The sweet memory of my youth
service year in an Igboland of Asaba, Delta State in the 90s, is what I have
continued to relish whenever a discourse on tribalism, sectionalism and the
likes are on the front burner in my beloved country, Nigeria. As non-indigenes,
especially young Northerners, we were well-received, accommodated and accorded
respect and dignity. In fact, we freely walked into the Palace of the Paramount
ruler, the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien for supports and guidance
whenever the need arose.
Since then, I have had a proper
perspective and understanding of the Ndigbo whom I have as friends. In this
tension-soaked period where various sectional groups issue reckless and
unguarded threats, it is necessary to further distinguish between a
peace-loving Nigerian Igbo from a Secessionist Biafran agitator.
The Ndigbo, as I know them, are
spread across every nook and cranny of Nigeria. The Igbo speaks local dialects
and respects the culture of the host communities. He believes every part of
Nigeria is a home away from home and adopted same as the place of residence.
Experience has shown that if you go to any community and you cannot find an
Igbo person there, your best bet is to leave that town immediately. Any city
without an Igbo person is not business-like. On the other hand, a Biafran
agitator is not exposed to other parts of Nigeria besides the Igboland and
might have grown in the diaspora where he only learns the distorted history of
Nigeria from myopic and eccentric points of views. The agitator hates other
Nigerians and possibly believes in violent confrontation towards the actualization
of his dream of the Republic of Biafra.
Meanwhile, the successes of an
Igbo entrepreneur is more visible outside the shores of Igboland with enormous
investments in hospitality, housing estates, spare parts, automobiles and
manufacturing industries among others in different regions of the country.
However, the business enterprise of a Biafran agitator is restricted within his
‘Biafra-land’ without a vision for expansion outside the South-eastern region.
The primary activity of an agitator is in constant pursuit of hate speeches
through empty threats and arrogance posture. This is not the Ndigbo that I know
so well.
An Igbo Politician is a bridge
builder, who establishes and sustains friendship across the Niger. The likes of
Uzor Kalus of Abia, Rochas Okorochas of Imo, Peter Obis of Anambra among others
are clear examples of successful Igbo businessmen who transcend geographic
boundaries of Nigeria in wise investment in the productive sector, before
venturing into politics to support the Igboland.
Unfortunately, the Biafran
agitator has completely lost touch with the reality of our existence. The
secessionist has forgotten that the map of the South-Eastern region of the 60s
has completely changed in the new millennium where the minority tribes are no
longer in that realm but in mostly Niger Delta region of the South-South. The
Biafran Politician fantasises on annexing other resource-endowed territories by
visualising Ijaw, Urhobo, Kalabari, Ibibio, Ikwere, Efik, Igala, Idoma and Edo
into the illusionary Biafran Republic. Some of these ethnic nationalities have
in recent times come out to dissociate themselves from the so-called Biafra
agitation.
The Nigerian Igbo believes in
oneness and indivisibility of Nigeria, he speaks Nigeria, breath Nigeria and
will never leave Nigeria. An obvious example is the fact that Igbos in Kano
populate the vast Sabon Gari District whose population is more than most big
cities in the South-East. Apart from occasional sectional skirmishes which may
not necessarily be their faults, the Igbos in the North are well loved by
Northern leaders even protected by Arewa youths.
The Igbos are allowed to acquire
properties and establish businesses in every Northern part of the country, but
the Biafran sympathisers have continuously denied outsiders from owning lands
for business related activities in the South-East. This glaring discrimination
currently creates the disparity of inequality of business ownerships where an
average Northerner can quickly relocate without losing a dime, while the sheer
volume of investment of a South-Easterner can never be easily recouped or
transferred even in decades.
It is necessary to point out that
the modern day’s Biafran agitators hate Nigeria and Nigerians and have
described the country as a zoo. The main agitator and Supreme Leader of
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) known as Nnamdi Kanu has not only publicly
threatened to wage war against Nigeria in a bloody and violent confrontation
but has also described any Christian that attends “a Church with a Yoruba
Pastor as an idiot, imbecile and not fit to be a human being and worse than
Boko Haram.”
In series of his videos and
audios, available online, Nnamdi Kanu engages in lousy intimidation and
nauseating statements. It is just ridiculous, however, that rather than
condemning him and bringing him to order, some respected Igbo leaders, who have
themselves built bridges across the length and breadth of this country,
celebrate and even stand behind him over his treasonable case in the court.
While the rantings of Biafran
agitators had gone on for a while without a reply, it was the reckless
declaration of the ultimatum issued by the so-called Arewa Youths as
counterbalancing response to the inciting statements that reawakens the
consciousness of Nigerians to the danger of hate campaigns.
While it may be justifiable to
unleash a ferocious dog against a neighbour’s untamed mad dog, we should
nevertheless tame the fury of Arewa youths who may have the exact mindset of
Kanu’s IPOB. Some may not issue empty threat, they can just misbehave like the
mad dogs.
As Nigerians, we should deploy
common sense through dialogue to resolve the contentious issues of our nationhood.
After all the hullabaloos and threats, I am so sure that no one is going
anywhere. We should remain united and stop the dirty politics of ethnicity,
widely played by sponsored and misguided youths. The ill-advised agitators from
both parties must have read slanted history books since they were not witnesses
to the history.
Yushau A. Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com
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I thank God you recognized that Igbos are peace loving people,believes in the unity of Nigeria so much which makes them take other regions as homes away from home through their massive investments in those regions, you also recognized that they are so hospitable and tolerating.... But unfortunately you people took them for granted by continuous killing, slaughtering, marginalizing and dehumanizing them, and you expect them to be calm.... sorry my brother its a capital NOOOOOO.its over between us, we refuse to be slaughtered again, we refuse to be second class citizens in our own country any more.... ITS THE NORTH THAT ENCOURAGED THE SOUTH EAST TO AGITATE FOR SECESSION, YOU TURNED US INTO THE DEMONS WE ARE TODAY, AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO BITE NIGERIA UNTIL YOU LET US GO.. YOU CAN'T BEAT A CHILD AND STILL TELL HIM NOT TO CRY.... therefore all you have said is what I call arrant nonsense
ReplyDeleteFor your information please. Delta state >>> headquarters at Asaba is not an Igbo state. Please don't count us as Biafra.
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