IGBOPHOBIA: A Disease Enabled By Igbo Businessmen’s Prioritization Of Gains And Hampering Of IPOB Self-determination Effort

 IGBOPHOBIA: A Disease Enabled By Igbo Businessmen’s Prioritization Of Gains And Hampering Of IPOB Self-determination Effort The biggest ena...

 IGBOPHOBIA: A Disease Enabled By Igbo Businessmen’s Prioritization Of Gains And Hampering Of IPOB Self-determination Effort

The biggest enabler of Igbophobia and anti-Igbo sentiments are Igbo businessmen with political clout and inclination. These are people moulded in the worldview of Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first indigenous president of Nigeria. Azikiwe lacked geopolitical interests with the other devious tribes in Nigeria due to British incitement, but cowardly labeled his compatriots rebels. This he did to pacify outsiders and to also pursue his selfish project called ‘Zik of Africa' thereby proven that he was not a nationalist. Because no nationalist will describe his comrades as rebels under whatever guise or undue pressure.

Therefore, geopolitics simply means possessing communal interest while nationalism is the act of patriotism or the extreme love of your people. Igbo businessmen with egocentric worldview promote stomach infrastructure that, ultimately, leads to self-destruction. They neither understand geopolitics nor love their homeland. If they are in Nigeria, they are for ‘one Nigeria' despite the existential threat that one Nigeria is to their homeland; and if they are outside Nigeria, they exhibit behaviors inimical and insulting to their homeland. Characters that are easily seized by ethnic bigots to incite violence against their people.

The unpatriotic drive inherently possessive of Igbo businessmen is in direct conflict with geopolitics and nationalism. Any action that burns bridges and promotes violence against your own people is selfish, self-centered and irresponsible. Regardless of what the intention was, any action that failed the geopolitics and nationalism rule is insidious to the collective existence of a people. It is disruptive and degrading. Igbo businessmen need to understand that whether in their mercantile, cultural affinity or identity unification projects, the overall good of the people must supersede.

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), understood the fulcrum position of geopolitics and nationalism to the survival of a people, hence the formation of IPOB as a rule-based organization anchored on geopolitics and nationalism. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu —and by extension the IPOB leadership, the DOS —understood that for the Igbo nation, and by extension the Biafran nation, to stand a chance at survival, geopolitics and nationalism are indispensable.

For example, when security checkpoints form a chain across the Igbo nation and the people are subjected to humiliation, the oxygen that sustains such an eye sore is the inability of the Igbo businessmen cum political class to render a collective voice of condemnation. Instead, many are willing to negotiate a business or political capital through such exploitation of their people. The Igbo nation (Biafran nation) has been in a state of conundrum for lacking selfless businessmen and politicians willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is something Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and IPOB that he leads, is doing.

Regrettably, Igbo businessmen and politicians are blinded by pursuit of self elevation and personal aggrandizement to even notice the damage they are causing the self-determination efforts of IPOB. If only they know the economic and political sacrifices oath members of IPOB have made, as they should, for the love of homeland.

Igbo businessmen within Nigeria and in diaspora must first seek to uplift homeland, perish the urge to cause conflict with host community and hand bigots ammunition to sow discord. They must cease and desist from creating chiefdoms outside homeland. They must follow IPOB example by making ultimate sacrifices for the good of motherland.

Family Writers Press International