On 30th December, 2015 during his first media chat, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the golden question, “What do Ndigbo want?” in a bid to respond to the obviously vexatious question of perceived Igbo marginalization raised by one of the journalists. Indeed, that question is golden. It gives Ndigbo a rare opportunity of telling Mr. President and the whole world what they want and more importantly, what they need.
If the question is, “What do Ndigbo want?” the answer will vary depending on who is giving the answer. To some, the answer will be Igbo Presidency; to others, a restructured Nigeria and to some others; the answer will even be Biafra. In fact, some will simply want to be allowed to live and do their business in any part of the country that they wish without molestation from their fellow countrymen.
However, if the question becomes, “What do Ndigbo need?” the answer is singular and straight-forward. Ndigbo need a country where no ceiling will be placed on their genuine rights and aspirations as bona fide citizens. Ndigbo need a country where every citizen, whether from the biggest or the smallest tribe will enjoy a level playing field in all ramifications. Ndigbo are not comfortable in a country where they have become so marginalized that the President, from his assertions during his media chat no longer sees any reason why they should complain of marginalization. The Igbo position at all national conferences, from 1995 to 2004 and that of 2014 has always been that of equity for all Nigerians, not usurpation of others rights by Ndigbo. That is why Ndigbo support Zonalization i.e. devolution of power to the zones as federating units.
Today, Nigeria as presently structured is an aberration. The present structure is not just working. The president himself confirmed this during his media chat when he stated that 24 out of the 36 states in Nigeria could not pay salaries when he came in as president. This justifies the assertion that most of the present 36 states in the country are not economically viable. They only depend on the monthly revenue allocation ritual at Abuja for their existence. With ever dwindling oil revenue, it is imperative that this feeding bottle structure is discarded in favour of a more functional and effective structure.
The present structure encourages indolence and unproductivity. Today, with vanishing oil revenue, Nigeria has to diversify her economy through agriculture and industrialization. For this to be achieved, her economy must become private sector driven and no private sector enterprise can survive without merit. Dangote, an Hausa Fulani became the richest African by merit, not by quota. He was once asked why he had many Igbos as employees. He replied that he was not aware of that, that he merely employed the best hands for any job.
As enterprising people, Ndigbo are totally in support of the Government’s Anti Corruption Crusade as corruption and Quotacracy go hand in hand. They both deny Ndigbo and all other well meaning Nigerians a level playing field. A country that has Quotacracy instead of meritocracy as its guiding principle can never be productive, talk less of becoming one of the first twenty economies in the world by 2020 or even 2099. Quotacracy is a form of intellectual corruption. Therefore, President Buhari in line with his Anti Corruption policy should abrogate Quotacracy. A situation where Amobi from Anambra scores 137 and his brother, Amadu from Yobe scores 2 to pass the same exam (National Unity Colleges Entrance exam) is apartheid! Besides, it has glaring adverse effects. Amobi will grow up feeling marginalized and Amadu will grow up feeling inferior. Marginalization and inferiority are the root causes of ethnic strife and genocide globally.
Actually, Buhari did not cause Nigeria’s problems. However, it would be unpatriotic of him not to support having the country re-structured because he is now at the helm of affairs. After all, his party –the APC has always advocated for re-structuring and true federalism. Nigeria’s dilemma is like a beautiful woman diagnosed with breast cancer. She either keeps her breasts and dies prematurely in her beauty or she loses her breasts and keeps her life. Presently, over concentration of power at the centre as a result of decades of military rule has made the Nigerian President the most powerful head of state in the world! As such, the urge to use such powers to the advantage of one’s ethno-religious grouping has proven to be irresistible to Nigerian presidents, so far. This is genuinely interpreted by other ethno-religious groupings as marginalization. Whether the Nigerian president is Yoruba, Fulani, Ijaw or even Igbo, Nigeria cannot move forward unless it is re-structured.
Indeed, Nigeria needs to be unbundled. Nigeria needs to be expediently re-structured so that power will devolve from the Federal Government to the federating units. For economic viability and economy of scales, geo-political zones, not states should be federating units. If Nigeria is not unbundled into more effective and productive units (federating units), the cries of marginalization and ethnic agitations will keep magnifying with serious consequences for the corporate existence of the Nigerian state.
Sympathy for the Biafran agitation has swollen geometrically since President Buhari’s assumption of office for an obvious reason. Ndigbo are by nature truculent people, their resilience and ingenuity is enhanced when they are pushed to the wall. The present Government’s deliberate policy of Igbo marginalization as a punishment for their being Jonathan’s most ardent supporters is backfiring. From Slavery era America to the Haitian War of Independence and down to the Biafran war it is the same story. Ndigbo are at their best when they are forced by circumstances to unite against a perceived foe.
Today, the Biafran agitators are latching unto the theory that the security of Ndigbo is not guaranteed in Nigeria. How can President Buhari prove that the security of Ndigbo is guaranteed under his Government when not a single Igbo is part of his national security council? Out of 11 service chiefs and heads of paramilitary agencies, not one is Igbo. President Obasanjo started a tradition in 1999 which successive Governments upheld, of having the 6 geopolitical zones represented in the national security council. Therefore, this is the 1st time since 1999 that a geopolitical zone and a major ethnic group is totally shut out of the national security council. A glaring case is that of Civil Defence where an Igbo was appointed by President Jonathan at the tail end of his tenure and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs declined from decorating him only for President Buhari on assumption of office to revert to the 2nd placed person who is now the Commandant General.
Therefore, it is early enough in the day for President Muhammadu Buhari to change his tactics. Showing love to Ndigbo despite their seeming mistrust of him would have won them over, making them his greatest supporters. If he still does so, he will be overwhelmed by the reciprocity Ndigbo will show him.
In as much as no tribe or group should be marginalized, it is indeed politically unwise for anyone to attempt to sideline Ndigbo owing to their numerical strength and exalted place in world history. From Olaudah Equiano – the first African author/publisher and leader of the Abolition Movement in Britain to General Toussaint L’Ouverture – the founding father of Haiti, from Aime Cesar of Martinique to Marcus Garvey of the World Negro Movement, from Jaja of Opobo to Nwanyiriuwa- the heroine of the Aba Women’s Riot; Ndigbo have always been audacious trailblazers. Nearer home, Patrice Mba- the first Prime Minister of Gabon was from Okposi, Ebonyi State and till date, many “Biafran Babies” are part of the Gabonese ruling class! Also, several of the early presidents of Sierra Leone such as Dr Siaka Stevens were of Igbo ancestry. In 2009, the American Government established the Igbo Farm Village Museum in Staunton, Virginia in recognition of the fact that the Igbos were the African tribe to contribute most to the making of America. Years ago, Igbos who wished to join the US Marines were giving automatic opportunities to do so. No other African tribe had such a privilege. Finally, Ndigbo are referred to as the Jews of Africa owing to their shared uncommon mercantile prowess and archaeological evidence from Aguleri – the ancestral home of Ndigbo. Certainly, it pays to woo such a tribe than to boo them.
Mazi Ikechukwu Bismarck Oji is the Executive Director, Centre for the Advancement of Literacy & Leadership (CALL)
Former National Chairman, Ohaneze Youth Wing
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