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chyk1ok@yahoo.com USA

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REBUTTAL TO ARTICLE TITLED: NDOKWA NOT IGBO

his author does not always form the habit of responding to opinions of others on any subject, although, given the polarization of ethnicity in Nigerian politicking, I found myself frequently drawn into such, particularly on Igbo issues. Ethnicity is a polarizing topic in Nigeria and as such, like religion, one has to be very careful when it is being discussed.

Once again, this author is compelled to respond to an article titled: "Ndokwa not Igbo" published in the Vanguard of September 21, 2006, by Omenazu Ofili whose arguments are porous and paradoxical. Since the publication of the article, this writer, among others, was very disturbed by the tone and line of Mr. Ofili's reasoning, but instead of instantaneous perhaps angry rebuttal, allowed time to heal ill feelings which enabled a more constructive opinion set forth. In the first place, Omenazu Ofili is a very strong Igbo name with deep Igbo meaning. I am sure that even if this author disagreed with Mr. Ofili's diatribe on the above referenced article, both will be of the same mind that Omenazu and Ofili are ninety-nine percent Igbo, both in similarity and meaning.

Mr. Ofili contended that "the average Ukwuani man, however, has never seen or identified himself as Igbo. Neither did he understand the Igbo language." If the Ukwuani people such as Ofili do not understand Igbo language, we then implore him to tell the world the meaning of Omenazu or Ukwuani. To support his poor argument, Mr. Ofili wrote that "Austria is not Germany, neither is Portuguese, Spanish nor Dutch Afrikaans." The choice of these examples show the ignorance or limitation of Mr. Ofili's understandings of history and geography. At least most Nigerian high school graduates who took African history classes knew that most South African whites are of Dutch origin that migrated from Europe and elsewhere.

Since Mr. Ofili has limited understanding of History, one wonders how he feels about the Yoruba people who are citizens of Federal Republic of Benin. According to Ofili's contention, those people do not qualify as members of Yoruba ethnic group since they do not reside within the confines of the modern day Yoruba speaking boundaries. This is in spite of the fact that these people moved to their current location from 1600 to 1730, the later date when Dahomey Empire under King Agadja (1708-1732) became a tributary to Oyo Empire. Or should we conclude that the Ewe people in Ghana and Republic of Benin are not the same people just because of their domicile.

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Looking inward, should we conclude that Asaba people of Delta State and the Ikweres of River State fit into same mold of none Igbos. In fact, his argument does not make any academic or literary sense at all. The Hausa ethnic group stretches across several countries in the Sahara, likewise the Yoruba which stretches from the Republic of Benin into Northern Nigeria (Kwara State), and the Kurdish people stretches from Turkey to Iraq, yet these peoples never for once question their heritage or deny their ethnicity, no matter which country or state they find themselves in. So Mr. Ofili, what is the name of your ethnic group?

But in all fairness, there must be something that troubles Mr. Ofili that led to his article because its content was not just anti Igbo but an indictment of everything that the Igbo people stands for. For instance, he mentioned some phrases like: "selfish aggression of the Igbo(s)" as an example of an Igbo trait not shared with the Ukwuanis. What Mr. Ofili failed to comprehend was that the survival of the Igbo people today was a result of the so-called aggression, coupled with self confidence and lack of fear. If these traits were lacking in the Igboman's blood, they would have long been driven into River Niger to perish or would be on the streets of Nigeria begging for alms.

Mr. Ofili should be educated in the history of Nigeria which it seems that he lacks. It is surprising that he continued to maintain an Igbo name despite his dislike of the Igbo ethnic group. Running away from Igbo ancestry as if it is leprosy is a big mistake. We do understand that it is human to disassociate from people who are temporarily and artificially induced down on their luck, but one must be careful because no condition is permanent. The Igbos is down politically in Nigeria and that should not be mistaken to be sign of weakness or perpetual damnation.

We also understand that people has a tendency to align with others if there are benefit consequential. That explains why a few months ago when a rumor of creation of a new state inundated the Nigerian media wave prompting a diverse Igbo groups drumming up support for carving out another Igbo state outside the mainland Igbo area. Most prominent of such groups were from Delta State Igbo villages and Ikwere area of River State. They argued that by so doing, that it would increase the number of Igbo states rather than reshaping the current Igbo states. The point is that people like Ofili would accept Igbo ancestry for political expediency and reject them when the opposite occurs.

Again, Mr. Ofili should be reminded that there are such things as dialects in every language which the Igbo are not excluded. He should understand that even among the current Igbo speaking states; there exist distinct dialects where some villages may not understand spoken Igbo language from another within the same state. For instance someone from Okigwe may not understand another from Owerri, even though both villages are in Imo state. Likewise, an Onitsha man may not understand an Nsukka man or an Afikpo man. All these groups like the Ukwuani people speak Igbo language with different dialects.

Assuming that dialect means a distinctive language as Mr. Ofili implies, does it mean that other ethnic groups in Nigeria agree with him? Take for instance during the Nigerian civil war when the federal army entered the Igbo speaking areas of the defunct Midwest region, rounded up all male adults and execute them in broad day light. What was their sin other than Igbo affinity, unless someone knows otherwise? Perhaps, Mr. Ofili understood this part of Nigerian history and is attempting to disassociate himself from the Igbos in case the above mentioned event rears its ugly face again.

Moving forward, most Nigerians understood the events that led to the massacre of the Igbos in the northern Nigeria in the 1960s and eventually led to a civil war. One of the key players in that event was Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, who hails from the Igbo speaking area of then Midwest region as Mr. Ofili. According to numerous historical reports, the Nzeogwu and company's coup was intended to cleanse Nigeria of corruption and to install Mr. Obafemi Awolowo, a Yoruba man as the president and not an Igbo man. But when the coup failed, it was tagged and "Igbo coup." The Igbos suffered the consequences of that coup, even to this day, but for the so-called Igbo aggressiveness, they would have been annihilated, yet, they have not pointed a finger at Ofili's people for their troubles.

It is troubling how people can wake up in the morning and attempt to twist or re-write history. According to Mr. Ofili, "in spite of the linguistic affinity (with the Igbos), the average Ukwuani man does not see himself as an Igboman." Again, in the same paragraph he contradicted himself by arguing that "people should, therefore, beware of ascribing an identity to a person different from what that person likes to be identified as." He is in essence conceding his identity as an Igboman, which occurred as an accident of birth, but would have preferred to be seen as something else, which can be assumed after birth. Mr. Ofili should be told that one can convert from one religion to another or change citizenship from one country to another, but that does not change who that fellow is.

The real story is that people like Mr. Ofili is terrified that any alignment with the mainland Igbos would make them a second class Igbo citizens, like he mentioned, they lacked the Igbo tenacity, a trait that made it possible for them to excel and be resilient on the face of all iniquity that befell them - civil war genocide, political suppression, religious persecution in the north, or need I say more? Such fear is without foundation or merit and will never be in the future. Finally, wash a pig, a pig is always a pig so once an Igboman, always an Igboman regardless of domicile. Mr. Ofili should wake up and end his ethnic affinity hysteria and self-denial. You may have a right to whatever that you wish to be called, but you have no right to rewrite history or your ethnic heritage.