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[OPINION] Fallacies Of Ethnic Agendas
Fredrick Nwabufor
The fear of ethnic domination is as old as Nigeria. Mutual recriminations and suspicion have been the scourge of Nigeria’s cohesive development. The south-east says it is the north, and the north points the finger back; the south-west looks on its neighbour in the south with chariness, while the south-south is in perpetual trepidation of the south-east. A bartering of blames, mistrust and distrust.
Before Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960, the country’s forbears were united in their resolve to give the British the heave-ho. They were called ‘’nationalists’’ because their cause, as it were, was for the emancipation of the indigenous peoples inhabiting the Niger terra firma. They fought well.
But these leaders retreated into ethnic igloos as soon as the British handed over the reins to them. Ethnic interest now supplanted national interest. The struggle for the collective now gave way for sectional scheming and machinations.
In fact, to put it clearly, while the pre-independence struggle was against British colonialism, Nigeria’s independence agitators had ethnic interest secreted in their national agitation. As far back as 1949 — 11 years before independence — Nnamdi Azikiwe said in his speech of June 25, 1949, at the Igbo State Assembly, Aba, that the pursuit of the Igbo was self-determination within a federated commonwealth of Nigeria.
Azikiwe’s words: ‘’The Ibo people have reached a cross-road and it is for us to decide which is the right course to follow. We are confronted with routes leading to diverse goals, but as I see it, there is only one road that I can safely recommend for us to tread, and it is the road to self-determination for the Ibo within the framework of a federated commonwealth of Nigeria and the Cameroons, leading to a United States of Africa. Other roads, in my opinion, are calculated to lead us astray from the path of national self-realisation.’’
The fear of ethnic domination is a foundational Nigerian problem. In an interview in 1964, Ahmadu Bello, the first and only premier of northern Nigeria, vocalised his reservations about the Igbo.
He said: “Well, the Igbo are more or less the type of people whose desire is mainly to dominate everybody. If you put them in a labour camp as a labourer, they will try to emerge as headman of that camp and so on.”
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As a matter of fact, it was as a result of the fear of ethnic domination and mistrust, that Zik’s National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons went into an alliance with Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress against Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group in 1959. According to Zik, Awolowo’s party must be stopped from taking power at the centre because ‘’it would destroy political opposition’’.
Awolowo as well nursed these fears which he expressed in his public statements. It was the reason he utterly ensconced his political party in an ethnic understructure.
The fear of ethnic domination is as old as Nigeria. But how potent are these fears?
Ethnic rivalry can be beneficial if it is healthy – if it can spur competition on the basis of innovation, education and production. In fact, rivalry is a natural human phenomenon. Even at the cellular level of society there is rivalry – in families, workplaces and groups. It is only natural. But what is uncomely is rivalry for national spoils which the political elite foisted on the country. This type of rivalry engenders hate, fear, suspicion and distrust.
Nigeria is nearly 61 years old, but the fear of ethnic domination is still a kindler of conspiracy theories. But how potent are these fears? Can the Igbo say with absolute certainty they have been hegemonised? Discount the noise of marginalisation. Can the Yoruba, the Hausa, the Ijaw or any Nigerian group hold up such a claim with unimpeachable facts? I do not think so. No group is under the hegemony of another. The fears of ethnic domination lack potency even though pervasive.
The quotidian refrain in Nigeria under Goodluck Jonathan was that there was an ‘’Ijaw agenda’’ — that the former president had a grand scheme of empowering militants to put the country in Ijaw control. Conspiracy theories were invented out of the insecurity at that time. The Jonathan government was accused of sponsoring Boko Haram and the fable of a special killing squad set up by the government rippled. Time has proved these conspiracy theories to be vacant of verisimilitude.
And in Nigeria under President Buhari, what has changed? The same conspiracy theories — but of northern domination and terror sponsorship – have been manufactured and propagandised. It appears with every new administration, conspiracy theories steeped in ethnic and religious prejudices are woven around the president – based on his/her ethnic origin and religious background.
Nigerians must realise we are all victims of elite domination. There is no other domination – be it ethnic or religious. The only domination to fear is that of the elite who foist a rivalry over national spoils on the people.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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