Inside Stuff With MARTINS OLOJA
‘The Guardian’, Sunday June 27, 2021, Back Page.

There is a sense in which one can claim that it is provocative that the authorities in Nigeria have continued to ignore the groundswell of informed commentaries that Nigeria needs better, not more universities at this time that disruptive technologies daily shape economic development through innovation, which only research can touch off.

That is why a report last week that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved N18bn for takeoff of four new specialised universities should not be taken as another meretricious dividends of democracy as the governing party’s cheerleaders have claimed.

Indeed, the President last week approved a takeoff grant of N18 billion for the establishment of new universities of technology and health sciences. The new universities of technology will be located in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom states, while the universities of health sciences will be established in Azare, Bauchi State and Ila Orangun, Osun State. While announcing establishment of the new institutions in Abuja last Monday, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said the objective is to stimulate rapid technological transformation of the country. The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sunny Echono, noted that the approval was also in fulfilment of Buhari’s promise to establish a National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Abuja with six satellite universities of technology, one in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.

According to the Minister, the new universities of technology would be established in 2021 while the upgrade of the existing four Universities of Technology and the National Institute of Technology would come on stream next year. He said, “after a comprehensive review of the policy by key stakeholders in the education sector, it was resolved that the four existing Universities of Technology located in Yola (North East), Akure (South West), Owerri (South East) and Minna (North Central) would be upgraded and equipped while two additional Universities of Technology to be located in Jigawa and Akwa Ibom States, would be established for the purpose”.

The Minister also announced that similarly, a National Institute of Technology (NIT) shall be established in Abuja. The Institute shall be patterned after similar institutions in Singapore and Malaysia to serve essentially as a postgraduate centre devoted to research and innovation, drawing the best graduates from the six Universities of Technology, as well as other exceptional graduates from reputable universities within and outside Nigeria. The Minister noted that the new universities of technology would be established in 2021 while the upgrade of the existing four Universities of Technology and the National Institute of Technology would come on stream next year.

The Minister explained that “with the recent establishment of the only federal government owned University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State and the huge gap in Doctor-patient ratio as well as in medical research and production of pharmaceutical products, Government recognised the compelling need to establish two other specialised universities in Health, Nutrition and Medical Sciences to be located at Azare, Bauchi State and Ila Orangun, Osun State. “These shall lay a solid foundation for building national preparedness and resilience in anticipation of future challenges in the health sector while reducing medical tourism to countries like India, UAE, Egypt, Europe and the USA. To ensure early take-off of these institutions, the President approved a take-off grant of N4 Billion each for the Universities of Technology and N5 billion each for the Universities of Health Science from the funding Resources of Tetfund,” the minister added.

There are relevant questions to ask at this time: can a university’s solid foundation be laid with N4 billion just earmarked for a new university at this time? Should universities be so commonly established as hotels? Can’t the curricula of the existing 43 federal universities be expanded to accommodate the new courses the minister just advertised for the new universities? Are the existing universities enjoying adequate funding and manpower needs? What is the relevance of a new university of medical sciences when none of the existing colleges of medicine and teaching hospitals can be relied upon at the moment?

At present, there are 170 universities in Nigeria – 43 owned by the federal government; 48, state government; and 79, privately owned out of which 38 are faith-based (32 owned by church groups and two owned by Islamic organisations). These exclude the 20 licensed in April this year.

Although, the National Policy on Education, promotes the provision of equal access to educational opportunities for all citizens of the country at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels both inside and outside the formal school system; it states that for the philosophy of education to work harmoniously for Nigeria’s goals, education in Nigeria has to be tailored towards self realisation, right human relations, individual and national efficiency, effective citizenship, national consciousness, national unity as well as towards social, cultural, economic, political, scientific and technological progress.

As most commentators including experts have consistently argued, the Nigerian education system must be value-laden and tailored for the betterment of the citizens in order that they may live a better life and contribute to the advancement of society. For instance, shouldn’t Nigeria be thinking about robust funding of existing specialised universities in line with the agenda for the nation’s growth and development instead of establishing new ones? Are the specialised universities in Yola, Abeokuta, Owerri, Akure, etc meeting national objectives for establishing them?

For instance, in the aviation sector today, aircraft are serviced abroad in Africa’s most populous nation. So, can’t policy makers and NUC encourage proposals for how the Aviation School in Zaria can be merged with Ahmadu Bello University and funded to develop Aviation Courses and Aeronautical Engineering? Why do we get our children to be applying and registering for almost the same poorly funded courses, which do not trigger employability skills all over the country? The ordinariness of our curricula of studies has been worsening the employability index of Nigerian university graduates. Yet no one is thinking out of the box, in this regard.

In 2006, a departing expatriate (Dutch) chief executive officer of Nestle in Nigeria granted an interview to a newspaper in which he specifically advised Nigerian leaders to focus on quality of tertiary education instead of wasting time to fight corruption. He lamented that Nestle was always spending millions of naira retraining and reskilling Nigerian graduates to be employable in all fields of production. The late Ambassador Isaac Aluko-Olokun, an avid reader drew my attention to the article in a business journal. No one noted the Dutch manager’s conclusion that Nigeria’s main trouble wasn’t corruption but education that no one is still paying attention to.

In April this year, the national Universities Commission (NUC) granted provisional licences for 20 new universities. The new owners received their licences from the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in Abuja. With the approval, Nigeria now has 99 private universities.

In my article on this same challenge titled, ‘Why we need better universities, not more”, published here on June 4, 2016, (part of the serial that gave me the ‘2017 DAME Award on Informed Commentary’, I wrote:

‘…But I would like to visit the roots of most of the challenges and so, I have to sensitize all the state actors from all the 774 local governments, 36 states and Abuja to lend me their ears: I would like us to interrogate Professor Wole Soyinka’s ‘thesis’ about the expediency of closing down all the Nigerian universities for a year or two with a view to restructuring them into “Ivory Towers”, citadels of learning and centres of innovation that they should be. This is not a seminal paper on the role of the university in a developing country. Nor is it a research topic on the role of public intellectuals in development. Rather, it is a thought-provoking discussion point on why all our representatives in government should halt the “hollow rituals” called licensing of new private universities and the federal government’s own obsession with political project called federal universities in all the states of the federation…’

I had then asked too if there was anything that could be more insufferable than a situation whereby most Nigerian universities had become mere factories for producing unemployable graduates at all levels. All the major highways have become attractions for private universities, most of which are just for ways of laundering money for some politically exposed people who have become wealthy without work. Such characters can no longer hide their slush and stolen funds abroad.

