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Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by zuchyblink(m): 5:47pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
AMONG the different ethnic groups in
Nigeria, the Igbo are without a doubt, one
of the most remarkable. So remarkable,
indeed, that some have even traced their
ancestry to biblical Israel, as the far-flung
descendants of Jacob, the Jewish patriarch.
Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have
had three sons who settled in South-eastern
Nigeria.
These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed
to have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to
have founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri,
Arochukwu, Owerri and Umuleri.
Igbo Genius
Even the bitterest adversaries of the Igbo
cannot but admit that, as a people, they are
very resourceful and ingenious. Indeed, this
has often been the cause of their envy and
dislike by others. However, more
enlightened non-Igbo Nigerians see this as
a cause for celebration. While today, the
centre-point of Nigeria’s manufacturing is
situated in the Lagos/Ogun axis, there is no
doubt that the real locomotive of Nigeria’s
indigenous industrialization lies farther
afield in Aba and in the mushrooming
cottage-industries of the Igbo heartland.
Igbo-menIn one of the paradoxes of
Nigerian history, the terrible civil war
provoked homespun industrialization in the
South-East. Military blockade left the Igbo
with little alternative than to be inventive in
a hurry. While Nigeria as a nation failed
woefully to harness this profitably after the
war, it has nevertheless ensured that the
Igbo are at the forefront of Nigeria’s
economic development today.
Indeed, the way we disregard “made in
Aba” today is the same way we disregarded
“made in Japan” yesterday. For those of us
who believe against the odds that Nigeria is
the China of tomorrow, we equally
recognize that the ingenuity of the Igbo is
an indelible part of the actualization of that
manifest destiny.
The Igbo have been a great credit to
Nigeria. They have given us a great number
of our favourite sons, including
international statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe;
military leader Odumegwu Ojukwu; regional
leader Michael Okpara; vice-president Alex
Ekwueme; mathematical genius Chike Obi;
literary icon Chinua Achebe; world-class
economist Pius Okigbo; world boxing
champion Dick Tiger; international
statesman Emeka Anyaoku; and world-class
artist Ben Enwonwu. Permit me to include in
this illustrious list even some of my very
good Igbo friends: Pat Utomi, Ojo Madueke,
Olisa Agbakoba, Joy Ogwu, and Stanley
Macebuh.
Let us get one thing straight: Nigeria would
be a much poorer country without the Igbo.
Indeed, Nigeria would not be Nigeria
without them. Can you imagine the Super
Eagles without the Igbo? Not likely! Who can
forget Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Kay Okocha and
our very own Emmanuel Amuneke?
Can you imagine Nollywood without the
Igbo? Impossible! Just think of Stella
Damascus-Aboderin; Rita Dominic and Mike
Ezuruonye. And then there are the diaspora
Igbo who many are unaware are of Igbo
descent, including concert singer and actor
Paul Robeson; Oscar award-winner Forest
Whitaker; mega-pastor T.D. Jakes; Olympic
champion Christine Ohuruogu; and BAFTA
actor award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.
You may well wonder why I have found it
necessary to present this small litany of
Igbo who-is-who. I think it is important to
emphasise how the Igbo have been very
vital to the Nigerian project. They have
more than represented Nigeria creditably in
virtually all walks of life. This makes it all the
more absurd that this same people have
been consistently denied the position of
executive president of the country in all but
six months of Nigeria’s 54 year history.
Umu Ashebi: Igbo maidens surround Bride
at a traditional wedding
Umu Ashebi: Igbo maidens surround Bride
at a traditional wedding
Civil-War Legacy
Of course, a major reason for this was the
1967-1970 civil-war which had the Igbo on
the losing side. But that was over 40 years
ago. If there is really to be “no victor, no
vanquished” in anything more than mere
rhetoric, then the rehabilitation of the Igbo
back into post civil-war Nigeria will not be
complete until an Igbo man finally becomes
president of the country.
That imperative should be of interest to
every Nigerian nationalist, committed to the
creation of one Nigeria where everyone has
a deep sense of belonging. The problem,
however, is that the Igbo themselves seem
to be their own worst enemies in this
regard. They appear to be doing their very
best to ensure that this inevitable
eventuality continues to be denied and
delayed.
The Igbo need to forgive Nigerians. No one
who lived through the horrors that
precipitated the secession of Biafra and led
to the civil-war cannot but admit that the
Igbo were abused and maltreated in one of
the worst pogroms ever. It was not just that
they were senselessly massacred in their
own country; it was that they were
butchered.
I remember vividly gory pictures of scores
and scores of the Igbo with hands chopped
up and with legs amputated. And then there
were the ravages of the three-year civil-war
itself, resulting in the death of millions of
Igbo; many through starvation and
attrition.
The end of the war brought no respite, as
the Igbo were pauperized by fiscal decrees
that wiped out their savings and their
properties were blatantly sequestered by
opportunists. All this is more than enough to
destroy the spirit of any group of people.
