The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu has dismissed insinuations of habouring anti-Igbo sentiments saying that assertions that he turned back Labour Party, LP, Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as false.
Akiolu who spoke when the former Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP, Abiodun Alabi paid him a courtesy visit in his palace described Obi as a complete gentleman.
The revered monarch, while declaring that he has a cordial relationship with the Igbos in Lagos, added that the late President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief George Obiozor, was his close friend.
According to Akiolu, “Nobody has written to me that any presidential candidate is coming to visit me.
“If anybody writes to me, I cannot deny them but as far as Peter Obi is concerned, whom I see as a complete gentleman, he has not approached me.
“I was always with the late Ohanaeze President, Obiazor, every weekend when he was alive and anytime I travelled to New York, he would always come to pick me up at the airport.
“So, I have no grudge against any Igbo man. I respect people and I don’t fear anybody,” Akiolu said.
He commended the former Lagos CP, Alabi for his performances during his tenure and urged the new CP Idowu Owohunwa to take the welfare of the police under him seriously and be nice to the people.
“Try to hold your religion. If you are a Christian or Muslim, practice your religion and look after the welfare of the people under you.
“I don’t take nonsense but I don’t have reservoirs of knowledge. From what I know about you, you will do well.
“Anything you do, do it with honesty. What you don’t want the citizens to do to you, don’t do it to them. I am giving you the assurance that we will cooperate with you,” Akiolu told the new besides his assertions on Obi and Igbo in Lagos.
Newsmen report that the Oba had in the past been reported to have voiced anti-Igbo sentiments ahead of elections with warnings that they should heed the sentiments expressed by the political and traditional authorities in Lagos.
Earlier, Owhohunwa had told Akiolu who is a retired AIG of Police that he was at his palace to seek his royal blessings and professional advice.
According to him, “I have come for the professional aspect. You retired from the police service at one of the highest levels.
“The rich knowledge we can get from you is vital for my performance and I want to appeal to you to consider me as your son both from the traditional perspective and professional perspective and accept me with open hands.
“Whenever, I come, whenever I have challenges in the course of my duty, I should have a father to turn to. I will work to secure stable security for Lagos State, ” he said.
