Bishop Okpaleke’s Resignation: Mbaise Priests and the Danger of “Nke a bu nke anyi.”

CHIDIEBERE ORJIKA

Recently, the only thing that gives the Igbo nation a false sense of Unity is the demonisation of Buhari and the elevation of our victim mentality to its peak by IPOB and their complimentary political party APGA, else the points of intersection between Igbo states are weak and the rope of communalism that links various tribes within the states are equally too thin.

Evidently, the much celebrated extended family system of the Igbo nation has dangerously shrinked to compact nuclear families and gradually, nose diving into ‘atomic families’

Thus, what happened in Mbaise is a clear explosion of the latent explosive landmines of tribalism, “kporokpoism”, clannishness and divisive sentimentalism dug in people’s mind long ago.

Go around the states, in the streets, in the markets, churches etc and find out the relationship between an Anambra man and Imo man, wawaa and Abia man, Ebonyi and  Anambra, you will notice the discordant tones of #obodo_a_bu_nke_anyi, #Nke_a_Di_baanyi,  #ebe_a_bu_baanyi, #onye_a_bu_onye_nke_anyi  etc.

Back then at the Den, during the reign of Dr Chimaroke as the governor of Enugu state, he begun the clannish campaign and saw to it that an Enugu man or wawaa man MUST replace Prof Ginigeme Mbanefo as the vice Chancellor of the famous university of Nigeria, the campaign was further carried down to other leadership positions in the school and the rest today is history.

We have heard of state’s that sacked other Igbos from their civil service because they are not from the same state.

Few weeks ago In Abia – ‘stateism’ is what led to the instant collaboration between the Executive and the legislature that saw to the removal of the chief judge of the state.

The only disappointing thing about Mbaise #Diocese_bu_nkeanyi debacle is that it was carried out by the supposed ‘ xtra humans’ supposedly endowed with xtra spritual, character, understanding and discipline  to live above mere canal and fleshy ordinary humans.

I have read posts and comments that reminds us that that an Mbaise man currently  occupies the Vice Chancellor seat in Unizik located in same Okpaleke’s Awka

Will the Mbaise people blame any Igbo tribe if they arise in opposition against them occupying any office outside Mbaise?.

No! I suppose.

If not that Ohanaze Ndigbo is an elitist organisation of a few egg heads, the Mbaise #Diocese_bu_nke_anyi and the subsequent resignation of Bishop Okpalake should have given them enough jobs in their hands to look inside the Igbo nation and begin the journey of true and non segmented unity amongst the tribes.

We must all try as a nation not to allow this bud of parochialism implanted by the Mbaise Priests to grow anywhere around the unity tree of the Igbo nation.

Our language and cultural homogeneity must bind us stronger and make United even more.