The rumours centred especially around the outcome of the 2023 general elections and other factors it generated, where reports had circulated claiming that Yorubas residing in Anambra were attacked for not voting for Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate.
But the President-General of the Yoruba community in Anambra, Alhaji Ademola Okeleye, dismissed the rumours during a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Friday.
Okeleye, flanked by the Oba of Yoruba in Awka and other ranking members, also labeled those spreading such “divisive” rumour as individuals with limited mindset who have nothing constructive to contribute.
He said, “We urge all tribes and ethnic groups residing in Anambra to disregard these dangerous rumours by some mischief makers to deliberately cause division. There is no rift between us and our Igbo hosts in the state.
“We are using this medium to advise individuals or groups fueling tribal or ethnic tensions in Anambra State and Nigeria, to desist from such acts or face legal consequences.
“For emphasis sake, there is no business or political conflict between the Yoruba and Igbo in Anambra State. The Yoruba community has been peacefully coexisting with the Igbos, and our members have not experienced any form of intimidation or harassment.
“Most of us have resided in Anambra State for the past 20 years since relocating from Lagos, and we have never witnessed or experienced any Yoruba-Igbo conflict fueled by hatred.”
While reacting to the insinuations that Yoruba don’t invest in the South-East, the Oba of Yoruba in Awka, Alhaji Rasaki Olahan, said Yoruba professionals are doing very well across different fields, including commercial, economy and educations sectors across the region.
Olahan called on governments at all levels to start making policies and deliberate efforts aimed toward healing the wounds and tensions caused by the last general elections.
“It is not true that our people don’t invest or own structures here. Our people are scattered across different sectors and they are doing well contributing their own quotas in moving the region and the country forward.
“The rumours circulating in Anambra State about a crisis between Yorubas and Igbos are false. There is no conflict between us and our hosts. Even during the election, Yoruba people freely voted for the candidate of their choice.
“We received support and reassurance from the former Chief of Protocol to the immediate past governor of the state, during his visit to the Yoruba community and ensured us of our safety during the high tensions surrounding the presidential election.
“There are over 500,000 Yoruba people living in Anambra State, including civil servants, lecturers, teachers, bankers, IT experts and artisans and we coexist peacefully with the local population,” Oba Olahan added.
The Yoruba community also added that plans were underway to initiate a bio-data exercise to register all its members residing in the state, to create a database for efficient co-existence.
