The following appeared in today's online edition of The Nation newspaper, and I quote:

Why Nigerians hate Igbo, by Chinua Achebe
Posted by: Sam Omatseye Posted date: October 20, 2012

Nigeria’s foremost novelist Chinua Achebe has claimed that Nigerians, especially of the Hausa/Fulani and the Yoruba stocks, do not like his Igbo ethnic group because of the southeast’s cultural advantage.

He made this claim in his new book, There was a Country, which has generated controversy for his onslaught on the role of Obafemi Awolowo as the federal commissioner of finance during the Nigeria civil war. He accused Awolowo of genocide and imposition of food blockade on Biafra, a claim that has drawn rebuttals and contradictions of emotional intensity from some southwest leaders and commentators.

“I have written in my small book entitled The Trouble with Nigeria that Nigerians will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo,” he wrote under the heading, A History of Ethnic Tension and Resentment. He traced the origin of “the national resentment of the Igbo” to its culture that “gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society.”

He observed that the Igbo culture’s emphasis on change, individualism and competitiveness gave his ethnic group an edge over the Hausa/Fulani man who was hindered by a “wary religion” and the Yoruba man who was hampered by” traditional hierarchies.”

He therefore described the Igbo, who are predominantly Catholic, as “fearing no god or man, was “custom-made to grasp the opportunities, such as they were, of the white man’s dispensations. And the Igbo did so with both hands.”

He delved into history with his claim, asserting that the Igbo overcame the earlier Yoruba advantage within two decades earlier in the twentieth century.

“Although the Yoruba had a huge historical and geographical head start, the Igbo wiped out their handicap in one fantastic burst of energy in the twenty years between 1930 and 1950.”

He narrated the earlier advantage of Yoruba as contingent on their location on the coastline, but once the missionaries crossed the Niger, the Igbo took advantage of the opportunity and overtook the Yoruba.

‘The increase was so exponential in such a short time that within three short decades the Igbos had closed the gap and quickly moved ahead as the group with the highest literacy rate, the highest standard of living, and the greatest of citizens with postsecondary education in Nigeria,” he contended.

He said Nigerian leadership should have taken advantage of the gbo talent and this failure was partly responsible for the failure of the Nigerian state, explaining further that competitive individualism and the adventurous spirit of the Igbo was a boon Nigerian leaders failed to recognize and harness for modernization.

“Nigeria’s pathetic attempt to crush these idiosyncrasies rather than celebrate them is one of the fundamental reasons the country has not developed as it should and has emerged as a laughingstock,” he claimed.

He noted that the ousting of prominent Igbos from top offices was a ploy to achieve a simple and crude goal. He said what the Nigerians wanted was to “get the achievers out and replace them with less qualified individuals from the desired ethnic background so as to gain access to the resources of the state.”

Achebe, however, saved some criticisms for his kinsmen. He criticised them for what he described as “hubris, overweening pride and thoughtlessness, which invite envy and hatred or even worse that can obsess the mind with material success and dispose it to all kinds of crude showiness.”

He added that “contemporary Igbo behavior(that) cab offend by its noisy exhibitionism and disregard for humility and quietness.

Unquote.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/why-nigerians-hate-igbo-by-chinua-achebe/

one would agree with me that this man is an IDEEEEIOT. Take it or leave it

I usually don't insult icons but this achebe of a man is a big mumu. Ideeiot

...Sorry, double post.
...

He traced the origin of “the national resentment of the Igbo” to its culture that “gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society.”

He observed that the Igbo culture’s emphasis on change, individualism and competitiveness gave his ethnic group an edge over the Hausa/Fulani man who was hindered by a “wary religion” and the Yoruba man who was hampered by” traditional hierarchies.”

Woah, this is precisely the sort of thinking that got Hitler and his collaborators to where they led their people and their part of the world: self destruction.

The rest of Professor Achebe's writing, as used in the said article, is essentially of the same mindset - that of the tendency to look down on other people and races, and think you're of a superior race, just like the "superior" Aryan race that Hitler so believed in, that led him to his eventual humiliation and destruction. The prof even thinks the white man is superior to his own race! In that sense, I'm beginning to think that, it's either Prof Achebe is naturally delusional, or bitter out of the war, or he's trying to shape his own legacy among his people.

Whatever, it is just sad that this is the type of thinking that the prof is passing down to his younger listeners and followers. Absolutely sad. One thing the man is further succeeding in doing with this sort of writing, though, is not to necessarily just re-write history, or re-define what truth is, but to further drive a wedge between his people and the other ethnicity or nationalities in Nigeria.