But sadly, most of the lecturers of most of our universities can no longer allow their children to be admitted into the universities where they teach. This is critical and that is why university and polytechnic teachers are always on strike. They have been asking for proper funding at all levels so that we can have universities as citadels of learning and centres of excellence and innovation.

At this juncture, NUC and indeed our leaders should pause and ask: What is university education doing for Nigeria? Is university education addressing the manpower deficits in Nigeria? Again, do we want a knowledgeable populace or a certificate society? Again, while it is important to improve access to tertiary education, the issue of quality should be of concern to all. While there are good private universities, there are concerns that some of them have fallen short of expectation as their quality and standard of education have been markedly compromised. Some of the allegations levelled against the private universities include over inflation of unhealthy parallel grades to attract ‘customers’; inability to fulfill admission quotas allocated to them per session; inadequate funding; ownership interference, paucity of qualified teachers, among others.

Furthermore, it is important for NUC to take stock of the available manpower before approving more universities. There are reports that the number of lecturers available perhaps will only be adequate for about 40% of the existing universities in the country today. The implication of this is that even the resource verification carried out before approval of programmes, to a large extent, is merely ‘fulfilling righteousness’ because the name of one lecturer most often than not, appears on the list of lecturers for many private universities as an adjunct lecturer, some of which are in states that are very far from where the lecturer is working full time.

This raises questions about the frequency and quality of teaching that such an adjunct lecturer offers. Furthermore, if lecturers spend all their time teaching, when will they write grant proposals, carry out researches, participate in professional activities and do community service? In fact, it will be in public interest for NUC to do some introspection before licensing more universities even for the federal government. Therefore, for a nation that is serious about its own sustenance and improvement, it should constantly look in the direction of the quality of its tertiary education, not just more institutions of higher learning for political reasons. Higher education is for development.

***Let’s continue this healthy debate next week!

There is a raging showdown between two literary Amazons, both of whom have played a crucial role in shaping contemporary African literature and helped expand its global appeal. Am losing quite a bit of sleep. My initial approach was to let time sought things out as prior experience had shown. On a second thought however, I decided it’s better to summon the two erring sisters to a court where chiefs with red caps festooned with feathers wield the big stick. At least, this should serve as a cautionary tale as well offer a teachable moment for those who would rather wash our dirty linen in full glare of the public and dare Amadioha in his face.
Tufiakwa!

You know that you are inching closer to the twilight zone when all of a sudden you start to feel like the moral arch of the universe rests upon your shoulder. It comes with that feeling of a weighty responsibility to wade into every crisis and intervene even between those that have zero idea about your existence. May God help.

Akwaeke Emezi. Gosh! how I love that soul. Even her name alone is awe-inspiring and in Igbo anthroponymy, it translates to a Unicorn. I know! Funny enough, before now I had only chanced upon some of her writings, mostly as short stories in the Brittle Papers, an African literature platform. It’s just recently that I learnt of the body of work that clearly defines her as a multi-talented video artist and accomplished writer who had been nominated in many literary categories and has gone on to win multiple awards.

Emezi currently signed a two-book deal with Riverhead Books. The first of the two, a New York Times best seller called The Death of Vivek Oji was released in August 2020 and the second one is titled Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir.

Her debut novel, Freshwater which explored the Igbo concept of gender and spirituality vis-a-vis western culture, was named a New Yorker Best Book of the Year and received glowing reviews from reputable organisations like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and even The Guardian ofLondon. In 2019, Freshwater was nominated for the Women’s Prize for fiction which was historic in the sense of being the first of its kind by a transgender author.

Talking about gender, Emezi identifies as a non-binary. She is a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, champions transgender rights and draws inspiration from Binyavanga Wainaina. It’s not totally surprising therefore, that gender identity and the politics of it is at the front and center of her public spat with a former mentor and world-famous author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

With the serendipitous discovery of Emezi’s treasure trove of literary work, I arrived at two conclusions. First is that the feud came with its own silver lining for those of us late to Emezi’s party. The second is that if her wish as the underdog in this fight is to gain more visibility and claim a greater market share in the literary space, she may have achieved that beyond her wildest dreams. But truth be told, there is a different dimension to this issue that is beyond the literati which is why the New York Times, The Guardian, NPR and even the Daily Mail picked up the story and ran with it.

Problem started when Chimamanda granted an interview to UK’s Channel 4TV in March 2017 in which she stated that a trans woman is a trans woman. By that, she was attempting to draw the distinction between the experience of women born female as opposed to those of trans women. Chikena.

Following that interview, she was excoriated and roundly condemned by a section of the LGBTQ community as being transphobic. Even the series of subsequent media statements and Facebook posts in an attempt to douse the fire and showcase her long track record of support for LGBTQ right were not enough to stop her trolls. Emezi was particularly disappointed and deeply incensed, feeling that such statement was emblematic of the culture of transphobia that exists in the larger society. She called Adichie’s statement not just a serious betrayal by a friend, mentor and a role model but also a denial of her existence as a transwoman.  And she made that known publicly. Oh dear!

Of course, we may never know all that transpired in a long-term relationship between two friends gone awry but certain inference could be made sorting through their correspondence. It appears that Emezi later realized her mistakes of lashing out in public, wrote an apology letter and hoped to warm her way back into Chimamanda’s world. The later, very angry and feeling betrayed by someone she went out of her way to help, played the defense and rebuffed all overtures. Having tried repeatedly without success, Emezi got frustrated, called Chimamanda’s bluff and went full scale on the offensive. She called her a” murderer” and from what we heard, launched a scorched-earth social media campaign to discredit her. Not only that, she went on a mission to permanently damage her brand. Mba nu!

People often say that all is fair in love and war but that is not necessarily true. Or why do we have the international court sitting in Hague that tries war criminals?  Believe it or not, it is expected that even in war situations, rules of engagement still need to be upheld. It’s human nature to be angry and act out but the response should also be commensurate with the perceived wrong. In this fight, Ms. Emezi took no prisoners.

