By FRED CHUKWUELOBE
I think I am tired of hearing people, especially Ikwere people of Rivers State, say they’re not Igbos. FCT minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike was reported to have said he’s “not Igbo and will never be Igbo.”
In the past, ex-footballer, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh from Delta State took the stage at one inconsequential event and denied, without anybody asking him, that he’s not Igbo. Meanwhile, his name, Oliseh means God in Igbo and Ogochukwu means God’s favour in Igbo.
So many Ikwere people have come out to angrily defend themselves against being labelled Igbo. This is despite efforts by other Igbo people in the South East to reconnect with their kit and kin in the South South geopolitical zone and other parts of the country.
The apex Igbo sociopolitical organization, Ohanaeze, went further in this effort by zoning the presidency of the association to Rivers State, culminating in the election of Senator John Azuta-Mbata as president of the body.
However, despite the efforts to win back Igbo people who were clamped into other areas outside the South East geopolitical zone through a systematic and wicked gerrymandering of the polity by the military administrations, the opposition to such moves appears to be coming from a tiny minority of Ikwere people, the most vocal being Wike.
We also recall what the civil war did to the Igbo nation and how the persecution and marginalization of Igbos led to many Igbo people changing their names and states of origin to avoid being discriminated against.
But I think time has come when Igbos should stop forcing anybody to become Igbo. The last time I checked, Igbos are not recruiting people. I am not aware that there’s a conscription going on anywhere in Igbo land, which is propelling people to deny ‘their Igboness.’
If anybody says he’s not Igbo, let him not be. Let us suffer the discrimination and marginalization alone. Haven’t we been suffering it since the end of the war in 1970?
Instead of looking for ‘who no loss,’ let’s spend valuable time in playing politics and planning how to get into the mainstream politics of the country and get power or share power.
I bet you, if we succeed, many of those denying their Igboness will become like the story in Sweet Breeze chart bursting track of the 70s titled, “Mr. Begger.”
In that sweet number, Sweet Breeze talked about “Mr. Beggar” not having any town’s man. “But once you’re rich, everyone is your uncle…”
Once the Igbos get it right, these Igbo deniers will sing like those in “Mr. Beggar” by saying “we all come from the same maternal home.”
That’s if those mouthing this gibberish now are still alive then. At least, their children and offspring will be. Right now, Igbos are not beggars.
For now, “Mr. Beggar” has no town’s man. But once you’re rich, everyone is your uncle. I helped him while he was in school. We all come from the same maternal home. I helped him during him the civil. He’s my baptismal father. Hmmm! I really know him.”
•Source: Facebook