One other possibility came to my mind when I realized that Prof Achebe was in fact a Minister of Communication of Biafra during the civil war: That he is just trying to deflect from himself and the then other leaders of Biafra, criticisms of of the war, as fought by them. Such criticisms include that the leadership of Biafra ought to have been tried for acts of genocide against their own people actually, for one, because they insisted on fighting, and senselessly continued with the war, even after it was clear that that their children - on their land - were starving, while their ill-equipped soldiers were feeding fat.

I honestly don't think Prof Achebe and the rest of the war-time Biafran leadership will ever know peace on account of what they did to their own people, due to their misplaced belief of they being a relatively superior race, or even with their definition of what self-pride was.

In any case, "those that fight and run away, live to fight another day."
...

duwdu:

Woah, this is precisely the sort of thinking that got Hitler and his collaborators to where they led their people and their part of the world: self destruction.

The rest of Professor Achebe's writing, as used in the said article, is essentially of the same mindset - that of the tendency to look down on other people and races, and think you're of a superior race, just like the "superior" Aryan race that Hitler so believed in, that led him to his eventual humiliation and destruction. The prof even thinks the white man is superior to his own race! In that sense, I'm beginning to think that, it's either Prof Achebe is naturally delusional, or bitter out of the war, or he's trying to shape his own legacy among his people.

Whatever, it is just sad that this is the type of thinking that the prof is passing down to his younger listeners and followers. Absolutely sad. One thing the man is further succeeding in doing with this sort of writing, though, is not to necessarily just re-write history, or re-define what truth is, but to further drive a wedge between his people and the other ethnicity or nationalities in Nigeria.

One other possibility came to my mind when I realized that Prof Achebe was in fact a Minister of Communication of Biafra during the civil war: That he is just trying to deflect from himself and the then other leaders of Biafra, criticisms of of the war, as fought by them. Such criticisms include that the leadership of Biafra ought to have been tried for acts of genocide against their own people actually, for one, because they insisted on fighting, and senselessly continued with the war, even after it was clear that that their children - on their land - were starving, while their ill-equipped soldiers were feeding fat.

I honestly don't think Prof Achebe and the rest of the war-time Biafran leadership will ever know peace on account of what they did to their own people, due to their misplaced belief of they being a relatively superior race, or even with their definition of what self-pride was.

In any case, "those that fight and run away, live to fight another day."
...

thank you, the dude is an ideeiot and the funny but sad part of it all is that these Igbo people are following him like goats without a mind of their own.

Can a white, hausa, yoruba, chinese etc man say the same thing without being called to order by the UN and "war insightful statement". Thank God Nigerians are just to level headed and mature if not a another civil war would have been burring

alj harem:

idiot, rather than call ur iddiotic professor of hate to order you are insulting me. Later you would scream others hate you

. He is not my professor and he can never be mine. We here down south know truth and we know that we are speaking from the neutral point. Awo f**k up big time

He traced the origin of “the national resentment of the Igbo” [size=20pt]to its culture that [/size] [size=20pt]“gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement [/size] in Nigerian colonial society.”

He observed that the Igbo culture’s emphasis on change, individualism and competitiveness gave his ethnic group an edge over the Hausa/Fulani man who was hindered by a [size=20pt]“wary religion” [/size] and the Yoruba man who was hampered by [size=20pt]”traditional hierarchies". [/size]

What an insult!
Someone needs to take his wheelchair away. . . ASAP.
Lemme see how much he can write from his hospital bed.

It is one thing to display a healthy dose of cultural pride. . . but unnecessarily glorifying an ethnic tribe of cantankerous ne'er-do-wells. . . .while disparaging others. . . .is just outright aggravating. Instead of losing his legs. . . he should have lost both his eyes and all 10 fingers I swear.

This man is frankly irritating!

A true mirror and epitome of the IGBOS who can never see themselves as Nigerians.
Especially from one such as this Achebe, who has not visited his village in over 50 years!
Ewu Igbo pride! THIS IS THE KIND OF ATTITUDE THAT MAKES THE IGBOS VERY UNLOVEABLE AND DOWN RIGHT REPULSIVE!