To describe someone as transphobic and call her a murderer for simply refusing to commingle feminism with transgender activism is to miss the whole premise of the LGBTQ campaign which is about respecting individual choices and differences even when they don’t align with yours. Cyber bullying and reverse discrimination are also not behaviors to be encouraged.

Hopefully this one issue may offer a window of opportunity into discussing the relationship between the Transgender and Cisgender, Heterosexual and LGBTQ in general, in order to define expectations on each side. As the campaign to educate more and more heterosexual people about LGBTQ rights and the push for increased sensitivity to gender fluidity is being ramped up, it’s important to educate the other side as well. The crucial need to support LGBTQ rights and interact with the community in a respectful and non-threatening way is something that a whole lot of people are still struggling with and remains a work in progress.

Though it’s not yet uhuru and a lot more need be done to protect such a vulnerable population, we should also acknowledge that tremendous progress has been made in these past few years. With increasing public enlightenment and awareness, many are now evolving from an initial hardline position to that of showing willingness to listen and learn. More effort should be channeled however, in that direction. Even though one can sense the impatience in opting for such a slow and time-consuming process, the alternative is to adopt a fire brigade approach meant to blackmail or beat every questioning voice to shape. Such method is unlikely to help in the long run and would only amount to conversion without conviction.

Like all art aficionados, one is deeply burdened by the ugly ramifications of this fight, given its tendency to polarize people and force the family of African writers to take sides. But this is not the first. There is a long history of feuds between writers and am convinced that the two will settle scores, knock themselves over a couple of times, but in the end, each will get up and be just fine. What is more worrisome, however, is the unintended consequences when two Elephants fight. The problem is the grass being trampled upon in this case takes the form of all forgone alternatives. Not in the least is the squandered opportunity to beam a searchlight on the human carnage that has since become an everyday Nigerian story.

•Dr. Agbo, a public affairs analyst is the coordinator of African Center for Transparency and Convener of Save Nigeria Project. Email: [email protected]

By Funke Cole

– She is 21, he was 50 – adults, both of them.

– They were lovers – two mutually consenting adults in a romantic relationship.

– She agreed to meet and be with the man at an apartment. She wasn’t forced. In fact, she booked the apartment, while he transferred money to her to pay for it.

*Watch the video of how she defended herself here

– She used an app to generate a fake international phone number to book the apartment.

– It was a lovers’ tryst – food, alcohol, drugs, and sex were on the table.

– She had a fake identity card with her face but a different name on it.

– For whatever reason, she stabbed the man three times (twice in the neck, once in the stomach). She cut off the artery that supplies blood through the neck.

– SHE KILLED HIM.

– After killing him, she had the presence of mind to steal his iPhone before she took to her heels.

– After she escaped, she withdrew N380,000 from his account… And maybe she would have withdrawn more if the account wasn’t blocked.

– Both of them are very good-looking.

Credit:thenigerialawyer

By Ikechukwu Amaechi

“Some Nigerians believe that such fringe groups should be ignored. I disagree. Not when Buhari has joined in reminding Ndigbo how much property they have in the North.

Why are Northerners so obsessed with the properties of Ndigbo? Why is Buhari, in his words and actions, endorsing these vile and incendiary rhetoric? Why are security agencies promoting these dangerous narratives?

Some may have forgotten how in April 2016, the Department of State Service (DSS) raised an alarm that it had discovered mass graves of “Hausa-Fulani” residents allegedly abducted and murdered by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Abia State.

“The Service has uncovered the heinous role played by members of … IPOB, in the abduction/kidnap of five Hausa-Fulani residents, namely Mohammed Gainako, Ibrahim Mohammed, Idris Yakubu and Isa Mohammed Rago at Isuikwuato LGA in Abia State,” the then DSS spokesperson, Tony Opuiyo, told bewildered Nigerians.

“The abducted men were later discovered at the Umuanyi forest, Abia State, where they were suspected to have been killed by their abductors and buried in shallow graves, amidst fifty (50) other shallow graves of unidentified persons,” DSS claimed.

To date, the DSS refused to disclose the identities of the other 45 “victims.” Were they also Fulani herdsmen? They didn’t say. Apparently, they had achieved their goal which was to incite northerners against innocent Igbos living in the North. Why would a government security agency funded with tax payers’ money play such a dangerous game? The answer, as they say, blows in the wind.

And the pattern has been consistent. Unknown gunmen breached security in Imo State, and even when Governor Hope Uzodimma insists that over 70 per cent of the 400 people arrested were non-Igbo, the police blamed Igbo youths.

Ahmed Gulak was gruesomely murdered in Owerri. Uzodimma cried foul, insisting it was political assassination and urged the police to carry out thorough investigation.

Police said there was nothing to investigate, after catching up with the culprits where they were sharing “onions from the North” one hour after the crime was committed.

The alleged assassins, labelled IPOB members, were all killed and their bodies burnt beyond recognition. Case closed! As I write, no one knows the real identities of those Police claimed killed Gulak. Investigations were concluded even before Gulak was killed. And ultimatums and threats started flying about.

Many Northerners believe their own lies.

That is, perhaps, the greatest threat Nigeria faces today, because, as Fyodor Dostoevsky, the 19th century Russian author and journalist, once noted: “The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” Lack of love explains the carnage all around us.”

Enyinnaya Abaribe, the brilliant and brave senator who signed the bail for Nnamdi Kanu’s release delivered perhaps the most perceptive and wisest speech on Igbos and Nigeria last week in Mississippi, US. Every Igbo who cares about the present and the future of our people should read it. It’s a bit long but the effort is worth it. Please see below:

“What I will say here today may come as a surprise to many of you. For those that I will rub the wrong way, I apologize in advance.

However, “NDIGBO si na owu onye nke mmadu na ghu ya ahu na agbata ukwu”. If I fail to say the truth about the existential challenges that we face today in our country Nigeria, and how we believe we should face them, then I would not be true to myself and to you who sent me to represent you in the red chamber.

From the Past to Today.

1970

We can situate our position today following the end of the civil war in 1970. Igbo’s in 1970 were impoverished having lost an estimated 3 Million Igbo souls in the war, with a ruined and destroyed landscape and infrastructure. Every Igbo man/woman with savings in the banks before the outbreak of hostilities were pauperized as the military government decreed that one would only get 20 pounds notwithstanding the amount you had. The indigenization decree was passed in 1972 and no Igbo could participate since all had been reduced to penury.

