AMONG the different ethnic groups in Nigeria, the
Igbo are without a doubt, one of the most
remarkable. So remarkable, indeed, that some have
even traced their ancestry to biblical Israel, as the
far-flung descendants of Jacob, the Jewish
patriarch. Gad, Jacob’s seventh son, is said to have
had three sons who settled in South-eastern
Nigeria.
These sons; Eri, Arodi and Areli, are believed to
have fathered clans in Igbo-land and to have
founded such Igbo towns as Aguleri, Arochukwu,
Owerri and Umuleri.
Igbo genius
Even the bitterest adversaries of the Igbo cannot
but admit that, as a people, they are very
resourceful and ingenious. Indeed, this has often
been the cause of their envy and dislike by others.
However, more enlightened non-Igbo Nigerians see
this as a cause for celebration. While today, the
centre-point of Nigeria’s manufacturing is situated
in the Lagos/Ogun axis, there is no doubt that the
real locomotive of Nigeria’s indigenous
industrialization lies farther afield in Aba and in the
mushrooming cottage-industries of the Igbo
heartland.
Igbo-menIn one of the paradoxes of Nigerian
history, the terrible civil war provoked homespun
industrialization in the South-East. Military blockade
left the Igbo with little alternative than to be
inventive in a hurry. While Nigeria as a nation failed
woefully to harness this profitably after the war, it
has nevertheless ensured that the Igbo are at the
forefront of Nigeria’s economic development today.
Indeed, the way we disregard “made in Aba” today
is the same way we disregarded “made in Japan”
yesterday. For those of us who believe against the
odds that Nigeria is the China of tomorrow, we
equally recognize that the ingenuity of the Igbo is an
indelible part of the actualization of that manifest
destiny.
Hall of fame
The Igbo have been a great credit to Nigeria. They
have given us a great number of our favourite sons,
including international statesman Nnamdi Azikiwe;
military leader Odumegwu Ojukwu; regional leader
Michael Okpara; vice-president Alex Ekwueme;
mathematical genius Chike Obi; literary icon Chinua
Achebe; world-class economist Pius Okigbo; world
boxing champion Dick Tiger; international
statesman Emeka Anyaoku; and world-class artist
Ben Enwonwu. Permit me to include in this
illustrious list even some of my very good Igbo
friends: Pat Utomi, Ojo Madueke, Olisa Agbakoba,
Joy Ogwu, and Stanley Macebuh.
Let us get one thing straight: Nigeria would be a
much poorer country without the Igbo. Indeed,
Nigeria would not be Nigeria without them. Can you
imagine the Super Eagles without the Igbo? Not
likely! Who can forget Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Kay
Okocha and our very own Emmanuel Amuneke?
Can you imagine Nollywood without the Igbo?
Impossible! Just think of Stella Damascus-Aboder
in; Rita Dominic and Mike Ezuruonye. And then there
are the diaspora Igbo who many are unaware are of
Igbo descent, including concert singer and actor
Paul Robeson; Oscar award-winner Forest
Whitaker; mega-pastor T.D. Jakes; Olympic
champion Christine Ohuruogu; and BAFTA actor
award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.
You may well wonder why I have found it necessary
to present this small litany of Igbo who-is-who. I
think it is important to emphasise how the Igbo have
been very vital to the Nigerian project. They have
more than represented Nigeria creditably in virtually
all walks of life. This makes it all the more absurd
that this same people have been consistently
denied the position of executive president of the
country in all but six months of Nigeria’s 54 year
history.
Civil-war legacy
Of course, a major reason for this was the
1967-1970 civil-war which had the Igbo on the
losing side. But that was over 40 years ago. If there
is really to be “no victor, no vanquished” in anything
more than mere rhetoric, then the rehabilitation of
the Igbo back into post civil-war Nigeria will not be
complete until an Igbo man finally becomes
president of the country.
That imperative should be of interest to every
Nigerian nationalist, committed to the creation of
one Nigeria where everyone has a deep sense of
belonging. The problem, however, is that the Igbo
themselves seem to be their own worst enemies in
this regard. They appear to be doing their very best
to ensure that this inevitable eventuality continues
to be denied and delayed.
The Igbo need to forgive Nigerians. No one who
lived through the horrors that precipitated the
secession of Biafra and led to the civil-war cannot
but admit that the Igbo were abused and maltreated
in one of the worst pogroms ever. It was not just
that they were senselessly massacred in their own
country; it was that they were butchered.
I remember vividly gory pictures of scores and
scores of the Igbo with hands chopped up and with
legs amputated. And then there were the ravages of
the three-year civil-war itself, resulting in the death
of millions of Igbo; many through starvation and
attrition.
The end of the war brought no respite, as the Igbo
