‘TOS Benson got land from his in-laws in Imo’ — Okey Ikechukwu reacts to Abati’s comments

Okey Ikechukwu, the executive director of Development Specs Academy, has reacted to comments by Rueben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, who remarked that Igbos in Nigeria’s south-east region do not sell land to non-indigenes. 

On Thursday, while hosting ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise TV, Abati spoke about how the late Theophilus Benson, minister of information in the first post-independence government, narrated how Igbos do not sell lands to “outsiders”.

He added that the former minister, popularly known as TOS Benson, could not purchase land in a south-east town despite marrying a woman from that community.

Abati’s remarks elicited a series of comments on social media.

While some supported his perspective, others criticised the renowned journalist for x-raying a subject as sensitive as ethnicity.

In an interview with Arise TV on Sunday, Okechukwu said the in-laws of TOS Benson “donated land” to the former minister in the town instead of selling him one.

Okechukwu said the town’s indigenes donated land to Benson which he used for the construction of a post office.

“First, he started by pointing out some good things about some people from that part of the country. Then he made a reference to the comments of TOS Benson. Reuben Abati was not speaking as himself, but he made a reported speech. He was telling us what he heard,” Okechukwu said.

“Number two, there is this perception; if a man as Benson would say this, then there is also a possibility that this is factually correct.

“But what if the statement is not correct? You would say he’s not a flippant person, that is correct. But what if in that instance the statement is not correct?

“I asked that question because knowing for a fact; T.O.S. Benson’s in-laws and Mbieri people. That’s the place of former minister of education, Obaji and the husband, Sam. He’s their in-law; he was their in-law.

“For the record and all of us, Mbieri people donated land to T.O.S. Benson in the town, which he used, at his own discretion, to construct a post office for the people. The structure is still there.

“So, recontextualisation, Reuben did not set out to misinform anybody with his statement, but he was correctly quoting Chief Benson.”