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Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe - Politics - Nairaland

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Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Lexokey: 10:53pm On Aug 24, 2019
I have been on the cyber space for a while and i must say that the amount of hatred and tribalism coming from most Nigerian forums is very disgusting to say the least. From words like Afonja's, Igbos and Nyamiri it is very sad that the younger generation which is supposed to be the future is much worst that the oldies when it comes to tribalism. Nigerians need to understand that until we all treat each other with respect and put aside tribalism, other African countries will continue to overtake us and we will remain the old giant of Africa. Very few countries are made up of one ethnicity so we should learn to live together and develop. Diversity can be a blessing if you use it well ask Rwanda. Every major tribe has their strong points and weaknesses but we must harness all forces to grow. The Yoruba's are very intellectual and you must give them that, speak about the corporate world and they are there, speak about technology and they always get it first before it breaks throughout Nigeria, speak about the academia and they have a great majority likewise the Igbos'. The Igbos' are industrial, entrepreneurial and brave people who can turn nothing into something, hustlers who have their own short comings like everyone else. The Northerners are strategic, honest and docile. The recent burst of 80 "Yahoo" boys has not made things easier and i have read many misconceptions about Igbos' and this is why I write. Here are some major misconceptions about Igbos;

ALL IGBOS ARE IPOB
Helloooooo!!!! I have seen more people assume this online than I have seen..... gelato.. hehe.. But look. Biafra was declared because Igbos were being slaughtered in their mass in other regions of Nigeria. I mean a whole 30,000 (official number, some media claim 100,000) Igbos who had nothing to do with the 1966 coup were killed during the counter coup and aftermath. Haba, brother if na you be Ojukwu you no go react when your people say if they don't want us then let us be on our own? But I blame the fact that we do not study history in schools for this because from my research the war was about oil on both sides. You see, Nigerian leaders at the time were not fighting to unify Nigeria simply because they love the Igbos. C'mmon you guys just tried to get rid of us before the British high commissioner in Lagos told the Northerners the importance of oil discovered in the Niger Delta and the disadvantages of separation. The British were interested in one Nigeria so as to prevent French dominance in West Africa and the French supported Biafra to break a British colony, not because they loved Biafrans and well the US did not intervene because they already had the Vietnam war at hand and also did not want to go against British interest. At the same time to be fair, I do no think Ojukwu would declare a Republic which he knows has no chance of survival or major resource so it was a game of I have discovered oil and I am going to keep it because you do not want me and Nigeria is like. If you leave this marriage with that oil money you will payyyyy!!!! So fast forward decades later, and most Igbos are managing their lives and Nnamdi Kanu comes along and is passing this message which of course only the unemployed and those who have nothing to lose listen to and they are clamoring for Biafra. Meanwhile I have lived in the South-South long enough to know that the average Niger Deltan will not be part of Biafra this time. So how do you plan to have a land locked country surrounded by your enemy with no major resources? Guess Nnamdi Kalu can answer that so most Igbo intellects do not follow him and are not IPOB.

THEY ARE DISRESPECTFUL TOWARDS THEIR ELDERS
My father was a senior banker and I remember accompanying him to work one day and I met a Director of the bank. An elderly Yoruba man, smart, professional and charismatic. I admired him honestly as I had dreams to be like him as I was still writing my ICAN exams then so I smiled and greeted Good morning sir! He simply looked at me and snubbed. My father, his deputy apologized and asked me to bow and greet before he acknowledged me. I was ashamed, embarrassed and sure he had concluded I was a disrespectful son but that was far from the truth. To understand this you have to look into the pre-colonial administration of Igbos. The system of government before colonialism was a sort of traditional parliamentary system. Unlike other tribes, decisions were not made by a single king. In-fact, there was no king. Council of Chiefs would have periodic meetings and raise major issues and agree on matters affecting the community. Of course, there was the eldest of the chiefs but he was accorded his respect but not that of a king. We could hold our leaders accountable (please beating of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu no follow for holding him accountable but errrm.....). Chiefs were often the eldest (okpara) or wisest from each clan or family in the community and that way, all families were represented. This is similar to the modern day senate. If you had an issue, you were to approach the eldest in your clan and have a discussion with him and express your feelings. This way we are able to tell our elders how we feel in respectful ways and he would bring such up at the meeting of the council of chiefs. The Igbos believe all men are born equal apart from children of slaves and outcasts. This system had its advantages and disadvantages as it allowed the son of a poor farmer to rise to the top through hard work and also prevented the situation of having a mad king drunk on power. There were however, no royal families with exception of some communities in modern day Delta and Anambra state. Colonization saw the interaction of different tribes and cultures which have kings, bow to elders and do not express feelings to elders and other tribes saw Igbos who do this as disrespectful. The Igbos do not bow, but do not see this as pride it is just not our culture.

