I have observed with much dismay and sadness, the sheer disregard and persecution which the Easterners in Nigerians are subjected to. What started many decades ago with the misdirected killings of Igbos in the North over a coup that the generality of Igbos knew nothing about has continued has in the guise of political injustice and under representation, militarization of the zone, and denial of basic rights and privileges.
In the 1960s, the Eastern region was among the top 6 fastest growing economy in the world. Eastern Nigeria has abundant supply of great human resources, since time immemorial in the fields of Art, Science, Commerce, Sports and every other imaginable sphere. The Igbos is the light and the real HR powerhouse of the whole African region. The many great achievements of millions of Igbos the world over are melody to the ears of the discerning and open minded. So many extraordinary ‘firsts’ that the North-beleaguered Nigeria boasts about are mostly the works of great Igbo men and women. Names like: Prof Dora Akunyili, Emma Ifeajuna, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Philip Emeagwali, Chinua Achebe, Chioma Ajunwa, Prof Chike Obi, Aki and Pawpaw, Prof Ben Enwonwu, Prof Kenneth Dike, Alex Ekwueme, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu and a host of so many others. The list is endless, and Nigeria ought to give the Igbos the honour and special recognition they deserve.
With the recent happenings in Nigeria, it has become clear even to the most ignorant person in Nigeria that the North does not care about the South. And that the Eastern zone is cornered and submerged in this sea of dysfunction and falsehood called Nigeria, being choked to die. As devastating and as dark as things has become, it is very disappointing to point out that many of the political custodians of the Eastern zone are complicit in this mess. And that is a story for another day. The solitary major bridge located in the Eastern region, has become the subject of so much ridicule and political grandstanding. For over 10 years now, the FG has always made building a second Niger bridge “our priority” yet it is yet to be delivered. Most federal roads in the East are in terrible state, yet little or nothing is done about that. But if it comes to mapping out every road for military roadblocks and subsequent extortion by many force officers, that is done so effectively and at record speed.
The path to freedom is about knowing self and taking necessary action. You can’t let your oppressor continue to oppress you rather you work to set yourself free. Having known how great the Igbo tribe are, I advise that we begin to adopt a sense of self-sufficiency and effective regional independence. We know we can. We have done it before and continue to do so. The Eastern region is well known for their mastery of commerce in Nigeria. Remember – the government of Nigeria forcefully collected the money and properties of Igbos after the end of the Biafra war, and gave each bank account holder a meagre token of 20 pounds (pound was the national currency then). Yet they ended the genocide (which was called a war), by saying there was “No victor, No vanquished.” But with resilience, industry and in the spirit of innovation, the Igbos rose from the ashes & obstacles set against them, to still conquer the Nigerian commerce space and excel in global trade.
Let us not be deceived, the war against Eastern Nigeria is yet to abate and for that reason, there is a need to protect the zone. And who would be the saviour? It is the people – young and old, rich and poor, powerful and average. To begin, the excessive craze for quick wealth and riches must be curtailed, yes, it must die down. People must learn to do what they can, help each other and be patient for their time. Most times collaboration will take you where you want to be rather than your greed or scheming. With collaboration, you will last longer but with greed or scheming, you destroy a lot and the end is not always okay. Secondary, we must stop the act of idolizing people because of their wealth or riches, but rather based on the positive impact they have brought to the society – be it through the services they provide, who they are or their acts of charity. This is a Nigerian problem though. But the earlier we stop the excessive worship of material things and being so enamoured by the fast life and flashy things, the better for the soul of the Igbo race. Most people support public office holders because of what they get from them and the same goes for those that support rich people who are a menace to the society. We must begin to preach, practise and uphold good morals, attributes of empathy and fairness and the desire to make the Igbo nation better.
If only we can begin now, we will make remarkable progress. We must restore the prestige of the Igbo nation and take our rightful place both in Nigeria and the world. Innovation, Communal Support, Sense of Purpose, Sense of Duty for the Igbo nation and Development of Alaigbo must start now.
There is no reason why there shouldn’t be a functional port in the whole of Eastern Nigeria, it is also disgraceful that there is no fund in any Eastern state for Innovation and mentoring Igbo talents. No one did this to us, we did this to ourselves. Unfortunately, most of our present day governors were alive during Chief Michael Okpara’s sojourn as the premier of the Eastern region, but they have failed to emulate any of his giant strides. We must look beyond our political leaders and take up the mantle, collectively and any innovative way we can. Igbo ga-adi nma ozo!
BY PATRICK ONWUKA (onwukapat100@gmail.com)
