‘GOVERNMENTS WILL COME AND GO BUT LAGOS WILL INCREASE IN VALUE’ – SOLOMON OGBONNA, PRESIDENT OHANAEZE NDIGBO LAGOS
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: Governor, Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene.
The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene has described Lagos as an elephant which no single person can finish. This is why he believes that the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria will continue to increase in value due to the efforts of the successive governments of the state. He made this known as he praised Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu for his kind gesture displayed to Igbos during the recent Eid-El-Kabir celebration. He said that though Igbos have a minority population who are Muslims, the Governor deemed it fit to give food gifts of 150 bags of rice and 20 rams to the Ndigbo community which has since been shared.
Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene told Oki Samson of Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘We also have Muslims though very few. We are all brothers and sisters and we must extend the hands of fellowship. I believe that we serve one God and during Christmas, we give our beloved ones gifts. This shows that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dep. Gov. Obafemi Hamzat are working hand-in-hand. We got 150 bags of rice and 20rams which I also displayed on social media to send signal to everyone that is supposed to collect so they can come and pick theirs plus we don’t have anywhere we can keep rams or rice to avoid stealing, so we have to quickly distribute to them and in a couple of hours, everything was shared.’
Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene
He then spoke on how the Governor has related with the Igbo community in Lagos. ‘If you want to meet Igbos, you go through Ohanaeze Ndigbo. If you go to any political party, it is the members that you want to see. And that is how Gov. Sanwo-olu has gotten it right by relating with us directly. I believe that by the grace of God, I am delivering according to expectation as a leader. Any item/material given to me for Ndigbo, I deliver them and ensure it reach those who are supposed to have it and who need it.’
‘I know my boundary. I don’t push so much about those who work around the Governor. If you are dealing with your landlord, you have to deal with care. As far as an Ndigbo is concerned, we have a good relationship with the government of the day. It can be stronger by supporting in any way that we can. Then, Ndigbo will become a force to reckon with. This is how we can get gradually into politics of Lagos in this democracy.
We have had Igbos govern Lagos under the military rule. Those who believe Igbos are not voting them are those who don’t want Igbos to get their rightful place’, the leader of the sociocultural Ohanaeze noted.
The cultural ambassador further reiterated the prime place of Lagos within the country in his chat with Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘Lagos is like an elephant. No person can finish it. So there will be more development and progress as we all work together. Governments will come and go but Lagos will increase in value. We must give our value. Gov. Sanwo-Olu should continue his good work. He should not be pushed like a robot. He should work under the directives of God. He only needs prayer which goes a long way in a man’s life.’
