Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has set up a committee of prominent traditional rulers in the state to meet with the paramount ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, over the death threat he purportedly issued to Igbos in Lagos, if they fail to vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the governorship election slated for Saturday.
The committee headed by chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Sammuel Ohiri, was asked to leave for Lagos immediately.
Okorocha, who is chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, in a statement issued yesterday in Owerri, through his SSA Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, said “though the traditional ruler was reported to have denied the report, it is not enough to accept that refutal without traditional rulers from the South-East meeting with him to discuss the controversy and the way forward. The meeting is also to ensure that the long existing cordial relationship between Igbos in Lagos and their host community remain commendable and enviable”.
According to the governor, it is not good to take up the matter on the pages of newspapers in order not to cause more problems between Igbos in Lagos and the monarch, adding that a new result oriented approach must be employed.
“No serious Igbo man or Yoruba man would like trouble to exist between the Igbos and the Oba of their host community and limiting the attendant actions to comments on the pages of newspaper won’t solve the ripple”, he said.
Governor Okorocha added that when the Imo traditional rulers get to Lagos, they would hear directly from Oba Akiolu what exactly transpired.
The statement, therefore, called on Igbos in Lagos to remain calm and be good ambassadors of the group by not allowing the current misunderstanding to cause unnecessary rift between them and Yorubas.
