A tale of three sets of four Nigerians.

 
Some years ago, I watched a ridiculous event unfold. A lady was seriously involved with a man from another ethnic group. She would hear no story about her not marrying the man. While her case was on, she opposed her younger brother vehemently in his plan to marry a lady from another ethnic group. Her problem with the lady was not that she was not well behaved, pretty or educated. She was just angry that the lady her brother wanted to marry was from a different ethnic group. She went on to marry her choice, but continued with her stiff opposition to her brother’s choice.

It kept me wondering how the mind of many human beings works. A similar scenario played out last week when four people with Nigerian roots – Chuka Umunna, Kate Osamor, Chi Onwurah and Helen Grant -were elected Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Many Nigerians celebrated their victory. Britain is not on the same continent as Nigeria. Most Britons are White while Nigerians are Black. Yet, these four people (some even with Nigerian names) won elections in the UK.

About a month ago, four Nigerians (three Igbo and one Urhobo) won elections in Lagos into the House of Representatives. Some of those who celebrated last week’s electoral victory of Nigerians in the UK had gone up in arms: “How dare them win election in our land?” It was seen as an abomination. It did not matter that the four people are full-fledged Nigerians, whose parents and grandparents were Nigerians.

The third set of four Nigerians will be discussed later in this essay.

In 2011, the Abia State Government under Chief Theodore Orji decided that all the problems of the state would be solved if non-indigenes were sent out of the civil service. It did not matter to him that Abia citizens were fully employed by other states. People roundly condemned the narrow-minded decision. Orji came to his senses and rescinded the decision.

Similarly, two years ago, the priests and laity of Mbaise in Imo State rejected a Roman Catholic bishop that was posted to oversee the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise. Their anger was that the bishop was from Anambra State instead of Mbaise. That same scenario had played out in the Benin Diocese of the Anglican Communion some 18 years ago. The people rejected a bishop sent to them because he was not a Bini man. Ironically, last year, an Mbaise man, Prof Joe Ahaneku, was made the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, the same state whose son was rejected in Mbaise for not being a son of the soil.

Similarly, a few weeks ago, the social media was awash with the hate speech of one Dr Adeniran Ariyo, a US-based cardiologist, asking that the Igbo resident in Lagos, Abuja and elsewhere be “killed” or sent away. Ironically, the same Ariyo left Nigeria some years ago to reside in the US where nobody has asked that he be “killed” or repatriated for being a settler.

On the continent, the world was shocked by the ugly xenophobic attacks on Black Africans in South Africa last month. It did not matter to South Africans that many of their citizens are currently working in other parts of Africa and elsewhere peacefully. In addition, many South Africans own companies in other countries of Africa, including Nigeria, without being molested.

On the other hand, many Africans are shown on TV regularly taking the dangerous sea route to Europe. Italians, especially, make great efforts to save these illegal African immigrants and offer them refuge. Italy is not in Africa. It shares a different skin colour with Africans. It owes the immigrants no obligation. Yet, it is accepting these refugees, which is stretching its resources. These immigrants, many of whom are unskilled, may even become a burden on the country. Some may even become terrorists and criminals in the country. Yet, Italy is not sending them back or lynching them for flocking into their country.

How does one explain these issues? When the Whites make some uncomplimentary comments about the Black race, many of us take offence. But many of our actions are myopic, petty, selfish, clannish, irrational, callous, etc. That is why Africa is perennially struggling.

When you deal with Nigerians on an individual basis, most times you see exceptional people who are warm and loving. They don’t care about where you are from. But once some Nigerians see others from the ethnic standpoint, everything changes. Distrust, hate, intolerance, stereotyping, etc, take over. Enmity replaces friendship. Hate replaces love. Madness replaces sense.

That is why one nagging issue facing Nigeria is that of integration of the ethnic groups or bridging the gap between the indigenes and settlers. The National Conference of last year had come up with measures to help to solve it. But because the All Progressives Congress boycotted that conference, chances are that a Muhammadu Buhari Presidency will not want to push for the implementation of the decisions of that conference, so as not to give President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party any credit. But Buhari can rise above partisanship and be a statesman by pushing for the implementation of that report so as to move the nation forward.

