– By Dr. Chuks Osuji
In the past few weeks has been devoted to many aspects of Igbo culture aimied at educating, informing, or entertaining members of the public who are of Igbo Ethnic nationality. Those articles were devoid of political niceties.
However, in view of social and political happenings in our country today, I don’t want to be that man whose house is on fire, yet he chooses to be pursuing rat.
As a senior citizen of Nigeria, of Igbo ethnic nationality, What touches my ethnic group equally touches me. I cannot be different to what is going on in the society.
As I said in my last posting (article in other newspapers) entitled,”*Nigeria Parliament is Timid and Cowardly”I have remained and continued to remain a pacifist writer who tries to contribute opinions which may help our country survive its crisis ridden environment.
Those who have read it would agree that it was devoid of the promotion of ethnic chauvinism. Absolutely no. While many have commended the article for calling on the National Assembly to request His excellency the president to resign or to consider impeaching him for incompetence, As it always happens, others have seen the article differently.
One of the commentators who due to low level education or analytical incompetence misunderstood the whole theme and thrust of the article.
He deviated from the core theme of the analysis and indulged in what people with cocoyam brain do best and that is castigating and condemning my opinion.
In my over 50yrs as a public Opinion Analyst, I have refrained from responding to criticisms because responding to them would prevent me from going on in entertaining, educating and informing members of the public.
However in the present circumstances, I am responding to what Abubakar posted because he mixed facts with Opinion and I will take time to draw his attention to the fact that there is a great difference between opinion and facts. Because what of what I expressed in that analysis was my opinion but they are opinion based on concrete, normative and imperical evidence of facts, facts and facts.
Much as I would not have the leisure to respond to his inadequacies, I would highlight some irrefutable facts known all over the world that indeed, the Igbo of Nigeria have been perpetually marginalised particularly under the government of Buhari.
In the first place, it was Buhari who said At The US Institute Of Peace That Made Everyone Cringe.
President Buhari looked at Dr. Baker and said, “I hope you have a copy of the election results. The constituents, for example, gave me 97% [of the vote] cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5%.”
Fact number one and since then, Buhari has implemented that statement to the latest.
Secondly, Abubakar mentioned Igbo ministers who are today in Buhari’s cabinet such as Chris Ngige, Geoffrey Onyema, Rotimi Amaechi and others.
For his information, Amaechi is not Igbo rather he prefers to adopt Igbo names for his own self interest. These are ministers appointed on the basis of constitutional provision. Yes, they are not Fulani but that will not overshadow a whole lot of Fulani appointees in Buhari’s administration. Fact number 2.
Thirdly, this Abubakar is either an imported Nigerian or he closed his mind to the obvious fact that of about 70% of Buhari’s top appointees are mostly Fulani. Fact number3.
Furthermore, Abubakar should look around in all major federal institutions such as the service chiefs and other federal bodies, are they not being headed by the Fulani??
Documents, Political or otherwise in Nigeria are punctuated with evidence that shows deliberate lopsidedness against the Igbo. This is a fact and not an opinion known by people of the world.
There is no need wasting valuable time responding to all the inaccuracies in Abubakar’s thesis because he does not know that he is writing for the world and not for the Fulani. God in heaven knows that I cannot advocate the collapse of Nigeria as a nation. But if Nigerians find it unhealthy and uncomfortable to live together, it maybe a better option to seek other means.
With or without Abubakar, I am a Nigerian to the core and a pacifist. But if through bad leadership Nigeria is plunged into precipitation, it is people like Abubakar that will be blamed. I saw the civil war and its catastrophic consequences. I and many others will not like it to repeat itself. Because according to Richard Nixon when he was the Vice president to Dwit Eisenhower,”Those who love NIGERIA and Nigerians should tell them that no country survives two civil wars.”
I challenge the so called Abubakar to tell me and our leaders which ethnic nationality in Nigeria has been penchant for mobility, interactions and co-existence than the Igbo? If he cannot tell our leaders that, then he should keep his mouth shut and continue his myopic reasoning. This is not selfishness, rather it is in-defence of Ethnic culture
