By Dr George Nkwoji.
Honestly speaking, Ndigbo are living in perilous times in Nigeria. This is because of the hatred Arewa people are exhibiting to Ndigbo . They deride and make a mockery of us. Seriously, Ndigbo are lamenting as a people. This would not have mattered if the prevailing level of hatred of Ndigbo by Arewa had occurred immediately after the civil war during the Shagari administration. Perhaps, it would have been accepted as a consequence of war. Curiously, this brazen hatred was not even exhibited by any of the regimes both military and civilian since 1970 until the present APC administration. This is currently the worry in Igbo land and everyone is full of apprehension.
This is because instead of waning 51 years after the Nigerian civil war, the contempt of Arewa people against Ndigbo is rather gathering momentum. This much was reinforced by President Buhari’s venom on Ndigbo in his famous interview with Arise TV on June 10 . It is quite astonishing that Mr President, the presumed father of the nation could publicly betray such levels of hatred towards Igbo people, thus reminding us of the long held conviction that the North needs to render an unreserved apology to us for betraying our age long alliance.
Since the creation of Nigeria and particularly starting from the
Independence period, the history of political partnership between
Ndigbo and Arewa bears several incontrovertible evidence to prove that Arewa was able to grab federal power and sustain it with the support of Igbos. Unfortunately, contrary to expectations, Igbos have nothing to show as gains
for the partnership. Rather than reciprocate, Arewa have remained in
the forefront of persecuting Ndigbo starting with the false accusations about the January 1966 coup, genocide, levying of war,
marginalization in federal recruitments, etc. And there is no abominable name that Arewa have not given to Ndigbo. It got so bad that Ndigbo were given a three months period of grace in 2017 to quit the north. Currently, they have embarked on campaigns for a referendum to expell Igbos from Nigeria. It is unfortunate that Arewa people have forgotten so soon that their political Patriarchs were initially reluctant to belong in Nigeria owing to their suspicion that the South would dominate them. To allay their fears, Ndigbo political leaders in the first Republic had to pamper them to remain in Nigeria.
It is therefore an irony that instead of Arewa to listen to the cries of marginalization by Ndigbo, their political allies, Arewa turned round in mockery. This is the regret of Igbos today because the consensus opinion is that we would have fared well in Nigeria if our founding political leaders had aligned with the Yorubas to edge Arewa out of power and Nigeria.
Nevertheless, Ndigbo will take consolation in the testimony of Alhaji Maitama Sule which cleared Ndigbo of any wrong doings in Nigeria where he warned against what we are witnessing today. It was quite prophetic.
According to the DailySun of Tuesday, 4th July 2017, Maitama Sule spoke of how Ndigbo contributed to Nigeria’s unity and saved the
nation by allowing the North to rule, following the crises that
trailed the 1959 and 1964 general elections. The late sage and former
Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, NEF gave this shocking testimony: “In 1959, after the Independence elections, no party had the overall majority to enable it form a government alone.
But the NPC had more seats than Action Group or NCNC. People started
talking or urging the two Southern parties to form an alliance. If
they did, they would be able to form the government. But some well
meaning people waded into the crisis. They said, look if you do that,
you will elbow out the North and the North might think of breaking
away from the country”. It was at that stage, according to him that
Zik was reminded of his contributions towards Nigeria’s independence
and was consequently persuaded to back out if he did not want Nigeria
to break up. In his own words “Zik did the right thing, he agreed to
enter into an alliance with the NPC. He agreed to surrender the prime
ministership with the executive powers to the NPC. That saved the
country again”.
Ndigbo, through Zik also saved the nation a second time after the
controversial general elections of 1964 which were boycotted by NCNC
and Action Group. Already the NPC had claimed victory in our usual
dubious manner, but Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who, as the President and who
had the responsibility to invite the leader of the victorious party to
form the government declined to do so as Nigeria became ungovernable
owing to the inconclusive elections. It was by the political dexterity
of Zik that NPC and NCNC agreed that Action Group and NCNC which
boycotted the elections should do so and this made it possible for
them to participate in forming the broad based government later.
Nigerians are also witnesses to the politics of the second Republic in 1979. During the impasse of the controversial 12:2/3 case, it dawned on the victorious Shagari NPN that it lacked the required majority in the National Assembly to run a government. This is because NPN won 36 out of 95 Senate seats and 168 out of 449 House of Representatives seats. Again, Zik and NPP resolved the impasse so that the second Republic could take off. According to Paul Unongo who was the National Secretary of the party, “NPP had to take constitutional steps necessary to protect the integrity of the nation and democracy”. The result was an alliance between NPP and NPN which made it possible for the second Republic to take off under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari
Now, going by the glowing tributes which Maitama Sule paid to Zik, the late leader of Ndigbo when they were together, it is therefore
incontrovertible that Ndigbo contributed immensely in making the North
ascend to power and had made sacrifices for peace which enabled them
to foist their hegemony on other Nigerians. Put differently, it is by
the making of Ndigbo that it became possible for the North to capture
and sustain political power at the federal level. And what did Ndigbo
get in return from Arewa people? Did Arewa appreciate the alliance
with Ndigbo when they still hold us with contempt and disdain and massacre
us at the slightest religious uprising? How can Igbos be happy with
Arewa or continue with an alliance which pays them in bad coins? Arewa could not have assumed leadership in the second Republic if Ndigbo did not come to their rescue through Zik and NPP.
As we can see, the signs that Arewa was not going to reciprocate Igbo supports first
emerged immediately after the January 1966 military coup when they
falsified the event and accused Igbos of being its masterminds
probably because an Igbo man became the Head of government. But
contrary to what Arewa want their youths to believe, facts as
published by Nairaland publications (reproduced below) prove that the
coup was organized by 14 soldiers, including 5 Northerners and there
was no single soldier of South East origin amongst them. Of the 14
mutineers, 5 were Arewa, 4 Yorubas and 5 Mid-Westerners among whom
were Nzeogwu and Ifeajuna who were Igbos. My argument is this, if not
for outright mischief, how could the participation of two Igbo
soldiers from Mid-West out of the 14 be interpreted as being an Igbo
coup?
On a final note, Arewa should bear in mind that Nigerians have received different degrees of injuries from their maladministration and squandering of political goodwill. The Middle Belt people who were used as soldiers in the civil war against Igbos are today bitting their fingers in utmost regret. Ndigbo who helped them to grab political power and sustain it are licking their wounds. Other ethnic groups are watching the Arewa tradition with equanimity . However, Arewa still has a chance to right the wrongs meted to Nigerians. Buhari’s presidency will end in two years time. Arewa therefore has two years period of grace to turn to a new leaf. And that has to start with an unreserved apology to Ndigbo.