibos from Lagos sent to Anambra State for rehabilitation to please be responsible enough to cross-check facts before they make incisive statement that could cause disunity and ill-feelings between Ibos and Yoruba and thousands of other citizens who Lagos is hosting without rancour.
Those who are ignorant of what happened should seek to know the truth of this incident rather than annoy the Yoruba race with statements that are capable of creating real hostility between the Ibos and Yoruba. However for the benefit of those who care to know, it is not only Anambra State that received destitute from Lagos.
On April 27, 2010, 47 beggars and destitute were returned from Lagos to Osogbo, to be reunited with their relations in Osun. The State heartily welcomed them and they have since been reintegrated with their people. On October 4 the same year, 13 persons were again brought from Lagos and reunited with their relations in the State. Yet again on May 23,2011,59 beggars and the destitute from Lagos were resettled in Osun. On May 27 this year, we received notice that 46 persons of Osun indigeneship are awaiting resettlement and we are already in the process of bringing them back home.
This is not only from Lagos. On April 18, 2012, we received two persons who are indigenes of this State from Ogun State. On April 18 of that same year, we received another two persons from Ondo State. On June 19 this year, we have also received four persons from Oyo State.
There is no bitterness or any sensation about this; it is routine administrative process, that when you have a destitute on your hand, without home or family, and after doing your best for them, you send them to their people.
In Osun, we have similar programme of clearing the streets of beggars and the destitute. Those that can be empowered are being given the needed assistance to be on their own. Those with psychiatric cases are getting the needed medical attention and ultimately, they will all be resettled one way or the other. We also have another programme, Agba Osun, where the aged and infirm are given free medical care and a monthly stipend.
It must be stated that this ugly incident could not have arisen if the various state governments are taking care of their poor and underprivileged people. It is the failure to put such welfare programmes in place in the first place that forces the people to migrate to areas of greener pastures or just wander aimlessly as in the case of the destitute.
This does not conflict with the constitutional and God-given right of people to live and work in any place of their choice within the country. There is a large population of non-indigenes living and working in Lagos. These are not only Nigerians but large population from West, East, Central and other parts of Africa, Europe, Asia and all over the world that know no other place as their home besides Lagos. They are part of the great human resources in its heterogeneity that gives Lagos its unique character as the most accommodating place in Africa.
It is therefore unfortunate that this administrative process is being subjected to undue politicization in a way that is capable of pitting Igbo’s against Lagos State and their Yoruba hosts.
It is possibly because the Ibos have no idea that such social service is also a responsibility of the state government that they bungled the rehabilitation process in Onitsha and left the destitute stranded.
The Lagos State Government did what it ought to do as a responsible government. Those who bungled the process should be held accountable. For them to now turn around seeking help from President Goodluck Jonathan to sanction Lagos state for being humane enough to look after Ibo destitute in Lagos is the height of ingratitude which does not speak well of those Ibos that have been making unintelligent noise about this incident.
As for the aspersions being cast on Yoruba by hack writers of Ibo origin over this issue, let it be said for their information that responsible and enlightened Ibos know better and they must feel embarrassed by the groundswell of ingratitude which younger and iII-informed generations of their kinsmen are exhibiting. The undisputable truth is that what the Yoruba people generally and those in Lagos in particular have done for the Ibo race, that race is incapable of doing anything close to it for the Yoruba nation. These young lbos should be careful about what they say because incisive statements could cause so much problems for harmony between them and the Yoruba nation that could impact unfavorably for national unity which the progressive in APC all over Nigeria is doing the best to promote.
What the government of Anambra state did by reporting and distorting facts to Mr. President is unfortunate if not a deliberate political move meant to lay a foundation for something sinister that Governor Obi’s APGA is plotting over the up-coming governorship election in the state that APGA may well lose.
The majority of Ibos and Yoruba will prefer to leave peacefully together as friends, neighbors and brothers; but we shall not tolerate insidious and ungrateful attitudes that are capable of breaching the peace and harmony that our people cherish living with their guests in Yorubaland and they are welcome, but we demand respect from them if that cordial relationship would continue.
Thank you for your kind attention.
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