One way to start the integration of Nigerians is to have a constitutional provision that every state must have a commissioner of national integration who must not be an indigene of that zone or region. For example, an Urhobo or Benin person should not be the commissioner of national integration in Bayelsa State or Rivers State because of their being in the South-South zone. With that, it will be compulsory for every state to have a non-indigene as a commissioner. This will help to break down the walls of ethnic divisions. There will no more be statements like: “How dare you hold a post in MY state?”

In addition, Nigeria should amend its constitution and make itself the first African nation to have a European, an American or an Asian as a minister. There are people who have lived in Nigeria for 

long and have invested heavily in Nigeria. Some were even born in Nigeria. There are also those whose mothers were Nigerians but they are still not treated as Nigerians because their fathers were not Nigerians. If President Barack Obama’s mother were a Nigerian, he would not have aspired to be a president. Jerry Rawlings had a Scottish father but rose to rule Ghana.

The strength of the US is in its ability to absorb foreigners. That is why the Kennedys that should have been Irish ended up as great Americans; Scottish Andrew Carnegie settled in the US and helped its industrial expansion; Arnold Schwarzenegger that emigrated from Austria to the US uplifted the US film industry and politics; Albert Einstein that should have been an Israeli or German ended up using his genius for the US.

We can tap the brains and resources of people from other countries by integrating them into our nation. If the world gets the impression that we are inclusive, it will encourage more people to look towards settling and investing in Nigeria.

The third set of four Nigerians was the set that got executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking about two weeks ago. When their names were released, many Nigerians were more concerned about vilifying their ethnic groups. But when the names of the UK MPs were released last week, the same people did not praise their ethnic groups. Rather they saw them as “Nigerians”. That helps to buttress the fact that success has many relatives but failure is an orphan.

No doubt, Nigerians have the greatness gene. They excel wherever they are. But decades of mediocre governance, flaunting of stolen wealth, and honouring those with questionable wealth have helped to push many of our people into getting rich quick, so as to be recognised and celebrated.

We need a change in our national orientation and bring back the good-name-is-better-than-gold policy by celebrating people of integrity and excellence and ignoring those with questionable wealth.

PUNCH

Some years ago, I watched a ridiculous event unfold. A lady was seriously involved with a man from another ethnic group. She would hear no story about her not marrying the man. While her case was on, she opposed her younger brother vehemently in his plan to marry a lady from another ethnic group. Her problem with the lady was not that she was not well behaved, pretty or educated. She was just angry that the lady her brother wanted to marry was from a different ethnic group. She went on to marry her choice, but continued with her stiff opposition to her brother’s choice.

It kept me wondering how the mind of many human beings works. A similar scenario played out last week when four people with Nigerian roots – Chuka Umunna, Kate Osamor, Chi Onwurah and Helen Grant -were elected Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Many Nigerians celebrated their victory. Britain is not on the same continent as Nigeria. Most Britons are White while Nigerians are Black. Yet, these four people (some even with Nigerian names) won elections in the UK.

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About a month ago, four Nigerians (three Igbo and one Urhobo) won elections in Lagos into the House of Representatives. Some of those who celebrated last week’s electoral victory of Nigerians in the UK had gone up in arms: “How dare them win election in our land?” It was seen as an abomination. It did not matter that the four people are full-fledged Nigerians, whose parents and grandparents were Nigerians.

The third set of four Nigerians will be discussed later in this essay.

In 2011, the Abia State Government under Chief Theodore Orji decided that all the problems of the state would be solved if non-indigenes were sent out of the civil service. It did not matter to him that Abia citizens were fully employed by other states. People roundly condemned the narrow-minded decision. Orji came to his senses and rescinded the decision.

Similarly, two years ago, the priests and laity of Mbaise in Imo State rejected a Roman Catholic bishop that was posted to oversee the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise. Their anger was that the bishop was from Anambra State instead of Mbaise. That same scenario had played out in the Benin Diocese of the Anglican Communion some 18 years ago. The people rejected a bishop sent to them because he was not a Bini man. Ironically, last year, an Mbaise man, Prof Joe Ahaneku, was made the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, the same state whose son was rejected in Mbaise for not being a son of the soil.

