Igbo bashing made me remember this 2021 article.
Valentine Obienyem
Nigeria is a country with absurd and, sometimes, laughable peculiarities. No week passes without our witnessing events that are as strange as they are mind-boggling. This has made it possible for Nigerian newspapers to have many columnists as probably no other country has. Some even maintain two columns in a week without running short of events to write on.
Sometimes, many of these events happen with such astonishing simultaneity that choosing which one to write on presents its own problems. It is good for our writers to make informed commentaries, analyse political events, and subject our leader’s statements to criticisms. The only regret is that persistent political commentaries now make our writers to shun articles that involve deep reflective thinking.
In recent times, we witnessed the death of Chief Bola Ige and other prominent Nigerians; the bomb explosion in Ikeja cantonment, Lagos; the threat of strike by the police and military rank and file; the torch of insurrection presently aglow in many parts of the country; the burning of most major markets in the country; the never-ending drama of democratic misrule; prophesies of doom that seem to be some people’s forte; and the recent clash, at Enugu, between the spiritual (Fr. Mbaka) and the temporal (Governor Nnamani).
One of the events that really provoked a particular ethnic group – Igbo – into a fight was the unguarded statement made by the former Minister of State for Navy, Chief Dupe Adelaja. Adelaja had referred to Biafran soldiers as traitors who ought, by implication, to have been shot or expelled from Nigeria. To her, that they were even pardoned was too much. She did not see the reason why, rather than engage in commerce, they now have the effrontery to seek a fair deal.
Expectedly, Igbos and other objective Nigerians had already exhausted the vocabulary of vituperation to brand her anti-Igbo and anti-Nigeria. With Adelaja’s statement, another misfortune befell Nigeria, more enduringly disastrous to our unity than most events in the country. Consequently, many Nigerians, especially the marginalised now ask: “Do we really have the will to be united?” This informed the call by the Igbos for Adelaja’s removal or resignation.
Expectedly, Adelaja put up an advert, where she sought to clarify what she meant. Characteristics of those that govern states, they can offer excuses and clarifications whenever they are caught in any controversy. It is not new. In the days of Roman Empire, when Julius Caesar was holding fort, once, out of delusion of his power, contrary to tradition, he refused to stand up to receive Roman Senators. When public criticisms rose, his aides explained that he was suffering from diarrhoea and had remained seated to avoid a movement of his bowel at so unpropitious a moment. Like Adelaja’s explanation, it was an afterthought.
In Adelaja’s view, Igbo are not fit for other things in Nigeria besides commerce. But she should be told that Igbos are the people that have contributed immensely to the growth of Nigeria more than any other tribe. Igbos are peace-loving, venturesome, and hospitable. They took to war, which informed the subject of Adelaja’s comments, because their freedom and humanity were greatly threatened. What they even need from government is reparation.
Igbos are versatile, such that beyond trading, they excel more than other Nigerians in most realms of human activities. Reflecting on the Igbo man’s ingenuity, Chief Gani Fawehinmi exclaimed: “Igbos are wonderful, they could even squeeze water out of stone.” The Igbo man’s penchant to excel in any activity could be seen in the just concluded beauty pageant where an Anambra and an Abia girls came first and second respectively.
It is true that Adelaja made unsavoury remarks. It is also true that she was heavily criticized. It is the opinion of this author that we need the likes of Adelaja once in a while for their instructive value. We criticize her statements as unfortunate. To any listening government, Adelaja is a big lesson on whom not to appoint a cabinet minister or aide. But the truth of the matter is: How listening is the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo?
Like the government of medieval Europe, Obasanjo’s government seems to consider political expediency rather then merit in some of his political appointments. In medieval Europe, ignoring love and sentiments, royal marriages were part of the diplomatic alliances of the time. Parallel to this is what we observe among our government functionaries. Some of the political appointees of Obasanjo were for the sake of alliance. Nigeria is a country with over 100 million citizens, yet in appointments, it must be the children of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Senator Abraham Adesanya, e.t.c. There is no guarantee that most people appointed due to the influence of their fathers are competent.
