Igbo leader charges Igbos in s’west to maintain healthy relationship with host communities

By Adeola Badru

THE Balogun Ndigbo of Ibadanland and Oyo State, High Chief Alloysious Obi, has charged Igbos in the Southwest to ensure a healthy relationship with their host communities, stating that they owed it a duty to be good ambassadors of the Igbo nation.

He gave the admonition yesterday in his Ibadan palace while playing host to the South West Executive Council of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

High Chief Obi also commended Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, for making Ibadanland and the state friendly and accommodating for the Ndigbos, stating that having spent 47 years in Ibadan, he is proud to describe the city as the most accommodating and peaceful place to live in Yorubaland. He insisted that the Igbos must at all time give respect to constituted authorities and cultures of their hosts, noting that it is only by doing this that peace would be achieved and maintained by the two sides.

While calling on Igbos to stop engaging in businesses that would tarnish the image of the Igbo nation but rather be hardworking and innovative in their legitimate businesses, he insisted that Ndigbo must strengthen good and positive relationship with other regions to achieve the desired presidency as no particular region is capable of achieving political power on its own.

The Igbo leader who lauded the Igbo leaders for the visit to him as true Igbo sons and the existing cooperation and unity within the Igbo leadership in the South West region admonished that any dissenting voice among them be treated as in-house affair instead of watching the dirty linens in public.

He said: “We must all condemn in strong terms the habit of going on pages of newspapers, radio and television to attack any Igbo personalities, it is my candid view that there are many ways of correcting ourselves without going into the public domain.”

Those present at the event include the acting President, Ohanaeze South West, High Chief Emeka Enweronye; the Osun State President, High Chief Ugoagwu Nkemka John; the Oyo State President, Chief Ndubuisi Okorie; the Ekiti State President, Chief (Sir) Alex Ndubuisi; the Ogun State President and incoming South West President, High Chief Matthew Nwankwo; the Ondo State President, Chief (Sir) Innocent Ezechiefo, and many others Igbo leaders from all the states in the

– Vanguard