Nigerian rapper Tobechukwu Melvin Ejiofor, popularly known as Illbliss, has urged Nigerians to embrace people from different ethnic backgrounds and avoid making divisive remarks against non-indigenes living in their states.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Outside The Box podcast, the Aiye Po Gan crooner highlighted the contributions of Igbo residents to the economic growth of Lagos State, stressing that non-indigenes play vital roles in the development of communities across the country.
According to him, the Igbo community has made significant contributions to Lagos through trade and commerce, making it unfair for anyone to suggest that they should leave the state because they are not indigenes.
“The Igbos have given a lot to the Lagos economy in terms of trade and commerce. I wonder how this town will be if you told every Igbo man to leave.
So, I’m always shocked whenever I hear comments like, ‘If you’re not from Lagos State, go back to your state,’” he said.
Illbliss lamented that despite decades of living together as one nation, Nigeria continues to grapple with tribalism, ethnic rivalry, and religious intolerance.
“We have no business being where we are as a country. We have no business not being accommodating of each other.
But sadly, we are still plagued by tribalism, ethnic and religious divides,” he added.
The rapper further noted that Nigeria’s persistent social divisions sometimes make him question whether the country should have existed as a single nation, emphasizing the need for greater unity, tolerance, and mutual respect among citizens.