Similarly, a few weeks ago, the social media was awash with the hate speech of one Dr Adeniran Ariyo, a US-based cardiologist, asking that the Igbo resident in Lagos, Abuja and elsewhere be “killed” or sent away. Ironically, the same Ariyo left Nigeria some years ago to reside in the US where nobody has asked that he be “killed” or repatriated for being a settler.

On the continent, the world was shocked by the ugly xenophobic attacks on Black Africans in South Africa last month. It did not matter to South Africans that many of their citizens are currently working in other parts of Africa and elsewhere peacefully. In addition, many South Africans own companies in other countries of Africa, including Nigeria, without being molested.

On the other hand, many Africans are shown on TV regularly taking the dangerous sea route to Europe. Italians, especially, make great efforts to save these illegal African immigrants and offer them refuge. Italy is not in Africa. It shares a different skin colour with Africans. It owes the immigrants no obligation. Yet, it is accepting these refugees, which is stretching its resources. These immigrants, many of whom are unskilled, may even become a burden on the country. Some may even become terrorists and criminals in the country. Yet, Italy is not sending them back or lynching them for flocking into their country.

How does one explain these issues? When the Whites make some uncomplimentary comments about the Black race, many of us take offence. But many of our actions are myopic, petty, selfish, clannish, irrational, callous, etc. That is why Africa is perennially struggling.

When you deal with Nigerians on an individual basis, most times you see exceptional people who are warm and loving. They don’t care about where you are from. But once some Nigerians see others from the ethnic standpoint, everything changes. Distrust, hate, intolerance, stereotyping, etc, take over. Enmity replaces friendship. Hate replaces love. Madness replaces sense.

That is why one nagging issue facing Nigeria is that of integration of the ethnic groups or bridging the gap between the indigenes and settlers. The National Conference of last year had come up with measures to help to solve it. But because the All Progressives Congress boycotted that conference, chances are that a Muhammadu Buhari Presidency will not want to push for the implementation of the decisions of that conference, so as not to give President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party any credit. But Buhari can rise above partisanship and be a statesman by pushing for the implementation of that report so as to move the nation forward.

One way to start the integration of Nigerians is to have a constitutional provision that every state must have a commissioner of national integration who must not be an indigene of that zone or region. For example, an Urhobo or Benin person should not be the commissioner of national integration in Bayelsa State or Rivers State because of their being in the South-South zone. With that, it will be compulsory for every state to have a non-indigene as a commissioner. This will help to break down the walls of ethnic divisions. There will no more be statements like: “How dare you hold a post in MY state?”

In addition, Nigeria should amend its constitution and make itself the first African nation to have a European, an American or an Asian as a minister. There are people who have lived in Nigeria for long and have invested heavily in Nigeria. Some were even born in Nigeria. There are also those whose mothers were Nigerians but they are still not treated as Nigerians because their fathers were not Nigerians. If President Barack Obama’s mother were a Nigerian, he would not have aspired to be a president. Jerry Rawlings had a Scottish father but rose to rule Ghana.

The strength of the US is in its ability to absorb foreigners. That is why the Kennedys that should have been Irish ended up as great Americans; Scottish Andrew Carnegie settled in the US and helped its industrial expansion; Arnold Schwarzenegger that emigrated from Austria to the US uplifted the US film industry and politics; Albert Einstein that should have been an Israeli or German ended up using his genius for the US.

We can tap the brains and resources of people from other countries by integrating them into our nation. If the world gets the impression that we are inclusive, it will encourage more people to look towards settling and investing in Nigeria.

The third set of four Nigerians was the set that got executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking about two weeks ago. When their names were released, many Nigerians were more concerned about vilifying their ethnic groups. But when the names of the UK MPs were released last week, the same people did not praise their ethnic groups. Rather they saw them as “Nigerians”. That helps to buttress the fact that success has many relatives but failure is an orphan.

No doubt, Nigerians have the greatness gene. They excel wherever they are. But decades of mediocre governance, flaunting of stolen wealth, and honouring those with questionable wealth have helped to push many of our people into getting rich quick, so as to be recognised and celebrated.

We need a change in our national orientation and bring back the good-name-is-better-than-gold policy by celebrating people of integrity and excellence and ignoring those with questionable wealth.

- See more at: http://www.punchng.com/opinion/a-tale-of-three-sets-of-four-nigerians/#sthash.1CQOgvBx.dpuf