http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/12/12/the-north-built-on-mistakes-of-the-south-%e2%80%94-mbu/

Q: You talk about these our fathers, leaders of Nigeria at independence and some insist that they created the foundations for the type of country that we have today – tribalism, for example and the events in the Western House of Assembly. Some say Azikiwe was merely outplayed, politically and others say….?

A: No! You are not really…Permit me to interrupt you; you were not there. Zik won all, the majority, in the Western region. It was when he went to the East, that this notorious question, this notorious carpet-crossing, for the first time in our history was enacted on the floor of the Western House of Assembly. Before then, we never knew about carpet-crossing. Those who won on the platform of the NCNC were suddenly bought over by the Action Group.

Q: But in an earlier interview with Pa Ayo Adebanjo, I was told that it was at the point when they said members of the different parties should move and sit separately, that it became obvious that AG members were more?[/b]

A: He would say so. What do you expect from him, he’s AG; he’s partisan. AG top notch!

Q:It would be difficult for people not to say you are also being partisan, being of the NCNC?
The AG introduced, for the first time in our history, carpet crossing; I didn’t know about it. I wish the late Adelabu (PENKELEMSS) were alive. The leader of our movement in Ibadan, I wish he was alive, he would have told you what happened; he would have told you the drama that happened on the floor of the Western House of Assembly; the debacle, as he put it, the debacle of western election, so don’t tell me anything that I don’t know.

A:I know you know that’s why I’m asking you. For Nigerians who do not have a recollection of the events of that era and who talk about tribalism, they would want the records set straight. Some even say had Zik stayed back, may be he would have fought it? And some even say that from that moment onwards, Nigeria lost it?

Yes, we lost it from that moment onwards. That was crude tribalism on display. That’s all. What else could it be that somebody of Eastern origin should come and control a region that belongs to the westerners? That was a clear display of tribalism, crude and that was when Nigeria lost it, the true sense of nationalism. Yes! AG, NCNC, that I belonged to, were at opposing ends on true nationalism and nothing else. NCNC till tomorrow remains a nationalist party, one Nigeria, one people, one destiny. AG believed in one Yoruba, one nation, one Oduduwa.

Q: When you look at the way some people accuse the North of holding unto power without wanting to let go, and the philosophy of Awolowo that before you can claim to be a Nigerian, you would have to first be either an Igbo, a Yoruba or Hausa?

A: Chief Awolowo never pretended and I have a lot of respect for him. He never for once pretended that he was a true nationalist. He was a true Yoruba leader – simplicita. And he never in any way felt ashamed about it. Yoruba for Yoruba, Hausa for Hausa and Igbo for Igbo – that was the way he felt and he never flinched.

The North learned a lot from the mistakes of the South and the way the tribal politics was being played, the North elevated it to another level. They reasoned that if tribalism was to become the name of the game, then they were ready to move it to the next level – the North for the North. The Sardauna would always say, ‘we of the North’, and he never pretended. His great grand father, Uthman Dan Fodio, was a conqueror of a greater community and why should he go for anything less. He, therefore, settled for a bigger North.

Q: Could you please give examples of what the North learned from the South?
The North went and excelled in everything we did. We introduced thuggery, Michael Okpara called them party stalwarts in East, but they were thugs. Then the North recreated it, took it to another level: Why did we bring in the native police? They were uncompromising in the North.

A: There in the North, if you were not of the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, they would tell you, don’t cross, if you did they would kill you – and they meant it. Their own thuggery was worse and they took it to a level that was something else. So the only way to curb the excesses of the native police was to integrate them into the Nigeria Police Force, to train them, to shed them of the crude and excessive extra-legal powers. Not only that, you went to the native courts as a southerner, the Alkali courts.

A case was on, the judge was chewing his gworo and he slept off while the case was on, then he woke up and asked, ‘yes, what do you have to say; nothing. Okay go to jail for six months’. Meanwhile he had been sleeping all along-o. If you tried to argue you’re in trouble. ‘If you said anything there I’ll give you another six months; okay another six months, go’. Very crude! The North moved from one extremity to the other extremity and that’s where we are.

Q: Back to NCNC, Zik and the East: What was done to NCNC and Zik in the West, Zik was not magnanimous too, when he went back to the East?

