. written by Mr Sunny Chris Okenwa .
 
I will quote verbatim ad literatim the opinion of the writer that I am at issue with and take them one after the other. He stated that:


"The Igbos generally are known primarily as a very hardworking and brutally ambitious race, one whose industrious resolve and spirit of survival are hard to break. The average Igbo man knows how to make money by hook or by crook and how to make best use of it when acquired. Sometimes the issues of the day as they concern money boil over and are settled with blood and iron, " The average Igbo man knows how to make money by hook or by crook and how to make best use of it when acquired. Sometimes the issues of the day as they concern money boil over and are settled with blood and iron, The last element against the Igbo race is the lust/love of money. ,  The root of all evil Nigerian in broader perspectives is money and that is the crux of the matter"

Mr. Okenwa stated that he is "from the east, a full-blooded Igboman from Anambra extraction. I was born and bred in a sleepy town kilometers away from but I Onitsha" There are many towns that are neighboring the commercial city of Onitsha. I am tempted to say that "the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau" Even though he did not specify the "sleepy town kilometers away from Onitsha" where he hails from I will not doubt him if he claims to be an Igbo man. Obviously, the fact that he is from the area announced has clothed him with the authority to chastize Igbos as greedy, overly aggressive, deceitful, heartless and even criminal minded.

To be precise, I am from the ancient Nri kingdom, unarguably the origin of the Igbos and the epicenter of Igbo culture, tradition and civilization. However, I take it seriously when people take the sins of the few in the society and generalize or magnify them to define the whole society of Igbos. Some people use the bad names made by 10% of the society and generalize it to serve a way that the society is defined.

It is not in issue that Igbos are hardworking, industrious and use the God-given talent to improve his lot. That is not the issue. To argue that an average Igbo man will kill to make money is over the top. We have lots of honey Igbos around who has made money for themselves. I am wondering when being industrious and ability to use a God-given talent became a vice instead of a virtue.

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Tell me, how many people in this world hate money? I have traveled all over Nigeria myself and have not seen any Nigerian of any tribe that does not love money. I have also traveled almost all continents in this globe and I am yet to find anyone that hate money with the same passion that Igbos are said to love money. I am still searching for that man or woman or that tribe or nation that abhors money.

He went on to say: "Secondly, the problem of poverty in the hinterland and how to conquer same is seen as a tall challenge and abiding duty. That is why some men and women go to any length (419, drug running, prostitution, money rituals, secret society, armed robbery etc) to break even. Breaking away thus from the pangs of poverty and liberating one's people from it's excruciating dehumanizing effects becomes synonymous with war and victory. The war against indigence therefore encourages all sorts of (mis)adventures in the religious quest for positive results. In a land where richness (no matter the source) determines how successful you are in life and the way society recognizes you nothing short is expected but outright triumph. Aggressive manhunt for materialism becomes the order of the day."

This is a general statement. For him to state that it summarizes what Igbos do in particular is sequel to saying that Nigeria抯 problems was caused by the Igbos. The 419, drug running, prostitution, money rituals, secret society and armed robbery he mentioned are the general Nigerian sickness. To associate the Igbos as the progenitors of these malaise show utter ignorance of the problems themselves.

When NBC network in USA did their documentary/ investigation few weeks ago about Advanced Fee Fraud aka 419, and shown on a program titled "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" the voices of the person at the other end of the recorded phone conversations are not Igbos. Go to prisons all over USA and in fact, all over the world and give me the statistics of how many Igbos are in jail for credit cards fraud, 419 and even armed robbery. Even in the midst of Nigerians in Diaspora, and even our "American-born Nigerians"show me how many Igbos are serving jail terms for the offenses enumerated. It takes only a little research to know the statistics.

How about the money ritual? Let Mr. Okenwa take a trip to Okija and ask the priests there to show him the visitor-to-the shrine register. I challenge him to do that and tell me whether the names of the high and mighty contained therein are Igbos alone. The now infamous Eddie (Okeke) Nawgu, if he is still alive, will tell you how many high and mighty the ruled Nigeria at the time patronized him. Do you wonder why it was very difficult and in fact, almost impossible for the Bakassi Boys to finally get a 慻o ahead? order to take bring him to justice (or was it take justice to him)?

The secret society that Mr. Okenwa talked about is even very funny. Pray, what is the origin of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity? Who reformed it? A little more research here by him will do.