2017

Today the Igbo have the largest pool of educated Nigerians. In 2007, Imo State had more subscribers to the JAMB UTME exams than the 19 Northern States put together. In 2017, 56% of of NYSC members are from the South East. Our feat in education means that we now have the army to win the war of competition in a market driven economy. Since 1999, the south east states have been the best in all exams.

The largest group of direct domestic investors in Nigeria are from the south east. Igbo investments in property in Abuja alone probably has more than any other ethnic group. We are the most travelled in Nigeria. In all parts of Nigeria after the indigenous population, Igbo’s are the next largest group. We are the largest propertied class of all ethnic groups in Nigeria and despite all this confusion, we have grown the most economically since the inception of the current democracy in Nigeria. We have the richest and largest pool of Nigeria diaspora population.

Taking an example of Lagos state, Ndigbo form a large proportion of the economy of the state. We created the following from nothing;
Computer Village in Ikeja. Ladipo Spare Parts market. Alaba Electronic Market. Balogun Int’l Market.
Balogun (Trade Fair) International Market. Aspamda market in Festac.
Orile Market for house fittings & appliances etc.

All second hand clothing markets in Lagos. About 4 markets. The combined turnover daily of these markets run into billions daily. Lagos state benefits by collecting taxes and now its economy contributes 56% of all VAT collected in Nigeria. Above scenario is replicated in most big cities in Nigeria. Go to Kano, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Kaduna, Sokoto, not to talk of Abuja. Ndigbo are very large players in the economy of all parts of Nigeria. I will return to this.

The ALLURE of BIAFRA

So the question is, given all the advantages that we as Ndigbo have in Nigeria, why the clamour by our youths and others for a separate state of Biafra?

The present agitation in the South East for a sovereign state of Biafra seems very tempting under the prevailing circumstance given the manifest sectional approach to governance at the center. To some especially the youth and the disadvantaged it is the way to go and when viewed critically you cannot help but to agree with the agitators. Of a truth there is an obvious feeling of alienation within the Nigerian state today. But has this always been the case? Apart from the civil war and the pernicious policies of the military regimes, we have not fared badly during civil rule until presently.

Given that following the civil war, there seemed to have been a glass ceiling in certain professions in Nigeria where it looked as if Igbo should not aspire to. In the police, military etc. But we can posit this as the lingering effects of the war where the victor in a war finds it very difficult to fully integrate the other party they fought with into all areas. In the US for example, I understand that it took a very long time for someone from the southern part of the US several decades after the civil war which they lost to break the stranglehold of the north for the presidency of the US. (Correct me if I’m wrong).

But come to think of it, Dr Alex Ekwueme became the Vice President of Nigeria barely 9 years after the civil war. The glass ceiling was on its way to being broken! The military interregnum from 1993 led by the same Muhammadu Buhari put a hold on this. In the US, Germany, Japan and other climes deliberate policies were used by governments to build stronger ties among groups and opposing tendencies. This helped to forge a bond within their nations. Nigeria seemed to think that a policy of benign neglect will resolve our problems. Of course it didn’t and that’s why we are seeing a resurgence of separatist agitation going on all over the country.

Fast forward to the civil rule era starting from 1999. Nobody would accuse Presidents Obasanjo, late Yar’adua, or Jonathan of what seemed like sectionalism as state policy. A look at the pattern of appointments by President Obasanjo evinced the fact of an all inclusive government from all parts of the country. Same as President Yar’adua. President Jonathan took it a step further by appointing the first Igbo chief of army staff, first Igbo secretary to the federal government, coordinating minister for the economy etc. In fact, one of the criticisms we face today in Nigeria is to explain why should this agitation for separation be under President Buhari when it was not done under the previous administration? However, that criticism is not true. Recall that under President Obasanjo and Yar’adua there was Massob which was managed much better than today.

However, you will recall that when this government came into place, President Buhari went to the US where he made a most unfortunate statement that was widely condemned at that time. He reportedly said that he doesn’t need to bother about the 5% that didn’t vote for him but will rather concern himself with the 97% that voted for him. I had at the time the statement was made raised concern that such declaration from an elected President sounds discriminatory and may create the impression that our elected President Buhari is sending a message to those who didn’t vote for him that he will be partial in his decision making. Unfortunately, it seems also that the people who are in and around the president didn’t advise him properly.

They left him to make appointments and take decisions that gave the impression that there are some parts of the country that are not supposed to be part of Nigeria. Little wonder that our youths feeling left out and not having anything to give them hope in Nigeria, started believing that a separate country would be better. But I say it is NOT. I will come to this later.

I recall that in November of 2016, after seeing how things were going, the South East caucus of the Senate sought for and got an appointment with the President Buhari. Our discussion centered on the south East perception of not being part of this administration thereby giving rise to our people feeling disconnected from the government. We pointed out that it should be a cause for concern if a major part of the country is not represented in the security architecture of the country in addition to other critical sectors from the inception of the administration. We were promised that our concerns would be looked into. Sadly, this was not done till today.

Our country Nigeria is supposed to be for inclusion; for making sure that everyone makes his or her input into its affairs. Allowing such fairness and equity to prevail in a plural society like ours will make us a bigger and better nation. Today that is not the case. Either as a deliberate act as it seems or a willful omission geared towards achieving a pre-determined goal, Ndigbo have been pushed to the fringes of the Nigerian Union in so many ways by the present government. The unfortunate scenario is enough for one to ask the hypothetical question….why am I here?

WHAT ALTERNATIVES

As much as the music of separatism stirs the soul, one must ask the question; Is relapsing into a sovereign state of Biafra the optimum option or is it a restructuring of the state such that all the federating units would have greater autonomy in the mould of a near quasi self determination the better option? When these two options are posed; a sovereign state of Biafra or restructured Nigeria, the position of most Nigerians as of today is for the latter.