A: I do not think that you were born to understand the politics of those days.

Q:We read?

A: It depends on what you have been reading and by whom? Look, the East was so democratic to a point where when the Onitsha issue came up, although a lot of it engendered by the opposition, led by the late chief justice of the East, Sir Louis Mbanefo, Onitsha market issue, there was a demonstration by the Onitsha people against the premiership of Zik, an Onitsha man, and I saw the father and I asked him: ‘Papa, you joined the delegation, too, to denounce the premier’? You know what he said to me in response? He said: ‘He’s not one of us, being an Onitsha man, he should not oppose us’. That was the extent to which the people in the East understood democratic principles.

Q: But an Efik was not allowed to lead in the East?

A: What was the problem of the Efik? They split. You were not born yet; you needed to be around with us then to understand what happened. UNIP was a splinter of the NCNC and they were to topple the leadership of the NCNC. UNIP was within the NCNC, led by, more or less, English trained graduates, leadership.

They were looking up on themselves as better educated than American trained graduates, led by Zik, Orizu, Mbadiwe and co – that is the truth. And who were the other groups? Graduates, Nwapa, Cambridge, make no mistake about it; Njoku, Manchester, London educated; my country man, Okoi Arikpo, London educated – London School of Economics; Ozoma; even Ita himself, having gotten his MA from Columbia University in the United States of America, came back and repeated the London MA so he used to be referred to as Prof. Eyo Ita, MA Columbia, MA London. They felt they were more educated and, therefore, a better bred to lead the new dispensation in the East; not this ill-bred American educated fellows from schools they did not recognize.

A: But Eyo Ita?

A: My friend, he was opposition, when you split against the leadership, then you are already taking up arms against the party. Must there be two premiers? It was Zik, in fact, who named him Prof. Don’t tell me what you did not witness.

The truth is being revealed in addition to the revelation of Adelabu himself (which I have read also). Note that Mbu is from Cross River State and therefore fairly neutral.

Get a freeking life,

read it days ago and still doesnt make a difference cause people living today NOT 50 YEARS AGO!!!!!

What is tribalism here when the people of onitsha protested against zik;an onitsha man from becoming the premier and why would he come to govern the west when he's not even accepted by his kinsmen.The problem of igbo is lack of "INTERNAL DEMOCRACY".Awolowo was recognized as yoruba,sardauna was recognized by the hausa but zik was never accepted by his people and this seems to be the problem up till today.The system during that era was a "premier and his people",so for Awolowo to have developed his people above other tribes is not an offence,each zone should blame her premier.

We Igbos can blame Awo and call him names, but he was investing his time and energy fighting for his people and the same goes for the Northern Leaders. If Zik was smart he should have read the writing on the wall and done the same thing. I mean look how we all at this present age are fighting among ourselves, and we expect Zik to win the Western Region in the 60's? With all what Fashola is doing in Lagos, I know if he runs for the Governorship in Abia against Kalu he will lose hands down.

yarodin:

We Igbos can blame Awo and call him names, but he was investing his time and energy fighting for his people and the same goes for the Northern Leaders. If Zik was smart he should have read the writing on the wall and done the same thing. I mean look how we all at this present age are fighting among ourselves, and we expect Zik to win the Western Region in the 60's? With all what Fashola is doing in Lagos, I know if he runs for the Governorship in Abia against Kalu he will lose hands down.

You can't be more correct; however the Yoruba should shut up and own up when they are accussed as the progenitors of tribalism in Nigeria. It worked and still works for them (election 2003 being another e.g.) so no point in their continued denial (see as the Yoruba interviewer also wants to deny ). Their continued denial helps stoke the newfound awareness by others (e.g. Igbos) on the need to play the game too.

Ndigbo never denied Azikiwe. Even in1979 and 2003 elections that rest of Nigerians denied Zik, Ndigbo did not deny him.
Azikiwe was not a founding party of the NPP, yet Ndigbo invited him to lead their party. Ndigbo do not deny their sons or daughters. They may condemn their actions and reactions but denial, I say no. Did Ndigbo deny Nzogwu as their son in relation to '66 coup?.

@OP

Chief M. T. Mbu has been a man of splendid character. He was even magnanimous in his answers about Eyo Ita and few other political figures in the article. I guess he did not want to open a cantankerous can of worm.