Yet Igbos are guilty of loving money. Since Nigeria抯 Independence till date, tell me how many Igbos have stolen Nigeria抯 money. During Buhari/Idiagbon Regime, how many Igbo politicians were found guilty by "Awote Panel" and later "Uwaifo Panel" for embezzlement of public funds. Those of them that survived after their jail terms are still very relevant in Nigeria politics! They are still parading about with their ill-gotten wealth. There are some that were smart and were not 慶aught? stealing, and they are still running around trying to rule the country again. We are not talking about naira here, we are talking about billions of dollars belonging to you and me. You do not see those people, but it is easy to locate Igbo men and women striving day and night to make ends meet the hard way and put a label on them.

How about currently? Tell me how many governors were indicted by EFCC and how many of them come from Igbo states. The governor that disguised like a woman to escape from custody of the British police, you tell me what state he ruled.

There was a publication a couple of years or so ago that detailed how many corrupt Nigerian elite have money is bank accounts scattered all over the globe and the amount of money each of them stashed away. The money in question are money belonging to you and me. It is not just government抯 money, it belongs to you and me. They mortgaged the future of our children and our children抯 children. Could he tell me how many Igbo men are among them? I wonder what would have happened if majority of those names are Igbo names!

All these are stereotypes and prejudices. The problem is that we allow these stereotypes and labels to stick by the words of people like Okenwa. It is like when the jews are blamed for every thing that happens in the world, every jew is seen as a cheat and a manipulator and would do anything for money. In USA, many successful black people are seen as drug barons, illiterate or semi-literate rich sportsman and worse still gangsters. Because of the terrorist acts of a few Muslims, every person that looks like a middle easterner or arabic is seen a terrorist or potential terrorist. When Timothy Mcveigh and his partners in crime bombed down Oklahoma city building, killing 168 people including little children in April 19, 1995, everyone was looking for arab-looking people as the culprits not knowing that the culprits were real white Americans!

All these are labels and racial profiling. We, Igbos allow people to define or profile us by allowing unchallenged this kinds of articles by people that will first of all claim to be Igbos or start with preamble "I have many Igbo friends, " "I love Igbo people" "I lived in Igboland all my life, " etc etc.

It is like what happened in the US Presidential election in 2004. Democrat John Kerry allowed Republican President Bush and his hatchet men to label him as a flip-flopper or wishy washy. He also allowed unchallenged the commercials put out by the "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth" that labeled him as unpatriotic and weak on national defense. This is a man that fought for his country and received several wounds, and left his sweats and bloods in the battlefield of Vietnam. But his adversaries neither actually served in the military nor saw real combat action. George Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard to avoid being drafted in the real military and therefore avoid going to war in Vietnam, and Vice President Cheney received several deferment to avoid going to war. But Kerry did not challenge the commercials and allowed them to define him.

I am not saying that Igbos are saints, even though the only Nigerian saint is an Igboman (Late Fr Cyprain Iwene Tansi) Every society has there own 10% of bad people. But Igbos should always defend themselves from such unwarranted attacks and when anybody, I don抰 care from whatever tribe he comes and even from misguided Igbos. Otherwise, we will continue to be defined by then. People that have never even associated Igbos already formed opinions about us. I will tell you a story of what happened in 1994. There was this young lady from the western part of the country. She got admission to study political science in my alma mater, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. But she was scared to come to school there because of all the strange things she heard about Igbos. But when she finally braved it to come down, she was amazed as to what she saw on the ground and the hospitality she received. Do you know that she even won a very competitive election as Hostel Representative against a Igbo student. She couldn抰 believe it and she was overwhelmed by emotion and confessed to all the stereotypes and prejudices she had against the Igbos caused by what she heard from people prior to coming down to Igboland.

According to Mr Okenwa:


"It was the love of money that pushed Arthur Nzeribe to use the infamous ABN and late Justice Bassey Ikpeme in criminal connivance with IBB to scuttle the June 12 presidential election convincingly won by late Chief MKO Abiola (may his generous soul rest in peace). It was the love of money that made the late Clement Akpamgbo, Walter Ofonagoro and Uche Chukwumerije to defend the indefensible while serving the Babangida/Abacha dictatorships in various capacities. Even today Frank Nweke, the Information Minister is doing the same cannon fodding job without qualms. The Igbos like every other Nigerians love power and it's appurtenances".

