The Igbo Community in Ojo Lagos State yesterday expressed dismay over the level of insecurity in the South East.
The community had its year-end get-together at the Flowwhite Event Centre in Lagos,
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Richard Anyanwu, urged the people to continue to live in peace with others, especially their host communities.
Anyanwu described peaceful coexistence as a necessity for development, stressing that the people would not be at the event celebrating a successful year end if there was no peace in Lagos.
“We owe it as an obligation to conduct ourselves in a manner that is in conformity with the state’s stance and the host community tradition. We are all aware of the insecurity back home. I want to plead with us to tread with caution while at home. Our celebration of the Yuletide this year should be done in a way that would not attract unnecessary attention from hooligans or kidnappers.
“As we have gathered here to thank God for his mercy and grace on us in the outgoing year, we look forward to a fruitful 2024,” he said.
The chairman lauded the Lagos State government for maintaining peace in the state, which afforded people the opportunity to ply their trade.
He called on the governments of the south east states to secure the area to enable people to live without fear and attract development in the region.
Also speaking at the event, Chief Osita Odinaka, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Odnnys Holdings, Alaba, Lagos, urged the people to be their brothers’ keepers.
He told them to assist upcoming businessmen that had completed their apprenticeship with start-up capital.
Odinaka said many of those that completed trade apprenticeship, but were without start-up capital, could end up being coopted into crimes, which had been the undoing of the south east society.
He appealed to authorities in the south east to provide the needed security in the area, to encourage those that wanted to establish firms to do so.(NAN)
