I have always noticed that federal character is not really federal character but the splitting of the national cake into 3 pies, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Check any ministerial list that comes out - You will see 90% WAZOBIA with the rest of the country fighting for the remaining 10%. It is the same from federal to private level. Isn't it time to ditch this unjust system and recognise people according to their abilities? Afterall, 40% of Nigerians are neither Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba.


Anyway, I read this on article on the net that highlighted the problem:


http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2008/aug/252.html


On August 19, 2008, I got a message from my wife, who is Yoruba, that there was a "Jobs in Nigeria Exhibition" (JINE) in Atlanta from August 19 to 20, and after that, they would be moving to Houston. JINE was basically looking for Nigerian expatriates to take to Nigeria, and I have been hearing that Banks and Oil companies usually give our expatriates better pay, car with a driver, and descent housing, just to make life comfortable after returning to Nigeria from an advanced country. I did not give my boss enough notice, and I did not want to go for the second day of the exhibition because Nigerians (JINE) might just decide that the first day was good enough and will not honor the next day as advertised on the website. With a half-hearted approval from my boss, I left for the job fair. I did not have a suit on and my house was on the other side of town, so I decided to go there just to have a feel of things. If I had to go put on a suit, if they were long lines of people, if they were many companies, then I would have to call my boss and inform her that I was taking the rest of the day off. When I got there, I saw some with suits and others without. Obviously, the later just found out that day like I did too.


I walked in, turned in my resume, and took a seat. There were only two companies, UBA and Assets Resources Management. There were also old friends at the place, so we talked a little. Many were there for about two hours waiting for their turn to be interviewed by both companies and some by a second company. About 15 minutes after I enter, a man from the UBA table approached me, greeted me, introduced himself, and asked the origin of my name. I told him it was from Edo State. He then joked with me by saying "Omo no Oba", and we both laughed. About another 10 minutes later, a man by the name of Shola Ajani, who appeared to be the coordinator of JINE came in and called my name. Unlike others who were asked to follow JINE representatives to the next room for the interview, Mr. Ajani called my name but came to sit beside me. In a low tone, he told me that my resume was great, but that they were only interviewing accounting and finance people for Lagos, and he promised to keep my resume in their database for other companies who needed IT and business development people. He was actually a very nice guy and he wrote his information on my paper because he was out of business cards.


On my way out, I stopped by to say goodbye to my Yoruba friends and head back to work. It was then that I got the shock of my life in the USA. My friends were surprised that I was leaving just after 30 minutes of entrance. I explained to them that Mr. Ajani of JINE just told me that there were here for accounting and finance people. It was then that I found out that Kunle, who also had IT background, was waiting for his second interview, and the Yoruba wife of my Yoruba soccer teammate, who also was IT, was told to wait for her interview. I did not make a big deal about it because my spirit already rejected the interview. Even if I fought them to get interviewed, what make me think that they will even contact me later? I then told my Yoruba friends that maybe it was a WAZOBIA thing, and they laughed. They did not laugh to put me down, they laughed because it is a normal Nigerian practice and tradition. The other woman with them even said, maybe they are only looking for Yorubas (it was a friendly, acceptable, and innocent statement). I genuinely wished my friends the very best in their interviews and I left. As I was leaving, even one of my former pastors, who is also Yoruba, was surprised to see me leaving, but I only told her what Mr. Ajani told me. I called my Yoruba wife as I was leaving the building from my cell, and she was so angry that she promised to go there the next day to start World War III. I had to beg her to let it be, but reminded her that this is the WAZOBIA system that has crippled Nigeria from becoming the economic and political giant it is supposed to be in the global community. For years, I have written and talked to my Yoruba friends, wife, and in-laws about the evil of WAZOBIA on Nigeria, but they usually dismissed it out of ignorance. Now, many are turning around because of this experience and what they have seen from the Olympics and the Nigerian soccer house.


Does Nigeria want expatriates or not? If they do, does it have to be mainly WAZOBIA for just Lagos and maybe for all the branches in Nigeria? After all our rich pre-colonial culture and everlasting folktales of putting quality over quantity and wisdom before strength, WAZOBIA still extended its evil hand into the most advanced, freest, and most civilized country in the world to promote TRIBALISM in the name of expatriates. Is this not a contradiction? The expatriates that are suppose to be demolishing WAZOBIA and TRIBALISM based on the power of diversity that makes advanced nations great are now being recruited by the ONLY EVIL that has relegated Nigeria to the background - WAZOBIA. The United States in its advancement and sophistication have realized that change is necessary for progress. They are even demanding that it is time to have a Black/African (Barack Obama) and a woman (Hillary Clinton) as the leader of the free world, but Nigeria is still practicing WAZOBIA, the illegitimate child of colonization and the Devil itself, on American soil. The children of WAZOBIA must speak against and kill WAZOBIA, or the Niger-Delta issue will ultimately be the foundation that will split us into many countries. I am assuming that the descendants of WAZOBIA even care.