GREEDY AND MONEY LOVING
My brothers love money though but hey, everyone does but that does not mean we should do illegal things to get it. There are two sides to this story. Before 1966, Igbos dominated the civil service, military, academia and business. Not by way of marginalizing other tribes but by hard work. After the civil war, the civil servants were not reinstated, the military was purged of Igbos, business men lost all funds and were given £20 max regardless of their pre-civil war bank account balance and the lucky ones in academia used their certificate to travel abroad (this is why my mother says finish school even if you want to be a musician) and this was the beginning of the brain drain problem. The tribe was hungry and discriminated throughout Nigeria and this created a problem where money ruled. Everyone had to start afresh and coupled with a system that did not have royalty and all men were seen as equals, the moment you go out and make money you are worshiped back home. The colonialist had introduced a king (igwe) system to enable easier administration and control of the eastern region but the system had collapsed during the war and it seemed anyone with the right amount of money could become king. It became clear that with enough money you could have so much power in the east so some greedy ones who want to make it fast started to do all sorts of illegal things to come back home powerful. It is so bad that to question their wealth makes you "jealous" and even within extended families cousins compete to outdo each other with wealth rather than lift each other.

THE 1966 COUP WAS AN IGBO COUP
C'mmon guys. Nigerians celebrated after the coup. Imagine being oppressed by whites but at least the system is running fine then imagine those whites giving Nigerians independence and you have your brother in power and the system is no longer running so fine and yet the oppression is worse.... Yeah that was the situation pre 1966. Many Nigerians were clamoring for the military to take over. What they didn't expect was that it will be done by a select few from a particular tribe.. Partially their fault and partially not. You see, the composition of the military back then was majority commissioned officers: Igbo and non-commissioned officers Middle-belt and core North. So Major Kaduna had a small poll to chose from. He did try to recruit other non Igbo officers but most passed his bluff and remember, it is always impossible until it is done.. Now ask yourself, how did he get Northern junior officers to pull the trigger on most Northern politicians? It is not by military chain of command as they could have turned on him to mutiny rather that kill their own but a sense of unity made them to because Nigerians were angry at the time! Now here is where they didn't do well. They failed to carry out the coup in the East, I know, I know, they let tribal sentiments get to them. How can you plan a coup in the North Killing the most respected northern figure and also in the south west and you simply planned to travel to the east after the Lagos stage was complete allowing eastern politicians to escape. Gen. Ironsi seemed to have a soft hand on the coup planners and Decree 34 sealed the deal. But how really do people thing Igbos just planned to take over the country in one swift motion. The plan according to the plotters was to release Awolowo!

THEY DO NOT HELP EACH OTHER
This one has a lot of our uncles sitting on this table. But to be fair we look at both sides. The indigenization decree of 1972 was just 2 years after the civil war. While most Igbos were struggling to get back on their feet and most northerners were not very educated to understand shares and company ownership, the only group with the money and education were the Yorubas. It was a windfall. Foreign multinationals were selling their shares below value to ensure their ownership ratio was in line with the law. This way, the Yourbas owned the corporate sector and honestly they do a good job at helping each other out and I give them that. The Northerners missed on this too but oh well, they have the civil service, majority federal appointments and government control so most people from these tribes are uplifted by their tribesmen in positions of authority in the corporate sector or Government while the Igbos have to strive for themselves and this is why today most Igbo men are business men because they are no jobs for them. Well, for most Nigerians anyway but you get what i'm saying. So the problems starts, the individualistic nature of Igbos dictates that I have made it on my own so you should prove yourself a man by making it on your own. This is no other tribes fault but our own. Those uncles are unconcerned because no one gave them a helping hand and they believe you should go prove yourself. But in life not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur who makes something from nothing rather some can do better working under someone so the fact you made it on your own does not mean you cannot help and if you want to end this drug and 419 problem we have to help each other.

I have read major books on the history of Nigerians on both sides and listened to witnesses of the civil war and do not argue with people who have not done prior research. I love intelligent arguments and hate sentiments, so clarify all I have written and come dispute me and then maybe I might learn something from you, A fool is one who tells himself he knows it all. I learn everyday and will like to hear from others but with well researched arguments please.

13 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Unik3030: 10:59pm On Aug 24, 2019
u are just trying to twist history to your favour, that's all i see

16 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by sorextee(m): 11:23pm On Aug 24, 2019
Igbo's don't like one another. Another reason why the Biafra scheme will not work.
Someone from Enugu cannot relate with anoda from mbaise, etc.

They always want you to play dumb, while they, smart.

They believe in getting rich by all means, no matter the way. Using the 78 Igbo's as a case study.

But above all, I still prefer them to the Yoruba's.
Never entrust your gf to your Yoruba friend, while you are away. They snitch on you and make sure they bleep ur babe.

Plan something with a Yoruba man, he will go behind ur back and say something else.

5 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by njelrapheal: 12:07am On Aug 25, 2019
Op. In deed that was a nice write up but I must say u got it totally wrong to conclude that only those that are unemployed or have nothing to lose follow nnamdi kanu.

7 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Eastlink(m): 12:22am On Aug 25, 2019
Unik3030:
u are just trying to twist history to your favour, that's all i see
He isn't twisting anything. You're just hate filled to understand it.

5 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Nobody: 12:44am On Aug 25, 2019
You raised a point about Igbo culture of similar greeting and shaking hands irrespective of age. 5 yrs old Igbo boy can greet Obi of Onitsha or Eze Eri like any elder would.

