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nairaland.net • View topic - Igbo in Apartheid Nigeria

Igbo in Apartheid Nigeria

Igbo in Apartheid Nigeria

Postby Richard Akindele » Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:10 pm

Ossie Ezeaku
Antwerp

Since life itself is not static, the successes and failures in life are prone to changes. Leaders must watch the changes in their people, and be able to adapt the change process to implement dynamic stability. And that underlines the need for the Nigerian leadership to be mindful of the sensitivities of the post civil war generation. For leadership without conscience or high purpose is, at best, empty and, at worst, the deepest evil to scar the human story.

In the light of these, it is vital to recognize the negative consequences that can emerge from an undue political advantage. So likely, when it is enjoyed at the painful expense of a responsible segment of a nation. It could be that enjoyed from forced human labour (slavery), race/ethnic profiling, tyranny, military victory and so on. Timely action taken to humanize such situations, usually create the opening for an enduring reconciliation. Which in turn, creates a sense of belonging and continued loyalty.

Having experienced the pains of tyranny and ethnic profiling himself, it behoves Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo to adopt "more" radical reforms. And most importantly, take the bold steps to implement them. The inevitability of a restructured one Nigeria couldn't be over emphasized. He now has the opportunity to be remembered not only as a warrior, but a historical reformer as well. Therefore, a vision-driven shift from the win-the-war policy was now more than ever necessary. It is a paradigm change its time has come.

The abolition of such policy against the Igbo was overdue. It has apparently excluded the group from appointments to sensitive security positions, including the presidency. Ironic as the policy has been, the Igbo have continued to show unmatched excellence in the pursuit of the Nigerian project. Chief Gani Fawehinmi, shortly after the MASSOB's first stay-at-home order, argued that if Nigeria could find the Igbo to be suitable in the fore-front of Nigeria's economic revival, they should as well recognize the fact that as one of the big three, the Igbo should be re-given the unfettered assess to provide leadership at the centre. I mean, to expunge every punitive, overt and covert post war policy against them. A view that was supported by influential thinkers across the land.

Regrettably, a recent write-up by the chairman of the editorial board of the Guardian, Reuben Abati, posited that some elements (not him?), were of the opinion that while it took the defeated Southern US 100 years to produce an American president, the Igbo should wait for same length of time before asking to lead Nigeria. After reading the piece, I resigned to my usual depiction of Nigerians as a people who easily embrace the things that divide and impoverish them, than the ones that unite them as a people. This is politics. Political advantage, no matter how long it lasts, is like a product life circle. It must come to an end.

In the first place, there is no parallel to be drawn with the American civil war of 1861, and the "genocide" called the Nigerian civil war. The root causes of the two wars were quite different. The plight of a people who faced, and are still facing pogrom is quite different from that of a group of capitalists, whose interests amongst other things, included the continuation of human slavery.

Friends of Abati should know that, if the US confederate states were to be defeated in the last century, the unionists wouldn't have contemplated denying the south their political rights. Moreover, the dynamics of global politics have changed. A new world order is in place. The existence of a secessionist radio Biafra, broadcasting from Washington DC, is reflective of our time. So much so, that it is broadcasting from a country that fought against secession on her soil. And to cap it all, universal suffrage is almost global spread, and has come to set the modus operandi of choosing political leaders.

Lest we forget, the Nigerian/Biafran war was a de-facto British Vs Igbo war. An advantage that is not likely to come by, If it were to happen today. So the war shouldn't be something to brag about. The issue is: Have the post war Nigerian leaders shown leadership? The answer is NO. The Igbo want to lead, in part, because they know they can do better! Thus, the earlier we structure a nation devoid of "apartheid" policies, the likely the guarantee that the Nigerian nation will be there for the Igbo and Abati's friends in 100 years time.

In one of the responses to my last write-up, one observant writer had these to say:

" Obasanjo will not hand over to a South easterner. That is simply because he belongs to that generation who still believes the SE still harbour secessionist ambitions. He has not fought a war to have power handed to his antagonists on his watch

" Obasanjo will certainly not hand over to a North westerner or North easterner. Certainly not a Babangida or a "Buhari".Their profligate acumen and managerial bankruptcy has been well proven"

" Obasanjo will not hand over to a South westerner. Obviously he is presently exhausting their turn at the presidency"

" Obasanjo will never hand over to Atiku. He has spent his time taking control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Atiku over the past seven years. He certainly hasn't been doing that only to hand it back to him"

He further opined,

" Obasanjo will not hand over to a South southerner. This is simply because that region has been unrepentantly raped by the Nigeria system not only of their material resources but sadly of their crop of refined leadership.Obasanjo has recently confirmed that himself by his proposing more quota for the region within the machinery of the state to encourage some growth"

".........the middle belt is probably the most appealing to the Obasanjo phenomenon. They seem to hold the closest idea of his concept of Nigeria ( whatever that concept is). It might not be unlikely that this view of the middle belt was why he picked Atiku ( an already elected governor of his state at that time) as his deputy in the first place before his (Atiku's) personal ambition took the best of him"

Likely as they may sound, I doubt if Obasanjo is currently in that line of thought regarding the South East/South-South. However, from my optimism, which I have expressed in my last write-up, Obasanjo: "The man, His Style And The Decline Of The Feudal North". I would want to believe that the old man is making a strategic and inclusive planning. Certainly, he would want a lasting one Nigeria, where his name and exploits would remain a source of reference. But if the above remarks were to be his mind-set, then his dreams may not be realized with such "apartheid" views. The south-east and south-south are experiencing reawakening and renewal in social and political aspects.

He can achieve that in a military government. But such views, in practice, can't be sustained in a democracy. The Igbo are one of the founding tripod of the Nigerian nation. The Ijaw and Efik' numerical strength ranks highest amongst Nigeria's minority groups. They can't be waved off easily. As the capability and confidence of Niger Delta rebels and MASSOB grow by the day, any visionary leader would not hesitate to recognize the wind of change and embrace it. And that is one more reason, why he should purge himself of the "victor-mentality", so that there will exist a one Nigeria, 30-40 years today to honor his efforts

We've seen architects of unpopular policies spear-head their reformation, or even decimation. Mikhail Gorbachev, a former communist ideologue was one of them. Thanks to his ability to recognize the wind of change. His introduction of the reforms that was coined Perestroika and Glasnost killed communism. And that singular brilliant feat of statesmanship made him an indelible figure in the new common wealth of independent states of the old Soviet Union. On the other hand, the respect that trails the former white South African President was born out of his quick wits in recognizing when to dismantle apartheid. Ironically, F.W De Klerk, a supporter of segregated policies lifted the ban on ANC, and supervised the end of apartheid himself..

There are instances of ground-breaking ideological shifts, occasioned by unstoppable wind of change. We have seen the evacuation of Gaza Strip by Israel, led by the architect of its occupation, Ariel Sharon. On the other hand, one of the pioneers of the socialist/communist China, Deng Xiaoping, happened to be the architect of China's current fruitful free market reforms.

Thus, the process of revamping Nigeria's "rotten" economy by Olusegun Obasanjo, a civil war veteran, and his mainly Igbo crew, should herald a new and enduring geo-political alliance. A united, strong southern Nigeria, will not only serve his personal strategic interests, but will ensure a progressive and economically viable one nation. He must have known this by now. But, If his concept of Nigeria, turns out to be one that limits the Igbo to finance ministers or Central Bank Governors, then the south as a whole, will remain what they have always been; battle ground states for the northern political "masters", with the likelihood of more southern statesmen humiliated, tortured or killed in prison as usual.

Daily Champion.
Richard Akindele
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