No doubt, Adelaja belongs to this group, and we have seen in her the lack of sober judgment needed in those to be considered as fit for such appointments. Apart from promoting inefficiency, it portrays Nigeria as a nation owned by a clique, whose only credential is having been in government before or being close to those who are in government. Zik, Awolowo, Shagari, Adesanya are (were) great Nigerians who served – some still serve – this country in different capacities. It will be good to allow their efficient children with the charisma of their fathers to be part of government, but the present trend indicates that they are in government by the sheer influence and name of their fathers and not because of their intrinsic worth or the merit of their ideas.
The tendency to ascribe wisdom to the opportunity one had in serving in government is part of the problem we have in this country. It has led to the “mushrooming” of men who claim to be leaders. Their thesis is that once you or your father have occupied an important political position in the past, you can now claim to be one of the leaders of the country, or of your ethnic group. Thus, when there are important meetings to attend to national or regional emergencies, only past political leaders are called; in addition to a handful of those who can buy influence with their wealth. As a result, genuine leaders and movers of men are mostly not recognized.
Obasanjo came to power after an unjust, traumatic experience. He made us all to believe that his government would fight injustice in Nigeria. Obasanjo could have good intentions, but he is only one man. To realize his dream, he necessarily needs to appoint men that are suited to the task. Take the case of Nigeria’s international image, through travelling, though at the expense of our own internal problems, Obasanjo has succeeded in bringing a measure of sanity to our international relations. If his Minister of External Affairs is good, he will consolidate on Obasanjo’s achievements. This will be made more effective by the appointment of good Ambassadors. In appointing ambassadors/diplomats, government has to look for shrewd men who could rephrase in courteous elegance, the unvarnished utterances of the master. This is talking about putting round pegs into round holes.
Since Obasanjo promised to bring lasting justice to the country, he ought to appoint and retain aides who can at least pretend to be for justice and unity. Igbos believe that Obasanjo’s government is against them, and they have voiced that in many occasions. As a good leader, determined to bring justice to all Nigerians, including Igbos, Obasanjo ought to reassure them both in words and deeds. The opportunity to do this presented itself in the statement made by Adelaja against the Igbos. Adelaja’s statement, apart from pitching the Igbo’s against the Yorubas, is capable of undermining Obasanjo’s efforts (is it enough?) towards unity. In that statement, Obasanjo had the opportunity to act swiftly and reassure the Igbos. Did he take the opportunity?
Doubtless, the impulse true Igbo sons had on learning about the change of Adelaja is to exclaim “Ah! Baba has finally removed that woman to pacify the Igbos.” But to the discerning ones, it was a feeling of disappointment. “This is a further insult to the Igbos”. Mr. Okey Ifionu said: “By that promotion, from a Minister of State to a fully fledged Minister, OBJ has again demonstrated that that woman, in that condemnable statement, really echoed the voice of his master,” Okey concluded.
Okey’s logic is flawless. If the woman were posted to another Ministry, under the same designation, it would have been understandable. The feeling would have been “Oh, he could have even removed her but for the influence of her father.” By promoting her to a fully fledged Minister, OBJ has again demonstrated his disdain for a race. Were such an outcry by the Igbos against her made by the Yorubas or the Hausas against any Minister, the story will probably not be the same.
In more developed countries, the likes of Adelaja has no business being in government. Take the case of America; such a statement by a serving Minister against a particular race and the outcry that followed would have made the Minister to resign either willingly or forcefully for causing so much embarrassment to the government. In Nigeria, she was merely patted on the back. This, when interpreted means: “My good Minister, keep on with the good work you are doing. Never mind the outcry, you are on the right tract.”
Adelaja and her likes show the contradiction in the Nigerian system. Whilst the contradiction lasts, let Adelaja be a living teacher to people who are interested in power on the need to be circumspect in their speeches. Let her be a lesson to those in authority that merit ought to guide all political appointments. Let her be a lesson to Nigerians that the search for unity calls for a spirit of accommodation and love and not one of hatred. Adelaja remains a symbol of the country that we have which is a far cry from what we ought to have.
