The Obstacle facing an Igbo man,by Emma Ike Agu

Monday, March 14, 2005

The obstacle facing the Igboman, is his fellow Igbo Brother.

Daily, I read from very intelligent and gifted Igbo brothers talking about Biafria. I have heard people tell me that in their life time, the dream of having a nation called Biafria will be actualized. Good talk.

A Reverend gentleman called Uguru, writing in the famous Igboforum wrote: "Yes.Indeed Obafemi Awolowo opposed the whole federation of Nigeria for a course and emerged as a unifying force for the Yorubas. He used his tactics to perpetuate a sinister hate for Igbos as an ethnic group in the name of tribalism." End of quote.

As a matter of fact, I totally disagree with this gentleman on above mentioned issue. Chief Awolowo never sowed a seed of hate among the Yorubas against the Igbos. Chief Awolowo only thaught his people to love themselves before any other tribe. He thaught his people to reach out for one another. He was a man who believed so much in the upliftment and economic empowerment of his people.

The greatest problem, obstacle and enemy facing the Igbo man is his brother, the Igboman.

I sympathies with those who are calling for the actualization of the Biafrian State. Honestly. The Igbo nation is not worth dying for because we are still a house divided against itself. We are still in the wilderness making a journey no one knows when and where it shall end. if a Biafrian state becomes a success today, who is going to lead? An Enuguman,Nnewi man, or an Mbaiseman?

The 'I too know" nature of the Igboman,( ITK) will never allow his brother to be his head or leader. Make no mistake about this, we are a selfish set of people. We are all masters and leaders, no body wants to be a servant or wants to be led. The rare gift God has given us, to speak and write good English, we use to attack one another in the pages of our national newspapers, in the forum and most places we would have gathered for a common positive front. Those of our elders who would have been a channel of blessing to the youths are not organized. Most of them, don't have a direction. Everyone claims to know it all. 'Others are fools while I am the most intelligent man in my clan.' That is the attitude.

We will actualize the dream of a Biafrian State when an Igbo man believes in the ability of a fellow Igbo man to lead. We shall sing the Biafrian anthem when we as one agree we have a master. This dream we desire to have will be a reality the very moment Igbomen and women begin to show love amongst themselves. I am looking forward to that day when an Igboman shall hold his fellow Igbo man by hand and sing.."you are brother, so take me by the hand and together, we shall work, to build Igboland,no more foes can come between us while walking side by side, wherever there is love, we will stand."

Have you had an opportunity to work with an Igboman in the same office? He would rather help outsiders than you. Have you spoken Ibo to your Igbo boss in the past? He will shout you down publicly to speak English.

We are a people who don't have the love for one another at heart. The very moment you try to tell A fellow Igboman the truth about leadership, he will unleash a barrage of the impeccable queens English he learnt from the "Oxford university" on you.Oppressing one another is our tool.

In those days, we respect our elders, these days,poeple have thrown decency into the wind. The Yorubas still lie on the floor for their elders. Some Igbomen who have good education see themselves as tin-gods.

What happened to our culture, our heritage? How many of us teach our children how to speak Igbo language. How many of us take time out to teach our children our native dance and culture?

In the rural areas in Igbo land ,are women who lost their husbands. Some of them could barely feed themselves talkless of sending their children to school. In the same household, you will find an uncle who probably have enough to go round. He would rather hoodwink you into selling whatever your father left behind for him to add to his wealth than helping you. His children will be doing well, how you survive is not his problem; he would even seize the piece of land your father left behind if you refuse to sell it to me.

In my village a rich uncle bought an old family house of his down trodden cousin to expand his mansion because the poor man's tarted and weather beaten house behind his palatial mansion was an eyesore. He relocated the man, his wife and children to a nearby forest, living them with some few thousands. When the man died out of frustration, our so-called uncle who had a drug company never bothered sending any of his children to school or cared for them. Some of us who lost our parents went through hell even when our uncles had money to help. Even if your father was a saint, they must remember one favor he refused them and based their wickedness on this. This is an Igbo uncle! I know there are some few good ones.

Meet an Igboman in the city, he will never come to your aid. Here in America, he will tell you how he became a security officer when he came here. The story ends there. Some might be kind enough to tell you to come and eat "Farina" in their house. They make empty promises they never backed with any action. They invite you to join the village association that only has plans for the dead and not the living.

The state of Biafria may never be actualized with the present relationship we share with one another. You know what happened in Burundi and in Rwanda. The genocide that happened in those countries shall be a child's play to what will befall us in Biafria. The reason is because we hate one another. We are too individualistic. If the Nigerian nation can say today, every tribe choose your leader, who is our Igbo leader?

Within the Igbo land, an Nnewi mans sees himself as superior to an Enugu man. Owerri man will tell you an Mbaise man is dangerous. An Mbano man will tell you they are the best. Each clan has a dirty name for the other clan. Even within the various Umunnas,they are always fighting themselves. We discriminate against one another. We now talk about who comes from Abia and who comes from Anambra state. It is no more one Igbo- land.

between us.

This present generation of Igbos, can never have a country called Biafria, you may call me a prophet of doom or say am talking balderdash, am just saying it the way it is. There is no unity among the Igbos. We will be living in fool's paradise if we think our present generation will actualize the dream of a Biafrian State. Where is the love?

The Igboman is the greatest hindrance, the number one enemy, a fellow Igbo man has. Period!

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