Apart from the problem of even determining the boundaries of the state of Biafra and the multifarious and multifaceted problems a simplistic solution such as Biafra poses, perhaps it makes more sense for those who have tasted war to be a little more discerning when matters affecting their race comes up in Nigeria. Nigerians have been known to come together to use the Igbo head to break coconuts (apologies to late Abiola). Despite the problems that befell the Yoruba race following the annulment of the June 12 elections, they didn’t seek to break out out of Nigeria despite some of them calling for an Oduduwa country. They simply used the sympathies of other Nigerians to create an economic haven for themselves which has led to massive relocation of industries by all Nigerians to Lagos and Ogun States. They also got the Presidency of Nigeria.

Our brothers from the Niger Delta have not sought to go away either. They also got the Presidency of Nigeria. However we seem to be in the unfortunate position of seeming to drag the Niger Delta into a Biafra unwanted by them. The agitation for Biafra and how it was being prosecuted by IPOB has rather elicited hate and disdain for our people from other ethnic groups notwithstanding that they may have been nursing such tendencies. The agitation as championed by IPOB somehow gave muscle to traditional traducers of Ndigbo to spew out hate and envious vituperations. This was exemplified by the October 1st quit notice given to Igbos to leave the North by the so-called Arewa youths which persons are yet to be arrested for hate speech and breaching the law. They claimed to be responding to our own hate speeches etc.

Indeed, other people seem to want to see us fall into the trap for them to use us to solve their own problems with Nigeria. That notwithstanding, we as political leaders from the South East were unequivocal in asserting that that the rights of Ndigbo to peaceful and democratic engagements must be respected. On this score we made it clear that no amount of threat will cow Ndigbo from consistently demanding for an equitable, fair and just society within the Nigerian State. We also cautioned our youths on their vituperative calls and employed the Igbo concept of “bu uzo chu fuo Ufu, tutu ta wa Okuko uta”! This of course was misunderstood by other Nigerians as support rather than constructive engagement.

WHY NOT BIAFRA?

We believe that the best way to go given our situation today is to look before we leap. We must not be pushed to abandon our huge contribution to the modern Nigerian state. As we pointed out in the beginning of this paper, Ndigbo have been the single ethnic group that have welded the country Nigeria together given our way of life as sojourners everywhere in Nigeria, West Africa, Africa and the world. I dare say that we make up to 50% or more of Nigerians in the US. The question is why would we look to confine ourselves to a small landlocked entity when we have the whole of Nigeria to cavort in?

I have deliberately left out of this discussion the practical impossibility of even getting our brothers from the Niger Delta to go with us in this quest. Not to talk of the Idoma or the Kogi that we insist are part of us.
One thing seems to elude our people when these questions are posed. We look at the determination of the present government to treat us dismissively and feel that it is well nigh an impossible task to get our wish for a just society but we fail to look at the historical evidence before us.

When the 97% vs 5% controversy erupted, I told our people that my people the Ngwa says that “Ohu afor abughi ndu ebighi ebi”. Governments come and go. PDP government lost election and quit the stage for this APC government. Who says they cannot also lose? Why are we then acting as if it’s the end of the world? The maximum any government can stay is two term totaling 8years. “Obughi ndu ebighi ebi”!

Restructuring is an idea whose time has come and it will happen.
Biafra should be a last option, only after every other avenue to realize a restructured Nigeria where every component part is allowed a measure of autonomy and self determination fails. Let me state here that if the dominant views in Nigeria is for restructuring, then that should be the minimum that Ndigbo should demand, so that every component part of this country can substantially harness its resources and develop at its own pace.

Do not forget that the breached Aburi accord was about restructuring and today this call has garnered overwhelming momentum even from quarters that hitherto opposed it. Just recently former President Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and lately Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and a host of others have joined the fray. Restructuring has become a singsong which we must explore vigorously. Even the ruling APC has set up a committee led by Governor el-Rufai to bring about a considered view on it. Forget the fact that it was part of their manifesto. The fact is that the discussion is on, as it should be.

I recall that in August, the Igbo political elite, Ohaneze, Governors, National Assembly Caucus met in Enugu and affirmed that the terms of our marriage in Nigeria is stifling to everybody and therefore we must have another look at it. That position has not changed but has in fact been reinforced by the agreement by other parts of Nigeria that it is time to look at the matter as evidenced by the South West Political Summit where they endorsed restructuring back to the 1963 constitution.

To me the strident calls by IPOB for a referendum should be seen as a legitimate demand to compel the state to see the urgency of having a second look at our marriage, with the ultimate aim of enthroning equity and fairness, where our people will no longer be treated as second class citizens in Nigeria. Though the methods may be misconstrued, the true colour of the agitation would have come out had there been a concerted effort at dialogue. The agitations gives fillip to the Igbo idiom…”Ma Opara emeghi nkpotu, agaghi ilughi ya Nwanyi “.

Our people are saying this union is stifling us, and we are making a lot of noise so we can find a solution.
The solution I think can be found in a restructured Nigeria. The beauty of it is that while we can enjoy near wholesale autonomy, our people as itinerant business people could have an unrestrained space in a larger market provided by a united Nigeria.

We should not be swayed by what we think is the attraction of an exclusive opportunity to be provided by a sovereign Biafra. No. That would box us into a tiny corner which has its own challenges which would prove overwhelming as time goes on. This is a topic for another day.

DIASPORA IGBOS AND US.

One of the problems those of us who attempt to show a direction to our people at home is the near universal disdain that some of our brother Ndigbo in Diaspora have for our leaders and elected representatives at home. Nowhere is it more apposite than in this matter of Biafra agitation. While some of our brothers/sisters here in the comfort of their homes seems to urge our youths through their utterances and actions to use unconstitutional means and disparage other ethnic groups that which actions seems to alienate us from our neighbors and the Nigerian State, we the leaders at home have been been left with the task of intervening in such a manner to dissuade the government from deploying the coercive instruments of state against the agitators. The aim was to stop bloodshed and waste of human lives. We have lost enough from the civil war. Those egging our youths on from here do not seem to appreciate this fact.

Most distressing is the labeling of those who disagree with their positions as “cowards, saboteurs, Hausa slaves etc”. This tends to discourage those who genuinely strive to lead our people through a very distressing period in our history as a nation.

Nnia Nwodo as President of Ohaneze has been vilified for taking a stand for restructuring in Nigeria for Ndigbo, a position agreed by all of us in the earlier summit I referenced. Governors come in for bashing everyday. As for us legislators, we have been called all sorts of names such as ‘legislooters’ etc.

