NIGERIA - A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

I do not favour a divided Nigeria for numerous reasons. However, Nigeria seems to be naive about the present trend of events in Eastern Nigeria and the monstrous risk it brings to the table. The call for a breakout State is getting louder and more desperate especially among the youth, who in most countries always constitute the engine of successful uprising. They are more reachable on all variations of social media and have the energy and drive. The movement is getting organized worldwide with branches in many countries as seen on the internet. Let’s remember Tunisia, Georgia, Ukraine, Egypt, Libya, Yemen etc.

I have inquired directly from some moderate and educated activists, on the root cause of these sentiments in favour of a breakout or Biafra. Of all voices, the single common reason I heard from all was the hate-like attitude gaining popularity mainly among our Yoruba brothers and sisters. There were less complains of such slant directed towards the Hausas. It is alleged that an average Yoruba adult attaches strong negative sentiments to the phrase “Igbo man”. The remonstrance goes that Yorubas see Igbos as dominating the real estate business nationwide, trying to dominate commerce in the country and trade only in fake goods. However, the same Igbos I spoke to hold that the terms “Oluwole” and “Tokumbo” are not of Igbo origin and claim that the Yorubas are more fraudulent but louder. In all, this is a very unhealthy strapping debate for citizens of “one nation”. I will be immensely delighted if all I heard from these activists is false.

However, it is clear to me that the government’s present symptomatic strategy of shutting down Biafra media and cracking down on the organisers is not a far-reaching approach because the internet is far more effective in their campaign than radio waves.

The new Leadership in Nigeria should take this national threat more seriously and devise a better socio-political strategy to quell it without relying on force. Force as a tool in such turn of events, oftentimes works in favour of the “hegemonized”. I feel deeply disappointed when some “illuminated” Nigerian brothers and sisters make careless submissions on this issue, telling Igbos to “do their worst” or “go to hell”. Our intellectually vast Yoruba elite may need to investigate and revisit the alleged growing trend of Igbofobia before it becomes late for all.

When a fellow as aloft in the society as the Oba of Lagos threatens (jokingly or not) to cast Igbos into the Lagos waters, there seems to be something fundamentally fallacious in our perception of “oneness” as a nation. Many Igbos who highly appraise their individual or collective huge contributions to the economy of Lagos State have not departed from their outrage generated by the Oba’s words. The fellows I interviewed regard this as one of the loudest manifestations of Igbofobia in recent times and just one bright stroke of paint on the ugly portrait.

Our polity has lately become very tribe-oriented and this is only an extra gallon of fuel into the burning tensions. Nigeria is of age to see her political parties ruled and driven by ideology and not by the present blind tribal inclination. The 2015 elections clearly demonstrated the obvious. Our political elite and the present leadership must not be too naive to see this trend as sustainable in “one nation”. History has never been kind to any leadership or elite that saw segregation soar under their watch. 

Nigeria must not only learn from her mistakes but rather learn from mistakes already made by other nations presently suffering destructive division of territories like Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia, etc.
Nigerians of same tribe and language will naturally be more amiable to each other but a hate-attitude against fellow Nigerians of other tribes will ultimately lead to a doomsday. Let’s all search our minds, see where we have individually got it wrong both in action and reaction. This debate is ripe for all!


A stitch in time saves nine.

God bless Nigeria’s strength in unity.

Written by Dr John C. George.

London, UK.