There is no need for  pretences. The Geographical space and people that make up the present day Nigeria have never really been one. Nigeria is a nation within which abound so many nations, the many contradictions inherent in  pseudo  nations like Nigeria led to a civil war within 6 years of independence, and has to date sustained ethno-religious strife, and unprecedented inter-ethnic hatred.

The multiplier effect of such, hatred, distrust, and suspicion among the different ethnic nations has led to each group seeking to dominate the other, and all forms of marginalisation both in strategic federal appointments, citing of federal infrastructure, and resource distribution. Specifically in the case of the Igbo, no Igboman has been appointed a Chief of Army staff, or Inspector general of police since the end of the civil war. Federal industries and infrastructure is almost non-existent in Igboland.All strategic federal  investments that would improve the economy of the Igbo nation like ie.the dredging of the River Niger and the construction of an inland port at Onitsha,the long promised construction of a second bridge across the Niger, and the internalisation of Enugu Airport amongst others, have all been abandoned for reasons of inter-ethnic hatred, and the politics of marginalisation.

The composition of the service chiefs in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, is another crass and undeniable evidence of Igbo marginalisation.In all the arms of the service Chiefs including the police none is from the Southeast.

Of the present day 6 geo-political zones, Ndigbo have the least number of states, and correspondingly local governments, which automatically places Ndigbo at the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of allocation of resources from the federal government. The proposed development plan for the Niger Delta being circulated in the Nigerian press, laid down immediate development, and employment initiatives for 20,000 people from the Niger Delta in varied services like the Army, Air force, Police, NNPC etc.Officially the Niger Delta oil producing states are, Delta state, Rivers state, Cross river state,Akwa Ibom state, Bayelsa state,Abia state,Imo state, Edo state, and Ondo state, but in the articulated development and employment initiatives for the Niger Delta, being circulated by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration the 2 core Igbo states of Abia and Imo were subtly excluded, while interestingly  Ondo state was included.   Against this backdrop it is increasingly difficult for the average Igboman  to see himself as a Nigerian.

The management of a diverse and multi-ethnic nation composed of people who are diametrically opposed in religion, outlook,culture,and way of life, demands a lot of skill and pragmatism in order to give  the disparate ethnics groups a sense of belonging. There should ideally be a deliberate policy of inclusion, social justice, and a delicate balancing of all the ethnic groups in all facets of national life. The president of such a nation should be a pan-Nigerian rather than an Igbo,Yoruba,or Hausa president. Such a president must rise above primordial and base sentiments of tribal allegiance. He must not seek the dominance of his ethnic group over other  groups.

Unfortunately the Nigerian experience has been a complete opposite of these ideals. Led by a long list of rogue Northern leaders, Nigeria has witnessed  one tribal ethnocentric leader after the other. These leaders  have through excessive domination, marginalisation, outright persecution, and subjugation of other ethnics groups, destroyed whatever semblance there was of Nigerianness.

President Olusegun Obasanjo is like all the others before him a tribal president, who is hardly fit to be the president of a multi-ethnic nation like ours.Obasanjo would withought any doubt be more suitable as the tribal chief of his village or clan. He has clearly failed in his management of Nigeria’s diversity.
It is instructive to note  that Olusegun Obasanjo  a Northerner in Southern garb, is more the problem than the solution to Nigeria’s problems.  His politics of marginalisation and his opposition to dialogue has thrown up ethnic militia’s seeking self determination and  outright seccesion.He has also tacitly encouraged violence and insurgency as the only means through which you can get the ears of the federal government.

His compromises to the Niger Delta are coming on the heels of a violent armed struggle and hostage taking by the “Movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta” MEND. Rather than use this opportunity to also address the Igbo question which has led to the emergence of the non-violent “MASSOB” he has chosen to once again  marginalize the core Igbo Niger Delta states of Abia,and Imo states in the development and employment initiatives for the Niger Delta.

The message the Olusegun Obasanjo inept administration is inadvertently sending to MASSOB and other Igbo nationalist organisations is: "If you don’t take up arms, we wont take you serious". In light of these realities, analysts and political watchers are predicting that a muscular Igbo insurgency by splinter groups from MASSOB is no longer a matter of  “if” but when.

I am personally a witness to the argument by various  groups in Biafran forums, of the need for an armed militant wing. Their argument has been made more logical by Obasanjo’s pacification of the violently militant sections of the Niger Delta, while ignoring and excluding The core Igbo non violent sections of the Niger Delta.