It is easy to blame Igbos for scuttling June 12. Mr. Okenwa forgot the honorable role played by Professor Humfrey Nwosu, who was the NEC chairman at the time. Prof. Nwosu was reportedly tortured and humiliated by IBB when the former insisted on releasing the whole election result. Many people forgot that IBB always claim to listen to the masses only to turn back and do what he pleases. Recall the events leading to Nigeria taking IMF loans during IBB regime. The evil genius asked for peoples opinion regarding the issue. His astute advisers told him that it was a bad idea and public opinion was against it, even students protested against taking the IMF loans. What did IBB do? He turned 360 degrees and did as he pleased. He took the IMF loans. When, according to him, he trying to sow democratic norms in Nigeria, he called for debates about what party system would be best for Nigeria. Despite the fact that majority of Nigerians wanted a multi-party system, IBB made his own decision that two-party system was better. In fact, he formed two parties: Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC), fashioned each party抯 manifesto and asked politicians and all Nigerians to choose for themselves whichever party they wanted to belong to. Is that democracy? So when did IBB start paying attention to what Nigerians wanted or what few sycophants wanted him to do. When did IBB become so docile that the likes of Nzeribe and Chief Jerry Okolo, that formed ABN (Association for Better Nigeria) would sway him into doing what they wanted him to do? It is ridiculous to think that those people mentioned were the people that actually put a spanner in the works of June 12.

How about the group named MAD during IBB regime? This group have majority of northerners as members and they hijacked a plane threatening more attacks if IBB would hand over. Till date, neither the leaders of the group nor their members were arrested nor tried for sedition. The government knew whom they were.

How about the beneficiaries of June 12. I can recall one cartoon in the Nigerian

Guardian Newspaper sometimes in 1993. It said:

"On June 12 we stand"

"On June 12 we sit"

"On June 12 we munch"

Each of the sentences had a picture depicting politicians and their changing actions and demeanor based on what IBB and Sanni Abacha team came up with.

It is on record that Chief Ralph Obioha and Bobo Nwosisi flanked Chief MKO Abiola, the day he declared himself president before going into hiding. These honorable men suffered persecutions from Abacha. Chief Obioha had his bank liquidated by Abacha while Nwosisi was forced into and died in exile.

Mr Okenwa went on to say that:


"It was the love of money that brought out the youthful worst in the uncouth Daniel Kanu to sell his soul to Abacha while leading the YEAA in the hey days of the one-man demented despotic bulldozer, the love of money has steadily turned the Igboland into a vast empire where money is the undisputed king. Those who made money approach and heavily pay local and international musicians like 'Morroco', Oliver De Coque or Osita Osadebe for praise-singing songs"
On the contrary during the dark days of Abacha regime, many Obas, Chiefs, Kings, and Emirs were singing "Abacha forever" songs. As a matter of fact, as far back as in 1993 after Abacha hijacked the government, some Igbo elders led a delegation that went to Abacha to inquire from him why an Igbo son, Real Admiral Allison Madueke was removed from the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) and why an Igbo son was not chosen to fill the vacuum created from the demotion of Madueke; and why Abacha tend to turn his back on Igbos as regards federal appointments and share of the national cake. Abacha抯 answer was that out of many states that demonstrated in support of his regime, no Igbo state has demonstrated in support of his government. It was after they came back that they got a "rent-a-crowd" and invited NTA to cover the event for their national network news to please the maximum dictator.

It was Chief Alex Ekwueme that led the gang of G-34 (that later metamorphosed to PDP) to write a letter to the dreaded Abacha to halt his plan of transmuting himself in office. Many thought that Ekwueme wanted to commit suicide or at best had lost his mind to challenge the almighty Abacha. The dictator died few days after reading the letter! Many people now are dancing around condemning Abacha while at the time they were his praise-singers.

As for the sycophants and praise-singers, I have not seen any high-life musician these days that do not praise sing. The Sunny Okosuns, Sunny Ades, Shina Peters etc all make a living from singing peoples praise. This is the general sign of societal decay. Nigeria is rated the second most corrupt country in the world. Nigeria did not receive this rating because Igbos are the helm of affairs of the country or because the control the 憌ho gets what? in the country. All the "wetin you carry" and the 慹gunje? givers and takers in the Nigerian customs and Immigration are not mainly Igbos.

According to Mr. Okenwa:


",  he relationship existing between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' is like the relationship between the master and the slave. If you have money in Igboland you are the equivalent of a king and if you are poor then you are no more than a glorified slave. The word or advice of the 'king', the well-to-do is wisdom while that of the victim of poverty is seen as worthless. It is a perfect setting where everyone knows the status or class he/she belongs and nothing must be done by the 'slave' to challenge any action of the rich. Rather in some cases the rich imposes certain things and decides how things should be run.