But God has been on the side of the Igbo.
It is a testament to their resilience that, in
spite of this terrible affliction, they have
survived, bounced back and have even
triumphed in Nigeria. Forty years have now
gone by. The Igbo may never forget what
happened to them and, indeed, should
never forget. But it is past time for them to
forgive.
We Are Sorry
This is one voice in the Nigerian wilderness
saying to the Igbo from the depth of his
heart: we are sorry. We are sorry for the
way we mistreated you. We are sorry for
the way we abused you. We are sorry for
starving your children to death. We are
sorry for killing your loved ones. We are
sorry for stealing your properties.
We are sorry for making you feel unwanted
in your own country. Please forgive us. It is
time to forgive us. It is way past time for
the Igbo to forgive Nigerians. We beg you
in the name of God.
There was a civil war in the United States,
but the defeated South rose from the ashes.
Five of the last nine presidents of the United
States have been from the South, including
Jimmy Carter from Georgia, George Bush
from Texas and Bill Clinton from Arkansas.
The time is overdue for an Igbo president
of Nigeria, but it is not going to happen as
long as the Igbo continue to hold a grudge
against Nigeria and Nigerians.
There is no question about it: the Igbos
cannot elect a president of Nigeria on their
own. To do so, they have to join forces with
others. They have to form alliances with
people from other parts of Nigeria. That is
not going to happen as long as the Igbo
continue to bear a grudge against
practically everybody else.
The Igbo have a gripe against virtually all
the people they need. They have this
tendency to antagonise their possible
alliance partners. They keep dredging up
the past, refusing to let sleeping dogs lie.
Until they drop these gripes, they are not
likely to realise their dreams.
Demonising Yorubas
For example, the Igbo have this tendency to
demonise the Yorubas. It is alarming when
reading the Vanguard blogs today to see
the animosity often expressed between
Igbo and Yoruba contributors. The hatred is
most unhealthy. Insults are traded with
abandon. What is the point of this? For how
long will the Igbo demand emotional
retribution from every Yoruba for the
betrayal of Awolowo? Most of the
contributors were not even born when the
civil-war took place more than a generation
ago.
There is now even transferred aggression
against Babatunde Fashola, who made the
blunder of repatriating some destitute Igbo
from Lagos back to their home-states. The
man has apologised for the infraction. He
should be forgiven. Blunders are not the
exclusive preserve of the non-Igbo. The
Igbo have made more than a few
themselves and will yet make others.
Paradoxically, the redemption of the Igbos
to prominent national office moved apace
under President Obasanjo; a Yoruba man.
Recognising that Igbos are some of the
most seasoned, competent and experienced
public-servants, Obasanjo relied heavily on
their expertise.
Thanks to him, we got Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
at Finance, Charles Soludo at Central Bank,
Obiageli Ezekwesili at Education, Ndidi
Okereke at the Stock Exchange, and Dora
Akunyili at NAFDAC. Indeed, Igbo statesmen
came into more prominence under
Obasanjo than did Yoruba statesmen. But
for some strange reason, this does not
seem to have succeeded in assuaging the ill-
feeling of the Igbos toward the Yorubas.
Bad Politicians
Within the framework of Nigerian politics,
the Igbo also have a fundamental problem.
Out of the three major ethnic groups in
Nigeria, the Igbo have by far the worst
politicians. They have no recognizable
leaders, and have no discernible strategy as
to how to negotiate power at the centre. As
a result, the Igbo have tended to be short-
changed at the federal level. Traditionally,
the inconsequential ministries, such as the
Ministry of Information, have been zoned to
them.
The Igbo need to work out a plan that will
take them to Aso Rock. First, they need to
choose and groom a de-tribalised leader of
the Azikiwe mould who can be sold to non-
Igbos. Then, they need to give him
undiluted support. At the moment the
internal politics of the Igbo militates against
this. The Igbo seem to hate themselves as
much as they hate others. They seem to
fight themselves with as much venom as
they fight others. Every potential Igbo
leader seems to have more enemies within
than without. This must not be allowed to
continue.
The Igbo need to help themselves in order
that their friends can help them. In this
centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, as we
embark on the arduous process of crafting
our future through a National Conference,
we salute the Igbo for their fortitude and
implore them to stake their claim in Nigeria.