(WAZOBIA does not necessary mean Yoruba, Hausa, or Igbo; it is simply a justified EVIL system of discrimination in Nigeria that favors them against the genuine progress, happiness, and freedom of the Nigerian nation at the expense of the Southerners - Niger-Delta, who produce 90% of Nigeria's revenue)

"Afterall, 40% of Nigerians are neither Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba."

Can you provide any source or argument for the above assertion?

RichyBlacK:

"Afterall, 40% of Nigerians are neither Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba."

Can you provide any source or argument for the above assertion?

According to Wikipedia, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo make up 68% of Nigeria.

I took away 8% (census adjustment for the North) to give a fairer reflection at 60%.

Ibime:

According to Wikipedia, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo make up 68% of Nigeria.

I took away 8% (census adjustment for the North) to give a fairer reflection at 60%.

Ibime:

According to Wikipedia, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo make up 68% of Nigeria.

I took away 8% (census adjustment for the North) to give a fairer reflection at 60%.

How about census adjustment for the East? You don't suppose that apart from inflating the population of the North, that the population of the South East was deflated? How about the possible deflation of the population of the South West?

Also, the article only highlighted the much perceived and rather pervasive tribalism of some Yorubas in positions of power. Or, were they hiring Igbos? Nope! Only Yorubas were being hired.

To term this form of ethnic bigotry WAZOBIA summarily implicates Ndi Igbo as well as the Hausas.

na only wazobia.
Then when the position is only for the wa's the zo's or the bia's,they'll narrow it then to state of origin, Local government area, village or hamlet.
Our problems are plural.
To think that a company would come all the way to Atlanta to recruit Naija professionals but their agenda is to recruit only Yoruba professionals ?
They should have simply said so.
If you're ogunnaike or Babatunde this way
all the Okereke's ,Okarafors and Omoreigwa and  Inyangs the other way.
Better still they could have gone to Oduduwa united association of greater Atlanta area to do the recruitment and no "outsider" will ever know when they came ,recruited and went
why make this poor writer waste his precious time applying and interviewing for a job when the real applicants are already chosen
Isn't that why the country is the way it is?
A whole president is away from office for over 2 weeks and not a soul can confirm his whereabouts and mission truthfully.

I have always noticed that federal character is not really federal character but the splitting of the national cake into 3 pies, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Check any ministerial list that comes out - You will see 90% WAZOBIA with the rest of the country fighting for the remaining 10%. It is the same from federal to private level. Isn't it time to ditch this unjust system and recognise people according to their abilities? Afterall, 40% of Nigerians are neither Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba.

I partially agree with you even though you may have gotten the statistics wrong.

On the other hand, i feel that MEND, HRHs, HRMs and co. are getting their own booty in the creeks.
The only people loosing out are just the suffer-head masses; be it in Gombe, Ikot-Ekpene, Illesha or Aba-Ngwa.

RichyBlacK:

To term this form of ethnic bigotry WAZOBIA summarily implicates Ndi Igbo as well as the Hausas.

This is just an example. . . . the same is practiced across the board. The question is not whether it is tribalistic, the question is that Nigerian political system is designed only with consideration for the three major tribes. In 1960, the coalition Government was made from 3 parties, ANP for the North, AC for the West and NCNC (correct me!) for the East. Therefore the coalition Government had no incentive to include the ethnic minorities. . . . and the same has continued since then. Nigeria has long since believed that if you share out positions between the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, everything will be alright. Not remembering that the other minorities make up 40% of the population. . . . infact, some Nigerians do not know that there are many non-WAZOBIA people in Nigeria. . . . therefore, if they see an even split between WAZOBIA, they think they have a government of National Unity. . . . this is not the case as far as the ethnic minorities are concerned. . . .infact, it is a political collusion against them.

On a private level, there is definitely tribalism. . , Hausa man hires his brother, ditto Yoruba and Igbo man, marginalising all other tribes in Nigeria. . . . soon we find that this kind of tribal politiking is no longer sustainable because those who have no stake will disrupt the system, as we see in TIV and Niger-Delta today.

Dont mind wazobia people, they are all the same thing, we minorities are getting a raw deal.

why do nigerians love to play the blame game

bawomolo:

why do nigerians love to play the blame game

No blame game here mate. . . . just calling for a fairer system based on peoples abilities. . . if we even have to implement positive discrimination for the North so they can catch up, no problem. . . . but this WAZOBIA thing will be the death of Naija if it continues.

Hmm. . .I think there is prolly more to the story than some parochial ethnic dimension

Can't imagine why an institution like UBA will have such an outlook. . . .I bet they had
non Yoruba's on the interviewing panel as well.

