Our elders say that one does not defecate on his doorstep; neither does one defecate along his regular route. As Nigerians, we all have different feelings about our country, (rightly and wrongly) based on our past and current experiences.
However, I think that the majority who would rather depart from the union do so based on the actions or inactions of both our previous and successive governments. But in saying this, it is also important to observe that such perceived injustices from the government is not only visited upon one tribe, it is a collective problem as a visit to villages around Nigeria will reveal that suffering and hardship indeed has no fixed address.
I used to think that the vengeance was only reserved for the Igbo tribe until I had the opportunity to travel around Nigeria last summer and saw the poor conditions that the other tribes live in as well. Nigeria�s oil money actually is in the hands of a few Nigerians including Igbos, Ibibios, Yorubas, Hausas etc.
In seeking for a glorious future, we should not be thinking about tearing down our country. We are indeed blessed and I wouldn�t imagine any other.
I am Igbo, but I have also lived and worked in Lagos state. I have friends from Lagos state and from some other Yoruba states. My pastor (Pastor Yemi Adeleke) is Yoruba. I am married to an Igbo girl but who lived all her life in Lagos and understands and speaks Yoruba better than she does Igbo. One of my best friends Tochukwu is married to a Yoruba girl (Shade). My best friend in the University (Joseph Effiong) is Ibibio and I was the best man at his wedding in Dallas in 2000.
I have no Hausa friends, not by choice but because I haven�t been opportuned to have any, they hardly travel abroad to settle (hustle), choosing rather to see their fate through in Nigeria. I see myself as an Igbo man and a Nigerian. Our problem is not with our tribal neighbours (Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, etc) but with our government. I believe that the common good will be served more in a fair and just Nigerian society, where equity and opportunities for growth and progress are encouraged by the political and economic system.
There is indeed strength in numbers; hence China has become the sought-after economic power and market it has become today. Why should we kick against that which we could easily turn to our advantage?
Agreed the Igbos fought a secession war and lost, but I thought we have since moved on since then.
I do not believe that the problems of Ndigbo if any, will be solved by secession, hence I have never in any forum argued or supported it. My reason being that it is not in the best interest of Ndigbo for purposes of avoiding self annihilation. More so, it won�t happen and will never happen. Why do I say this? Ndigbo are their own worst enemies, we don�t like ourselves because of this inherent and morbid rivalry amongst us, over who would make the most money, our values have so much depreciated like the naira such that we can not all live together anymore as one, the Igbu- ozu mentality has taken over. We glorify wealth irrespective of the source (rituals, Okija shrine, 4-1-9 etc).
We always argue that we don�t have people in government, how can we? When we have abandoned education and careers in civil service for trade, importing spare and sundry parts from China and Taiwan, we pride ourselves in the Idumota and Omata tags where we count money, hence the Emeka Offors and Chris Ubas of this world are now our mouthpieces (Onu n�ekwu lu ora). We have all since ran away from our land.
We deride ourselves and have a false sense of superiority, we look down on our fellow Igbo brethren, hence the various derogatory terms we use against each other, i.e. onye Nsukka, onye Wawa, onye Ngwa, onye Abakaliki etc. Despite the fact that we all belonged to the East Central state at one time, but since the division of states, we now make so much fuss about marrying from another Igbo state. These issues were brought about not by the government, politicians or other tribes; rather we brought these issues upon ourselves.
We are quick to blame the federal government for not paying attention to Igbo states but we fail to ask our governors and chairmen of local government what they do with their federal allocations. Even our brothers and sisters that have been opportuned to serve at the federal level, what did they do for Ndigbo? People like Professor A.B.C Nwosu and Dr Tim Menakaya have served as Ministers of Health but which hospital did they equip in Igbo land? Or did they not have any influence? The Owerri airport was still functioning when Mrs Kema Chikwe was appointed Minister of Transport and Aviation, why did she let the project, which was built through self - help efforts collapse?
Is Ojo Maduekwe not close to the seat of power in Aso Rock, what is he doing for Ndigbo? Barrister Clem Akpamgbo, the devil�s advocate and a distant cousin whose house in the village is a mere 5 minutes walk from my family house in the village, what did he do for his village?
I think it is time we come out of this fantasy dream of ours, and our current delusion which has subjected us to self-pity and embrace fully the challenges of the 21st century. We are just like other Nigerian tribes, we are not any special and we are just as guilty as charged with the other tribes in what has gone wrong in our country.
Even Americans have their divisions, Asians, Hispanics, Jews, Irish, Germans etc. they have also fought a civil war but they have risen above all these challenges to be one of the biggest nations in the world, recognising that just like our motto in Nigeria says, there is unity in diversity.
Nigerians with access to wealth, information, media should indeed be asking themselves more what they can do to contribute to the building of a greater nation, rather than undermining her progress.
Uche Nworah is Igbo and Nigerian but lives in London. [email protected]
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