AN IGBO WITHOUT A MAJORITY

The Igbo of the 21^st Century fit in either of three social classes- The Biafran, The Restructuralist, and The Democrat. Perhaps, there is another class I must have forgotten to mention- The Class-unclassified, where the bulk of Igbo youths soporifically sit, I will explain subsequently the feelings that have jointly justified the indifference amongst the Younger Igbo in their present-day community.

Before we analyze these individualities, Ndigbo MUST understand that simply because one does not share the same political ideologies as you do, does not mean their opinion is garbage. Simply put, Odinaka could be a Pro-Biafran ideologist, while Ikenna, an advocate for the inseparability of Nigeria. Odinaka and Ikenna are just Igbos with dissimilar schemas. The Igbo race needs to allow more space for individuals to be entitled to their idiosyncrasies without vile disapproval.

It has been over fifty years after the war and Ndigbo still suffer systematic marginalization in the hands of FG. Especially following the January 1966 “Igbo Coup” which has cooperatively sustained and vindicated emotions of fear, hatred, suspicion and resentment as well as aggression towards Ndigbo in Nigeria.

Ironically, a lot of Nigerians, including some Igbos are completely clueless about the events of the Biafra war and what present day Igbo-Biafrans are fighting for. So, how then can one unashamedly criticize a thing they are yet to understand? Criticisms are a way to learn and grow, but for one to accept or criticize a thing, you must first understand it.

The IPOB struggle is about self-determination. Our ideas may differ but I see nothing wrong about a people fighting to choose their own destiny. Rather than declaring them “Terrorist Group”, a more practical approach would be asking fundamental questions like- Why do some Igbos want to secede? Why do Igbo-Biafrans believe that an autonomous state would be the ultimate the answer to economic alleviation of Ndigbo?

From what I know, Ndigbo are suffering all kinds discriminatory, unfair action and economic frustration. A classical instance is the 19 States in the North as opposed to the scanty 5 in the East with a deficit of over 20 Local Governments. More Local Governments for a particular zone, right?The Local Governments constitute the basis for revenue allocation, more slots for employment etc. Likewise, more Senators for a particular zone, yet decision in the Senate is one man, one vote. What about Oil Block and Railway allocation? 

Why isn’t anyone asking questions about why South East was deliberately excluded from Nigeria’s Railway Project? In the same vein, 80% of Nigerian Importers and Exporters are Igbo. How many ports are in South East to make business easier for the Igbo man and have their goods delivered at their doorsteps? 

Maybe we should talk about huge sums that Igbo Business owners spend in Apapa to have their goods cleared. Oh, I almost forgot about the school quota system, the one where, I, an Igbo girl with Jamb score of over 250 points cannot get admitted into school but someone else from a different zone with 75 points or less gets in to study the same course?

What about general infrastructure? Roads? Electricity? Conditions of Tertiary Institutions in SE? Factually speaking, there is almost no Federal Government presence in the whole of South East. All IPOB is doing is stating what already is glaringly obvious.

Unlike Odinaka, Ikenna sits on the other end of the table in Nigeria’s Power Politics, he believes in Restructuring Nigeria and plays the “Big brother” who is certain that opting out would be too much of a radical move that likely would not turn out as flowery as we expect. At least, Ikenna and other Restructuralists agree that Nigeria as a nation is set on a faulty foundation, but instead of cutting the arm completely from the body, there could be a way out or something, maybe antibiotics or surgery. Not a bad idea, if you ask me. But what exactly does the term “Restructuring” mean? When I was much younger, I used to think it was just a word fabricated during Jonathan’s campaign to sway Ndigbo into voting him for second term.

Well, according to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, to Restructure means to change the way in which something such as a government, business, or system is organized. That’s just a dictionary trying to be modest. What exactly is Restructuring? Think of it like this- If I tell you milk is white, milk is mixed with cereal and used to feed babies without actually showing you milk, then that’s bullshit (pardon the language). Restructuring without actually defining what should be Restructured and how it would be restructured becomes then a myth or psychological harakiri; without actually performing the harakiri. Could it be the word Restructuring that makes it difficult in itself? Maybe we should call it “Restrategising”? Mba, that makes it much more difficult. Redesign? Adjustment? Accommodate? Nasir El-Rufai described Restructuring as “Devolution of Powers”. Again, what is Devolution of Powers? How would the powers be divided in lay man’s English that the ordinary Nigerian can understand?

I know you’re already saying, “Chisom, ozugo, what’s really the essence of the 859 words you have written so far?” Well, I could go on and on talking about the Democrats, the Class-unclassified, the Igbos for South East Presidency of Igbo Extraction, the history of the Egalitarian nature of Ndigbo. But in all honesty and in plain English, I’m just trying to say that I’m sick of belonging to a disunited ethnicity.

30% Igbos are shouting “All hail Biafra”, another 30% is setting up shop for 2023 South East Presidency, the remaining 30 is split between One-Nigeria and Restructuring. While the 10% Class-unclassified I belong to is wallowing in romantic regret of knowing that after all these confusions, all that would be left for them is a bleak political future.

Is it just enough to set up Organizations and Igbo groups on WhatsApp; Ohaneze Ndigbo, Alaigbo Development Foundation, Nzuko Umunna, Igbo bu Igbo, Igbo zu ru me, Igbo Renaissance Forum, Igbo Amaka, Igbo Ekunie, South East for President, Umu Ada Igbo, Adadioramma, Ezumezu Umunwanyi Ndigbo etc.? There are over 400+ Pan-Igbo Organizations fighting for the good of Alaigbo, this is beautiful, no doubt. A ma m na Igbo enwe eze but is there somehow we can come together and reach a common consensus instead of having factions? Afenifere did it, why not Ndigbo? IPOB and MASSOB are fighting for the same thing, why exactly are they not a group? The world believes that the unity of the Igbo man is suspect and you already can see the factions for yourself.

Three in five Igbos are rooting for different things. Fifty years after war and we still are divided, fighting each other over ordinary Facebook comments? How are we going to be taken seriously if we keep speaking different voices?

When I read Napoleon Ukaegbu’s “A Nation on the brink” I actually thought that Nigeria was the Nation on the brink. The Igbo race is the Nation on the brink. There’s really no need to force your ideologies on people or insult them over Twitter mentions. We can have a World Igbo Debate, an Online Poll, an Igbo summit that would seek to bring Ndigbo together, rather than creating more factions. Let the Restructuralist, the Biafran, the One-Nigerian, the Igbo of South East Presidency come together and give us superior reasons why we should support them. I may be wrong, but I believe we would go farther if we go together.

As a matter of fact, Nnamdi Kanu said he is willing to talk honestly and openly about IPOB demands in a neutral space, can we have other Igbo groups in the neutral space? I am coming to every Igbo man and woman as a daughter. I know that we can all not agree, but can we, for the sake of future generations (my generation) have the majority (65%-80%) Igbos dancing the same tune? It’s not just enough to shout “Igbo wu otu… Eeh!” when we attend meetings or on our several WhatsApp platforms, when are we going to show that Ndigbo are actually one?

Chisom is a student of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Blogger/Writer for thenigeriancritique.blogspot.com

Twitter: JuanitaChisom Email: adalawmefor@gmail.com