The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, Emanuel Iwuanyanwu, has advised Igbos whose houses were demolished in the Abule Ado area of Lagos not to cry over the development.
He asserted that the Federal Government has the right to demolish buildings for the public interest.
He, however, insisted that those affected should be compensated.
The Ohanaeze chieftain urged those whose buildings were demolished not to cry over spilt milk, adding that moves are being made to mitigate aggrieved Igbos nationwide.
Iwuanyanwu stated this during his visit to grieve with the Igbos in the community.
He said, “The government has the right to demolish for public interest, but the affected citizens should be compensated. There’s no need to cry over split milk.
“in any country, citizens’ rights are sacred, Senator Umeh has briefed me, but I came here to know the main issue. What we are going to fight for are our rights. You only build a country based on the truth.”
Recounting his ordeal, one of the affected property owners, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “I am unable to recover from the needles ordeal. I moved into my dream apartment, and on the third day, they came with bulldozers to bring my dream apartment down.
“There’s an urgent need for the power to address these issues.”
Responding to their grief, Chief Iwuanyanwu disclosed that Igbos in the diaspora are seriously concerned about how Igbos at home are being treated.
“We have decided to set up an Igbo relief agency where every aggrieved Igbo would be funded.
“I will also advise communities to treat Igbos fairly because we are peace loving and we are the highest indigenous people that are adding to the GDP of the nation,” he said.
