TO MY IGBO BROTHERS; ONENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY

As it stands today, we are all still Nigerians and it weakens me when I see posts and tweets of one ethnic group abusing another while we condemn racism and xenophobic attack from other countries. I have noticed that not all Igbos goes with the ideology of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) meaning not all Igbos are Biafrans but because I don't know who is who, I will like to direct this write up to the bigoted Igbos since a majority of them claim to be Biafrans. I have Igbo friends that I cherish and respect, we met in various places such as school, church, place of work etc and we have shared things together despite not being from the same region but we still share the same Nationality; "A Nigerian". When a white man abuses a black man, we call him a racist. Last year, when the South Africans were killing the Nigerians we all complained and called them names due to the xenophobic attack but what about the one happening within our country? Is it different? I can see some people instigating war due to ethnic differences, please who can stand when the war starts? For some days now, I have seen the repeated posts and tweets of abuses on the Yoruba race from our Igbo brothers and I can't just look away anymore. An Igbo man started the rumour that the President, Gen Mohammadu Buhari was cloned and this has been going on for years making headlines in newspapers nationally and internationally. Everybody laughed and till today nobody said he made a bad ulterance, rather people clamoured for a DNA test on the president to confirm his identity. However, just recently a Yoruba woman twitted that she got an unverified information from Italy stating that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra was infected with Covid-19 and died from the virus, she then called on the IPOB leaders to verify the information and ask the leader to make a video. This singular act of her rose a lot of dusts as the Igbo brothers used this as a spare to start up an inter ethnic fight between the Igbos and the Yorubas. Note: If truly Buhari was cloned, nothing stops another person from being cloned too. I understand the love the biafrans have for their leader 'Nnamdi Kanu" and they won't take anything that will insult his personality, it's so expected and good. I follow him too because I get some information too from him, but the way they reacted to this issue I would say is not smart. The information could have been sorted in a civilised way either by showing evidences that the leader of the group is still alive or press statement debunking the false information. I don't just digest all I hear, I sieve it and not all things that fly around on the social media is to be taken hook and sinker, it should properly be sieved before ingestion and digestion, but this is not the same with everybody as some totally believe all they see or hear on news. Even if you have an intention of having a nation of your own, at least, we are all still Nigerians and we still live together, abusing an ethnic group or alterercations that can lead to inter-ethnic war or communal war should be watched. I believe things should be tackled in a civilised manner. Igbos are flourishing well in all corners of the country, some still say people hate them and don't want them in the country, I can't but laugh as this sounds somehow to me because if you are not wanted in a place then you will only struggle to thrive in such place but my brothers are doing well and still complaining. It baffles me because most of the things they complain about can't be tolerated in their own region, they can't even take what they do in other people's region but despite the accommodation still complain about not being loved. So what do they really want? Mind you, I am not writing to suit any tribe or support tribalism, I am just here to say enough of the statements that can cause hatred and disputes. As long as we all still stay under the same umbrella called Nigeria, then we need to learn how to live and tolerate one another. Some Igbos have been accusing the yorubas for the happenings in the country and I can't but ask about the stand of the Igbo leaders who are leading the South Eastern people, or don't they have power too? If they don't then why don't they have power? Like I will always say, both PDP and APC are failures while the failures of PDP has caused the country a long term destruction, the failures of APC has caused the further destruction of the country. It's only a myopic and bigoted individual that will say PDP or APC is better because they are not different. If PDP have actually done well, there won't be need for change, even, Nigeria won't be in her present state. Until we all begin to take responsibilities then this country will never become a better one. If the Igbos continue abusing the Yorubas for the situation of the country and the Yorubas continue abusing the Hausas then this country will never develop because we are still one and as long as we bear the name Nigerians then we must jointly come together to make it a better one if not, we will keep on apportioning blames while the country sinks. When you want to attack a man please do without mentioning his race but if the whole ethnic group does bad then you can call them all to other. FOOD FOR THOUGHT - When I see people clamouring for division of the country into the Northern and Southern region, I ask myself that who will be one to rule the Southern region if formed? Won't we still have issues with power? Does that stop the problems in the country? It's only an unwise man that wants a change without thinking on the aftermath of the change - Olabanji Joel. Be careful of those behind the drum beat of war because such persons don't join the war, they mostly stay up to keep the drum sounding, they can only be kiiled after the whole warriors at the war front are dead - Olabanji Joel. Written by Olabanji Joel, a Nurse, Writer and Socialist