advertisement

In 1992, in the heat of Gen.Ibrahim Babangida’s convoluted transition programme, a friend from Delta State with whom, in the 70s, we formed the addicted patrons of Fela’s Shrine, from Kakadu to Surulere Night Club, came to see me in my office at Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island. Because of Mallam Abba Dabo, publisher of the Insider Confidential Newsletter, which I edited, our Bishop Oluwole office was one of the hubs of politics then. In fact, the Liberal Convention, with my friend Chief Ojo

advertisement

Maduekwe as Gen. Secretary, was formed in our Insider office. And so we got into political discussion, which sometimes strayed into disputation settled over bottles of beer. My friend from the Igbo-speaking area of Delta (then Bendel) confided to me, what he called his political strategy. He said to me, look, there is no doubt that I am Igbo. I know that, and every Nigerian knows me as such. But as a political strategy, it suits me to identify with the minorities. As a minority, I have a better chance politically, than to identify with the majority Igbo and get swamped by their number. As a minority, I can contest any post and maybe win. But among my brothers, I cannot even emerge at a local government level. And true, my friend was one of the “political champions” in Bendel then! I understood him perfectly.

A cursory study will show that many Nigerians have benefited from this politics of identity. Study the career history of people like Chief Sunday Awoniyi, and I don’t mean this in a derogatory sense, and you understand why he is more a Northerner than a Yoruba.

Today he is the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum. Why is Gen. Gowon first and foremost a Northerner than a Middle Belter? Senator Kennedy Waku cares more about the North than the Middle Belt. Lt.-Gen. T. Y. Danjuma was once, at least during the civil war, a Northerner. But today he is one of the foremost Middle Belters. In the midst of his June 12 troubles, Gen. Babangida called a meeting of Middle Belt who-is-who and tried the I-am-from-the-Middle-Belt ploy. Someone then asked him, are you a Middle Belter in spirit?

On the other hand, there are many whose career paths have been made easier by the Middle Belt identity. This is not about Middle Belt. But I use it because it presents a classical example of shifting identity. Middle Belt on religious ground is far larger than North-Central state, which is the political Middle Belt. Thus a Christian from Borno may identify with the Middle Belt.

I recall these because of a rather sterile debate that has been going on in the press whether Ndokwa is Igbo or not. This altercation has been going on between one Omenazu Ofili who bitterly disputes the Igboness of Ndokwa, and people like J. O. Ikebude who stridently wants to induct Ofili into Igbo. I think such a debate adds nothing to the Igbo nation and does not change who an Omenazu Ofili is anthropologically.

This debate is pure politics defined by opportunism than anything else. So I get angry with those Igbo who try to prove to the Ofilis of this world that they are Igbo. The problem facing the Igbo is to take care of those whose identity as Igbo is not in doubt, and not fishing for more people to identify with Igboland. I find that rather unnecessary. People will eventually be what they want to be, not what you insist they become. There are many Nigerians in London who masquerade as West Indians. And the reason is obvious. But does that change the fact that they are Nigerians? Or does assumed superiority of a house slave over the field slave change the fact that both are slaves? A Nigerian who is masquerading in UK as a West Indian is simply trying to improve his lot.

This debate of “are they Igbo?” and “we are not Igbo” and “don’t call me Igbo” has been going on between the South-East Igbo and some Igbo of Delta and Rivers states. This, to me, is a product of years of stunted and visionless Igbo leadership. And the Igbo must appreciate that nobody would chose a broken down vehicle if he has a choice of a functional vehicle. In recent years Ohaneze has been afflicted with fossilised and greedy leadership blinded by opportunism and therefore failed to engage itself in the upliftment of Igbo nation. And this has made people sit idle and lament the so-called effect of the civil war.

 Who, in the midst of such Jeremiad will willingly identify with a people less prominent in the political affairs of the nation than they used to be? My problem really is not with the Ofilis and those who think like him, but with those Igbo young men and women who have resorted to groveling and assimilation of all those vices unknown in Igboland in order to survive, just because all that Igbo leadership can offer is a dark elegy about “the effect of the civil war.” It should be clear to all those who argue with the Ofilis that once the civil war has been declared as “a rebellion caused by the Igbo,” and once the Igbo unconsciously allowed themselves to assume this guilt, invoking it all the time, all those who can afford to mask their identity will do so in order to avoid being visited with the same punishment as the Igbo.

Many Igbo in Delta and Rivers states have made good being “minorities.” I don’t think it makes any sense to appear to wean them off their good fortune. It is even tactless. I am sure, like my friend, they know deep down who they are. But there are others from these places who are proud of their Igbo identity. With such people, it is infra diginitatem to argue with the likes of Ofili. So let every sensible Igbo avoid this debate with people from the Delta and Rivers. Let whosoever pleases choose what to call himself, even West Indian! The hood does not make the monk.