were pauperized by fiscal decrees that wiped out
their savings and their properties were blatantly
sequestered by opportunists. All this is more than
enough to destroy the spirit of any group of people.
But God has been on the side of the Igbo.
It is a testament to their resilience that, in spite of
this terrible affliction, they have survived, bounced
back and have even triumphed in Nigeria. Forty
years have now gone by. The Igbo may never forget
what happened to them and, indeed, should never
forget. But it is past time for them to forgive.
We are sorry
This is one voice in the Nigerian wilderness saying
to the Igbo from the depth of his heart: we are
sorry. We are sorry for the way we mistreated you.
We are sorry for the way we abused you. We are
sorry for starving your children to death. We are
sorry for killing your loved ones. We are sorry for
stealing your properties.
We are sorry for making you feel unwanted in your
own country. Please forgive us. It is time to forgive
us. It is way past time for the Igbo to forgive
Nigerians. We beg you in the name of God.
There was a civil war in the United States, but the
defeated South rose from the ashes. Five of the last
nine presidents of the United States have been from
the South, including Jimmy Carter from Georgia,
George Bush from Texas and Bill Clinton from
Arkansas. The time is overdue for an Igbo president
of Nigeria, but it is not going to happen as long as
the Igbo continue to hold a grudge against Nigeria
and Nigerians.
There is no question about it: the Igbos cannot elect
a president of Nigeria on their own. To do so, they
have to join forces with others. They have to form
alliances with people from other parts of Nigeria.
That is not going to happen as long as the Igbo
continue to bear a grudge against practically
everybody else.
The Igbo have a gripe against virtually all the people
they need. They have this tendency to antagonise
their possible alliance partners. They keep dredging
up the past, refusing to let sleeping dogs lie. Until
they drop these gripes, they are not likely to realise
their dreams.
Demonising Yorubas
For example, the Igbo have this tendency to
demonise the Yorubas. It is alarming when reading
the Vanguard blogs today to see the animosity often
expressed between Igbo and Yoruba contributors.
The hatred is most unhealthy. Insults are traded
with abandon. What is the point of this? For how
long will the Igbo demand emotional retribution from
every Yoruba for the betrayal of Awolowo? Most of
the contributors were not even born when the civil-
war took place more than a generation ago.
There is now even transferred aggression against
Babatunde Fashola, who made the blunder of
repatriating some destitute Igbo from Lagos back to
their home-states. The man has apologised for the
infraction. He should be forgiven. Blunders are not
the exclusive preserve of the non-Igbo. The Igbo
have made more than a few themselves and will
yet make others.
Paradoxically, the redemption of the Igbos to
prominent national office moved apace under
President Obasanjo; a Yoruba man. Recognising that
Igbos are some of the most seasoned, competent
and experienced public-servants, Obasanjo relied
heavily on their expertise.
Thanks to him, we got Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at
Finance, Charles Soludo at Central Bank, Obiageli
Ezekwesili at Education, Ndidi Okereke at the Stock
Exchange, and Dora Akunyili at NAFDAC. Indeed,
Igbo statesmen came into more prominence under
Obasanjo than did Yoruba statesmen. But for some
strange reason, this does not seem to have
succeeded in assuaging the ill-feeling of the Igbos
toward the Yorubas.
Bad politicians
Within the framework of Nigerian politics, the Igbo
also have a fundamental problem. Out of the three
major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Igbo have by far
the worst politicians. They have no recognizable
leaders, and have no discernible strategy as to how
to negotiate power at the centre. As a result, the
Igbo have tended to be short-changed at the federal
level. Traditionally, the inconsequential ministries,
such as the Ministry of Information, have been
zoned to them.
The Igbo need to work out a plan that will take them
to Aso Rock. First, they need to choose and groom a
de-tribalised leader of the Azikiwe mould who can
be sold to non-Igbos. Then, they need to give him
undiluted support. At the moment the internal
politics of the Igbo militates against this. The Igbo
seem to hate themselves as much as they hate
others. They seem to fight themselves with as
much venom as they fight others. Every potential
Igbo leader seems to have more enemies within
than without. This must not be allowed to continue.
The Igbo need to help themselves in order that their
friends can help them. In this centenary of Nigeria’s
amalgamation, as we embark on the arduous
process of crafting our future through a National
Conference, we salute the Igbo for their fortitude
and implore them to stake their claim in Nigeria.
Nigeria cannot survive without the Igbo.

