Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the call for the eviction of Igbos from Lagos State, describing it as laughable, News About Nigeria reports.
He stated this when he received in audience the leadership of Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association, an umbrella body of major markets in Lagos State held at the boardroom of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The former President in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, noted that nobody in Nigeria should be driven away from any part of the country, maintaining that it is owned by everyone.
He also dismissed the claim that he is of Igbos descent, stating that it is laughable.
Speaking during the meeting, the former President disclosed that the leadership of the group reached out to him to support the establishment of the Owerri Central Market positioned to be the best of its kind in the country.
He acknowledged that the Central Market Owerri had been contemplated since the creation of Imo state, adding that for one reason or the other, it has not been implemented.
“I am glad it is coming up again and I hope this time, we are all going to make it real. It is going to be big—the first of its kind.
“And, I am happy also that the governor is showing the desired interest and understanding. And, I am confident that the Owerri Central Market will be, as he expressed the desire to lead the marketing team for the market.
“Having ensured that the Yorubas, Igbos and Hausas all came together to fight the war of unity in Nigeria, and “not to fight Igbos to go, but to come. So if anybody says to me, that somebody should leave any place, he will be the one to leave,” he stated.