Lagos State Commissioner nominee, Mr Joe Igbokwe, on Friday, declared that he was not an Igbo and should not be called one, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV reports that Igbokwe made the declaration when he appeared before the Lagos State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
He rather described himself as a Nigerian, insisting that he does not belong to nor patronize any ethnic group.
Igbokwe, who is also the Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, lampooned those he described as ethnic bigots.
He blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for the “attitude of Easterners” in Lagos during the last general election.
“Lagos should take the lead and be more open to other ethnic groups by giving them political appointments,” he said.
“I’m proudly Nigerian; I don’t know about east, west, north or south. I have been in Lagos since 1985. My children were born here. It’s high time we started building this country.
“I get angry when people mention ethnicity. A young Nigerian lady was just made a minister in Britain. If I become the president of this country, nobody is going to fill form and put his state of origin. That’s the first thing I will do. It is when you take people for who they are that is when they will release their energy for the good of the country. One day, Nigerians will say, we are all Nigerians.
“The reason for the attitude of easterners in Lagos at the last election was because Peter Obi was on the ballot. If Atiku had won, he would be the vice president.
“If 70 to 75 per cent of a particular people dominate a region, they should be encouraged. If they don’t get council chairman, at least make them deputy. What Igbo people have in Lagos, they don’t have a quarter of it in their land. If you see anybody that is doing well in the South East, he must have a thriving business in Lagos”, Igbokwe added.
