By Ikechukwu Okogbue
Public Forum
One of the many questions that have remained unanswered to me as a patriotic Nigerian is, what more does the Nigerian state want from the Igbo in a united Nigeria, given their contributions to national development?
From my days growing up, I have observed that the Igbo, like the proverbial hen that lays the golden eggs, have consistently been subjugated and treated as second class citizens in a Nigerian state where they are contributing the most in building.
Otherwise, how does one explain a situation where, 52 years after the Nigerian civil war, no Igbo man or woman has been considered worthy to lead the country as its President?
It is not as if the political oligarchs from the North and other geopolitical zones are oblivious of the potential their brothers and sisters from the South East possess, but through deliberate gang-up and acts of gerrymandering, they have always manipulated the political and electoral process to paint the Igbo as a treacherous group incapable of leading a united Nigeria.
Recent studies have, however, confirmed that most of the separatist agitations of the last few years in the South East and other geopolitical zones of the country have their roots in this political structure that confines other ethnic groups as mere spectators while others continue to share the spoils of war, as if the nation belongs to them alone.
It is evident that, in any political equation where one group continues to lord it over others on the basis of one advantage or disadvantage, it would only be a matter of time before agitations to challenge the status quo erupt.
There is, therefore, no doubting the fact that the sudden emergence of ‘unknown gunmen’ currently unleashing mayhem in parts of the South East could be the fallout of the 52 -year neglect by the government at the centre and its failure to carry the South East geopolitical zone along in the scheme of things as a core component of the Nigerian federation.
One can say without any equivocation that the rising insecurity and other incidents of the unknown gunmen syndrome are a mere throwback at the government and a society where equity, fairness, equal access to government resources at the centre, especially is denied some and made available to others even when they contribute less to the commonwealth of Nigeria.
It is absurdity of the most gargantuan dimension that you do not want a set of people to aspire to the highest office in the land because they are considered treacherous but dwell in the illusion that they have no right to exit the Nigerian state. What a contradiction!
For Nigeria, one can only say it is high time a reality check was done to clear all age-long prejudices or stereotypes against Ndigbo.
The reason and urgency of such a reality check is that Nigeria is losing a lot of grounds discriminating or isolating the Igbo nation and its people. This is critical because, in nearly all areas of human endeavour, the Igbo have proven to be the pillars and grounds of development for Nigeria even though their hypocritical oppressors have continued to live in denial.
In sports, for instance, from Independence in 1960, the roll call of men and women that have done Nigeria proud is dominated by the Igbo.
In manufacturing technology, Aba, in Abia State, and Onitsha and Nnewi, in Anambra State, are still Nigeria’s leading indigenous industrial and manufacturing hubs, just to mention a few. Regrettably, even the development in these hubs are being deliberately frustrated by unfavorable policies by reason of their geographical location.
It was this retail manufacturing policy that lifted China to become the second largest economy in the world today, while Nigeria remains at the base of the global economic pyramid.
Indeed, a closer look at the character and disposition of the Igbo clearly shows they are among the most patriotic Nigerians, which is also why they call everywhere in Nigeria their home. This they have also gone further to demonstrate by building mega infrastructures, businesses and estates wherever they find themselves, regardless of how far it is from their roots.
Again, while other ethnic nationalities prefer to relocate to their hamlets and villages during elections to show how large their population is, the Igbo prefer to vote wherever they live, in the understanding that it is better to vote where you live and do business than doing so in villages that you only visit once or twice a year.
Unfortunately, other ethnic nationalities have misinterpreted this as an indication that Igbo do not have the population to influence the political direction of the country.
But they are also quick to forget how heavily populated cities like Lagos and Kano often become ghost towns during Christmas and New Year season when the Igbo travel in droves to their villages to celebrate with their families and loved ones. This is an indication that the Igbo are politically not low on population count but are only driven by patriotic instincts and nationalism in their choices to keep Nigeria united by not rushing home to their roots to cast their votes as others do.
Besides this, too, a careful evaluation of the achievements of the Igbo in several sectors of society, including academics, economics, industry, SMEs, commerce, sports, the professions and politics, among others, shows they are unmatched and cannot be stopped. Their contributions to real estate and community development are unprecedented despite the animosity and state hatred against them.
Amid this official disdain, rarely do Nigerians from other ethnic groups devote as much resources to real estate and other infrastructure development in some of the Igbo heartlands as the Igbo do outside their home states.
Beyond the prejudices that have come to colour our national worldview in relation to the Igbo political elite, one can possibly not rule out the pan-Nigerian attributes of the Igbo man often demonstrated in several areas and can be replicated, if given the opportunity to lead the nation.
The question to then ask in the midst of all these contradictions is, what sin have the Igbo committed that cannot be forgiven in over 50 years? Why is it taking eternity for the wound of the civil war to heal? Why have these age-long prejudices continued to becloud the contributions of the Igbo to national development?
Over the years, we have seen all manner of characters mount the leadership position of Nigeria but with no concrete legacies to show. Today, for instance, Nigeria goes about with the inglorious tag of the poverty capital of the world after upstaging India and several other countries in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
Nigeria has no electricity and other key economic infrastructures to drive its fast-growing population, leaving nearly half of its working population out of job and poor.
Today, also, the high level of insecurity across the country has returned Nigeria to the classic Thomas Hobbes jungle state where life is short and brutish.
Hobbes in his masterpiece, The Leviathan had argued that people took for themselves all that they could and human life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
Over these years, we have seen our commonwealth being wasted by leaders who have no business being in government, thereby leaving the citizens in deeper economic crisis and poverty.
It is indeed common knowledge that it is largely the Igbo who build small businesses into mega institutions through personal efforts without resort to government’s assets. What many have also failed to realise is that Nigeria as a nation is losing so much keeping the Igbo out of the decision-making hierarchy.
There is a popular saying, whoever holds one to the ground for long also holds himself down for that period of time. That is why, as a patriotic Nigerian who wants the country to grow and develop, I believe it is time to allow an Igbo man to lead the nation from 2023. It will eventually be to the greatest good of all Nigerians.
Today, the political class is at it again, and alliances that seem to still relegate Igbo presidential hopefuls as vice presidential candidates and not the standard-bearers of the various parties are being mooted all over the place.
Igboland is richly endowed with men and women who can turn the country around and restore it to its glorious past.
After many years of wasteful politics, Nigeria has been socially, economically and politically violated by politicians whose only motivation for seeking leadership positions is material acquisition and personal aggrandizement, but in Igboland there is an abundance of private sector technocrats, industrialists and successful businessmen who are not coming to loot the nation’s treasury but serve their fatherland and make it heaven on earth.
For all patriotic Nigerians across party lines, the choice is now as we await 2023.
•Dr. Okogbue, JP, founder and president of IOF, wrote from Lagos