An acute scourge of social plebeianism, peasant mentality and anthropological mediocrity is plaguing our national consciousness, and it is very unfortunate. But that’s what you get each time tribalism, nepotism and ethnicism take front seats as drivers of our national polity. Citizens will inadvertently begin to drift from striking the gold mean and positing objective arguments into the myopic idiosyncrasy of judging every action from a debased prism of parochialism.
Nigerians are today taking solace in parochial jingoism. Almost every average Nigerian is becoming ethic apologist. We condemn anything (whether good or bad) that is done by people of other ethnic leaning. While we extol and defend the acts or utterances from people of our patriarchal ties. Even southeast with its legendary claim to superior virtues is not spared.
Two months ago, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of Enugu diocese was in news for the wrong reason for the third time in six years. He and the presidency exchanged vitriolic aspersions across the media spaces. He was roundly condemned by all especially after his followers broke into his bishop’s court, desecrated the episcopal chambers, profaned the nave and contemptuously abused the sacerdotal fount. I personally wrote an open (SOS) letter to the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), to intervene in Mbaka’s apparent vocation/identity crises that is fast scandalizing the faith community.
But it was strange seeing many apologists of Mbaka, priests inclusive, mount aggressive defense in his favour. Some took to the social media to drum their sympathy for the controversial priest.
Why were they defending the indefensible? No better reason than the singular notion that he is their priest, tribesman, relative, friend or benefactor. Therefore his misdeeds should not be subjected to criticism. In fact, one of his supporters twitted: “Father Ejike Mbaka is my brother, a Christian and most importantly my fellow priest. Regardless of his perceived human faults, which we all have, I will STAND with him. Those who are posting negative comments about him or judging him, remember that Isa Pantami is being defended vigorously by the power that be. Shine your eyes! #IStandWithFrMbaka”
Is that not nepotism? The self-same error we accuse President Buhari of. We all condemned Pantami’s indictable audio-visual clips emphatically showing him as a fan of terrorists. We also berated those who support him as being base, nepotistic and unjust in their judgement. But here we are, falling into the same error.
Nnamdi Kanu has been thrown to the limelight again. He had been a wanted man in the diary of Nigeria government for almost four years. His modus operandi had been weird, irrational and incongruous. He is the founder and leader of IPOB, a secessionist group, whose membership accounts far less than five percent of Igbo population. Yet Kanu parades himself as ‘Supreme’ leader of the race.
Kanu turned himself into a vulgarian and had been venomously exploiting the valid angst of the Southeast in the current dispensation in Nigeria to rise to prominence. He opened too many warfronts and battlelines extending even to his own brothers in the Southeast. Recall: ex-minister and former FRSC boss Osita Chidoka alongside other prominent Igbo leaders like Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and Sen Abaribe facilitated his bail process, only for him to come out of prison and order his followers to boycott the 2018 Anambra guber election in which Chidoka was contesting. He also incited his members to stone Ekweremadu in fNuremburg, Germany; and insulted the then President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.
He even ghosted the Yoruba tribe that produced his two staunch supporters across the Niger (Femi Fani Kayode and former governor Fayose) when he asked Igbo to denounce their membership of churches founded by Yoruba pastors like Bishop Adeboye, Pastor Oyedpo and W.F Kumuyi. At some point, he accosted former President Jonathan, incurring the anger of his aide, Reno Omokri, who ab initio was Kanu’s fan.
Back home, many started doubting his sanity when he was dishing out orders like a paramount ruler to his followers. He threatened that any Igbo man that does not obey his sit-at-home order for the May 30 commemoration of the Biafra pogrom day should be killed! He made several other incisive comments that were inconsistent with the spirit of Igbo brotherhood.
He was purportedly re-arrested about 13 days ago, and his fanatic followers had kept advocating for him, demonstrating against his arrest and asking that he be not prosecuted. These are the same people citing Buhari government’s ‘lack’ of justice as one of the reasons they want to opt out of Nigeria. What other name fits such narrative other than tribal bigotry?
According to Chidozie Okafor: “One of the dangerous narratives Igbo must dispel at once in this era is the argument that Fulani leaders do not criticise Boko Haram, Pantami is still in government, why should Igbo ask questions about Nnamdi Kanu? This is a silly and idiotic canard that must never be allowed to gain traction. Truth is that we are Igbo and have very little tolerance for nonsense. Pray, why are we opting to have a separate identity from out friends in the “Zoo” if suddenly we now look up to Fulani political leadership for guidance on how to play politics or embrace violence of the Boko Haram, or Fulani herdsmen operatives?”
While the North condones those who terrorizse that part of the country, the Yoruba put up with Sunday Igboho for the plebeian reason of protecting their own. Federal might had been deployed against Kanu and Igboho, while the northern deviants have a field day, for the same base reason. Ethnic superiority has become common place!
Another evidence that unchecked bigotry is guiding the rudder of our socio-political ship is the avowed criticism many put on the presidency, while their respective state governors loot billions from their federal allocation and security votes. It speaks volume about who we are as a people. In the final analysis, we may be our own problems as followers in this country.
Ogechukwu writes from Abuja via [email protected]
