Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga has again dragged the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, over his comment on the deportation of Osun indigenes back to their state.
He referred to Obi as the deporter-in-chief, stating that the former Anambra governor began the ‘deportation’ of citizens in 2011.
Several luxury buses were reportedly dropping off hundreds of young individuals at different locations in the Ilesa area of the state over the weekend, following claims of rounding them up from various parts of Lagos State.
In a series of posts via his X on Monday, Obi said the reported deportation concerns not only Osun state but all Nigerians who uphold the principles of unity, fairness, and justice.
He added that the action is distasteful because of its far-reaching effects on National cohesion and development.
Responding to the comments, Onanuga, in a post via X, claimed that Peter Obi started deporting Nigerians in 2011 when he was Governor of Anambra State.
According to Onanuga, the former Minister of Works and Housing, Raji Fashola, copied Obi in August 2013 by deporting some destitute people from Anambra back home.
Sharing a report from Leadership Newspaper about Peter Obi’s warning to street beggars to vacate the streets of Anambra State or risk being arrested, Onanuga said Obi should stop displaying hypocrisy.
He wrote, “Peter Obi started ‘deporting’ Nigerians in 2011. Peter Obi has displayed his incurable hypocrisy again over the decision of Lagos State to send some Osun citizens back home. Obi actually began ‘deportation’ of citizens in 2011, which Governor Fashola copied in August 2013 by deporting some destitute from Anambra back home. Obi not only criticised Fashola, he doubled down by writing a protest letter to then President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Some 11 years after, the deporter -in-chief is playing hypocrite again. Here is a report by Leadership newspaper filed from Awka on December 4, 2011 by DAVID-CHYDDY ELEKE.”
The report read, “The Anambra state government has issued a warning to all street beggars, especially children used by their parents to beg for alms, to vacate the streets or be arrested.
“29 of such women who displayed their children as strategy for getting alms have already been arrested in Awka and Onitsha, and repatriated to their home states; Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states.
“The state commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Ego Cordelia Uzoezie, disclosed Friday in Awka when a middle-aged woman was arrested for begging with nine children at various points in Awka.
“Uzoezie said her attention was drawn to the spectacle when one of the children who begged at the Unizik junction, Awka, six-year-old Goodnews Sunday, was hit in the jaw by an Okada rider, while he begged.
“Uzoezie decried the attitude of some parents who used their children to beg for alms, and warned that after 72 hours any beggar seen in the state would be arrested by the law enforcement agents and the special task force of the ministry of women affairs and social development.
“On the same day, 4 December 2011, Champion newspaper reporter Odogwu Emeka Odogwu filed a similar report from Awka. The fairly long report reproduced by Premium Times has been condensed here:
“In its determined efforts to rid the state environment of beggars daily increasing in their numbers, the Anambra state government has issued an ultimatum to all the street beggars especially those using children to beg in Anambra state to vacate the streets or face arrest within 72 hours.
“Meanwhile over 29 beggars with children have been arrested in Awka and Onitsha , warned and repatriated back to their various states of origin mostly Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states to mention but a few.
“Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development , Dr Ego Cordelia Uzoezie disclosed Friday in Awka when a middle aged woman was arrested begging with 9 children at various points in Awka.
“But the Director Child Development , Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development , Mr Emeka Ejide warned the beggars to leave their children alone and can beg if they choose to as the interest of the ministry and Anambra state government are on the children.
“He said the Ministry has repatriated more than 29 women begging with children to their various states and would not hesitate to deal with parents who still engage in such acts describing them as products of Mammy market Onitsha where anything goes before its closure
”.
