TUC charges governors to avoid crisis over alleged deportation

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has charged the Lagos State
Governor, Babatunde Fashola, and the Anambra State Governor, Peter
Obi, to sheathe their swords over the controversy on the alleged
deportation of 72 men and women of South East origin from Lagos State
to Anambra State.
Though the Lagos State Government has said it deported only 14 persons after due consultation with the Anambra State Government, the issue has generated a lot of tension between the two states.
Obi has reported the development to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Fashola said only 14 persons were deported based on their own request
to be relocated to their state of origin.
A statement by the TUC on Wednesday states: “The Trade Union Congress
of Nigeria charges the Lagos State Government and his counterpart in
Anambra State not to allow the alleged deportation of some Igbo
indigenes to generate crisis between the two states especially now
that the political terrain is volatile. As a responsible organization
interested in peace and the development of the country, the congress
is concerned by the daily reports in national dailies on the issue.
“The Congress also advises that all alleged detention cells in the
state be disbanded and detainees released. The reason why we make this
case is that all Nigerians irrespective of state of origin have the
right to live wherever they feel provided they do not break the
statutory law of the land. As has been the case there is hardly any
part of the world where you do not have people from different tribes,
states and countries living together. Migration did not start today
and it may never end. To be conservative with the truth, it will not
be an overstatement to say that we have foreigners in their millions
presently living in the country.
“Already, many people are raising eye-brows over the deportation. For
them no matter what Lagos State government calls it -whether
integration, relocation, repatriation or deportation the fact remains
that every Nigerian be it Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa has the constitutional right to live anywhere in the country. They are all Nigerians, whether rich or poor.
It is a known fact that the Igbos thanks to their enterprising nature live everywhere in the world and so do Hausas and Yorubas. Lagos, the Centre of Excellence is no exception.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Igbos like other indigenes contribute reasonably to the huge Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State today, hence, former governor, Senator Bola Tinubu was able to meet the financial needs of the state during his feud with former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The Congress is of the opinion that governor Babatunde Fashola and
governor Peter Obi should shun insinuations from their supporters and
elsewhere and come together as brothers and colleagues to see how the
issue can be amicably resolved. The way the issue has been reported
since last week, stating how the Igbos were manhandled, maltreated and dumped has given the congress serious concern.
Our candid advise is that they should meet to resolve this misunderstanding as the country cannot afford another bloodshed or major crisis at this trial times.
The Congress believes that whatever the case may be it can and should
be resolved through dialogue.”