FROM August 20, 2024, another round of protest is scheduled to commence in South West, Nigeria at the behest of some Yoruba ethnic bigots to force the Igbo ethnic group resident in Lagos and other parts of the geopolitical region out of the zone, back to their homeland in the South East. If allowed, the bigoted campaign would be holding 10 days after the bloody “End Bad Governance Protest” that lasted from August 1 to 10, 2024. The protesters want the Igbo to leave the region with their businesses within the period the campaign would last.
It is feared the protest, being championed by the Yoruba ethnic irredentists, may push the South West perhaps to the brink of a genocidal tragedy worse than the 1994 Rwandan massacre, which Nigeria, in its current state may not be able to contain. But it is worrisome, to us, that no concrete policy initiative yet has been instituted by the federal government and its security agencies to combat the existential threat to national security.
The Igbo resident in the South West cover not just the South East; they include those from Delta State and Rivers State in the South South region. There are also Igbo from Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State also from the South South, as well as Kogi State in the North Central zone. So, practically, when the chips are down, the protest by the ethnic bigots would hit all Igbo ethnic nationality.
The loud irredentist sentiment of the “Igbo Must Go” agitators seems to sum up the unpatriotic and toxic push against the South Easterners by some elements of the South West, including a Lagos traditional ruler, top politicians and elites, leading up to the 2023 general elections.
The Igbo have been settlers, especially in Lagos, for centuries, making massive contributions economically and socially to the development of the entire area. They have huge business and investment interests, covering manufacturing, banking, insurance, education, technology, shipping, real estate, hospitality and tourism, sports and trading for which they are eloquently reputed. They are involved in micro, small, medium and big corporations, yielding humongous revenues to the Lagos State government and federal government.
Of a truth, the Igbo generally are known to be extremely hard-working, creatively rugged, and resiliently committed and diligent in their quest to attain set business goals and objectives. Like every other tribe, they have their personal limitations, but their undying character and attitude to making money and creating wealth wherever they are resident earn them top rating nationally and even globally. This is what they have brought to bear on Lagos and other cities across Nigeria.
In just five decades after the civil war that pauperized them, the Igbo have by their characteristic never-say-die attitude blazed through extreme difficulties, including harsh financial conditions to emerge today as the envy of all, including Yoruba Lagosians. Yes, envy, allegedly is one of the reasons the Igbo are loathed in Lagos that streams with opportunities for all ethnic nationalities to exploit. The Yoruba are also said to feel threatened by the Igbo and therefore dread their presence.
The rather rich history of inter-tribal marriage between the Yoruba and Igbo regardless, this growing animosity is quite worrisome. However, it is mostly traced to unscrupulous politicians who are bent on fanning the embers of hatred against other tribes that are making inroad in Lagos politics. They simply misinform and misguide their gullible followers to unleash mayhem on perceived political opponents. This should not be in 21st century Nigeria.
In any case, the anti-Igbo rhetoric tagged Igbo-Must-Go fails and falls flat in the light of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Section 15(2) says: “Accordingly, national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited.”
Section 41(1) provides that “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereby or exit therefrom.” Also, Section 43 provides: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every citizen of Nigeria shall have the right to acquire and own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria.”
The Presidency, National Assembly, Lagos State government and all stakeholders in the Nigerian project are all aware of the bigoted move by the Lagos Yoruba against a section of the country simply because they are Igbo, and the provisions of the nation’s supreme law to protect all citizens. We implore President Bola Tinubu to muster the courage and political will, as well as the nation’s instruments of national security, to decisively deal with the odious campaign, and steer Nigeria away from the looming path of genocide.
