Igbos Should Blame Anambra State For Its Abandoned Destitute ––Emeka Ngige, SAN!

I had cause to speak on the vexed issue of the relocation of some indigenes of Anambra State from Lagos to Onitsha at a private forum in Lagos last weekend. Based on the facts then available to me I condemned the action of the Lagos State Government.

[But] after the event, I read the emerging correspondences and reports on the strong defence mounted by the Lagos government. It then became obvious to me that the documents showed clearly that LASG had by March 2013 intimated Anambra State Government on the planned transfer of the destitute. It is equally apparent from the documents that it was a clear case of dereliction of duty by the Anambra State government.

Most unfortunately but not unexpectedly, my views were maliciously and mischievously distorted by the media aides of the Anambra State Governor and planted in some national dailies and on the internet.

The sole intention was to pitch me against my elder brother, Senator Chris Ngige who had criticized the handling of the matter by the Anambra State Government and sow discord between me and my brother silk, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.

Let me make it clear that the plot of the Anambra State Government has failed abysmally. Nigerians and Anambrarians can no longer be fooled.

I also blamed Anambra State Government (ANSG) for resorting to letter writing to President Jonathan each time the issue arose instead of confronting the problem frontally. I had also argued that Anambra should have screened the alleged 72 returnees, identify those from Anambra State and rehabilitate them while returning the non-Anambrarians back to the sender.

The Anambra State Government has no excuse whatsoever not to follow through on the transfer after acknowledging letters from LASG and agreeing on the exchange date. Further reading the letters, I have no doubt whatsoever that the blame for the current debacle rests squarely with ANSG despite its desperation to politicize the matter with the aim of gaining votes from the crisis during the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship election in November.

It is apparent that the controversy would have been averted had the Anambra State government played its part as agreed.

What is clearly in issue is that ANSG wrote to LASG requesting ‘urgently’ for particulars of the destitute claiming to be indigenes of Anambra State so as to “facilitate their integration with their families if they are from Anambra.” LASG responded with a list of 14 names including their particulars and requested the presence of ANSG officials for a screening exercise at the Ikorodu Rehabilitation Centre.

Anambra State Government never got back to LASG! Anambra Governor now alleges that 72 persons were repatriated instead of only 14. Where is the honour? Where is the integrity? This is obviously a very sad reminder of the Nigerian Governors Forum election where 16 became a majority against 19 and the Anambra Governor was in the fore-front of this show of shame.

The Anambra State Government should simply apologise to the Fashola administration for maligning the administration and misinforming Nigerians on the issue and stop this unethical ethnic politics. 

Lagos State government remains the most friendly government to Anambrarians and Ndigbo in general more than any other State in Nigeria. Enough is enough!

Note: Emeka Ngige is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, from Anambra State. I just hope some people wont come here and call this man an Igbo hater too? The truth is the truth!