Ethnic Profiling And Igbophobia: An Irreparable Damage To Nigerian Unity

 Ethnic Profiling And Igbophobia: An Irreparable Damage To Nigerian Unity It is on record that the only time Nigerians agree is when Ndigbo(...

 Ethnic Profiling And Igbophobia: An Irreparable Damage To Nigerian Unity

It is on record that the only time Nigerians agree is when Ndigbo(Igbo People) is victimized. It has been also observed as the only exercise that brings a form of unity(usually fake) among other ethnic groups(non-Biafran), for as long as the abuse by non state actors and through government policies lasts. 

Although mischief makers prefer to ignore the many physical assaults visited on Ndigbo(Igbo People) by the northerners long before Nigeria gained quasi independence from sociopathic Britain or became a republic, it is the economic and political sanctions and terrorism against the Ndigbo that have become very troubling.

 And, while it is true that those who suffer from historical hemorrhage erroneously misrepresent facts, it is also true that many deliberately mislead without being fact-checked, because they were controlling a segment of the media and intentionally feeding the public propaganda, misinformation and lies. However, the unveiling of social media armed the victims of those lies to at least counter them.

These political and economic profiling were initiated by Obafemi Awolowo, a Yoruba man. He incited his fellow Yoruba against Nnamdi Azikiwe - an Igbo, and introduced ethnic politics whose legacy we are witnessing today. It is the only thing that unifies the Yoruba from Southern Nigeria with the northerners — A political monopoly.

Also, as the genocidal war of 1967 - 1970 on Biafrans ended, Awolowo as the then federal commissioner for finance made sure that Ndigbo(Igbo People) got twenty pounds, regardless of how much any Igbo had deposited in a Nigerian bank before the war; masterminded the post-war indigenization of companies controlled before the war by the vanquished, etc. It is reason for the economic monopoly championed against Igbo businesses through Dangote, because the post war meeting where those anti-Igbo policies were adopted was chaired by Fulani and Yoruba. The other tribes (excluding the rest Biafran Tribes) were there superficially, but that does not diminish how much they hate Ndigbo.

It is the same fighting spirit that the Yoruba brings to the table by their monopoly of International Airports and shipping lanes. Somehow, someone considers it dumb that the Biafrans, especially the Ndigbo(Igbo People) are asking why the most progressive and well travelled region in Nigeria has no seaport and, only recently, partially functioning International Airport.

The license of Ibeto cement was revoked for no known reason aside that he is Igbo, not because he defaulted in any way. The only reason the current Nigerian Southeast region(Biafra land) has no functioning seaport or fully functional international airport is because it is a region populated mainly by Ndigbo. These are economic terrorism hinged on Igboness and Igbo hatred. They are ethnic profiling as they are Igbophobia. And these are just a few of plethora of cases, including torturing illegal checkpoints the have continued resulting to the killing of harmless Igbo people by Nigerian police, army, navy, air force and civil defense.

Before the coming of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the the emergence of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) and the social media era, Yoruba controlled electronic and print media got away with many lies unrefuted. But Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB and social media are the game changers. It is to their credit that the dust of social, political and economic profiling of the Ndigbo is raised. Indeed, ethnic profiling and Igbophobia in Nigeria is real and unresolvable. The only resolution is balkanization of Nigeria.

Family Writers Press International