Nigeria would be a better place without the likes of Arabisala.

No tribe is more superior to the other. Everyone is unique in their own way.

The writeup is long, however its fact which other tribes especially yooobas can't comprehend!

No be lie ooo,i cant survive without eating akpu atleast once in 3dayz

No! Without Ndiigbo Nigeria will survive but as Boko Islamic Sharia republic of Arewa-Oduanistan.

So, I disagree with Femi. Nigeria will survive without Ndiigbo, but will never remain the same.

OK

Without being told , a baby knows this

pazienza:
No! Without Ndiigbo Nigeria will survive but as Boko Islamic Sharia republic of Arewa-Oduanistan.

So, I disagree with Femi. Nigeria will survive without Ndiigbo, but will never remain the same.

u just got me laughing,NIGERIA WILL SURVIVE WITHOUT NIDDIGBO BUT WILL REMAIN THE SAME, abeg wat is d diff.

Idiataqueen:
u just got me laughing,NIGERIA WILL SURVIVE WITHOUT NIDDIGBO BUT WILL REMAIN THE SAME, abeg wat is d diff.

When Ndiigbo leaves Nigeria, it will trigger a cascade of events that will see many ethnic nationalities in SS leave to form independent countries of their own or join Biafra.

The North can't resist them, as Ndiigbo will stand behind them.

But the North will not let go SW, they will hold them tight, the way Russia held unto Chechnya but allowed the rest to leave the Soviet union. This will be made easier by the Islamic components within Odua and because the Odua had sold out their soul to Arewa.
So in the end, Odua and North will fuse into a single country i had decided to name Boko Islamic Sharia republic of Arewa-Oduanistan, because I anticipate that without access to Niger delta petrol dollars to buy weapons to sustain the war against Boko Haram, the New Arewa-Odua country will be easily overpowered and converted to an Islamic Sharia and ruled by Muslim Boko leaders.

So you see, I wasn't joking when I said that Nigeria will survive as BOKO ISLAMIC SHARIA REPUBLIC OF AREWA-ODUANISTAN. The prediction was made based on current realities and the trajectory similar historical events often take.

Do anybody still take this FEMI dude serious?

engrfcuksmtin:
Do anybody still take this FEMI dude serious?

to me is just like they should go nownow. Ibos are killing thousand with fake drug and substandard babaric goods

Femi made sense with this and he is absolutely right

We the igbos know that we don't have a regional leader even if we need one.
But the fact is that it is not in an igbo man to have a leader all man will look up to.
This is who we are and this is how we have been
We didn't need an igbo president to be were we are right now and we certainly don't need one to reach were we are going
If Nigerians see an igbo man they want to make president, fine that good for the man but not necessarily for the igbo nation. That is how we think, how he live
We believe in our self's to provide for our families.
If an igbo man needs a house he builds it
If an igbo man needs his Road fixes he fixes it by him self
If an igbo man need a good hospital he builds one
We believe we can get what we want and what ever we can't get we don't need
We don't need ur pity for the way we live. ... . What did the ijaws gain from Jonathan
What did the yorubas gain fro obasanjo
What did the North gain from all there leaders
We are OK the way we are.... ... All we want is don't marginalise us. That all we ask of ONE Nigeria. Trust us if u do this we won't care who ever rule Nigeria