I am sorry, but most Igbos are bunkums who think Nigeria when it comes to politics. Given their penchant to be tribalistic, the Hausa and Yoruba will continue to beat us hands-down politically. Wake up Umuigbo and play the game of the Yoruba and alakuba people.

Nchara:

I am sorry, but most Igbos are bunkums who think Nigeria when it comes to politics. Given their penchant to be tribalistic, the Hausa and Yoruba will continue to beat us hands-down politically. Wake up Umuigbo and play the game of the Yoruba and alakuba people.

Nna you have said it all, our leaders should start focusing on South East issues first. Yes, Awo dealt with the Igbos but because of what he did, I believe the Yorubas are controlling the financial sector. I wish Okpara had swapped places with Zik then maybe things would have been different.

yarodin:

Nna you have said it all, our leaders should start focusing on South East issues first. Yes, Awo dealt with the Igbos but because of what he did, I believe the Yorubas are controlling the financial sector. I wish Okpara had swapped places with Zik then maybe things would have been different.

Yoruba controlling the financial sector in today's Nigeria? Not quite sure about that. How many banks do we have? Who are their CEOs and major shareholders? Things have changed but even if they (Yoruba controlling as you said) do, the gap which existed before has been bridged considerably since consolidation. Soludo sort of played the tribalism game, which is good for Ndigbo.

Bros you might be right, but am talking about the old money (late 70's early 80's), I believe around the time of the oil boom.

yarodin:

Bros you might be right, but am talking about the old money (late 70's early 80's), I believe around the time of the oil boom.

Definitely. But you should look to the future and, at worst, the present, than looking back to the past. The Igbo and Delta peoples have bridged the gap of financial control of banks by Yoruba.

If Coca-cola hire you, shey na Pepsi you go pay attention to?, does it make sense?

Awo was hired to work for and look after Yoruba folks within his own region, not Northern region or Eastern region and you're here calling him a tribalist because he did exactly what they hired and paid him to do. It's called  focused, dedicated and responsive leadership.

This has always been Igbo Nation's Achilles’s heel and self destructive attitude since day one, too much preoccupation with other people and what other people are doing, but never Igbo people or what's best for the Igbo people. Even on this board, it's the same attitude towards other people.

You see endless threads about other people, but hardly any addressing core issues withing the Igbo Nation. All the time, fingers are pointed outside the region and other people are blamed for all shortcomings and lousy leadership withing the region (Defiantly not saying lousy leadership is limited to the Igbo Nation)  

How much time do you have left to worry about and take care of your own after spending all your time, days and nights criticizing and ridiculing other people while the same other people are moving fast ahead like they've been doing since day one?


Yet, the so called leaders of tomorrow runs endlessly and ransacks the internet for fossilized, irrelevant and useless issues just to point new sets of fingers and continue the same worthless visions cycle.

BP.

No one is blaiming Awo for being a tribalist. Igbos instead blame their leaders for not being tribalists. That is what we want to change: Igbos must play tribalism in politics. Live with it or die.

^^^^^^

Really not interested. Your garbage is still up there and you're not known for being rational,

Not interested and you are hovering around the thread like a vulture? Why not vamoose then? You irrational defender of evil

Opining myself doesn't necessarily mean I'm interested in going back and forth with you. Your irrational, disgruntled and unnecessarily defensive comeback says it all.


I didn't quote any of your rubbish for a reason.

Vamoose if you are not interested. Don't eat your own vomit, bloody jackass.

quote from Babapupa


Yet, the so called leaders of tomorrow runs endlessly and ransacks the internet for fossilized, irrelevant and useless issues just to point new sets of fingers and continue the same worthless visions cycle.

Spot on, where are the Goebbels of Biafra? Big ups , still in the archives of Fleet Street? Digging up? Even Fleet street journalists have moved to the countryside.

