Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said he does not believe that any Nigerian should be driven away from any part of the country.
He made this statement in a release signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, which was made available to newsmen, stating, “we own this country together.”
He also described as false the insinuations that he is of Igbo origin, adding that the claims made him laugh.
The former president made these remarks while receiving the leadership of the Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association, an umbrella body of major markets in Lagos State, during a visit to his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday.
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Speaking about the meeting, the former president said the group’s leadership reached out to him for support in establishing the Owerri Central Market, which is positioned to be the best of its kind in the country.
He acknowledged that the establishment of the Owerri Central Market had been in the pipeline since the creation of Imo State but, for one reason or another, had not yet been implemented.
“I am glad it is being revived, and I hope this time we will make it a reality. It’s going to be big, the first of its kind.
“I am also happy that the governor is showing the necessary interest and understanding. I am confident the Owerri Central Market will thrive,” he said, expressing his desire to lead the marketing team for the project.
Obasanjo reiterated that he does not believe anyone in Nigeria should be driven away from any part of the country, asserting, “We own this country together.”
“Having ensured that the Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa all came together to fight for the unity of Nigeria—not to push the Igbo out, but to bring them in—if anyone says to me that someone should leave any part of the country, that person will be the one to leave.”
In his remarks, the group’s spokesperson, Chief Emeka Dallas Emmanuel, who read a letter jointly signed by Comrade Chinedu Ukatu and Evangelist Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor, said the market would be a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. He assured the group’s commitment to contributing to the growth of the market and the nation.
He further sought the former president’s assistance in realizing the international market, which has the potential to take a vast number of people off the streets.
Emmanuel added that the former president’s support would greatly help their members in securing loans to purchase shops and spaces in the market.
