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By Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor
By the permissive will of the Almighty God, all the measures and strategies employed to sink Biafra (a former child of necessity) worked expressly. At the very end of the day, what seemed to be the emergence of the first highly prospective and viable true nation state of Africa was mysteriously aborted. The ripple effects of that same tragedy are very fresh with us today. The inherent social, economic and political repercussions seem to be indelible. And in today’s Nigeria nay Africa there is obvious lack of equation in all facets of human endeavour. There is a persistent indication of a yawning vacuum or costly missing link. The prevailing excruciating poverty and suffering in the midst of uncommon plenty in the sub-Saharan Africa is incredulously ironical and remains a clear pointer to the fact that something is fundamentally amiss!
Africa’s endangered glimpse of hope is incidentally and expressly personified in Igbos who are supposed to provide the necessary leadership for the entire black race. The Igboman is the destined custodian of the potential wherewithal to truly emancipate Africa. The fate of the entire black race is enshrouded and pitiably hanging in the balance till date as a result of the colossal set back suffered by the awful humiliation of the Igbo compatriots. That singular assault in the genocidal Civil War absolutely achieved the conspired purpose of throwing the Igbo race off-balance socially, economically and politically.
Socially
The psychological bruise is so deep and damaging that an average Igbo person literally lost his natural sense of self worth and value. This condition degenerated to the traumatic point of many becoming susceptible to weird crimes, misconduct and nauseating idiosyncrasies.
Everybody seems to be on his own hence a general apathy to normal social integration even as the atmosphere evokes a sense of survival of the fittest mentality and desperation.
Although the social sense of rallying together as a people has been in the descent to oblivion over time, the ill-effect of the humiliating defeat compounded the situation. As everyone faced the reality of the stigma and the intense challenges of frustration, many failed to redeem their battered ego and consequently lost their true identity. Since natural cohesion as a people is lost, the existing bond and affinity as a race is invariably eroded. Our supposed treasured heritage and natural social values are adversely affected and abysmally undermined. As a matter of fact, our value system have so degenerated that it is very difficult today to distinguish between success and crime! What we would have desired and deserved as our legacies are corrupted as vain glories. Respect and honour is given to ignoble characters as gold ring is put on pig. Integrity and dignity are mere expressions with the true meaning or connotation voided. Sound social tenets and decorum is almost thrown to the whirlwind!
Economic
An average Igbo person takes pride in being in charge and capable of taking care of himself. And he has no apology for being his own master. His independent attitude buttresses his self-sufficient lifestyle. Nothing takes it away from us! In other words we have zero tolerance for beggar mentality as a people.
By the end of the unfortunate internecine, it was like the carpet was pulled from under our feet. The financially comfortable folks turned out to become distressed overnight! An average Igbo person could not grapple with reality of lack as a real life experience. This unpalatable development is felt to the marrow and was more tragic than losing the political estate which was the main bone of the contention. Literally an average Igboman died!
In a bid to resurrect and bounce back to life, the Igboman fought like a wounded lion. The natural phenomenon took its course – everything is turned into money as the saying: a lion can never eat grass!
After the Civil War, the cold-war masterminded by the then Minister in charge of Finance did not help matter as salt was added to Igboman’s injury. The powers that be deliberately with calculated finesse drove the nail into the coffin of the Igbo. The masterfully executed conspiracy was meant to economically emasculate the Igbo forever. Till date the Igbo had never found their economic rhythm!
Trapped in the vicious cycle of the humiliating set-up, the average Igbo could only eat three square meal by dint of extreme hard work. They are essentially brought to their knees only to pick the crumbs from the master’s table. And since the commonwealth (national cake) is out of their reach, some have willy-nilly resorted to using their ingenuity negatively to rob the Union and every other victim silly! So, when the Igbo critics are on the prowl they usually pretend to be ignorant of the unequivocal facts.
The denial of the most needed level-playing field which is the true essence of free market economy is the worst incapacitation the Igbo are subjected to. Since they are never the favourites, some invented shrewd devices to take care of the lopsided situation. And the authority is either barking at the wrong tree or crying over spilt milk. Who is actually deceiving who?
Since no brain is idle, some very hot brains have been busy fighting back the system that has been set up to undo them. A game of matching force with force. It is therefore not a surprising scenery if some Igbos developed a circumstantial queer attitude and approach to doing business for survival similar to encounter in the war front.