3 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Nobody: 12:53am On Aug 25, 2019
When Obasanjo was in power, tribalism was not this bad even when Goodluck was there except his last days in power.
APC brought in ethnicity and religion into Nigeria's politics and sadly, they have come to stay.

15 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Nnukwueze: 1:37am On Aug 25, 2019
Lexokey:
I have been on the cyber space for a while and i must say that the amount of hatred and tribalism coming from most Nigerian forums is very disgusting to say the least. From words like Afonja's, Igbos and Nyamiri it is very sad that the younger generation which is supposed to be the future is much worst that the oldies when it comes to tribalism. Nigerians need to understand that until we all treat each other with respect and put aside tribalism, other African countries will continue to overtake us and we will remain the old giant of Africa. Very few countries are made up of one ethnicity so we should learn to live together and develop. Diversity can be a blessing if you use it well ask Rwanda. Every major tribe has their strong points and weaknesses but we must harness all forces to grow. The Yoruba's are very intellectual and you must give them that, speak about the corporate world and they are there, speak about technology and they always get it first before it breaks throughout Nigeria, speak about the academia and they have a great majority likewise the Igbos'. The Igbos' are industrial, entrepreneurial and brave people who can turn nothing into something, hustlers who have their own short comings like everyone else. The Northerners are strategic, honest and docile. The recent burst of 80 "Yahoo" boys has not made things easier and i have read many misconceptions about Igbos' and this is why I write. Here are some major misconceptions about Igbos;

ALL IGBOS ARE IPOB
Helloooooo!!!! I have seen more people assume this online than I have seen..... gelato.. hehe.. But look. Biafra was declared because Igbos were being slaughtered in their mass in other regions of Nigeria. I mean a whole 30,000 (official number, some media claim 100,000) Igbos who had nothing to do with the 1966 coup were killed during the counter coup and aftermath. Haba, brother if na you be Ojukwu you no go react when your people say if they don't want us then let us be on our own? But I blame the fact that we do not study history in schools for this because from my research the war was about oil on both sides. You see, Nigerian leaders at the time were not fighting to unify Nigeria simply because they love the Igbos. C'mmon you guys just tried to get rid of us before the British high commissioner in Lagos told the Northerners the importance of oil discovered in the Niger Delta and the disadvantages of separation. The British were interested in one Nigeria so as to prevent French dominance in West Africa and the French supported Biafra to break a British colony, not because they loved Biafrans and well the US did not intervene because they already had the Vietnam war at hand and also did not want to go against British interest. At the same time to be fair, I do no think Ojukwu would declare a Republic which he knows has no chance of survival or major resource so it was a game of I have discovered oil and I am going to keep it because you do not want me and Nigeria is like. If you leave this marriage with that oil money you will payyyyy!!!! So fast forward decades later, and most Igbos are managing their lives and Nnamdi Kanu comes along and is passing this message which of course only the unemployed and those who have nothing to lose listen to and they are clamoring for Biafra. Meanwhile I have lived in the South-South long enough to know that the average Niger Deltan will not be part of Biafra this time. So how do you plan to have a land locked country surrounded by your enemy with no major resources? Guess Nnamdi Kalu can answer that so most Igbo intellects do not follow him and are not IPOB.

THEY ARE DISRESPECTFUL TOWARDS THEIR ELDERS
My father was a senior banker and I remember accompanying him to work one day and I met a Director of the bank. An elderly Yoruba man, smart, professional and charismatic. I admired him honestly as I had dreams to be like him as I was still writing my ICAN exams then so I smiled and greeted Good morning sir! He simply looked at me and snubbed. My father, his deputy apologized and asked me to bow and greet before he acknowledged me. I was ashamed, embarrassed and sure he had concluded I was a disrespectful son but that was far from the truth. To understand this you have to look into the pre-colonial administration of Igbos. The system of government before colonialism was a sort of traditional parliamentary system. Unlike other tribes, decisions were not made by a single king. In-fact, there was no king. Council of Chiefs would have periodic meetings and raise major issues and agree on matters affecting the community. Of course, there was the eldest of the chiefs but he was accorded his respect but not that of a king. We could hold our leaders accountable (please beating of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu no follow for holding him accountable but errrm.....). Chiefs were often the eldest (okpara) or wisest from each clan or family in the community and that way, all families were represented. This is similar to the modern day senate. If you had an issue, you were to approach the eldest in your clan and have a discussion with him and express your feelings. This way we are able to tell our elders how we feel in respectful ways and he would bring such up at the meeting of the council of chiefs. The Igbos believe all men are born equal apart from children of slaves and outcasts. This system had its advantages and disadvantages as it allowed the son of a poor farmer to rise to the top through hard work and also prevented the situation of having a mad king drunk on power. There were however, no royal families with exception of some communities in modern day Delta and Anambra state. Colonization saw the interaction of different tribes and cultures which have kings, bow to elders and do not express feelings to elders and other tribes saw Igbos who do this as disrespectful. The Igbos do not bow, but do not see this as pride it is just not our culture.

