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Last week in the outing entitled, “Between Igbo and Yoruba”, we tried to build the case that recent tension surrounding people of both extraction in Lagos State was not an ethnic agenda. It was rather a subtheme within the political strategy of a few to whip up sentiment in order to keep an oligarchy that was beginning to fade for reasons of having exhausted its goodwill among the people for whom at a time it held out so much promise.
That position is unassailable, it is the truth and everyone interested to know has an idea what is happening, what may happen and more importantly who the driving forces are. The federal government knows this much too. What is shocking would be their nonchalant disposition to what is obviously a huge threat to national peace, stability and progress. Some of us stakeholders hold the view that tensions between both races should not be allowed to escalate in the interest of positive social relationships among the diverse ethnic groups that make up our country. Lagos is a microcosm of Nigeria, every tribe is here. It has long become a melting point. It would seem, however, our desire has no foundation to it as ugly developments have continued to raise their heads.
Some events of penultimate week, particularly the one in which the security agents quickly arrested Eze Ndigbo Lagos, Chief Frederick Nwajagu and took him into detention over a statement he made is leaving much to be desired about the plurality of our country, sense of belonging for people of each component part, then about fair treatment, justice and equity. This man who must have been traumatized by the pains inflicted on his people for just wanting to take their right to vote their choice only voiced a statement in relation to destruction of Igbo business premises hours after the governorship poll in Lagos was won and lost.
Nothing more than that, something others in the same environment have done but in his case the state security apparatus was quick to intervene. The hunt began as if he was a common criminal. It was as if the position he took hasn›t been taken in our country before. They pursued everywhere and got him. He has been in detention since then.
The man›s outburst may have amounted to over-reaction and to some extent insensitive, given the time we are in. His reference to Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) and threats to invite them to Lagos to offer Igbo protection was over reaching and insensitive. Beyond that it shouldn›t be anything to worry about. Anybody with average tutorship in psychology would easily understand what any leader in his state is going through at this time his people were being harmed ceaselessly and their business shops burnt by unknown persons with no arrest made.
Nothing can be as frustrating as this. This man was grandstanding and given the population of Igbo people in Lagos an invitation, interface with authorities would have brought a reassurance that would have quickly calmed obviously frayed nerves. But they chose to hunt him down like an animal before picking him up thereby confirming fears that had reigned for too long. Men and women of goodwill are angry.
They are right to be. Primitivity is taking a hold on our governance culture from the federal to the states. Nepotism and loyalty to ethnic groups has gradually grown to become state policy. The seeds were sown at independence but it is very unfortunate we have allowed these bad seeds to grow and turn sources of huge discomfort to the citizens and a cog in the wheel to build a country out of many independent units, where life will be very abundant for all.
We have spoken of federalism but those who conquered by force of military intervention, and in power won›t hear of that; one consequence is that our constitution, the grandnorm for governing the Nigerian state still has provisions for indigeneship. This is also at the root of the Lagos challenge and elsewhere. Nwajagu is not alone in his kind of talk in Lagos axis and if truth be told, across the country. Very highly placed persons have been shooting from the hip and the country never collapsed because they spoke.
What could be worse than a Lagos first class traditional ruler and a police retiree for that matter openly threatening to have Igbo in Lagos drowned in the ocean if their democratic choices ran counter to that of the Lagos power manipulators. What statement could be worse than this, especially coming from a high leader in national leadership cadre? He never got a reprimand from individuals nor from any official quarters. We know that President-Elect Bola Tinubu takes him as his father but his vituperation on this score went beyond a relationship of father and son, a good son will say our people are hospitable and don’t subscribe to anything that will make “strangers” uncomfortable. He didn’t do that.
Before the traditional ruler was Pastor Tunde Bakare. Some of us his followers on Channels television saw him one Sunday touch on strangers and their bid to take over Lagos. He disclosed he has been in gatherings where the fears were raised. All he told them was, ‘Yes, the Igbo may be taking over but it was not by force. They were doing purchases. His refusal to go deeper is indicative of masked support, otherwise a very brilliant fellow he is, he would have schooled them on intricacies of federalism, their long time cherished hospitality, involvements and peculiar challenges in the making of a country. He didn’t. Perhaps this dimension escaped his sense.
Nevertheless his mention was indicative of future troubles to come which have now downloaded with the post-election threat by the Oluomo-led group which against expectations was actually executed with no repercussions at all. This head of road transport workers spoke worse things than Eze Ndigbo did; he was neither reprimanded nor arrested, rather the police told us he was joking even when handshake moved beyond the elbow to become a full fledged fight. He is still walking free.
Across the other races we have had people talk and threaten and nobody descended on them. Governor El-Rufai has spoken including saying South East has no political significance in the country. He was not branded enemy of Nigeria. Our President Muhammadu Buhari once said if 2015 election did not go well but the baboons and monkeys would be soaked in blood. We were alarmed, yet he was not profiled, he contested and went on to win. Today, he preaches one united country even though his actions are at variance with his public speeches.
On the other hand the Igbo have been maligned and handled with so much disdain. It is such they doubt if truly they are part and parcel of this independent country called Nigeria. When they talk, nearly everyone reacts in manner suggestive they ought to be seen and not heard. El-Rufai sometime ago went to Lagos and spoke about the situation there nobody abused but Iwuanyanwu just spoke, it is as if he stirred hell and let loose the demons. In Aba last week, young men on peaceful demonstration wearing white apparel were shot at by security forces leaving five dead, all this in a democracy under a supposed civil rule.
Their grouse a very simple one: release Nnamdi Kanu who a court of law as high as Appeal Court had discharged. Legitimate demand in a democracy for which state goons were turned against them. In Rivers State, at the mere mention of abandoned property by Rotimi Amaechi, hell was let loose. The government began convening all manner of meetings. Currently none on the political scene has undergone the level of scrutiny given to Peter Obi. Kwakwanso, presidential candidate of New Nigeria People Party formed a party with restricted base yet nobody said he was tribal or his support base restricted to Hausa land but Obi has had all that and more. It could be worse.
Igbo-phobia has been with us before independence. It went worse after the January 1966 military coup. Igbo had no agenda to do coup, military chaps played their games but in the end parochial persons baying for blood called it «Igbo coup». Three million lives of mainly Igbo went with it. Today, Igbo share near experiences with Jews. Anywhere they enter they are visited with hatred, it takes them 100 times efforts it takes others to get anything. Many people of goodwill are worried and they are saying if they are part of us they must be well treated but if we won›t welcome them, let them go.