Yet, when it came to taking a stand at ground zero, to bail Kanu; to reject the Federal Government ascribing Terrorism to IPOB, we are the people doing so and we never hesitated to say that agitation in every clime is constitutional. We take the bullets from other ethnic groups and the government for standing firm and demanding that Nigerians should be left to talk to each other about the best way forward without preconditions. We would use this opportunity plead with our internet warriors who stay here in their comfort zone here that our Igbo say, “ma Opara nzuzu adighi nwuo, Opara ma izu aga beghi ibichi ezi”.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Why are we not Investing at Home.

Lack of Infrastructure.

Should we continue to blame the Federal Government for the dilapidated infrastructures in Ala Igbo? What of our home governments in Igbo States? Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory did not wait for the Federal Government before undertaking massive rebuilding of old IMO State. We think that we have not given our best to our people with the little we got.

Insecurity.

Nowhere have we hurt ourselves and investment in Ala Igbo than in the insecurity pervading all parts of our homeland. Of course the latest imbroglio in Abia especially in Aba and Umuahia has worsened matters. We run the risk of undoing all the efforts made in promoting ‘made in Aba’ that we had embarked on as a catalyst for growth in Ala Igbo. Industries have relocated from Ala Igbo to other parts of Nigeria especially Lagos and Ogun States because of the very serious insecurity such as kidnappining and armed robbery faced by those who invest at home. We cannot be looking for investors and yet make our place not conducive to investment.

Unemployment

Unemployment is the single biggest problem we have in Ala Igbo today. Before this time due to our domestic investments and industry, this was not a very big problem but due to the dis-investment going on today in Ala Igbo today we are faced with a existential problem in our hand. Diaspora Igbo’s have to assist us to also invest at home despite the problems and reduce the unemployment in Ala Igbo. Once we get Ala Igbo right the frustrations that fuel the agitation in ala Igbo will be dampened. What we have playing out in the world today is a knowledge economy. Oil is going out of fashion. As I pointed out earlier, we are poised through our educational exploits in Nigeria to dominate the economy of tomorrow. Why would we turn a blind eye to this emerging scenario?

In ending let me quote what the great son of Igbo land, the great Zik of Africa said about himself:

“Despite the mythic heights to which he was raised, Azikiwe was nothing if not pragmatic, a realist, always conscious of his limits and ever eager to extract all that was possible from that limited horizon”. May we be guided by such humble thoughts as we seek a better Nigeria for us all. What we should look for is a BIAFRA of the MIND like some have suggested in order to play our role in the emerging Nigeria that will come…

ABARIBE ON BIAFRA, KANU AND NIGERIA
Enyinnaya Abaribe, the brilliant and brave senator who signed the bail for Nnamdi Kanu’s release delivered perhaps the most perceptive and wisest speech on Igbos and Nigeria last week in Mississippi, US. Every Igbo who cares about the present and the future of our people should read it. It’s a bit long but the effort is worth it. Please see below:

“What I will say here today may come as a surprise to many of you. For those that I will rub the wrong way, I apologize in advance.

However, “NDIGBO si na owu onye nke mmadu na ghu ya ahu na agbata ukwu”. If I fail to say the truth about the existential challenges that we face today in our country Nigeria, and how we believe we should face them, then I would not be true to myself and to you who sent me to represent you in the red chamber.