GREEDY AND MONEY LOVING
My brothers love money though but hey, everyone does but that does not mean we should do illegal things to get it. There are two sides to this story. Before 1966, Igbos dominated the civil service, military, academia and business. Not by way of marginalizing other tribes but by hard work. After the civil war, the civil servants were not reinstated, the military was purged of Igbos, business men lost all funds and were given £20 max regardless of their pre-civil war bank account balance and the lucky ones in academia used their certificate to travel abroad (this is why my mother says finish school even if you want to be a musician) and this was the beginning of the brain drain problem. The tribe was hungry and discriminated throughout Nigeria and this created a problem where money ruled. Everyone had to start afresh and coupled with a system that did not have royalty and all men were seen as equals, the moment you go out and make money you are worshiped back home. The colonialist had introduced a king (igwe) system to enable easier administration and control of the eastern region but the system had collapsed during the war and it seemed anyone with the right amount of money could become king. It became clear that with enough money you could have so much power in the east so some greedy ones who want to make it fast started to do all sorts of illegal things to come back home powerful. It is so bad that to question their wealth makes you "jealous" and even within extended families cousins compete to outdo each other with wealth rather than lift each other.

THE 1966 COUP WAS AN IGBO COUP
C'mmon guys. Nigerians celebrated after the coup. Imagine being oppressed by whites but at least the system is running fine then imagine those whites giving Nigerians independence and you have your brother in power and the system is no longer running so fine and yet the oppression is worse.... Yeah that was the situation pre 1966. Many Nigerians were clamoring for the military to take over. What they didn't expect was that it will be done by a select few from a particular tribe.. Partially their fault and partially not. You see, the composition of the military back then was majority commissioned officers: Igbo and non-commissioned officers Middle-belt and core North. So Major Kaduna had a small poll to chose from. He did try to recruit other non Igbo officers but most passed his bluff and remember, it is always impossible until it is done.. Now ask yourself, how did he get Northern junior officers to pull the trigger on most Northern politicians? It is not by military chain of command as they could have turned on him to mutiny rather that kill their own but a sense of unity made them to because Nigerians were angry at the time! Now here is where they didn't do well. They failed to carry out the coup in the East, I know, I know, they let tribal sentiments get to them. How can you plan a coup in the North Killing the most respected northern figure and also in the south west and you simply planned to travel to the east after the Lagos stage was complete allowing eastern politicians to escape. Gen. Ironsi seemed to have a soft hand on the coup planners and Decree 34 sealed the deal. But how really do people thing Igbos just planned to take over the country in one swift motion. The plan according to the plotters was to release Awolowo!

THEY DO NOT HELP EACH OTHER
This one has a lot of our uncles sitting on this table. But to be fair we look at both sides. The indigenization decree of 1972 was just 2 years after the civil war. While most Igbos were struggling to get back on their feet and most northerners were not very educated to understand shares and company ownership, the only group with the money and education were the Yorubas. It was a windfall. Foreign multinationals were selling their shares below value to ensure their ownership ratio was in line with the law. This way, the Yourbas owned the corporate sector and honestly they do a good job at helping each other out and I give them that. The Northerners missed on this too but oh well, they have the civil service, majority federal appointments and government control so most people from these tribes are uplifted by their tribesmen in positions of authority in the corporate sector or Government while the Igbos have to strive for themselves and this is why today most Igbo men are business men because they are no jobs for them. Well, for most Nigerians anyway but you get what i'm saying. So the problems starts, the individualistic nature of Igbos dictates that I have made it on my own so you should prove yourself a man by making it on your own. This is no other tribes fault but our own. Those uncles are unconcerned because no one gave them a helping hand and they believe you should go prove yourself. But in life not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur who makes something from nothing rather some can do better working under someone so the fact you made it on your own does not mean you cannot help and if you want to end this drug and 419 problem we have to help each other.

I have read major books on the history of Nigerians on both sides and listened to witnesses of the civil war and do not argue with people who have not done prior research. I love intelligent arguments and hate sentiments, so clarify all I have written and come dispute me and then maybe I might learn something from you, A fool is one who tells himself he knows it all. I learn everyday and will like to hear from others but with well researched arguments please.








You must be one of those Lagos Igbos.

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Guestlander: 1:47am On Aug 25, 2019
J111333:
When Obasanjo was in power, tribalism was not this bad even when Goodluck was there except his last days in power.
APC brought in ethnicity and religion into Nigeria's politics and sadly, they have come to stay.

When Jonathan announced to the world that ibos were the pillars of his presidency and ibos were falling over themselves to play the part, was it APC that was pushing them?
Imagine president Buhari saying Hausas are the pillars of my presidency.

6 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by MetaPhysical: 3:03am On Aug 25, 2019
THE 1966 COUP WAS AN IGBO COUP
C'mmon guys. Nigerians celebrated after the coup.

Igbo kwenu! Kwenu!!

Which Nigerians?

Yoruba celebrated that you killed Akintola, Ademoyega and his pregnant wife, Sodeinde?

Abi na Hausa people celebrate after you killed Balewa, Bello, Maimalari?

OP, I wan know the Nigerians that celebrated your cold hearted treatment of your fellow country men.

10 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Guestlander: 3:11am On Aug 25, 2019
MetaPhysical:


Igbo kwenu! Kwenu!!