Ndigbo have repeatedly complained of marginalisation  which is clearly evident, in strategic federal appointments and a lopsided structure that ignores and diminishes the Igbo nation. Nigeria belongs to all groups who are unfortunate to be found within the geographical space called Nigeria. A studied balancing of  ethnic representation in all strata of national life is not a favour, it is a  fundamental  right. The non-violent ”MASSOB” has severally explained, that the reason they are seeking secession, is the unpunished periodic killings in the  North, and  the continuing Igbo marginalisation.

Logic demands that any president who truly loves Nigeria, and strongly desires Nigerian unity, would immediately institute a process of dialogue  with aggrieved groups (more so when they are non violent) in view of finding lasting solutions to the Igbo and Nigerian question.   

At the end of the day, those who have lost faith in “one Nigeria“ cannot be blamed. The world and  Nigerians of good will  are  witnesses. And should  be ready to hold President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration responsible for the emergence of  a potentially bloodier and more devastating Igbo insurgency. As the saying goes “those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change necessary“.

Email:lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 There is no need for pretences. The Geographical space and people that make up the prese...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 19.04.2006 22:31

rodman  Villager

# 2 In the past two weeks, I have come across warnings from sources about the impending disasters awaiting Nigeria. Everything is centralised and little or no effort to diversify is initiated and a litany of other abnormalities--including pervasive laziness and incompetence. Unfortunately those of us that see these problems and speak about them are dismissed as parochial, while they hide under their lazy oil unity and make Igbo-blood sacrifices to their gods and the rampant short-changes in the country. Personally I do not enjoy war but these problems go unresolved perennially--recently there was a warning that the carnage in the'60s would rare it's ugly head(O the unrepentance!), obviously there are people in the East that are ready to meet fire with fire but right measures on the ground may subvert these sub-nationalist tendencies. The chickens may well come home to roost soon if nothing is done to checkmate this groundswell and it may be too late to remember the name Nigeria. Mazzi Rodman Posted by rodman| 20.04.2006 04:52

Exxcuzme  Villager

# 3 __________________________________________________________________________ President Olusegun Obasanjo is like all the others before him a tribal president, who is hardly fit to be the president of a multi-ethnic nation like ours.Obasanjo would with ought any doubt be more suitable as the tribal chief of his village or clan. He has clearly failed in his management of Nigeria’s diversity. It is instructive to note that Olusegun Obasanjo a Northerner in Southern garb, is more the problem than the solution to Nigeria’s problems. His politics of marginalization and his opposition to dialogue has thrown up ethnic militia’s seeking self determination and outright secession. He has also tacitly encouraged violence and insurgency as the only means through which you can get the ears of the federal government’s __________________________________________________________________________ Wrong, Obasanjo is not tribalistic. He was able to de-mystify Northern Oligarchy. Split Afenifere thereby, splintering Yoruba solidarity for one party or one voice forever. Split South-South cooperating with the North. Or the East solidarity with the North or the Middlebelt solidarity with the North. Your salvation is not Igbo presidency but Nigeria coming together to free ourselves or separate amicably. War will never be the answer as you are just killing innocent lives. I remembered my one of my late father's friend comment after Nigeria (Green Eagles them) was beaten by Algeria or was it Tanzania in the early 80s. We just watched the game and everyone was downcast when the old man walked in. My father told his friend “Nigeria was just beaten". The man replied, "Good let them be beaten." My dad was taken aback, "what? Don’t you know we are Nigerians?" The man replied, "No, I thought we were Egbas?" Most Nigerians in the countryside have nothing to do with all these marginalization cries by the elites. These leaders were not serving the interest of there tribes. Muritala was giving contracts to Abiola, Babaginda has an inlaw from the East, Abacha was banging an Ibo girl, and Obasanjo had a Midwest wife and taking care of his in-laws. Stop! There is no marginalization of one ethnic group but the neglect of most innocent Nigerians. Posted by Exxcuzme| 20.04.2006 11:43

