Mar. 28, 2014
Farouk Martins Aresa
Those agitating for the breakup of Nigeria must be exposed for their actual small numbers. We are yet to see any poll or statistics that majority of Nigerians in any of the four geo geographic regions want to leave. Agitators have not been able to convince most members of each ethnic group within their region to opt out. Nigeria is their Ego, the attraction now is oil. Before oil nko?
Without Nigerian ego Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo have no pride to kin in neighboring countries. We may as well remain at peace or give people that want to dissolve the Country, an exit. Â Certain criteria needed to be a Nigerian that wants to remain loyal before religion, resources or income. No reason for those least stable, self-dependent or productive to hold the rest of us as hostages.
There are over 250 loyal ethnic groups making up Nigeria that care more about food, shelter and daily survival from violence whatever country they are. We have more people that would gladly be Nigerians at peace than those that would like to leave because of religion or resources.
The reason is simple: The ego of their kin in Sudan, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic is not as big. Nigerians love one another more than they hate one another. The world knows them for their mighty Nigerian Ego. They love the free movement within their Country without the hindrance of carrying passports, even at the risk of their own lives. If you find Nigerians in every country in the world, the Country they know most of their lives cannot be an exception.
Before you call for Yoruba States, remember Kiriiji War within them. One of the children of their great Oduduwa has renounced his citizenship and declared that he was Ogiso in Ile Bini (Yoruba name) before he became Oduduwa. Oba Ijebu Ode Adetona said he is neither Yoruba nor the son of Oduduwa. Itsekiri said they gave birth to Yoruba and only one of their Oba was from Benin. There was Warri before the son of Oba of Ife came. Yet, all speak Yoruba lingua franca.
Before someone says Biafra, there are more within Igbo and their relatives that disowned Biafra. Even if Biafra had succeeded, they would have destabilized Nigeria to get Lagos or Abuja price. Nobody investing so much in Abuja, Lagos or Port Harcourt would turn his back. Otherwise ask Igbo how they felt about Port Harcourt investments. Indeed, there is hardly any country in the world where the Igbo did not invest, but Nigeria is the only Country they have INHERENT right.
Before you gather Hausa City States, Fulani have dislocated them already. Fulani interest is beyond Hausa States. But for Yoruba and Igbo within Hausa States that never know anywhere else apart from the North, Hausa identity would have faded even more. Northern Minorities saved the whole region from pure Fulani States. All this talk about joining Cameroon is hogwash; they could have gone when Cameroon parted. They chose and prefer Nigerian Ego.
The way Boko Haram and Niger Delta are killing and maiming their own people including the targeting their Emirs and members of the family of the President of Nigeria, nobody is safe, not even the President. These are people that lack wide support in their own base but are bent on destroying their motherland for influence, money and power. They have never been useful to the masses in whose interest they claim these atrocities are perpetrated with impunity.
So who are the Nigerians? They are a bunch of spoiled brats corrupted by oil the way gold corrupted their African great grandfathers. Every village wants a state of their own otherwise a country of their own. Many people are sick and tired of their cries and want each of them to go their own way. They will then live happily thereafter and be filthy rich by their sweat and brain! In their dreams, they think they can then decide which sister states they want to associate with.
These dreamers do not realize that they are at the mercy of more unified ethnic groups that can negotiate for sophisticated arms from foreigners and start other wars to capture and destabilize weaker mini states and ethnic groups. The war will be so incessant Somali, Rwanda and Congo will be like childâs play. Right now one ethnic group is claiming victory before the civil wars have even started. We do not learn. But have we recovered from Nigeria/Biafra War?
In preparation, some alliances are being formed. Certain part of Ijaw that has more affinity with Igbo are loud, the Ijaw that has affinity with Adimu (i.e. Oduduwa) are silent. But when political associations are needs to be formed, another faction will be more comfortable with Hausa. In short by the time you put all together, you cannot find any ethnic group that are not associated or related to another ethnic group. Nigeria has lasted longer than any marriage of convenience.
The only good that will come out of the National Conference is that President Jonathan will be able to pick and choose which recommendation he will implement. At the end of the day, most minorities that have never had much say in the history of Nigeria will have greater clout and be able to control their borders and resources from dominant Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.
Anyone that thinks 170 million Nigerians have a better home than Nigeria where they can move and spread North and South or East and West, does not know how adventurous Nigerians are, well beyond their borders. They have invaded every country on Earth where they are not invited, where people are hostile to them, across the seas and deserts. So why would they stay within some small mini states that will be engulfed in civil wars for the rest of their lives?
We need to call the bluff of those that will rather break the Country hoping that they can come back and recapture weaker ethnic groups since they cannot survive on their own. This National Conference must open our eyes to reality since there is no country big enough for our refuges.
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