Which Nigerians?

Yoruba celebrated that you killed Akintola, Ademoyega and his pregnant wife, Sodeinde?

Abi na Hausa people celebrate after you killed Balewa, Bello, Maimalari?

OP, I wan know the Nigerians that celebrated your cold hearted treatment of your fellow country men.

He meant Ibos celebrated. They celebrated so much they got Hausa/Fulanis riled up.

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Rosskiki: 3:13am On Aug 25, 2019
WHY DO YOU PEOPLE USE THE WORD ''TRIBE'' TO DESCRIBE ETHNIC GROUPS AND NATIONALITIES NUMBERING TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE?

IT'S INSANE AND ILLITERATE, NOT TO MENTION HIGHLY INSULTING AND DEMEANING TO THE GROUPS CONCERNED.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Nobody: 3:39am On Aug 25, 2019
Op writing from Joe igbokwe's desk..

...another afongbo..

Typical nonsense...

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Teejayphillip(m): 4:30am On Aug 25, 2019
One of the richest tribe I know....

If u agree with me,lemme see your hands up

2 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Toroso: 5:41am On Aug 25, 2019
You are yet to write on the most important thing of all “Igbos disrespect n insult of other tribes & their leaders”. Igbos are free to insult each other’s clan it leaders I have no problem with that but no Igbo is allowed to insult any soul from my tribe.

Igbos should find enough foolish people among themselves to insult, they have tonnes of them, example is each n every of their governor from 1960 till date. Until that is addressed your long epistle is not worth reading to me talkless of reasoning with, chikena.

[s]
Lexokey:
I have been on the cyber space for a while and i must say that the amount of hatred and tribalism coming from most Nigerian forums is very disgusting to say the least. From words like Afonja's, Igbos and Nyamiri it is very sad that the younger generation which is supposed to be the future is much worst that the oldies when it comes to tribalism. Nigerians need to understand that until we all treat each other with respect and put aside tribalism, other African countries will continue to overtake us and we will remain the old giant of Africa. Very few countries are made up of one ethnicity so we should learn to live together and develop. Diversity can be a blessing if you use it well ask Rwanda. Every major tribe has their strong points and weaknesses but we must harness all forces to grow. The Yoruba's are very intellectual and you must give them that, speak about the corporate world and they are there, speak about technology and they always get it first before it breaks throughout Nigeria, speak about the academia and they have a great majority likewise the Igbos'. The Igbos' are industrial, entrepreneurial and brave people who can turn nothing into something, hustlers who have their own short comings like everyone else. The Northerners are strategic, honest and docile. The recent burst of 80 "Yahoo" boys has not made things easier and i have read many misconceptions about Igbos' and this is why I write. Here are some major misconceptions about Igbos;

ALL IGBOS ARE IPOB
Helloooooo!!!! I have seen more people assume this online than I have seen..... gelato.. hehe.. But look. Biafra was declared because Igbos were being slaughtered in their mass in other regions of Nigeria. I mean a whole 30,000 (official number, some media claim 100,000) Igbos who had nothing to do with the 1966 coup were killed during the counter coup and aftermath. Haba, brother if na you be Ojukwu you no go react when your people say if they don't want us then let us be on our own? But I blame the fact that we do not study history in schools for this because from my research the war was about oil on both sides. You see, Nigerian leaders at the time were not fighting to unify Nigeria simply because they love the Igbos. C'mmon you guys just tried to get rid of us before the British high commissioner in Lagos told the Northerners the importance of oil discovered in the Niger Delta and the disadvantages of separation. The British were interested in one Nigeria so as to prevent French dominance in West Africa and the French supported Biafra to break a British colony, not because they loved Biafrans and well the US did not intervene because they already had the Vietnam war at hand and also did not want to go against British interest. At the same time to be fair, I do no think Ojukwu would declare a Republic which he knows has no chance of survival or major resource so it was a game of I have discovered oil and I am going to keep it because you do not want me and Nigeria is like. If you leave this marriage with that oil money you will payyyyy!!!! So fast forward decades later, and most Igbos are managing their lives and Nnamdi Kanu comes along and is passing this message which of course only the unemployed and those who have nothing to lose listen to and they are clamoring for Biafra. Meanwhile I have lived in the South-South long enough to know that the average Niger Deltan will not be part of Biafra this time. So how do you plan to have a land locked country surrounded by your enemy with no major resources? Guess Nnamdi Kalu can answer that so most Igbo intellects do not follow him and are not IPOB.