Here is a quick example of what I am saying. OBJ made 39 cabinet appointments of which 33 were from WAZOBIA and only 6 went to other ethnic minorities (one of which was Danjuma, a defacto WAZOBIA). That means 85% of OBJ's cabinet appointees were WAZOBIA (87% if you include Danjuma). And OBJ is probably one of the most inclusive presidents we have had in Naija.

I thot the appointments were on a state by state basis, with each state having at least two representatives

Ibime:

Here is a quick example of what I am saying. OBJ made 39 cabinet appointments of which 33 were from WAZOBIA and only 6 went to other ethnic minorities (one of which was Danjuma, a defacto WAZOBIA). That means 85% of OBJ's cabinet appointees were WAZOBIA (87% if you include Danjuma). And OBJ is probably one of the most inclusive presidents we have had in Naija.

doyin13:

I thot the appointments were on a state by state basis, with each state having at least two representatives

Infact of the 6 non-WAZOBIA cabinet appointments, 3 were Ijaw. Again, this goes to show that Nigeria is not interested in doing the best job, but in placating those with political influence. The 3 Ijaws chosen just goes to show the increasing influence of Ijaws in National politics. Infact, to prove that the appointments were not in the best interests of the nation, one of the Ijaws was Abiye Sekibo, a man hated in Rivers State and the man who sponsored Tom Ateke. He is currently on exile from Rivers State and cannot return for fear of his life. The other three non-WAZOBIA's in the cabinet were a lady from Plateau (I forget her name), Theophilus Danjuma and Tony Anenih, two heavyweights in the Nigerian political scene.

i guess u are trying to say people from the middle belt don't count

Ibime:

This is just an example. . . . the same is practiced across the board. The question is not whether it is tribalistic, the question is that Nigerian political system is designed only with consideration for the three major tribes. In 1960, the coalition Government was made from 3 parties, ANP for the North, AC for the West and NCNC (correct me!) for the East. Therefore the coalition Government had no incentive to include the ethnic minorities. . . . and the same has continued since then. Nigeria has long since believed that if you share out positions between the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, everything will be alright. Not remembering that the other minorities make up 40% of the population. . . . infact, some Nigerians do not know that there are many non-WAZOBIA people in Nigeria. . . . therefore, if they see an even split between WAZOBIA, they think they have a government of National Unity. . . . this is not the case as far as the ethnic minorities are concerned. . . .infact, it is a political collusion against them.

On a private level, there is definitely tribalism. . , Hausa man hires his brother, ditto Yoruba and Igbo man, marginalising all other tribes in Nigeria. . . . soon we find that this kind of tribal politiking is no longer sustainable because those who have no stake will disrupt the system, as we see in TIV and Niger-Delta today.

Ibime,

First thing first, the NCNC was not a party "for the East". Zik and Macaulay were the prime movers in establishing the NCNC, and the party had a national outlook, unlike the Action Group, which was a de facto Yoruba party. No credible historian would label the NCNC a party "for the East". Yep, Zik was the party's president at the end; however Herbert Macaulay was the party's first president. Make we leave dis matta for now.

@topic
I see your point and I agree with you that something needs to change, however, you have not proposed a solution to the problem. The solution you seem to be hinting at, though you've not made it explicit, is one based on merit. The last time Nigeria practiced anything close to merit was in the 50s and 60s, and a particular ethnic group was hated for its perceived dominance of the public sector. The point is that a merit-based system is likely to generate very negative sentiments.

So, if not merit then what?

RichyBlacK:

Ibime,

First thing first, the NCNC was not a party "for the East". Zik and Macaulay were the prime movers in establishing the NCNC, and the party had a national outlook, unlike the Action Group, which was a de facto Yoruba party. No credible historian would label the NCNC a party "for the East". Yep, Zik was the party's president at the end; however Herbert Macaulay was the party's first president. Make we leave this matta for now.

As of 1960, NCNC was the party of the east, no debate. As of 1960, most Yoruba supporters had migrated to AG. That is unquestionable.

RichyBlacK:

The last time Nigeria practiced anything close to merit was in the 50s and 60s, and a particular ethnic group was hated for its perceived dominance of the public sector. The point is that a merit-based system is likely to generate very negative sentiments.

I don't know any particular ethnic group which was dominating the public sector in the 50's and 60's. Maybe you care to elaborate. I know that one particular group was excluded from the public sector and had to fill their quota by joining the military - but if you are suggesting that one particular group dominated the public sector, you are particularly wrong.


Yes, I am suggesting employment on merit.

And I thought I was the only one who found that WAZOBIA namashit highly offensive. . . our fraudulent population census makes it more atrocious. The quickest way to die of heart related ailment is to try ti figure out this thing called Nigeria. I have long accepted it as a fly that perched on the testicles. . . the atrocious thing won't go away and you can't swat it for fear of crushing your nuts. In the end you throw up your arms in resignation and wallow in the putrid pool of agony, helplessness, anger and frustration.

rubbish topic