I have not seen anywhere in the world where the poor rule against the rich in the society. Even in America, no politician is a poor man. All are millionaires that wanted to turn their economic powers

into political powers. It is not news that rich people always dominate the poor. So to associate the problem of rich determining what goes on in the society as a problem of the Igbo just giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. The problem is general decay of the societal fabric of the country called Nigeria. Poverty and hopelessness is one of the indices of this societal malaise. Our norms and values as a nation has disappeared. People worship wealth as their God and people that stole our country抯 money are still not done yet!

I was surprised when Mr. Okenwa stated that:



"For decades now the Igbos have had to deal with naked neglect and marginalization by the successive powers-that-be because of the failed Biafran project (or so it seems) and it's dashed hopes and dreams; we have had to bear the brunt that failure brings, that is why development in the rural areas and even towns and cities are assured by the people themselves in the absence of genuine help by the authorities of state. The Imo Airport is a classical case in point. Abandoned federal projects abound everywhere especially in the east"
I do not know that Mr. Okenwa knew that Igbos are marginalized. What I was surprised for was that he cannot connect the Igbos quest for survival as a being borne out of circumstances facing them. How about the Biafran scientists that produced all the locally made ammunition, manufactured refineries and machines that purified water? What happened to them? Where are they now? Their ingenuity were allowed to rot because Nigerian government was afraid that Igbos will seize power.

I also do not know about Mr. Okenwa抯 town, but I do know that most towns in Igboland survive through self-help. In my own town, every social amenity was built by the community or individuals. Schools, post office, markets, water, electricity, hospital/maternity etc where built by the community only to be taken over by the government. An average Igbo community has given up on the government for help in providing social amenities.

The real problem of the Igbos especially Anambra state is a disconnect between the intellectuals and the so-called money bags/money miss roads. The intellectuals stand by aloof while the semi-literate hold our states to ransom. We lack the courage or the conviction to take our states back from these cabals. We allow Igbo haters and their agents of disunity to hold our state to ransom. As long as we are not personally affected by the acts of these evil men, we allow them to have a field day. We lack the guts to stand up and say "stop this nonsense" and actually mean it. I have been wondering what would have happened during the time of the purported impeachment of Gov. Peter Obi, if all the 憌ho is who? in Anambra state both at home and in diaspora irrespective of political leanings or ideologies; had organized themselves together. Matched to the hallowed House of Assembly complex, lined up forming a ring and began a hunger strike right in front of the House for a couple of days. The news all over the world will carry that. Or if they do the same thing at Aso Rock and tell President Olusegun Obasanjo to leave our state alone; and tell him to stop using the few trouble makers in our midst to cause confusion in Igboland and dare him to call his soldier to shoot all the cream of Igbo nation, right there in front of Aso Rock. I have been wondering what the result would be. Professor Chinua Achebe was criticized by some, for turning down a national award from the president. It made a powerful news all over the world. The distinguished professor showed us how a little protest like that goes a long way in making powerful statement. Many of our intellectuals should emulate him.

@Mohadana,

Just curious. Are you an Igbo man living in Ijawland?

mohadana I hope you have a huge blanket to protect you.  all IGBO people will send missile to you in a minute, lol interesting article

@ Mamajama

Why do u thik Igbos are gonna do that.He's actually taking sides and doing a hell of a job of it.

Mohadana

why u dey worry urself? there r ppl who have a fancy for igbo bashing and r so pathetic in there argument dat dey unwittingly expose demselves for the immature tribalists dey r.

Mohadana'a intention is suspicious going by his posting history.

McKren:

Mohadana'a intention is suspicious going by his posting history.

I agree. His posting history and the usual inflammatory retorts towards the Igbos is a sharp contrast to this particular thread.

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mohadana:

I think you should have quoted d isolated sections u wanted to address so they appear in those green boxes separate from your own comments for better clarity.

every one nijeriya igbo should have a rethink

freeze001:


I think u should have quoted the isolated sections u wanted to address so they appear in those green boxes separate from your own comments for better clarity.

Exactly dear. He actually ended up confusing me and making the text unengaging.

@ mohadana this is a great job. I suggest you take time to edit it, and group the varioous qoutes you wish to address under CAPPED sub headings at least. Please let the readers know where each quote stops and where your rejoinder stars/stops.

Kudos though.

Stop whining and support Biafra