THEY ARE DISRESPECTFUL TOWARDS THEIR ELDERS
My father was a senior banker and I remember accompanying him to work one day and I met a Director of the bank. An elderly Yoruba man, smart, professional and charismatic. I admired him honestly as I had dreams to be like him as I was still writing my ICAN exams then so I smiled and greeted Good morning sir! He simply looked at me and snubbed. My father, his deputy apologized and asked me to bow and greet before he acknowledged me. I was ashamed, embarrassed and sure he had concluded I was a disrespectful son but that was far from the truth. To understand this you have to look into the pre-colonial administration of Igbos. The system of government before colonialism was a sort of traditional parliamentary system. Unlike other tribes, decisions were not made by a single king. In-fact, there was no king. Council of Chiefs would have periodic meetings and raise major issues and agree on matters affecting the community. Of course, there was the eldest of the chiefs but he was accorded his respect but not that of a king. We could hold our leaders accountable (please beating of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu no follow for holding him accountable but errrm.....). Chiefs were often the eldest (okpara) or wisest from each clan or family in the community and that way, all families were represented. This is similar to the modern day senate. If you had an issue, you were to approach the eldest in your clan and have a discussion with him and express your feelings. This way we are able to tell our elders how we feel in respectful ways and he would bring such up at the meeting of the council of chiefs. The Igbos believe all men are born equal apart from children of slaves and outcasts. This system had its advantages and disadvantages as it allowed the son of a poor farmer to rise to the top through hard work and also prevented the situation of having a mad king drunk on power. There were however, no royal families with exception of some communities in modern day Delta and Anambra state. Colonization saw the interaction of different tribes and cultures which have kings, bow to elders and do not express feelings to elders and other tribes saw Igbos who do this as disrespectful. The Igbos do not bow, but do not see this as pride it is just not our culture.

GREEDY AND MONEY LOVING
My brothers love money though but hey, everyone does but that does not mean we should do illegal things to get it. There are two sides to this story. Before 1966, Igbos dominated the civil service, military, academia and business. Not by way of marginalizing other tribes but by hard work. After the civil war, the civil servants were not reinstated, the military was purged of Igbos, business men lost all funds and were given £20 max regardless of their pre-civil war bank account balance and the lucky ones in academia used their certificate to travel abroad (this is why my mother says finish school even if you want to be a musician) and this was the beginning of the brain drain problem. The tribe was hungry and discriminated throughout Nigeria and this created a problem where money ruled. Everyone had to start afresh and coupled with a system that did not have royalty and all men were seen as equals, the moment you go out and make money you are worshiped back home. The colonialist had introduced a king (igwe) system to enable easier administration and control of the eastern region but the system had collapsed during the war and it seemed anyone with the right amount of money could become king. It became clear that with enough money you could have so much power in the east so some greedy ones who want to make it fast started to do all sorts of illegal things to come back home powerful. It is so bad that to question their wealth makes you "jealous" and even within extended families cousins compete to outdo each other with wealth rather than lift each other.

THE 1966 COUP WAS AN IGBO COUP
C'mmon guys. Nigerians celebrated after the coup. Imagine being oppressed by whites but at least the system is running fine then imagine those whites giving Nigerians independence and you have your brother in power and the system is no longer running so fine and yet the oppression is worse.... Yeah that was the situation pre 1966. Many Nigerians were clamoring for the military to take over. What they didn't expect was that it will be done by a select few from a particular tribe.. Partially their fault and partially not. You see, the composition of the military back then was majority commissioned officers: Igbo and non-commissioned officers Middle-belt and core North. So Major Kaduna had a small poll to chose from. He did try to recruit other non Igbo officers but most passed his bluff and remember, it is always impossible until it is done.. Now ask yourself, how did he get Northern junior officers to pull the trigger on most Northern politicians? It is not by military chain of command as they could have turned on him to mutiny rather that kill their own but a sense of unity made them to because Nigerians were angry at the time! Now here is where they didn't do well. They failed to carry out the coup in the East, I know, I know, they let tribal sentiments get to them. How can you plan a coup in the North Killing the most respected northern figure and also in the south west and you simply planned to travel to the east after the Lagos stage was complete allowing eastern politicians to escape. Gen. Ironsi seemed to have a soft hand on the coup planners and Decree 34 sealed the deal. But how really do people thing Igbos just planned to take over the country in one swift motion. The plan according to the plotters was to release Awolowo!

THEY DO NOT HELP EACH OTHER
This one has a lot of our uncles sitting on this table. But to be fair we look at both sides. The indigenization decree of 1972 was just 2 years after the civil war. While most Igbos were struggling to get back on their feet and most northerners were not very educated to understand shares and company ownership, the only group with the money and education were the Yorubas. It was a windfall. Foreign multinationals were selling their shares below value to ensure their ownership ratio was in line with the law. This way, the Yourbas owned the corporate sector and honestly they do a good job at helping each other out and I give them that. The Northerners missed on this too but oh well, they have the civil service, majority federal appointments and government control so most people from these tribes are uplifted by their tribesmen in positions of authority in the corporate sector or Government while the Igbos have to strive for themselves and this is why today most Igbo men are business men because they are no jobs for them. Well, for most Nigerians anyway but you get what i'm saying. So the problems starts, the individualistic nature of Igbos dictates that I have made it on my own so you should prove yourself a man by making it on your own. This is no other tribes fault but our own. Those uncles are unconcerned because no one gave them a helping hand and they believe you should go prove yourself. But in life not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur who makes something from nothing rather some can do better working under someone so the fact you made it on your own does not mean you cannot help and if you want to end this drug and 419 problem we have to help each other.

