The Igbo people of Southeast Nigeria is one of the three major ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. The Southeast states, which constitute the homeland of the Igbo people, are Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, and Abia. However, there are Igbo people whose ancestral homelands are in states that are contiguous to the Southeast states. And it should be noted that the Igbo ethnic group is a part of the tripod on which Nigeria stands.
In the pre-colonial Igbo land, republicanism was one of the features of the Igbo people’s pre-colonial government. It was an acephalous society. That was one of the reasons why the invading British overlords used warrant chiefs in the administration of the Southern Nigeria. The British imperialists are credited with bringing western education, democracy, and Christianity to us.
Although Christianity made inroads into the Southeast of Nigeria during the colonial era, it couldn’t obliterate completely the Igbo people’s cultural heritage. The tension caused in the area by the culture conflict brought about by the colonial subjugation of Nigeria cum Igbo land was captured vividly in Chinua Achebe’s trilogy. Achebe’s trilogy, which is a historical and anthropological excursion into Igbo society, sheds illuminating light on the culture of the Igbo people.
Although our imbibing of western mores has led to the erosion of some aspects of Igbo culture, the custodians of Igbo culture are still upholding the surviving aspects of Igbo culture. Now, many Igbo people who profess Christianity still believe that reincarnation is a reality. The names they gave their children at birth are proofs that they believe in reincarnation. Yet, the teachings of Christianity on the afterlife are not harmonious with their cultural beliefs as to the concept of reincarnation. So, I can confidently aver and postulate that colonialism, which we experienced has not obliterated our culture.
The Igbo people have rich cultural heritage. And true Igbo people uphold such values and virtues as honesty, truthfulness, fairness, respect for gerontocracy, righteousness, and others. That’s why in the olden times, in Igbo land, a man of probity rather than a wealthy thief, is highly revered. In Igbo land, we have this saying: Eziafakaego. When translated to English, it means this: A good name is better than money. That saying underpins the Igbo people’s stance on the issue of good reputation vis-a-vis ill-gotten wealth.
However, sadly, after the end of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, we started witnessing the erosion of core Igbo values in Igbo society. Then, musicians of Igbo descent started producing songs that eulogize people with ill-gotten stupendous wealth. But a poor man, who possesses probity is vilified and treated with ignominy. During social functions, a poor man will become butt of jokes, if he tries to air his opinion on an issue. And this unedifying saying has surreptitiously entered into the tapestry and fabric of the Igbo philosophy: Onye ego bu eze. When translated to English, it means this: A rich man is king.
Reminiscent of what happened in Things Fall Apart, the literary classic written by Chinua Achebe, the things that held the Igbo people together have loosened owing to the erosion of their cultural values and beliefs. Now, an Igbo man is no longer his brother’s keeper. And, the Igbo people do not speak with one voice on national issues anymore because they do place their selfish and pecuniary interests above the collective good of their people. We still do remember how some Igbo politicians thwarted the efforts of one of their own, Chief Alex Ekwueme, in his bid to become the President of Nigeria in the past.
Igbo people’s disunity is one of the reasons why they’ve been suffering marginalization in Nigeria. Since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war in 1970, they’ve been treated like second class citizens in the Nigerian scheme of things. Yet, the Igbo people are hardworking people who fought for the political emancipation of Nigeria. And they’re still contributing their quotas towards the development of Nigeria. Instead of giving them a fair deal in Nigeria for their contributions to our national development, they are being marginalized.
Against the background of the marginalization of the Igbo people, the anti-Nigeria government rhetoric, which is being espoused and promoted by IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has gained traction and momentum. His secessionist utterances have found resonance among the Igbo folks. Now, millions of Igbo people living in Nigeria and in the diaspora have acquiesced into the idea of the Igbo people having political sovereignty. The Independent People of Biafra’s (IPOB) agitation for statehood led to bloodshed in the past. Consequently, it is proscribed; and its leader escaped to a foreign country.
A great majority of IPOB members believe, although erroneously, that President Donald Trump of America possesses the power to carve out the sovereign state of Biafra from Nigeria. It’s the reason for their clamour for Donald Trump’s victory at the American Presidential poll. So, even when it’s obvious that Trump has lost the election, they refuse to come to terms with the reality.
Again, while they portray Trump as a Christian, who would fight for the protection of the Christian ways of life, they believe that Joe Biden’s Presidency will support same sex marriage and the procurement of abortion by people.But, for one to be seized with islamophobia and homophobia is akin to one’s transportation to the Stone Age period. Donald Trump, we all know, is a hypocrital Christian, whose doings do not conform to the teachings of Christianity. And, his stance on global issues, as well as, his politicking portrays him as a man, who is a great threat and danger to the free world.
It is ironic that my Igbo compatriots have queued up behind Donald Trump when his foreign and immigration policies have denied Nigerians visas to America. His supporters, who are my ethnic compatriots, have glossed over the fact that Donald Trump is a racist, who has a great dislike for black people. Didn’t he call Nigeria a shithole country?
More so, apart from his personal failings and verbal gaffes, his mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic caused the deaths of millions of people in America. And under his watch, America is fast losing its international allies. Its position as a global super power and the policeman of the world is being threatened owing to President Donald Trump inept leadership of America.
So, those who are misled into believing that a Donald Trump’s Presidency will work for the betterment of Africa and her peoples if he is re-elected as the American President are naïve and mistaken. They are poor students of world history as well as victims of indoctrination, which is caused by their having fossilized world views and dogmatic religious beliefs
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