M. Akosa  Villager

# 4 Any one who thinks that when Abacha has a poor little Igbo girl, young enough to be his grandchild as an unholy bedmate, a bimbo who is obviously prostituting herself for economic favours; or that when Murtala Mohammed awards questionable, unvetted open cheque contracts to Abiola; or that when Obasanjo channels funds or allows the Abebe family free hand to pick and choose any federal government propertyas they fancy; or that when Babangida rubs shoulders with his social climbing Igbo inlaws or whatever; the list goes on and on..... THEN it means that Nigeria is a fair and just society, or a human friendly nation, habitable for honest, truth telling or law abiding, peace loving hardworking citizens. THE PERSON MUST BE AN IMBECILE or FEEBLE MINDED. As an Igbo girl myself, who listens to my relatives cry about their loses after the civil war, how villages after villages kept sweeping, cleaning and dusting empty homes of families who never returned, you can drive miles and miles, just empty compounds, it is nerve wrecking - apparently all perished during the war. My people kept hoping, praying silently, even contributing to the missing relatives village levies and taxes, for as much as three years after the war, then eventualy, finaly giving up hope that it is better to stop hoping that they may come back, let the dead rest in peace. As they could have already decayed in mass graves, victims of THE ONLY FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE IN THE WORLD- THE BIAFRAN WAR. Now almost 35 years after this human tragedy and national loss, the Igbos as the "LONE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS" are again contemplating what best action to take, to enable their survival in this post colonial project, called Nigeria. A true frankenstein, that has very terribly gone wrong, and equaly punishing for all the humans in it, both benefactors and the oppressed of the project alike. I would say to every Nigerian that it is time for all of us now to come together, without neccesarily shedding a blood and end this unholy marriage, immoral alliances. This irational project has taken 55 odd years, and yet so far a big disaster. It is time now for an Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Edo or whatever groups to have a greater autonomy and independence over their own collective destinies and emancipation. If the Europeans, our former colonisers one of them are not able to manage large diversities under one nation, what makes you think, black Africans are able or good enough to do so? Nigeria is bigger that Norway, Sweded, Denmark, Iceland and Finland all combined together, yet these are all thriving independent nations, that are happily trading, sharing and communicating very well with one another among the European family. Please my brothers and sisters, my dearest neighbors alike and inlaws or whatever, the time has come for an Igbo independence from Nigeria. GOD WILLING. Posted by M. Akosa| 27.04.2006 15:19

Vaya con Dios  Villager

# 5 So if the Nigerian project has gone wrong, is balkanisation the answer? Wouldn't it be better to sit & actually fix whatever has gone wrong, instead of just talking about it, for a change? Would balkanisation have prevented the Aguleri/Umuleri war? Would it have prevented the Ife/Modakeke war? Or the recent Izzi/Ezza clash in Ebonyi State?When the Rwandan genocide took place, ethnic rivalry was cited as the main cause. True. But when war broke out in Somalia, a couple of years ago, was it caused by tribal differences....? Sure, many countries have agreed to go their different ways, and the examples are all there, for us to see. But then in the same vein, other countries have also gone to war and have managed to stay together, at the end of it all. The United States of America is one example....:confused: East Germany and West Germany were two seperate countries that stayed apart for many years, and finally decided to end their seperation some years ago. Am sure we all know the story of the Re-unification of the German state. Show me one country in the world, no matter how homogenous its' people are, that does not have glaring cases of injustice, inequality and disposessed people in its' fold. And I will tell you it is a mythical country, that exists in the figment of your imagination. Have we quietly, consistently and repeatedly explored ways to redress the injustice & inequality that exists among the various ethnic groups in our nation? I don't think so. We call conferences, we talk, make noise & issue "deliberations." At the end of the day, we fold our arms and go back into our little corners, without implementing any thing, expecting somehow, that somewhere, those speeches all by themselves, will transform Nigeria into a haven of equality, WITHOUT ANYONE LIFTING A FINGER to play a part. Tall Dreams....... There were casualties on BOTH sides of the civil war. It is sad that families which lost their own folks on the federal side, have not put their own agony into print. Some mothers till today, are a shadow of their former selves, because their sons were conscripted without their permission into service. Young men in the south-west who were neither part of the riots nor understood what was going on, were rounded up & pushed to the battle-front with inadequate training and zero military skills. Those were perilous times.....on BOTH sides. Till today, the people in the Middle-Belt that share boundaries with the eastern states remember the horrific shelling of their villages, as BOTH forces exchanged fire-power in their territory.:frown: Many villages were ransacked & dispossesed, by Biafran renegades scavenging for food & supplies, including armed Biafran battalions dispatching offensive attacks against the federal army, as Federal forces launched counter-attacks against the east. The old Mid-West too, still recounts what they went through, when their territory was over-run by the Biafran army, just as the South-east recounts the horrors of the 30-month old war. Pain does NOT have a Richter scale. There is no way that one individual can state, how concisely his own pain exceeds the pain of another. BOTH sides suffered losses....till date, how many people know for a fact, the number of lives lost on the federal side? Am NOT casting aspersions on any group. Am just trying to let us all know...WAR signifies only one thing - the absence of wisdom! Posted by Vaya con Dios| 28.04.2006 05:21