Igbo community tasks APC Apex leader on unity, dividends of democracy

..As he visits, Oto-Awori, Ibeju Lekki, Iba, Alimosho, others…

By Ambrose Nnaji

Apex Leader in the Igbo All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State and State House of Assembly Member, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 11, Hon. Jude Idimogu has been given the task of ensuring that the Igbo community remained united, law abiding and interested in the political, social and economic affairs of the state.

The law maker has also been urged to safeguard the dividends of democracy due to the people of the community notwithstanding party belief or affiliation

Gathered at the Palace of Eze Lawrence Nnamdi, during the law maker’s visit to Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA), the Igbo community made up of Ndiezes, Chiefs, representatives, Women and community leaders unanimously urged the House member to ensure the Igbo community was meaningfully recognized in the affairs of state governance given their contribution to the development of the state

Idimogu in one of his tours to Igbo communities in Lagos recently

The law maker had scheduled to pay courtesy visit to the Igbo community in all the local government areas of the Lagos state governments a strategy he adopted to cement his move towards uniting the people as well as bringing them together to give their full support to the ruling party in the state. Meanwhile he had visited Oto Awori, Ejigbo, Ibeju Lekki, Amuwo Odofin, Iba, Ajeromi and Ifako Ijaiye among others.

Member, Council of Chiefs, Igbo Community in Alimosho, Stephen ogbonnaya said the coming together would foster peace and progress among the Igbo community in the state as well as strengthen business and political tie with the state government.

Ogbonnaya who is also member of the APC described the Igbos as conduit that could not be left out in the present political dynamism, nevertheless urged them to endeavour to flow with others to remain relevant. APC is the government of the day, we need to join them so as to get what belongs to us, he argued.

“We need to join our leaders in the APC to get what is due for us, so that we will be able to take our place both in the state and the federal”, he added.

While describing the law maker as the eye of the Igbos in the state, Ogbonnaya however urged him to effectively represent the Igbo community in the government and ensure the dividends of democracy were delivered to them.

Sonwo-Olu and Idimogu

According to him, “the law maker should help us get what belongs to us in Lagos state in particular and by extension Nigeria because Lagos is the center base of Nigerian politics, where majority of the Igbos reside” they are too important to be ignored, he expressed.

“We are solidly behind the law maker, and we want him to speak and represent both businessmen and cooperate workers in Lagos state. We will support him in all ways, we pray for him, and we encourage all Igbos to come out more than never before to give him the support”, he expressed adding that those that have been hiding in the past should come out and support him.

Hon. George Ezeoba Nwokedi who contested for the Lagos State House of Assembly under the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost out due to political gimmicks however said the Igbos had contributed meaningfully in the development of Lagos state in terms of building structures and empowerment and therefore should not be pushed aside in the affairs of the state governance.

“If you look at the past record of beneficiaries from the House members in the past, they are just one or two, things are not done right, but when you come to this Alimosho, 75 percent are Igbos while indigenes and non-indigenes occupy the rest population.

“It’s not right for the Igbos to belong to the APC in Lagos before what is due to them is given them,  but when you see the hand writing on the wall, because it’s said that if you can’t beat them you join them. If joining APC will make us get what’s due for us in the state, it’s worth giving a trial, we have to abide by that as long as we are here in the state”, he argued.

“If joining them will make us achieve our aim, we have to but let’s be given a sense of belonging, let no one look at the point and perspective that we are different people, no we are all one”, Nwokedi insisted.

He stressed the fact there must be respect for each other, noting we are members of the same country called Nigeria. He recalled in the last election, the number of registered voters were over six million while the Igbos alone accounted for over three million therefore we made up of that number of voters card.

“You will find out that Igbos are the major contributors of the development of this country. If you go to every state in the country, you will find out that the Igbos are there, so you  can’t tell me Igbos contributed five percent in their own land, while we contribute more outside the region, Nwokedi argued.

In his response, Hon Idimogu urged the Igbos to work towards greater hights, stressed the needed to support the ruling party in the state. He noted that life was about change, therefore while APC is the government at the federal and in Lagos today, there’s the need to join the change.

“We have to support the party of the owners of the land where we are residing at the moment to make life easy for us. We have severally tried to do it the other way against their own direction, and it has never favoured us”, the law maker recalled.

While thanking the Ezes for giving him the Apex leadership position, he said the essence of the visit was to identify with them and ask for their support in doing the work. According to him, “when they made this known to me I ran to God first because I saw this as a herculean task, asking God to give me the strength to do it.

He expressed the worry that leaders that were there before failed in carrying the people along, they didn’t behave as if the Igbos existed that accounted to the reason why the Igbos see APC as anti-Igbos, Idimogu expressed adding those former leaders never made out time to identify with their people and as well tell them the need to join the ruling party.

“Being Apex leader is not by word of mouth, there is work to do. I will continue to appeal to you tell our brothers and sisters that the way is in APC, let’s work together”, the law maker insisted.

“We all can work together for other slots, I’m having discussion with the speaker of the House on a welfare package for the Ezes” Idimogu assured

Ezendigbo of Alimosho, Dr. Lawrence Nnamdi while appealing for support of the people asked the Almighty God to strengthen the law maker and give him the grace to enable him carry out the responsibility entrusted in him

“What we are looking for is who will unite the Igbos not who will scatter them. We don’t want rumour mongers, we want those who will work for the interest of the Igbos and share their problems together, Eze Nnamdi added.