₦airaland Forum

[size=14pt]Much ado about nothing [/size]
By Cheta Nwanze

I can say with some form of confidence that the glass ceiling which for a long time existed in Western society for people of African descent was well and truly shattered when the Americans made the right decision and voted in Barack Obama. Within a generation I expect that we will see a black man as the leader of another major Western power.

What is the implication of this for African countries such as Nigeria? For a very long time we have lived in the belief that our ‘children' would always find their way home. That illusion no longer exists as my cousins who were born in the West for example, can truly aspire to the highest offices in the respective countries whose passports they hold.

Being an ethnic Igbo man who likes to say he is from Edo state in Nigeria, I have to ask myself honestly, can I aspire to the highest position in my own country?

It is rather instructive that all media reports about Obama insist that Chicago is his hometown. He was not born there, his father did not come from there, he did not set foot in Chicago until sometime after he finished his own university education, yet, it is his home town. Until two years ago, he represented Chicago in the US Senate. Can that happen in Nigeria?

Sadly the answer is no.

I cannot even aspire to be a local councilor in Oredo Local Government Area, the part of Benin, Edo State where I was born. Some idiot would open his mouth and claim that I am not a son of the soil. The sheer ignorance of it! In 1979 Ambrose Alli was elected governor of the then Bendel State. By the time he was removed from office by the 1983 coup, he had had enough grief from the indigent population of the state capital Benin.

Why was that?

Although he was an indigene of Bendel State, he was not an ethnic Bini man. He was ethnic Ishan. Forward the hands of the clock two decades, and we had Lucky Igbinedion, a genuine ‘son of the soil' from Benin City getting into the position. He ruined that state, and simply because "he is our brother", people only grumbled in the silence of their homes.

Ethnic Binis are of course not the only people in Nigeria guilty of such behaviour. If you are not ethnic Igbo for example, you cannot seriously expect to conduct trade in Onitsha Main Market. If you are not ethnic Yoruba you cannot expect to rise to a position of academic prominence at the Obafemi Awolowo University. Ahmadu Bello openly stated that his government would rather a Briton hold position within it, than a Southerner, and of course, being ethnic Ijaw gives you a license to steal all the money in Bayelsa State, escape justice in the United Kingdom, then return to a hero's welcome from the very people you robbed without anyone asking you to account for the stolen funds. Whenever are we going to make progress?

Sadly, not very soon. Because Goodluck Jonathan appointed an Igbo man as Chief of Army Staff a few days ago, we have some twits demanding that more positions be zoned specifically to Igbo people as if being Igbo automatically makes people better administrators? You only have to take a look at the condition of the Igbo speaking parts of Nigeria to know that this is not true. Look at the last Inspector General of Police. He is so Igbo, yet he was probably the worst IG we have ever had, definitely the worst in living memory. As an aside, can someone shove him into jail for contempt of court?

It has not always been like that in Nigerian politics however, and we can indeed turn the hands of the clock back. Back in the day, Nnamdi Azikiwe was able to run for, and win office in Western Nigeria. Murtala Mohammed, an ethnic Etsako man (from Auchi in today's Edo state) was Nigerian Head of State, accepted by the North as one of their own. These incidents were not accidents, and we can return to that state of affairs.

We need to however, take the bold step of making the necessary change to truly unite the country. I don't see any reason whatsoever why anyone should ask me what state I am from after I have informed the person (and proved to the person) that I am Nigerian. I should be able to go to any point in my country and settle down and feel like I have a stake in this place. I should be able to go to any point in my country and run for elective office. For that to happen, people need to stop asking me about my father and where he is from.

Nigeria, please delete the state of origin caveat from the Constitution.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/5618396-184/story.csp

@ poster

Did you say Murtala Mohamed was from Bendel, and not a Hausa man?

I think you are wrong.he is from the Core North.

My bad. You are not Cheta Nwanze.

komando.:
My bad. You are not Cheta Nwanze.

Thank you jare!
But, Murtalla was originally from Auchi as Cheta wrote. Nigeria used to be a better place in those days.

komando.:
My bad. You are not Cheta Nwanze.

Dude, ure unbelievably imbecilic! lol

Good post!

Cheta hit the nail on the head with this one.

Yes, it is difficult to implement or actualise these dreams without a true federal constitution. A constitution that recognizes you as a Nigerian individual period  -with all the freedom, liberty and rights that should come with that.

But, we will have to do a lot of cultural weeding to actualise the dreams of Cheta. Changing the constitution is just scratching the surface. Like someone said in the 234next comments, even if you change the constitution are you going to change people's minds or their names?

The Nigeria of my dream is one where my Umuahia/Ibadan born kids can contest for and win the governorship race in Katsina, not because they are Fulani but because they've lived and contributed enough to the state to earn the confidence and respect of the majority.

It is sad that this is the emptiness that fills the heads of a major portion of the populace.
While i think our different culture and traditions are good, it is time for a new story.
The culture of being a Human Being, more specifically A Nigerian, should transcend all
this nothingness.
This Article make sense gannn.

komando.:
I think you are wrong.he is from the Core North.

This statement just triggered some childhood memory,
I think I was crying over the fact that i had one note, a N20 note that somebody dashed me,
while my sister got two N10 notes.

From that, someone proceeded to give us an education which led to Murtala Mohammed
and him being from Auchi (We were on our way to the village)
Good times! 

haha katsumoto and tewmuch are needed here

Very Good post, if we could conquer tribalism 50%(if not 99%) of our problems are solved and unfortunately our political looters use this as a massive weapon to deceive the masses, example abound in what is happenin in that country 2day, instead of debating manifestoes politicians are debating zoning. Good post Beaf

There was some truth in here, but also some nonsensical and erroneous claims. I will be back to address this article in a day or so.

let's start from little things like JAMB forcing U to take ur parents local government instead of where you were born. How about Univesrities offering admission based on catchment areas?

PhysicsQED:
There was some truth in here, but also some nonsensical and erroneous claims. I will be back to address this article in a day or so.

We are still waiting for you to address the nonsensical and erroneous claims. Empty vessel!

prettyG:
We are still waiting for you to address the nonsensical and erroneous claims. Empty vessel!

Dont be in a hurry to insult. He is still gathering info. Once he is through justice will be done . . . . . .Truth will definitely cash (sic) up with falsehood that day.

Good read, we have the solutions, is a matter of choices
use the best or better fitted persons for the jobs. instead of connections.
And less govt, more private and joint ownership businesses.
meritocracy did it before. And is there to be used again, if we are serious.

Good write-up.

Unfortunately, the contents are mere wishes and dreams as far as today's Nigeria is concerned. It is the dream and aspiration of every one of us to be what we can be wherever we reside and whatever endeavour we want to undertake, but has that been possible in reality? No.

Let's be sincere to ourselves here. Nigeria is not matured for "Every where is home" situation yet. Until then, "to your tents oh! Nigerians".

PhysicsQED:
There was some truth in here, but also some nonsensical and erroneous claims. I will be back to address this article in a day or so.

we are waiting