[size=20pt]WHO IS COMPETING WITH THIS UGLY OOOOOOLD SWINE CALLED ACHEBE? SHAMELESS OLD GOAT WHO HAS OUTLIVED ALL WOMEN IN HIS LIFE BY 'OUT-GOSSIPING' THEM ALL! OR FRANKLY TALKING THEM TO DEATH!!! USEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELESS ANIMAL!!!! [/size]

okosodo: . He is not my professor and he can never be mine. We here down south know truth and we know that we are speaking from the neutral point. Awo f**k up big time

[size=18pt]AM A SOUTHERNER AS WELL FROM LAGOS !!!!![/size] Awolowo would/will and forever be the best thing that ever happened to the west including Edo and delta. I don't care about the war since you don't care. You don't care to blame Ojukwu and his likes that caused a war.

Nnamdi accuse Yorubas but forgetting when he said Igbos would colonise Yorubas

Callotti:

What an insult!

Wetin man go do but really when you read statement like that and you see Igbos support this lunatic it makes one really dislike Igbos at times

Callotti:

What an insult!

Wether you like am or not, na true. It can be seen clearly. I am a BINI guy so i am speaking from a point of neutrality. Nigeria is still marginalising ibo till today, and the result is backwardness for every body because the wrong hausa goats will take their position. We are going nowhere in this country

okosodo: Wether you like am or not, na true. It can be seen clearly. I am a BINI guy so i am speaking from a point of neutrality. Nigeria is still marginalising ibo till today, and the result is backwardness for every body because the wrong hausa goats will take their position. We are going nowhere in this country

And she is edo as well. I am a lagosian as well thus you can consider me as a neutral if you like. You uncalled hate for the northerners is uncalled for.

Everyone have their short comings and I am not removing even mine but this superiority complex Achebe is displaying here is the dum.best thing a man as Old as him would do. He has no respect from himself and the people writing his article.

Native americans are not sound technologically, but other tribes that are sound are employed to do it for them with no problem. But in nigeria, if an hausa man is not trouble and they are the daft ones

If anyone I mean anyone or group believes he is superior to anyone please by all means you have no business in this country. This is what Awolowo fought for EQUALITY AND NOT MONACHY AND RANKING.

Just cos in the SE the other Igbos have bowed down to Anambra Igbos does not mean, let me re-emphasis that; DOES NOT MEAN others especially the Yorubas would accept such.

If you cannot view others as equals then please go back to whatever village you are from and be the king there. Not in Nigeria as far as Yorubas are in the country. Take that for a fact !!!

Achebe's book is a litmus test of honesty for our brothers on the other side of the divide. Soyinka has passed. Fella already passed post-humously. Expectedly most of them are still whining as if truth should taste like Fanta.

okosodo: Native americans are not sound technologically, but other tribes that are sound are employed to do it for them with no problem. But in nigeria, if an hausa man is not trouble and they are the daft ones

I guessed you have not met Hausas before. Yes some are bad ( I had a bad experience once) but just like other groups we have good ones and bad ones. In fact the only reason why yorubas and Igbos fight on nairaland is because YORUBAS WOULD NOT QUIET DOWN and let Igbos rubbish other Nigerians especially us Yorubas.

If you would like to be rubbished and treated like second class citizen in your area because of the mouth making lies these so called Igbo intellectuals are feeding you then fine. Good luck but not me and my people.

There is no sphere of life yoruba, hausa and igbo are better than each other. We just allow propaganda to be fed to us

I love the man he spears no one.

He said an unaltered truth about igbo , hausa, yorubas, fulani weakness .

Thanks the great African professor.

Africa is proud of you

9ja voice: I love the man he spears no one.

He said an unaltered truth about igbo , hausa, yorubas, fulani weakness .

Thanks the great Igbo professor.

Africa Igbos are proud of you

How can achebe be africa greatest professor. You must have you head in the cloud. What has happened to Prof. Mamdani and Prof Wole ?

Alj harem are you now a yorubas man.

Didn't i say it. Why do you deny it at first and claim to be hausa.

Hahaha anyway achebe is a great historian. I love yhecway he puts history straight without fear and favor.

He speaks diluted truth no matter how painful.

@ alj harem. Imagine the ibos being a dominating force like the hausa is , nigeria should be contesting with china and the likes, now, do you know that nigerians are not going to see change in the future? Except for hope, every body will die hoping until something is done

okosodo: @ alj harem. Imagine the ibos being a dominating force like the hausa is , nigeria should be contesting with china and the likes, now, do you know that nigerians are not going to see change in the future? Except for hope, every body will die hoping until something is done

Hausas are not the dominating force in Nigeria. This only exist in your minds and it is called inferiority complex. In present day Nigeria I see Ijaws, Yorubas, Igbos and Hausas all in the same corrupt government stealing and looting.

