A
former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and her former
cabinet colleague, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Tuesday engaged in a war
of words over the ‘deportation’ of about 70 beggars to Anambra State by
the Lagos State Government.
Fani-Kayode, in an article titled, “The
Bitter Truth About The Igbo,’’which has circulated widely on the
Internet, faulted claims by a section of Igbos who, according to him,
“consistently lay claim to Lagos as being partly theirs.’’
He said the Igbos “blame us (Yorubas)
for all their woes, envy our educational advantages and resent us deeply
for our ability to excel in the professions and commerce.’’ He added
that they are not “grateful’’ to the Yorubas whose leaders have made
“sacrifices’’ for them in time past.
“Lagos and the South West are the land
and the patrimony of the Yoruba and we will not allow anyone, no matter
how fond of them we may be, to take it away from us or share it with us
in the name of ‘being nice’, ‘patriotism’, ‘one Nigeria’ or anything
else,’’ Fani-Kayode had stated in the article.
However, Ezekwesili, who obviously felt
uneasy after reading the article, took to Twitter to fight back on
behalf of her tribe. She described Fani-Kayode’s article as a “naked
hateful speech.’’
She said it was unfortunate and
appalling that her former colleague at the federal executive council
would resort to spewing such “raw hate language’’ and “toxic treatise’’
targeted at her ethnic group.
The former minister of education
lamented that it was unfair for the Igbos to be targeted with the
“stoking of an hate flame’’ after once being “tragically massacred” in
an avoidable civil war.
In a series of tweets, she noted, “The
current slippery slope of our country cannot be allowed to worsen with
the kind of hateful speeches that Fani Kayode has been releasing.
“As an individual and his former
colleague, I have nothing but empathy and love in my heart to counter
his toxic speeches but the Federal Government must restrain him.
“The relevant agency of the FG must take
in Femi-Fani Kayode and restrain him from making further hateful
speeches against the Igbo.
“Freedom of speech is not to be confused
for freedom to stoke hatred for people of different ethnic, religious
or ideological persuasions.
“Appropriate agency of the State must
call in Fani-Kayode now and demand he stops forthwith any more hateful
speeches that expressly target Igbos.
“We must stem the vitriolic urgently to
avoid a repeat of tragic history when the civil was started on the back
of hateful messaging.’’
She added that with the latest outburst
of Fani-Kayode, she has yet to be persuaded that Nigeria’s problem is
ethnic, noting that Nigeria is battling with the ‘’curse of a crass
elite class.’’
“Hateful persons deserve our empathy.
Their toxic words are really a loud cry for help. That’s why we lovingly
pray rather than punch.
“I have no intention of engaging Fani
Kayode. His hateful language is far gone from normal. In decent
societies, governments respond to such,’’ she added.
But Fani-Kayode won’t let this go
without a challenge. He took to his Twitter handle and said he was ready
for Ezekwesili, in the event that she “wants a fight.’’ He argued that
he was only expressing his constitutional rights to freedom of
expression and challenged her to provide evidence of his alleged hate
speech.
Fani-Kayode said, “Obiageli Ezekwesili
should learn that we have the right of freedom of expression in Nigeria.
She should provide evidence of my hate speech.
“When supposedly educated people run
away from facing the truth they should be called to order. If Oby
Ezekwezili wants a fight I am ready.’’
But an attempt by Presidential Assistant on New Media, Reno Omokri, to intervene attracted an angry backlash from Ezekwesili.
Omokri had said, “Days ago, a bitter man
used hate speech on the President. We kept quiet. Don’t tolerate hate
speech until it’s directed at your own ethnicity. You can’t have
selective disdain for hate speech. You either hate all hate speech or
you’re communicating that it is okay till it affects you.’’
But Ezekwesili rebuked Omokri and
threatened to report him to his “superiors’’ in the Presidency for being
rude to her on Twitter. She said Omokri was ‘’perennially
diminishing’’ the office of the President with his “pedestrian speak.”
She said, “Enough said, my young man. I
shall send a note to your supervisors to call you to order. It may mean
nothing but I shall do it. I advise you to learn to be silent when you
have no value to add to a discourse. Quit dragging the office of
President in the mud.’’
Credits: Punch News
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