Nigeria cannot survive without the Igbo. 18 Likes 3 Shares |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by zuchyblink(m): 5:47pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=863952387006432&id=100001750363944&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6188845817589482800%3Amf_story_key.-5642134740479357236%3AeligibleForSeeFirstBumping.&__tn__=%2As |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by INTROVERT(f): 5:48pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
sauve |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by huthority01(m): 5:50pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Seconded write up.................true talk. 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by CUM4WHAT(m): 5:52pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
*walks in with hands in pockets* *but running out with hands on my head* 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by rudebouy: 5:54pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
So if the names are similar does dat mean day are rily descendants of the tribe of Israel? Any oda proofs apart from the name similarity? Just wondering... 2 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by myopinion2011: 6:03pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
One thing I know that is undisputable and which I like abt the Igbos is that their Tenancity, Endurance, Perseverance,Passion and Zeal for sucess in business even in Inventions is UNPRECEDENTED AND UNPARALLELED. That is why like stubborn grass, found every where in Naija. 13 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by Rilwon: 6:12pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy: Israel never lost a war? Like seriously? 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by POWEROFPEACE(m): 6:14pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
The igbos of course contributes greatly to the well being of the nation but that those not mean Nigeria can not survive without them. Other tribes have their own areas were they also contributes. If the ibos descended from the Israelis, how come there is very sharp difference between them. 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by ERockson: 6:30pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Igbo will surely like this. infact Nigerians will go hungry and bankrupt without igbos. |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by cheruv: 6:33pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Rilwon:The quote you quoted is a result of having halfbaked graduates mill around 3 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by ArodewilliamsT: 6:40pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Old story. Who doesn't know that zoogeria will be a damned caliphate that only breeds parasitic lepers(North) and lazy beggars(SW) without the Biafrans. It will be a very uninteresting caliphate with Igbos gone, even worse than Niger. 17 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by jmoore(m): 6:41pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy: Ewwwww........... This is how you read your own bible Upside down reading... 6 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 6:52pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy:crap........... Go and read ur bible well....... D isrealis had lost wars not once or twice........ As a punish...... Xo do ya research before posting nilly willy comments. Are u a christian? 5 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 6:57pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
POWEROFPEACE:peharps uve not seen igbos who carry d facial structure of d jews...... Expecially their jaws 2 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by rudebouy: 7:19pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
xyzhill: I go to church on Sundays but I have very poor knowledge of bible stories. Thank you. I go change am so dat e go happy small, atink? |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 7:33pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy:yea bro dat will be nice....... I implore u to do more...... God bless ur soul as u comply 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by rudebouy: 7:37pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
xyzhill: Ayaf changed it. Can you pls provide some ansas to d new questions I posted dia? |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by Nobody: 7:44pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
ArodewilliamsT: I wonder why our Yoruba brothers from the South West are trying too hard to massage our egos, are they trying to warm themselves into our heart again? Mr. Femi or whatever treacherous name you bear, Ndi-Igbo don't want to be a part of your delusional one Nigeria. Please stick with your Hausa brothers from the North and worry about studying the Quaran cos it might save your life in the foreseeable future. 7 Likes |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by coolitempa(f): 7:52pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
huangcheng: Omo nna olori kpelebe......shut ur dirry mouth.. ......that article is at least three years old and was by aribisala.... a well known Pdp pyschophant.........no Yoruba is prepared to warm himself to ur rubbish heart......we know you for being the empty barrels that you are...... 3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by BOBBYLET: 7:53pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
xyzhill:ojukwu pete edochie nd some unpopular ones.... |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 8:02pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy:well as i pointed out earlier they are some igbos with jaws of isrealis... peharps d teeths including........... long years of marriage and climatic adaptation had change the bodily structure but d soul remained unchaged...... N as you knw we share many great a similar atributes in terms of d goods n bad... In Bad i mean oppression n genocide just as the bible foretold..... I guess d words cut up with us:....... 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 8:05pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
BOBBYLET:very true |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by xyzhill(m): 8:05pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
BOBBYLET:very true |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by rudebouy: 9:03pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
xyzhill: I'd appreciate more details abt the oppression and genocide you pointed out here pls |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by Nobody: 9:04pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Well said. But the truth is that Nigeria cannot survive without any of her tribes/regions, that is what makes this country tick. No region should feel more important than the other. United we stand. |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by LesbianBoy(m): 9:07pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
Lol |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by after1: 9:11pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
[s] ArodewilliamsT:[/s] Amadi collins of cursed memory. Rest in pieces |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by ARIZONA123(m): 9:15pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
rudebouy:. Ask ya father. Yoribastard! |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by ARIZONA123(m): 9:18pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
xyzhill:. The nitwit is a muslim from ibadam |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by ARIZONA123(m): 9:21pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
coolitempa:. You this smellin shameless eshinwaju she-MALE. You didn't post ur picture again from your canadan base. Omo oshi ole jati jati 1 Like |
Re: Nigeria Cannot Survive Without The Igbos” – Femi Aribisala by coolitempa(f): 9:37pm On Aug 30, 2015 |
ARIZONA123: Muumuu.....I went to watch the Canadian Grand Prix does not mean I live there......... ...by the way I live in abuja and lagos and I did put up my pics on that day.....with eshinwaju....see me on this thread...enjoying oil money...... https://www.nairaland.com/2452089/when-she-just-came-village/1#37269298 |
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