In fact if their is any domination in the marketing/commercial sector it is the Igbos and what have they done with it ? Nothing.

Don't be deceived by semi-illiterate calling themselves professor. It is not compulsory to go to school and claim prof but yet not wise. Wisdom comes from God and not from School. Achebe in recent times have shown he is not an elder in our country.

How can an old man like Achebe be talking of tribes, ethnic groups, how hausas behave, how yorubas were over taken by igbos, how igbos are the best. Does that not sound a bit childish and devilish to you ? A man living in American causing hate in the country he abandoned.

What has Achebe done for Nigerians ? What has Achebe done for Biafrans ? What has he done for Baifran children. Any scholarship ? Free books etc nothing

The man is a waste IMO.

@ calloti, if you are edo , you must be ishan or etsako, they are not always objective

okosodo: @ calloti, if you are edo , you must be ishan or etsako, they are not always objective

Pyguru don ban me for one hour. . . mu he he he he he
Really? I guess you have marginalized 'peeps' in every state.
That your Bini of a tribe is the WORST in Edo State too!
Na small una take beta pass these GOD-FORSAKEN IGBOTIC CANNIBALS!
Juju and all!
Backward as hell!
There!

Who cleaned my post? Make I cuss this Achebe of a WOR-WOR WRINKLED BLOKOS. . .Manga-beeean Monkey-Face weh-weh!
Phocking cripple!
Yup! Callotti and Lasinoh are one and the same!
No shaking!

Viewing this topic: Callotti, abes(m), alj harem(m), okosodo, Noiseless2, Lasinoh and 2 guest(s

@ alj harem, you dont need a prophet to tell you that hausa is dominating for example 9 out of 10 directors of nnpc are hausa, 78% of nigerian army are hausa. I have facts , you can also check online

Yesterday, you were fulani the other day you were kanuri in borno after being a hausa in plateau and today you are Yoruba lagosian, only you! I will be waiting for you to unleash those fake multiple ethnic nairaland ids to back your lies.

alj harem:

And she is edo as well. I am a lagosian as well thus you can consider me as a neutral if you like. You uncalled hate for the northerners is uncalled for.

Everyone have their short comings and I am not removing even mine but this superiority complex Achebe is displaying here is the dum.best thing a man as Old as him would do. He has no respect from himself and the people writing his article.

okosodo: @ alj harem, you dont need a prophet to tell you that hausa is dominating for example 9 out of 10 directors of nnpc are hausa, 78% of nigerian army are hausa. I have facts , you can also check online

Those are part of government. Lets go to private which is the buck of the country.

Moreover Our first and second head of states were Igbos. Any great country would know that your first leader is always the bench mark for others to work on, why did they tribalise it ?

Why did Nnamdi tribalise the government of Nigeria ? Eh ? These are the question no igbo person and igbo loving person like to answer, later they would say Awolowo cause cross carpeting. If they (igbos) were not tribalistic, what is wrong is Eyo Ita ruling the east while Nnamdi rule Nigeria ? Rather Nnamdi told yorubas and indeed Nigerians that Igbos would liberate them and removed Eyo ita.

Just because hausas and yorubas look as they deceive you people does not mean we do not know the truth.

Already thanks to Nnamdi BRIGHT IDEA OF TRIBALISM, others followed even our current president Jonathan is putting Ijaws everywhere.

Noiseless2: Yesterday, you were fulani the other day you were kanuri in borno after being a hausa in plateau and today you are Yoruba lagosian, only you! I will be waiting for you to unleash those fake multiple ethnic nairaland ids to back your lies.

Onye Oshi, I can be anyone if feel I want to be regardless of you or nairaland. Yes even real life I can chose to be Igbo, Hausa, fulani and yoruba all at the same time so long as I look like them and speak their language. I don't care about my ethnicity but since it is a big deal on Nairaland then I chose which ever I feel like. Ok !

@lasinoh, you no get sense. Who told tou that the BINIS are being marginalised? We love the quality of people in position now , as far as there delivering, why should we be complaining? Afterall we have the population to put a bini man in every postion

okosodo: @lasinoh, you no get sense. Who told tou that the BINIS are being marginalised? We love the quality of people in position now , as far as there delivering, why should we be complaining? Afterall we have the population to put a bini man in every postion

You see thats the problem when you start listening to likes of Achebe.

ibo clowns, the most annoying and repulsive beings on planet earth. The very reason why Nigerians are hated by other nationalities. A prof in the US, a trader in Alaba, there is no difference at all.