By Vitalis Unachukwu
FROM THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE , the IGBOS from the SOUTH EAST OF NIGERIA, are among the main aborigines of Nigeria and the first to have an organized Republican Government in history, even , when Europe was in the dark ages.
There’s no part of the globe, you don’t find the Igbos, known for the traditional hospitality, resourcefulness, creativity, business acumen, competitiveness, hard work , spirit of sportsmanship, resilience, determination, leadership skills, diligence, commercial drives, unassuming diplomacy, professionalism in all fields of human endeavors, undiluted commitment, patriotism, loyalty, respect, political maturity, religious conviction and unwavering readiness to succeed, irrespective of obstacles laid in their way, by their opponents, ethnic, human and elemental, responsible for all aspects of resistance and opposition, against the total political and economic emancipation of Ndigbo in Nigeria and worldwide.
In Nigeria, where the Igbos are well educated, knowledgeable, experienced and known competitive ethnic partners, there have been no ethnic nationalities, worst hated and discriminated against, than the Igbos.
Yet , like the beetle ant and the proverbial chameleon, the Igbos, continued to move unstoppably in all fields of human endeavors, without retaliation and hard feelings.
Despite unwarranted, discriminatory policies of the various Nigerian Governments, which impeded the integration of the Igbos in the mainstream of the Nigerian Society, especially in the nation’s politics, as official vendetta for the inevitable prosecution of the Biafra-Nigeria Civil War, resulting from the unbearable acts of genocide, despite General Gowon’s NO VICTOR NO VANQUISHED VERDICT AT THE END OF THE 30 MONTHS WAR.
The wickedness of the various Nigerian Government Authorities, in adopting inhuman measures, earth scorching and ethnic cleansing policies, intended to punish, degrade, dehumanize and wipe out the Igbos from Nigeria, have never yielded any positive dividends at the instance of the perpetrators, who till date remain opposed to a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, discredits our sense of representative democracy, by which all the major ethnic groups of Nigeria, among which power rotation based on agreed, just, acceptable and democratic power structure, without domination by any one group that make up the entity, Nigeria.
Notwithstanding, the utter neglect of the Foundations of National Unity, use of non existent true Nigerian Constitutions since our Federalism Journey till date, after Nigeria became a British contraption and endless piece of national contradictions in our democratic journey till date.
The Igbos were subjected to brutal and cruel persecution, during the Civil War, where the Nigerian Government under the Gowon Administration, forced them to start life afresh after the war, with only £20 Starvation Stipend, which ultimately challenged the best business competitive Spirit of the Igbos, which resulted in the miraculous multiplier effect, that made the Igbos regain and recapture their control of the nation’s economy till date and never looked back.
It’s a shame that instead of being appreciative for the Igbo spirit in bringing developments closer to their places of abode, residence and domicile, the rest of Nigeria, especially the ungrateful core North and the racist West, hibernating and clustering around Lagos and environs, took it upon themselves to rise against the Igbos for doing no wrong, other than developing their rural environments into world class satellite cities, after leaving Igboland, without such hallmarks urban development and transformation.
As part of the major ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, the active of the participation Igbos in Nigeria’s political and electoral process, like other major ethnic groups, resulted in a bloody uprising and persecution plot against the Igbos, for voting in a particular direction during the 2023 Elections, to the barbaric point of setting their businesses on fire, evicting and demolishing their properties and businesses at Alaba International Market, Lagos, for not supporting Bola Tinubu’s Presidential bid, when the rest of the country dumped ethnic politics for Personality Politics of the best presidential candidate, with the competence, capacity and requisite presidential qualities and credentials, that can return the country on the path of true democracy and political stability.
Descending on the Igbos for exercising their legitimate voting rights and voting their conscience at the elections, and even for the Lagos State Government, led by Governor Sanwolu, adopting a ruthless approach and policy to revoke title documents of legally owned properties of enterprising Igbo businessmen and evict them from Alaba International Market, Lagos, in preference for Chinese Companies as reported in the News Media, shows us the level our nation has degenerated, in fighting the Igbos, whose economic gains built Lagos, Abuja and other major cities of Nigeria, only to be rewarded with INGRATITUDE, INSULTS, DISRESPECT, XENOPHOBIC CRUCIFIXION, INJUSTICES AND ABUSES OF ALL KINDS, in a nation, the government authorities behind the politics of calumny and discriminatory policies against the Igbos, stand by, do nothing and pay lip service to the slogan of ONE NATION AND NATIONAL UNITY, while tacitly acquiescing to massive hatred against the Igbo People, who meant well for Nigeria than any other ethnic group.
It’s most unfortunate that those spearheading the persecution of the Igbos do so out of abysmal ignorance, arrogance, hatred, lack of respect, compassion, laziness, inability to compete, comprehend, understand and dispose themselves to accepting the realities of history and genuinely partner with the Igbos, in the process of nation building, if indeed Nigeria belongs to all of us.
They forget that the Igbos are the descendants of Abraham and beneficiaries of God’s blessings to Abraham, our father in faith, and also the black Jews of Nigeria, whom God’s favor follows around, wherever they go.
Rather than being wicked, despicable, callous, avaricious, wicked, provocative, desperate, destructive and hateful towards the Igbos, they should think twice about the existence of ethnic tensions, occasioned by their persistent hostilities against the Igbos, whose experience at the last civil war should not be treated with levity and taken for granted in the face of repeated aggression and threats to their lives, livelihood and interests all these years without retaliation.
The Igbos have suffered a lot of deprivations, neglect, odium, and prejudices at the instance of previous Nigerian Governments, and had continued to endure such atrocities without retaliation.
Anyone taking the elasticity of the patience of the Igbos of Nigeria, is taking deliberate, dangerous risks and those opposed to the participation of the politics of our nation, must understand that there can be no peace without justice and equal rights among the major ethnic groups that make up Nigeria.
The Igbos cannot stand by and watch the rest of Nigeria deprive them of their political freedom and right to self determination, if they are not wanted in Nigeria and if their chances to participate in the political process of Nigeria, are denied with impunity.
Those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable.
While the Igbos can survive without the rest of Nigeria, the rest of Nigeria, cannot survive without the Igbos.
Go around the world and check out the unprecedented economic growth, prosperity and successes of Ndigbo in virtually all sectors of human endeavors, and you will be startled to note, that the Igbo Nation, is greater than the whole Northern and Western Nigeria put together, in terms of population density and economic empowerment, just as the Jews are holding the world economy under their control.
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