Political
The traditional and already existing political culture prior to the advent of the colonial masters was republican in nature across the ethnic Igbo communities. There existed general principles and tenets of democratic governance of Igbo land. However crude, one thing was certain – every adult has a right to his opinions and judgments. Consensus on every matter is on the basis of superior argument winning majority support. That is basically the essence of customary governance of the pre-colonial Igbo land. There is therefore a tincture of fundamental justice and fair play in the traditional administration of the Igbo society. As a matter of fact, there has been a crude form of legislature (age grade) and judiciary (priesthood) in the earliest democratic system of leadership among Igbos!
The aforementioned administrative set-up suggests that there existed at the earliest time certain democratic ideals that form part of values and lifestyle of an average Igbo person. Are we surprised that an average Igbo person no matter how poor and less privileged can never mortgage his freedom, liberty and in extension independence? His right to choice and pursuit of happiness/ambition is never negotiable!
The colonial masters observed all these things quickly informing their early preference of the predictable oligarchs over the highly informed, sensitive, outspoken, versatile and competitively democratic/republican black Hebrews. Obviously they were and still naturally at home with the folks up north!
Before-the-war political situation and experience of an average Igbo is nothing to write home about. After-the-war so far is not better either. The million dollar question remains: when will this anomaly reverse?!
Immediately after the war, a well thought-out political manoeuvre to emasculate the Igbo compatriots was unleashed. Everything seemed to have worked in tandem with the expectations of the victors over the vanquished till date. All this while, the more the Igbo struggled to re-enter the mainstream of the national politics the more things fell apart. Consequently the prospects came to a point of complication and loss of relevance hence the house ironically started to fight against itself in frustration. Finally the Igbo lost its political voice!
The name of the game is: frustrate the Igbo since democracy is a game of numbers. Time and space cannot allow me to analyse how this game has been perfected to work till eternity! But one thing is sure and certain, going by the existing set-up, Igbos are tacitly and conscientiously schemed out of power!
Conclusion
From the social perspective, we have seen the circumstantial loopholes inherent in our system with the colossal adverse effects. The moral gap created by the loose social value remains a serious matter of concern when it comes to the question of discipline, integrity, dignity and sterling leadership virtues of the average Igboman. Can average Igbo person ever come to equity with clean hands?!
Is the onus not upon us as a people to by ourselves ignite the process of true reintegration, bonding and affinity as a race? We are supposed to have embarked on a serious move to rediscover our form as a people by pulling the string that could finally bring us back to a common ground. For us to be at our best anytime, we must allow social reformation. Meanwhile social healing is by dint of collective persistent effort!
We have over the decades shown a rare character in the economic front. Though the terrain is abysmally in disorder, there is a potent proof that the Igbo is a remarkable force to reckon with. One can best imagine a situation where a level-playing field is in place coupled with the political will to move the country forward as the propensity of economic emancipation. There is no gain-saying the fact that creation of enabling environment is all it could take the Igbo to industrialise the Sub-Saharan Africa in a matter of time.
All we must not forget to begin to do is to get ourselves acquainted with the trend of technological and industrial innovations of today. With the current look of things, an entirely new face of industrial revolution and the attendant ease of global business transactions is already in the offing. Nigeria’s situation notwithstanding, the earlier we begin to warm up and key into the trend the better and safer!
The quest for political deliverance has once been taken to the extreme contest of war to no avail. This time around the present non-violent approach in form of agitation is yet to yield the ordained result. But here is a situation where we have never given thought to the most requisite need to push this onerous quest to a safe and successful end. And that is achieving the almighty unity of purpose or striking a collective resolve as one people – the greatest force on the planet earth!
Supernatural stroke
All the same, going by the prime objective of the ongoing campaign especially by the youth which is the demand for true freedom, liberty and unencumbered environment for Igbos to pursue their lawful endeavour and achieve life fulfilment, I opine that we should apply all necessary caution in line with explicit divine revelation. To avoid Pyrrhic victory situation, we should listen to the voice of reason which is absolutely the voice and will of the Almighty (Chukwu Abiama).
It is the invisible Hand of God that actually brought the country to the present crossroad. No matter who is doing what, God is indeed responsible for all of that. The perfect will of God is gradually precipitating into a glaring climax sooner than later. As at now, no mortal/interest group is in the true sense calling the shot including the commander-in-chief!
A singular Divine interest is currently prevailing over the affairs of now Nigeria whether one knows it or not. Awesomely every plan, purpose and devices of all interest groups are progressively collapsing into it. Only the stiff-necked shall eventually smart for it – even as Nigeria is finally restructured!
• Evang. Dr Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor; Igbo Re-invention Movement (IRM), True Recovery, Reconciliation and Restoration. [email protected]
