Nigeria's Elite Tragic and Deadly blame Game

Most Nigerians hold biased views about IBO's based on folklore that has been hard wired into their consciousness on the political level.

These views are so pervasive that the cannot be undone despite their many positive business and social interactions with IBO people, granted not all of them, but most of them.

The sins and crimes traditionally attributed to Ibos are committed by all tribes against each other nowadays. Has the crime of any IBO man even come close to the mindless violence perpetuated by Boko harem against its own people or can anyone claim that the worst betrayal of their life has come at the hands of an IBO man in all cases as opposed to being a victim of their fellow tribes man, a poll of the matter might help Nigerians become more self aware of this learned generational bias.

Presently, Social media is awash with anti-ibo posts insinuating that these migrant people are dependents of the indigenes but nothing can be further from the truth.

The reality is that these migrant people are traders, business men and artisans who even though the invade communities generate their own income by providing services not readily supplied by the indigenes, think about that while you visit the spare parts dealer in your local motor park or your mechanic. Nothing was handed over to them freely and the deserve every kobo the have earned in those places. Nigerians should also realize that on a personal level these people tend to mind their own business and do everything to avoid trouble so the can keep making their money in peace.

This folklore bias about IBO being dependent welfare recipients and two faced politicians remains unshakeable despite very public displays of support by the masses and leaders like Rocha's and Ameachi who financed the APC victory even when the northern elite were careful about associating with GMB during his campaign.

Many Nigerians with this acquired bias might notice this visit by the much wiser GMB who has paid this solidarity visit to governor Rochas who is at risk of losing his seat for his unflappable support of the president elect, but it will not change this nurtured bias about the so called treacherous ibos.

The recent calls by the Oba of lagos threatening to drown IBOs in the lagoon if the did not vote for the ruling party governorship candidate and generally condemned due to political correctness reflects the popular endgame roadmap thinking of most tribal elite politicians and leaders who resort to blaming an Ibo man for any perceived calamity even though this IBO man has no institutional or political power to influence decisions.

How does my highness arrive at the conclusion that the PDP will lose the Lagos state governorship race solely on the backs of IBO votes and then go ahead to threaten them with drowning in the dirty Lagos lagoon that has not been dredged of refuse by every succeeding government. Will all the IBO corpses not further contaminate the lagoon and make it reek and become more poisonous. Will the mob's victims not include virulent IBO APC foot soldiers and online critics of the PDP on Facebook or will he have a list showing how each individual IBO man voted.

By making those remarks is he not assuming that all Yoruba in Lagos are happy with a Yoruba man playing second fiddle to GMB when many believe the could and should secure the mandate in their own right.

Is he not also discounting the many very well educated Yoruba people who may abhor the return of a former dictator who overthrew an elected government and vote against him like every other Nigerian is inclined to do.

Finally, are there any IBO decision makers in Abuja or right there at home who preside over how the massive funds collected by the Lagos state government have been spent and misappropriated over the years.

On the part of the IBO's it is pointless to scream to the high heavens about the systematic infrastructural neglect of the east because many Nigerians will not believe or understand you unless the live there, so It is incumbent on them to ensure that the NYSC does not allow corpers to rig their postings away from the east so the can experience the neglect first hand and become new advocates of the region, these new recruits also cannot walk away from the region without appreciating the various delicacies or the soothing power of illicit gin, Palm wine or the women.

Secondly, even though times are hard and jobs have always been scarce the east needs to ensure that non- indigenes are employed in its civil service and publicly elected as representatives of their various communities with ex-officio seats at the various state houses of assembly or at meetings to counter rightful accusations that non- indigenes are not accommodated by the east.

Going forward as a country, we can only hope that Nigerians who are more educated and sensible than ever before are now familiar with how incendiary statements and biased views end with the killing and dismemberment of its ethnic minorities particularly the IBO people and actively act to stop it from happening, otherwise how can we have a just Nigeria.

Judging by the relative peace during this election and the new found power of the electorate, grievances may be settled at the ballot box in the future and not by a flame of smoke from incendiary biased remarks.

WAZOBIA