From the Past to Today.
1970
We can situate our position today following the end of the civil war in 1970. Igbo’s in 1970 were impoverished having lost an estimated 3m Igbo souls in the war, with a ruined and destroyed landscape and infrastructure. Every Igbo man/woman with savings in the banks before the outbreak of hostilities were pauperized as the military government decreed that one would only get 20 pounds notwithstanding the amount you had. The indigenization decree was passed in 1972 and no Igbo could participate since all had been reduced to penury.
2017
Today the Igbo have the largest pool of educated Nigerians. In 2007, Imo State had more subscribers to the JAMB UTME exams than the 19 Northern States put together. In 2017, 56% of of NYSC members are from the South East. Our feat in education means that we now have the army to win the war of competition in a market driven economy. Since 1999, the south east states have been the best in all exams.
The largest group of direct domestic investors in Nigeria are from the south east. Igbo investments in property in Abuja alone probably has more than any other ethnic group. We are the most travelled in Nigeria. In all parts of Nigeria after the indigenous population, Igbo’s are the next largest group. We are the largest propertied class of all ethnic groups in Nigeria and despite all this confusion, we have grown the most economically since the inception of the current democracy in Nigeria. We have the richest and largest pool of Nigeria diaspora population.
Taking an example of Lagos state, Ndigbo form a large proportion of the economy of the state. We created the following from nothing;
Computer Village in Ikeja.
Ladipo Spare Parts market.
Alaba Electronic Market.
Balogun Int’l Market.
Balogun (Trade Fair) International Market
Aspamda market in Festac.
Orile Market for house fittings & appliances etc
All second hand clothing markets in Lagos. About 4 markets
The combined turnover daily of these markets run into billions daily. Lagos state benefits by collecting taxes and now its economy contributes 56% of all VAT collected in Nigeria.
Above scenario is replicated in most big cities in Nigeria. Go to Kano, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Kaduna, Sokoto, not to talk of Abuja. Ndigbo are very large players in the economy of all parts of Nigeria.
I will return to this.
The ALLURE of BIAFRA
So the question is, given all the advantages that we as Ndigbo have in Nigeria, why the clamour by our youths and others for a separate state of Biafra?
The present agitation in the SouthEast for a sovereign state of Biafra seems very tempting under the prevailing circumstance given the manifest sectional approach to governance at the center. To some especially the youth and the disadvantaged it is the way to go and when viewed critically you cannot help but to agree with the agitators. Of a truth there is an obvious feeling of alienation within the Nigerian state today. But has this always been the case? Apart from the civil war and the pernicious policies of the military regimes, we have not fared badly during civil rule until presently.
Given that following the civil war, there seemed to have been a glass ceiling in certain professions in Nigeria where it looked as if Igbo should not aspire to. In the police, military etc. But we can posit this as the lingering effects of the war where the victor in a war finds it very difficult to fully integrate the other part they fought with into all areas. In the US for example, i understand that it took a very long time for someone from the southern part of the US several decades after the civil war which they lost to break the stranglehold of the north for the presidency of the US. (Correct me if I’m wrong).
But come to think of it, Dr Alex Ekwueme became the Vice President of Nigeria barely 9 years after the civil war. The glass ceiling was on its way to being broken! The military interregnum from 1993 led by the same Muhammadu Buhari put a hold on this. In the US, Germany, Japan and other climes deliberate policies were used by governments to build stronger ties among groups and opposing tendencies. This helped to forge a bond within their nations. Nigeria seemed to think that a policy of benign neglect will resolve our problems. Of course it didn’t and that’s why we are seeing a resurgence of separatist agitation going on all over the country.
Fast forward to the civil rule era starting from 1999. Nobody would accuse Presidents Obasanjo, late Yar’adua, or Jonathan of what seemed like sectionalism as state policy. A look at the pattern of appointments by President Obasanjo evinced the fact of an all inclusive government from all parts of the country. Same as President Yar’adua. President Jonathan took it a step further by appointing the first Igbo chief of army staff, first Igbo secretary to the federal government, coordinating minister for the economy etc.
In fact, one of the criticisms we face today in Nigeria is to explain why should this agitation for separation be under President Buhari when it was not done under the previous administration? However, that criticism is not true. Recall that under President Obasanjo and Yar’adua there was Massob which was managed much better than today.
However, you will recall that when this government came into place, President Buhari went to the US where he made a most unfortunate statement that was widely condemned at that time. He reportedly said that he doesn’t need to bother about the 5% that didn’t vote for him but will rather concern himself with the 97% that voted for him.
I had at the time the statement was made raised concern that such declaration from an elected President sounds discriminatory and may create the impression that our elected President Buhari is sending a message to those who didn’t vote for him that he will be partial in his decision making.
Unfortunately, it seems also that the people who are in and around the president didn’t advise him properly. They left him to make appointments and take decisions that gave the impression that there are some parts of the country that are not supposed to be part of Nigeria. Little wonder that our youths feeling left out and not having anything to give them hope in Nigeria, started believing that a separate country would be better. But I say it is NOT. I will come to this later.
I recall that in November of 2016, after seeing how things were going, the South East caucus of the Senate sought for and got an appointment with the President Buhari. Our discussion centered on the south East perception of not being part of this administration thereby giving rise to our people feeling disconnected from the government. We pointed out that it should be a cause for concern if a major part of the country is not represented in the security architecture of the country in addition to other critical sectors from the inception of the administration. We were promised that our concerns would be looked into. Sadly, this was not done till today.
Our country Nigeria is supposed to be for inclusion; for making sure that everyone makes his or her input into its affairs. Allowing such fairness and equity to prevail in a plural society like ours will make us a bigger and better nation. Today that is not the case. Either as a deliberate act as it seems or a willful omission geared towards achieving a pre-determined goal, Ndigbo have been pushed to the fringes of the Nigerian Union in so many ways by the present government. The unfortunate scenario is enough for one to ask the hypothetical question….why am I here?
WHAT ALTERNATIVES
As much as the music of separatism stirs the soul, one must ask the question; Is relapsing into a sovereign state of Biafra the optimum option or is it a restructuring of the state such that all the federating units would have greater autonomy in the mould of a near quasi self determination the better option?
When these two options are posed; a sovereign state of Biafra or restructured Nigeria, the position of most Nigerians as of today is for the latter.
Apart from the problem of even determining the boundaries of the state of Biafra and the multifarious and multifaceted problems a simplistic solution such as Biafra poses, perhaps it makes more sense for those who have tasted war to be a little more discerning when matters affecting their race comes up in Nigeria. Nigerians have been known to come together to use the Igbo head to break coconuts (apologies to late Abiola).
Despite the problems that befell the Yoruba race following the annulment of the June 12 elections, they didn’t seek to break out out of Nigeria despite some of them calling for an Oduduwa country. They simply used the sympathies of other Nigerians to create an economic haven for themselves which has led to massive relocation of industries by all Nigerians to Lagos and Ogun States. They also got the Presidency of Nigeria.
Our brothers from the Niger Delta have not sought to go away either. They also got the Presidency of Nigeria. However we seem to be in the unfortunate position of seeming to drag the Niger Delta into a Biafra unwanted by them.
The agitation for Biafra and how it was being prosecuted by IPOB has rather elicited hate and disdain for our people from other ethnic groups notwithstanding that they may have been nursing such tendencies.
The agitation as championed by IPOB somehow gave muscle to traditional traducers of Ndigbo to spew out hate and envious vituperations. This was exemplified by the October 1st quit notice given to Igbos to leave the North by the so-called Arewa youths which persons are yet to be arrested for hate speech and breaching the law. They claimed to be responding to our own hate speeches etc. Indeed, other people seem to want to see us fall into the trap for them to use us to solve their own problems with Nigeria.
That notwithstanding, we as political leaders from the South East were unequivocal in asserting that that the rights of Ndigbo to peaceful and democratic engagements must be respected. On this score we made it clear that no amount of threat will cow Ndigbo from consistently demanding for an equitable, fair and just society within the Nigerian State. We also cautioned our youths on their vituperative calls and employed the Igbo concept of “bu uzo chu fuo Ufu, tutu ta wa Okuko uta”! This of course was misunderstood by other Nigerians as support rather than constructive engagement.
WHY NOT BIAFRA?
We believe that the best way to go given our situation today is to look before we leap. We must not be pushed to abandon our huge contribution to the modern Nigerian state. As we pointed out in the beginning of this paper, Ndigbo have been the single ethnic group that have welded the country Nigeria together given our way of life as sojourners everywhere in Nigeria, West Africa, Africa and the world. I dare say that we make up to 50% or more of Nigerians in the US.
The question is why would we look to confine ourselves to a small landlocked entity when we have the whole of Nigeria to cavort in?
I have deliberately left out of this discussion the practical impossibility of even getting our brothers from the Niger Delta to go with us in this quest. Not to talk of the Idoma or the Kogi that we insist are part of us.
One thing seems to elude our people when these questions are posed. We look at the determination of the present government to treat us dismissively and feel that it is well nigh an impossible task to get our wish for a just society but we fail to look at the historical evidence before us.
When the 97% vs 5% controversy erupted, I told our people that my people the Ngwa says that “Ohu afor abughi ndu ebighi ebi”. Governments come and go. PDP government lost election and quit the stage for this APC government. Who says they cannot also lose? Why are we then acting as if it’s the end of the world? The maximum any government can stay is two term totaling 8yrs. “Obughi ndu ebighi ebi”!

