LAGOS State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola,
yesterday revealed that only 14 rehabilitated persons rescued from the
streets were returned to their state of origin in Anambra State, and
not 67 as reported. Fashola, who made the clarification during a visit
of Aka Ikenga, Igbo community in Lagos to his office in Alausa, Ikeja
said what happened was indeed “a very small matter” that has been
exaggerated to score cheap political gain. Explaining the situation, the
governor said that there was actually correspondence between the Lagos
State Government and the liaison office of the Anambra State Government
in Lagos on the 9th of April, 2013, from the Special Adviser on Youths
and Sports, Mr. Enitan Badaru, to the office on integration.
According
to him, there was a reply from the liaison office to the Lagos State
Government on 15th April requesting specific information, which he said
was provided in another letter to the liaison office on 29th of April,
adding that when they failed to respond to the last letter, the state
government was forced to act since the state was expending resources on
feeding. Fashola explained that it is wrong for Governor Peter Obi of
Anambra State to say that he was not informed, adding that it is either
he was being mischievous or was not properly informed by the liaison
office, which exchanged correspondence with the state government.
Fashola felt sad that the governor, who had called him personally on
minor issues in the past, opted to go to the press on a matter that
could have been settled. “If the governor had called, we could have
sorted out things”, he said, adding that what happened was not new.
Governor Fashola displayed a similar letter he received from Akwa Ibom
State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio on two persons who claimed to be
from Lagos State. “We took them in, but they are not from Lagos and we
are looking through the South West”, Fashola said, adding that such
issues ought to have been treated on merit without ethnic or religious
coloration, which he said engenders sentiments in people. Speaking on
comments from some constitutional lawyers, the governor said that rights
guaranteed by the constitution are not absolute. “If you want to live
in my house, you must live according to the law by not constituting
nuisance. If you become a nuisance, I have a duty to protect myself”, he
said, and advised experts to moderate their comments. Earlier,
President of Aka Ikenga, Mr. Godwin Uwazurike, said Igbo in Lagos have
always supn ported the government and will continue to be loyal, but
that they were put under pressure following alleged deportation of 67
Igbo from Lagos State. Another member of the team, Mr. Ben Aka, told the
governor that his group is now finding it difficult to convince Igbo in
the state and indeed Anambra to support the All Progressive Congress
(APC) with Anambra election around the corner.
Source: The Nation