They were looking up on themselves as better educated than American trained graduates, led by Zik, Orizu, Mbadiwe and co – that is the truth. And who were the other groups? Graduates, Nwapa, Cambridge, make no mistake about it; Njoku, Manchester, London educated; my country man, Okoi Arikpo, London educated – London School of Economics; Ozoma; even Ita himself, having gotten his MA from Columbia University in the United States of America, came back and repeated the London MA so he used to be referred to as Prof. Eyo Ita, MA Columbia, MA London. They felt they were more educated and, therefore, a better bred to lead the new dispensation in the East; not this ill-bred American educated fellows from schools they did not recognize

signs of the times. So there a was a time an ivy league degree from US was considered trashy in Naija? If these folks were alive today, i wonder what they would have said of our glorified secondary schools as universities.

Didn't the ibos open pandora's box by plannin and executing that senseless coup,the first in the nation's history,in 1966?

Definitely. But you should look to the future and, at worst, the present, than looking back to the past. The Igbo and Delta peoples have bridged the gap of financial control of banks by Yoruba.

yeah right u wish, yorubas built the banks- soludo and sanusi wrecked them. Look at the people who built the main banks in nigeria, compare them to the idiots who wrecked them

This nonsense about 'stealing' elections in 1951 needs to stop. Leye Ige put this one to bed here:

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/guest-articles/rebutting-ralph-uwechues-lie.html

Notice there are names and seats on here unlike the oft repeated tales by moonlight being peddled around.  You can also take a look at this if you really want insights into Nigerian politics in the 50's:

http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/showpost.php?p=158378&postcount=5

Matthew Mbu's statements are especially heartwarming because it tells a true picture of Nigeria and what caused the country to fall on its head. I'm especially glad that he is someone that was there in the first republic and from cross rivers state thus a neutral commentator. I feel quite sorry for brainless young people who are full of hand-me-down ethnic bias and spout all kinds of crap about Igbos and how they ruined the country. They will NEVER learn because they simply dont have the capacity. Our rotten educational system has succeeded in keeping them stupid.We need our elders in this country to speak out and save those who maybe can open their minds.

joeyfire:

Matthew Mbu's statements are especially heartwarming because it tells a true picture of Nigeria and what caused the country to fall on its head. I'm especially glad that he is someone that was there in the first republic and from cross rivers state thus a neutral commentator. I feel quite sorry for brainless young people who are full of hand-me-down ethnic bias and spout all kinds of crap about Igbos and how they ruined the country. They will NEVER learn because they simply dont have the capacity. Our rotten educational system has succeeded in keeping them silly.We need our elders in this country to speak out and save those who maybe can open their minds.

Yeah, don't let things like 'facts' get in the way

@nulldev

I take it that you have the facts that matthew mbu doesnt?

joeyfire:

@nulldev

I take it that you have the facts that matthew mbu doesnt?

Read the link i posted earlier. Also Ganiyu Dawodu wrote a book specifically regarding that election as well if you are seeking historical evidence you can look that up as well.

http://www.afbis.com/store1/product.php?productid=16137


Mbu accuses Awo of being a tribalist but undeniable 'facts;

1. The Ibo state Union pre-dated the Egbe omo oduduwa by nearly a decade! Zik was president
2. Action group was the only party that contested elections in every region in the country, NCNC only contested in the south
3. By Mbu's logic Zik going to kick out Eyo Ita was fine cos he was 'rigged' out in the West and we wont 'understand'? I think it's safe to file this under partisan BS

@nulldev

Read the post in your link. It gives one person's account of why Zik and Awo were not friends and I cant argue with it. It however says NOTHING about the events surrounding the 1951 elections and the tribal magic that took place, enlightening the northern establishment of the gross foolishness of their southern brothers that they could exploit and have done for almost 6oyears

It was addressed in the first link i posted. I will post it again:

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/guest-articles/rebutting-ralph-uwechues-lie.html

Also, from the link you did read you can also see there was little to do with ethnicity as Awo the 'tribalist' was ready and willing to work under Zik.

@nulldev

Just read through it. Basically The writer Leye ige was quoting Felix Adenaike (a journalist) and gave figures that need to be reconciled though it makes for an engaging read. It however says nothing about Awo wanting to work under Zik as you posted earlier. It states that out of 80 seats the AG carried the day with 38 votes, NCNC/Independents 25, IPP-6 OIL - 2. That adds up to 81 not 80. The post doesnt give details about what transpired nor does it expressly deny that there wasnt any cross-carpeting. I'll have to look it up myself. Very intriguing reading I must say