Restructuring is an idea whose time has come and it will happen.
Biafra should be a last option, only after every other avenue to realize a restructured Nigeria where every component part is allowed a measure of autonomy and self determination fails.
Let me state here that if the dominant views in Nigeria is for restructuring, then that should be the minimum that Ndigbo should demand, so that every component part of this country can substantially harness its resources and develop at its own pace.

Do not forget that the breached Aburi accord was about restructuring and today this call has garnered overwhelming momentum even from quarters that hitherto opposed it. Just recently former President Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and lately Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and a host of others have joined the fray. Restructuring has become a singsong which we must explore vigorously. Even the ruling APC has set up a committee led by Governor el-Rufai to bring about a considered view on it. Forget the fact that it was part of their manifesto. The fact is that the discussion is on, as it should be.
I recall that in August, the Igbo political elite, Ohaneze, Governors, National Assembly Caucus met in Enugu and affirmed that the terms of our marriage in Nigeria is stifling to everybody and therefore we must have another look at it.
That position has not changed but has in fact been reinforced by the agreement by other parts of Nigeria that it is time to look at the matter as evidenced by the South West Political Summit where they endorsed restructuring back to the 1963 constitution.
To me the strident calls by IPOB for a referendum should be seen as a legitimate demand to compel the state to see the urgency of having a second look at our marriage, with the ultimate aim of enthroning equity and fairness, where our people will no longer be treated as second class citizens in Nigeria.
Though the methods may be misconstrued, the true colour of the agitation would have come out had there been a concerted effort at dialogue. The agitations gives fillip to the Igbo idiom…”Ma Opara emeghi nkpotu, agaghi ilughi ya Nwanyi “.

Our people are saying this union is stifling us, and we are making a lot of noise so we can find a solution.
The solution I think can be found in a restructured Nigeria. The beauty of it is that while we can enjoy near wholesale autonomy, our people as itinerant business people could have an unrestrained space in a larger market provided by a united Nigeria.

We should not be swayed by what we think is the attraction of an exclusive opportunity to be provided by a sovereign Biafra. No. That would box us into a tiny corner which has its own challenges which would prove overwhelming as time goes on. This is a topic for another day.

DIASPORA IGBOS AND US.
One of the problems those of us who attempt to show a direction to our people at home is the near universal disdain that some of our brother Ndigbo in Diaspora have for our leaders and elected representatives at home.
Nowhere is it more apposite than in this matter of Biafra agitation. While some of our brothers/sisters here in the comfort of their homes seems to urge our youths through their utterances and actions to use unconstitutional means and disparage other ethnic groups that which actions seems to alienate us from our neighbors and the Nigerian State, we the leaders at home have been been left with the task of intervening in such a manner to dissuade the government from deploying the coercive instruments of state against the agitators. The aim was to stop bloodshed and waste of human lives. We have lost enough from the civil war. Those egging our youths on from here do not seem to appreciate this fact.

Most distressing is the labeling of those who disagree with their positions as “cowards, saboteurs, Hausa slaves etc”. This tends to discourage those who genuinely strive to lead our people through a very distressing period in our history as a nation.
Nnia Nwodo as President of Ohaneze has been vilified for taking a stand for restructuring in Nigeria for Ndigbo, a position agreed by all of us in the earlier summit I referenced.
Governors come in for bashing everyday.
As for us legislators, we have been called all sorts of names such as ‘legislooters’ etc.

Yet, when it came to taking a stand at ground zero, to bail Kanu; to reject the Fed Govt ascribing Terrorism to IPOB, we are the people doing so and we never hesitated to say that agitation in every clime is constitutional. We take the bullets from other ethnic groups and the government for standing firm and demanding that Nigerians should be left to talk to each other about the best way forward without preconditions.
We would use this opportunity plead with our internet warriors who stay here in their comfort zone here that our Igbo say, “ma Opara nzuzu adighi nwuo, Opara ma izu aga beghi ibichi ezi”.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
Why are we not Investing at Home
Lack of Infrastructure. Should we continue to blame the Fed Govt for the dilapidated infrastructures in Ala Igbo? What of our home governments in Igbo States? Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory did not wait for the Fed Govt before undertaking massive rebuilding of old IMO State. We think that we have not given our best to our people with the little we got. Insecurity. Nowhere have we hurt ourselves and investment in Ala Igbo than in the insecurity pervading all parts of our homeland. Of course the latest imbroglio in Abia especially in Aba and Umuahia has worsened matters. We run the risk of undoing all the efforts made in promoting ‘made in Aba’ that we had embarked on as a catalyst for growth in Ala Igbo. Industries have relocated from Ala Igbo to other parts of Nigeria especially Lagos and Ogun States because of the very serious insecurity such as kidnappining and armed robbery faced by those who invest at home. We cannot be looking for investors and yet make our place not conducive to investment. Unemployment is the single biggest problem we have in Ala Igbo today. Before this time due to our domestic investments and industry, this was not a very big problem but due to the dis-investment going on today in Ala Igbo today we are faced with a existential problem in our hand. Diaspora Igbo’s have to assist us to also invest at home despite the problems and reduce the unemployment in Ala Igbo. Once we get Ala Igbo right the frustrations that fuel the agitation in ala Igbo will be dampened. What we have playing out in the world today is a knowledge economy. Oil is going out of fashion. As I pointed out earlier, we are poised through out educational exploits in Nigeria to dominate the economy of tomorrow. Why would we turn a blind eye to this emerging scenario?In ending let me quote what the great son of Igbo land, the great Zik of Africa said about himself….”despite the mythic heights to which he was raised, Azikiwe was nothing if not pragmatic, a realist, always conscious of his limits and ever eager to extract all that was possible from that limited horizon”. May we be guided by such humble thoughts as we seek a better Nigeria for us all. What we should look for is a BIAFRA of the MIND like some have suggested in order to play our role in the emerging Nigeria that will come…This is a MUST-READ