Idimogu receives elders blessing as Apex leader

The Igbo community gathered in their numbers at the Palace of Eze Christian Nwachukwu, Eze Ndi Igbo in Lagos State and Chairman, Council of Ndi Igbo Traditional Rulers Council in Lagos State.

This is coming after the law maker had emerged as the new Lagos Apex Leader of the Igbos in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Idimogu, who is also the Chairman House Committee on Wealth Creation, was unanimously recognised by all the Eze Ndigbo in the state, at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo state Secretariat in the Lagos state.

Founder, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Lagos State, Chairman of King Makers of Ndi Eze in Diaspora, and President General, Igbo Nations Stakeholders Assembly Worldwide, Chief John Uche, said the gathering of the elders, Ndi Ezes and the Igbo community in general was to pray and bless the law maker so that he would deliver on the mandate of the Igbo community in the state.

Uche explained that an apex leader was the channel through which the party would reach the Igbo community in the state including funding of electioneering campaigns.

Hon Idimogu

He stated that with Idimogu now in place, the Igbo community would be properly carried along adding it’s a good development for the state government as the people would now participate meaningfully in elections in the state.

He recalled over the years how Igbo leaders had in one way or the other distanced themselves from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a result of arrogance credited to Ndi Igbo by a former leader of the group who he said had only insulted the Igbo community in all his speeches.

He said the only way the Igbo community could benefit from the dividends of democracy was to empower others when you are given an appointment in government. “If you cannot empower others when given an appointment, you cannot say you are not being carried along. We have given Honourable Jude Idimogu the mantle of leadership, his position is where they make laws, we want somebody who will be there to represent us well anywhere they will make laws”, he has the capacity to combine both responsibilities, Uche stated.

The Chairman of King Makers who noted, the Igbo leaders had not been identifying with the APC the way it should be over the years however assured efforts were on top gear to mobilising all the leaders who have been distancing themselves from the party. “Very soon all of us will declare en-mass to APC, to rewrite the wrong so that they will know that Igbos are not second class simply because somebody have been keeping us outside the party”.

“We will now discuss with the state government through our new apex leader so that some of the anomalies would be corrected including taxations. There are so many ways the Igbos are being shortchanged, he would address that and he would mobilise our people in their thousands”, he explained.

While commending the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in carrying all the ethnic nationalities along, Uche nonetheless stated the Igbo community deserved more from the state government including appointment into boards of parastatals and contracts so that the Igbo community would benefit meaningfully from the dividends of democracy

“Igbos are investors, we have invested so much, and we have not been able to get power and positions commemorate to the investment we have made,” he said.

The Apex leader, Hon. Idimogu in his response said the Igbo community were committed to working together for the success of the Lagos state government and for the APC to enable the government deliver the dividends of democracy to all the people in the state.

“I will make sure that the Igbos in Lagos joined the right party which is APC. Because APC is the ruling party in the state and also the national party of today.

“We are not fighting anybody but we will do the right thing and get what is due for us, I’m a proud Igbo man, I’m an adopted son of Lagos state and that’s why I’m where i’m today”, he expressed.

“We cannot shy away from the fact that this is where we are today, I have seen in this town that the traditional institution influences political power, saying that Ezes should shy away from politics, I don’t buy that idea, and they are human beings and political animals from birth.

“The Ezes have their palaces, they will continue to stay while we politicians will come and go, and they are there for all of us. Our Ezes are stakeholders in this project, and we must bring all Igbos together”.

“Our resolve is that we would support APC, any time any day in Lagos. When you go to your respective states, you do whatever you like, that’s my appeal to the Igbo community. Let us work for the interest of APC in Lagos state. We must be united for one thing and one purpose, we have a lot of investment in this town. You have more in Lagos than in the east”, he stated.

Idimogu urged the Igbo community to come together to protect their own interest adding that their own  interest is to work for the Lagos state government so that the state government in turn would  protect our own interest. He reassured the commitment of the state government to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. That’s the reason why am being put forward as a leader, other would also work with me, adding that it’s not a one man job.

Eze Ndi Igbo in Lagos state, and chairman, Council of Ndi Igbo Traditional Rulers Council in Lagos state, Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu, said with the giving of certificate to him Idimogu, the whole Ndi Igbo in Lagos state had given him the authority to speak for the Igbo community from local government to ward level in the state, and bring unity to the community in the state.