Maryanne Moghalu, wife of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu, has stood by her controversial statement advising investors to steer clear of Lagos, insisting she has “nothing to apologise for.”
Her 2024 warning resurfaced after governance expert Dr Joe Abah and social commentator Ogbeni Dipo debated online over ethnic remarks. During their exchange, Dipo reminded Abah that Moghalu had previously cautioned investors, saying, “Invest in Lagos at your own peril,” following the Lagos State Government’s demolition of structures deemed illegal or unapproved.
Responding to the renewed criticism, Abah said Moghalu’s stance would not deter him or anyone else from investing in the state. But Moghalu swiftly hit back, urging Abah to “leave me out of your stories,” and stressing that her comments were personal and justified.
“I have absolutely nothing to apologise for about my statement. It was personal, and I reserve the right to make it,” she wrote on X. “If you invest with approval and it is destroyed at will, I will say do not invest there. Period.”
She argued that the demolitions were unjust, noting that taxes had been collected on many of the affected properties. Moghalu also dismissed claims that her comments were ethnically motivated, insisting the issue was about fairness and due process.
“Anyone who decides to make it about tribe, it is on them,” she added. “Respect is a beautiful thing.”
Her remarks have reignited a wider debate about Lagos’ demolition policy, investor confidence, and the intersection of governance and ethnic sensitivity in Nigeria’s political discourse.