I have read major books on the history of Nigerians on both sides and listened to witnesses of the civil war and do not argue with people who have not done prior research. I love intelligent arguments and hate sentiments, so clarify all I have written and come dispute me and then maybe I might learn something from you, A fool is one who tells himself he knows it all. I learn everyday and will like to hear from others but with well researched arguments please.





[/s]

4 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Toroso: 5:43am On Aug 25, 2019
and stay it will.
J111333:
When Obasanjo was in power, tribalism was not this bad even when Goodluck was there except his last days in power.
APC brought in ethnicity and religion into Nigeria's politics and sadly, they have come to stay.
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by tsdarkside(m): 5:43am On Aug 25, 2019
their is nothing to misunderstand....una love money too much....

so much that una would even risk death to get it....

1 Like

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by 1shortblackboy: 5:50am On Aug 25, 2019
J111333:
When Obasanjo was in power, tribalism was not this bad even when Goodluck was there except his last days in power.
APC brought in ethnicity and religion into Nigeria's politics and sadly, they have come to stay.
tribalism and religion have been part of Nigeria s politics even before independence
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by jafol(m): 6:13am On Aug 25, 2019
Unik3030:
u are just trying to twist history to your favour, that's all i see

Lmao I tire for this igbos my brother. After I saw the coup was to release Awolowo. I stopped reading. Awolowo that was still in jail before and after civil war lmao

1 Like

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by meccuno: 6:34am On Aug 25, 2019
Carefully reading comments of non igbos both on Facebook, Twitter and Nairaland ,I can confidently say that for the Igbos to succeed in life and have a place in this world , they need to have their own separate Nation. There is no need for pretext because all I can see is that no matter what the Igbos do it would never be appreciated and as I can see it they only want them to be subjucated and become loyal slaves which is not how God created us . With Nigeria as a country there is no future for the Igbos. No matter how political correct we want to be.all they are out for is blood. I lost faith in Nigeria years ago. It's only a matter of time before shit hits the fan. And it would happen in our generation or next.

7 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by babyfaceafrica: 6:48am On Aug 25, 2019
you wrote nothing new

2 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by mrvitalis(m): 7:43am On Aug 25, 2019
People know me here on nairaland i was so liberal most of my igbo brothers question my igboness

The igbo man is unique ,the igbo man position is something igbos dont understand,for u to understand how other people feel about us

Imagine there is an area in enugu with super fine house and very expensive and hsusas own most of the houses

Imagine most super market in enugu to go to pay n u see its own but an hausa man

Ur big and pharmacy stores are own by hausa men

The finest girls in enugu are hausa n only role with hausa guys

In your school in enugu hausa guys dominate
I hope we now get the picture

Hatred is built over years ,most people here hate igbos for one reason or the other and finally see politics as the only place they can pay igbos back

If an igbo man become president its over there is no where to hold an igbo man again ,

The hate is national ,they try to justify it ,even them cant , south south (remove akwa cross ) beofore my family bought land in bayelsa we had to hide under an someone from bayelsa ...south south only step back the hate after 2011 and 2015 that they saw the true igbo,south west ,middle belt seem cool now ...fulani dont like us because they cant manipulate us
Hausa care less

There is nothing u can do to please them

9 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Lexokey: 8:34am On Aug 25, 2019
njelrapheal:
Op. In deed that was a nice write up but I must say u got it totally wrong to conclude that only those that are unemployed or have nothing to lose follow nnamdi kanu.

Maybe I put it the wrong way but I have been in the East for sometime and witnessed their rallies and it is mostly the unemployed youths his messages cut across to. The elites do not support him but are afraid to speak up for fear of backlash from the people. The average business man is just trying to pick up his life and the elders who witnessed the war always advise against another agitation.

1 Like

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Lexokey: 8:39am On Aug 25, 2019
Nnukwueze:




You must be one of those Lagos Igbos.

Lagos Igbos? Please break this down.
A traveler is wiser than an old man. I have been to all geo-political zones in Nigeria and anywhere I go I try to understand the locals. I try not to let sentiments cloud my judgement. I understand my people are not angels but are unfairly marginalized and misunderstood hence the write up.

1 Like

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Nobody: 8:53am On Aug 25, 2019
mrvitalis:
People know me here on nairaland i was so liberal most of my igbo brothers question my igboness

The igbo man is unique ,the igbo man position is something igbos dont understand,for u to understand how other people feel about us

Imagine there is an area in enugu with super fine house and very expensive and hsusas own most of the houses

Imagine most super market in enugu to go to pay n u see its own but an hausa man

Ur big and pharmacy stores are own by hausa men

The finest girls in enugu are hausa n only role with hausa guys

In your school in enugu hausa guys dominate
I hope we now get the picture

Hatred is built over years ,most people here hate igbos for one reason or the other and finally see politics as the only place they can pay igbos back

If an igbo man become president its over there is no where to hold an igbo man again ,

The hate is national ,they try to justify it ,even them cant , south south (remove akwa cross ) beofore my family bought land in bayelsa we had to hide under an someone from bayelsa ...south south only step back the hate after 2011 and 2015 that they saw the true igbo,south west ,middle belt seem cool now ...fulani dont like us because they cant manipulate us
Hausa care less

There is nothing u can do to please them

Op come and read this ....

