2023: Time To Show One Nigeria…As Igbo Presidency Depicts A New Dawn

EVANS EKWEM, AWKA.

Nigeria is a nation on a tripod stand. It’s a nation of three brothers delivered from different wombs, but through Un-imaginary faculty, they become strange bedfellows living in one house.

They are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo born through one biological father as children of the same family. This is also a nation, where the three brothers were comprehensively advised to work together, even eating together on one plate containing three lumps of meat; and the brothers believed that the lumps of meat shared itself amongst them without much headache. But, ill-motivatedly, amongst the three brothers, one was so greedy and covetous and wanted to take all, leaving others with little or nothing.

The Igbo are regarded as the last child in the family and was denied his own right of the meat, and usually, in every social family setting, the last born becomes the hewer of wood and drawer of water instead of being pampered as the eagle that laid the golden egg. Nigeria became an independent nation in 1960 from the hands of British colonial masters, when it was Northern and Southern Protectorate. In 1914, it was the framework of Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard’s amalgamation that these two different territories came together and were named Nigeria by Lugard’s friend, Florence Shaw.

However, Nigeria needs to be resounded, especially by recounting its history. This is not because what is happening now is new, but because what is happening today was agreed upon to end lopsided, lackadaisical power muscle. It’s crystal clear that our old national Anthem put it correctly in verse as it says, even “where language and tongue may differ, in brotherhood, we stand”.

However, sixty years after Nigeria’s independence, except for the six months leadership of Nigeria by Igbo man, which was traumatic.

The 2023 is a year to come; it will remain and will never diminish in political history of Nigeria. It’s a year to show reflection of one Nigeria.

Igbo presidency in 2023 will actually show that Nigeria is truly one.

Since 1960, no Government either democratic or military in Nigeria has ever been ruled by an Igbo man except six months traumatic leadership under General J.T.U. Aguiyi Ironsi.

Meanwhile, it is unfair to marginalize Ndigbo, the hen that lays the golden egg.

There is no gainsaying that Ndigbo was the ethnic group that provided the nation’s take home pay of pride before other countries of the world.

As a compatriot, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and other nationalists, who rode on his back, fought for the independence of Nigeria, yet he was made the ceremonial President of this country.

The Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, became the Commander –In-Chief.

It would be recalled that during the military interregnum in Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon, a passive Northern Nigeria military Head Of State.

However, General Gowon rekindled hope when he announced that “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done”. Are we keeping the task? The event today is full of ethnic chauvinism, religious bigotry and massive killing of Christians, Boko Haram and dreaded Fulani herdsmen. Let’s draw a new roadmap in recreating Nigeria’s history.

Again, the outburst of this military young man (Gowon) then, came “No Victor, No Vanquished” this was a declaration of bond of union in Nigeria which considered no ethnic nationality as a second class citizen. Things must go round; the Igbo shall take their turn. Though language and tongue may differ, but in brotherhood, we stand. This unity in diversity stems on the Federal character policy as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

In Chapter II, Section 14(I) Subsection 3 of the 1999 constitution states inter-alier; the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of it’s affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty ,thereby ensuring that there  shall  be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in the government or in any of its agencies.

Subject to the above quoted constitution, in clause, Ndigbo are waiting for 2023, the time for Nigerians to speak with one voice that truly Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble nation.

Evans Ekwem writes from Awka, Anambra State.