by Chukwudi Ezeamalukwuo Okoye
Often times I’ve heard and read Nigerians complain that their fellow Nigerians are too docile and are incapable of carrying out a revolution like the ones witnessed in Arab nations. Often times I have heard a neighbour or a colleague say in the course of a discussion that Nigerians are cowards, afraid to come out in mass to protest against the corrupt and inhumane practices of their leaders.
I do not agree with this assertion. I believe that Nigerians are not cowards, nor are they docile. I believe that Nigerians are capable of protesting, of coming together to topple a useless and clueless government.
The major problem is that Nigerians do not yet see themselves as Nigerians still. Majority of Nigerians do not feel like they are a part of a collective federation, as a part of a nation. This same issue is very much prevalent in all sub-Saharan Africa.
Nations that are more or less an agglomeration of diverse tribes and tongues, cultures and beliefs lobbed together by the barrel of a colonial gun, cemented by native leaders who have little or no interest in resolving the many issues thrown up by this unsolicited and non-mutually agreed marriage.
I believe that Nigerians (and in general Africans) will rise up and fight for their right if the issue is one threatening their tribal survival. Yes, over a hundred years of nationhood we still see ourselves as individual tribes, like a nepholoid layer – fluids of different densities coming together, flowing side by side but never ever mixing up to become one fluid. The case of IPOB Aba riot is a good example of when a portion of Nigeria united by tribal goals alone decide to take on an issue (albeit the wrong issue). A case of Nigerians willing to risk lives and limbs to say “This is what I really want.” Another, is the Enugu massacre by Fulani herdsmen. Everyone knew of the killing of minority tribesmen in the north by the herdsmen but no one paid it serious attention until it affected a major ethnic group and it became a national issue…because no one wants the issue to go through tribal lines.
There have also been instances of Nigerians rising up to protest. The 1964 riot in the western region against the election results and eventual incarceration of Awolowo is a good case of Nigerians saying enough. The Niger Delta uprising of 1966 led by Isaac Boro and the Nigerian-Biafran civil war are also example of Nigerians rising up to what they believed in. However all of these were spurred on by tribal sentiments and all were quickly and forcefully crushed by other Nigerians.
I believe that the problems of Nigeria and indeed sub-Saharan Africa will continue until it’s citizens decide (maybe as a collective effort or as an action of one or few patriotic and foresighted individual leader/s) to bridge the gap of our ethnic differences.
Furthermore, I am of the opinion that 21st century Nigeria has no reason to have traditional rulers, as this institution has done nothing whatsoever to unite Nigerians, rather it has done more of the contrary. To me that institution is a symbol that no matter how long a Nigerian resides in a place, and no matter how much that Nigerian contributes to the development of that place, provided his lineage does not originate from that place, he/she will never be regarded as a member of that place. This very institution has also encourage citizens to have little regard for the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria whenever it conflicts with their traditional beliefs.
I believe that doing away with this would be a good place to start in the journey of uniting a self conflicting nation.
The colonial masters knew of this tribal flaw before granting us independence, they exploited this flaw, and built on it to keep us divided and beholden to them. Our founding father’s – Zik, Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello – knew of this flaw too and they all exploited it in the run to independence, and in 1964 election. All our leaders since have known of this but have done nothing to bridge this gap.
I do not believe that we Nigerians are cowards, no far from that, i believe that we are brave and determined, but Alas, we are just divided.
Alas! 56 years after independence here we are, throwing stones at each other, hurting one another, nursing our wounds, burying our dead, mourning and getting up again to repeat the cycle again and again, bent and broken yet waiting for our collective senses to catch up with our tribal but self induced bitter and bloody rivalry that has made us docile to the unpatriotic actions of our leaders.
Alas!
© Chukwudi Okoye
Chukwudi Okoye writes from Lagos. You may reach him on Twitter via Mr_Charzle.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and does not necessarily represent those of Ink15.
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