mrvitalis:
We the igbos know that we don't have a regional leader even if we need one.
But the fact is that it is not in an igbo man to have a leader all man will look up to.
This is who we are and this is how we have been
We didn't need an igbo president to be were we are right now and we certainly don't need one to reach were we are going
If Nigerians see an igbo man they want to make president, fine that good for the man but not necessarily for the igbo nation. That is how we think, how he live
We believe in our self's to provide for our families.
If an igbo man needs a house he builds it
If an igbo man needs his Road fixes he fixes it by him self
If an igbo man need a good hospital he builds one
We believe we can get what we want and what ever we can't get we don't need
We don't need ur pity for the way we live. ... . What did the ijaws gain from Jonathan
What did the yorubas gain fro obasanjo
What did the North gain from all there leaders
We are OK the way we are.... ... All we want is don't marginalise us. That all we ask of ONE Nigeria. Trust us if u do this we won't care who ever rule Nigeria

U just spoke like a real nwafor

disumusa:
to me is just like they should go nownow. Ibos are killing thousand with fake drug and substandard babaric goods

Look at this bloowjob. Why not import or better still manufacture 'genuine' products yourself.

Ranting about same old shiit every damn time.#brokenRecord

It is about time you got off that life support machine. Slave!

omenka:
Nigeria would be a better place without the likes of Arabisala.

No tribe is more superior to the other. Everyone is unique in their own way.

cultural relativism

are they the ones feeding us,what are they even producing except fake products? or because they own 4×4 foot retailer shop they also own the economy,nonsense.

I'm proud to be IGBO. Ndi nwenmu doooooo

Let the igbo leave,no tribe will miss them.femi aribisala is the alase@ d top

All these history.

Do you need a One-bedroom flat in Port Harcourt? Contact me via: BBM: 563D11BB SMS: +234 807 713 9286 Whatsapp : +234 807 713 9286
First come first serve!

#fact# but this thing too long joor

prettyjo:
#fact#
but this thing too long joor

beauty without brains.......a pity really.

phantom:

beauty without brains.......a pity really.

big fool...a pity too

A very well balanced article if you ask me.

I am Igbo and I am with Aribisala on this.

Don't get fooled by the title of this thread alone.
The Igbos were lampooned as well!

We could do with the criticism and work towards change...for better, for all of us as a citizenry.

I for one cannot understand the bad blood between Yoruba and Igbo.
I can't.
It is even more annoying that such bile and hatred is being transferred down to generations unborn.

MizMyColi:

Shift for me abeg... I wan join laugh here...

fabrista ...edit and arrange this your post well for ease of reading...

And add source plzzz

http://arisenaija.com.ng/2014/03/04/femi-aribisala-nigeria-cannot-survive-without-the-igbos/

http://abia.citynewsline.com.ng/news/femi-aribisala-nigeria-cannot-survive-without-the-igbos


http://ynaija.com/tag/nigeria-cannot-survive-without-the-igbos/

Cc. Lalasticlala ...Ishilove

MizMyColi:

A very balanced article if you ask me. He started by messaging our ego and hitting where it hurts most!
But it's the truth.

nnem,you are igbo and not ibo. happy Sunday!

prettyjo:
big fool...a pity too

Seriously babe, I am not judging you but I would have been impressed if you had ignored him or replied him sarcastically than pouring same venom or such gutter language... I am not any better...just learning to be better...but I feel ladies should be teachers and epitome of such virtues as potential mothers; that we guys may learn from them and improve...thanks

Whynotthetruth:


Seriously babe, I am not judging you but I would have been impressed if you had ignored him or replied him sarcastically than pouring same venom or such gutter language... I am not any better...just learning to be better...but I feel ladies should be teachers and epitome of such virtues as potential mothers; that we guys may learn from them and improve...thanks

thanks too.
but this world will be a better place if you guys stop treating us with disdain.I must not overlook everything, to make someone feel better.
thanks for your concern

MizMyColi:


A very balanced article if you ask me.
He started by messaging our ego and hitting where it hurts most!

But it's the truth.

Sure the truth he said but some issues as having a regional head cannot be feasible or possible even if we want it because of the independent minded nature of an Igbo folk...Ever heard the axiom; "Igbo enwe eze"...(Igbo doesn't have king)...holds true from ancient times till now...