This here is the raw truth.. and nothing but the truth.

If you claim ..you been to the six Geo political zone and don't still write your trash up..

E mean say ... you've not been anywhere.

Nigeria presently is build and fueled on igbo hate..

Chiefly sponsored by the southwest Geo political zone.

One is still pained as observed above ...that Jonathan mentioned igbos as pillars of his administration..
Mind you..
North no complain..middle belt no complain...

But read above and see the hatred in his post..that he even made example of it..

Yet he daily sees president Buhari open support of fulani...to him is okay.

Wisdom is profitable to direct..only if igbos both elites and locals open dia eyes to the present reality of the country...

Mrvital...
Thanks for this truth..

2 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Lexokey: 8:55am On Aug 25, 2019
jafol:


Lmao I tire for this igbos my brother. After I saw the coup was to release Awolowo. I stopped reading. Awolowo that was still in jail before and after civil war lmao

I did not witness 1966 and everything I write, I write from history and eye witness account and try to be unbiased. Please read books from both sides including why we struck by Maj Adewale Ademoyega and the accounts of The Owa of Ido-Ani, Oba Olufemi Olutoye, a retired Major-General in the Nigerian Army who served at the time both Yoruba men. In the coup plotters words not mine, that was their aim. Awolowo remained in prison because the coup failed and Gen. Aguyi Ironsi who took over was not part of this coup. We need to get history back into our curriculum.
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by njelrapheal: 9:03am On Aug 25, 2019
Lexokey:


Maybe I put it the wrong way but I have been in the East for sometime and witnessed their rallies and it is mostly the unemployed youths his messages cut across to. The elites do not support him but are afraid to speak up for fear of backlash from the people. The average business man is just trying to pick up his life and the elders who witnessed the war always advise against another agitation.
The fact that it is mostly the 'unemployed' youths that turn up for the rally does not totally represent the entirety of his supporters. You see in a struggle like this, there are those that support with other resources they have but may not be at the rallies. You also did not explain what you mean by those who have nothing to lose.
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by tunjiajayi: 9:10am On Aug 25, 2019
The Igbos get the hate they give.

3 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Smoke55: 9:21am On Aug 25, 2019
meccuno:
Carefully reading comments of non igbos both on Facebook, Twitter and Nairaland ,I can confidently say that for the Igbos to succeed in life and have a place in this world , they need to have their own separate Nation. There is no need for pretext because all I can see is that no matter what the Igbos do it would never be appreciated and as I can see it they only want them to be subjucated and become loyal slaves which is not how God created us . With Nigeria as a country there is no future for the Igbos. No matter how political correct we want to be.all they are out for is blood. I lost faith in Nigeria years ago. It's only a matter of time before shit hits the fan. And it would happen in our generation or next.
best Comment Ever!! Thumb Up Bro!
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by loopman: 9:28am On Aug 25, 2019
Nobody is misunderstanding the igbos.

Igbos attitudes, behavioral pattern, what they prioritize, socio-relationship and above all their attitude towards the status of Nigeria is enough for enough to draw conclusions about igbos

But for Northerners that love Nigeria simply because of the benefits Nigeria affords them, Yorubas would have preferred a distant relationship with igbos as neighboring countries as they don’t share that same value system on most issues

4 Likes

Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by Lexokey: 9:31am On Aug 25, 2019
njelrapheal:

The fact that it is mostly the 'unemployed' youths that turn up for the rally does not totally represent the entirety of his supporters. You see in a struggle like this, there are those that support with other resources they have but may not be at the rallies. You also did not explain what you mean by those who have nothing to lose.

You have a good point and I think I will like to learn some things from you. I agree maybe some support with other resources but I am yet to see any. I also want to understand, if a referendum is granted today and Biafra becomes a republic how do we;
Survive a landlocked country surrounded by enemies who will charge us dearly to use their ports because I know for sure the Niger Delta will not be part of Biafra this time. State creation has split the old Biafran block and even during the war the minority nations felt dominated by the Igbos. Secondly, how are you sure another round of oppression will not begin with the Nnewi man looking down on the Abakaliki man and so on. The Igbos are not very united. Lastly, who will lead? which Igbo politician currently can match up to the likes of Alex Ekwueme and Micheal Okpara?
Re: Igbo's, Nigeria's Most Misunderstood Tribe by mrvitalis(m): 9:34am On Aug 25, 2019
bonnylight003:


Op come and read this ....

This here is the raw truth.. and nothing but the truth.

If you claim ..you been to the six Geo political zone and don't still write your trash up..

E mean say ... you've not been anywhere.

Nigeria presently is build and fueled on igbo hate..

Chiefly sponsored by the southwest Geo political zone.

One is still pained as observed above ...that Jonathan mentioned igbos as pillars of his administration..
Mind you..
North no complain..middle belt no complain...

But read above and see the hatred in his post..that he even made example of it..

Yet he daily sees president Buhari open support of fulani...to him is okay.

Wisdom is profitable to direct..only if igbos both elites and locals open dia eyes to the present reality of the country...

Mrvital...
Thanks for this truth..

The truth is igbos are now more united than before ..have u seen how fast owerri and enugu is opening up ?

2 Likes

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