STOP HARASSING THE IGBO: THEY ARE NIGERIANS TOO!

STOP HARASSING THE IGBO: THEY ARE NIGERIANS TOO!

In the Holy Scriptures, God commands, “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

This timeless truth should guide the Nigerian project, one where every citizen is valued, not a system where ethnic profiling and suspicion dictate who belongs.

With the rate things are going, it is remarkable that the Igbo still trust their Nigerianness, despite agitations for Biafra and political intrigues.

No ethnic group can honestly call the Igbo a “bad child” of Nigeria.

The hatred many display has no solid basis; often, people cannot even trace the “day the rain began to beat them.” They simply joined a long-standing fray because others hated. But decades of sidelining the Igbo, how far has it advanced Nigeria? It is time to drop the weapons of resentment and embrace peace.

A troubling mindset persists: “If you admit the Igbo into your community, they will buy everything and make you a tenant.” But the key word here is BUY.

If someone uses their money to purchase what you willingly sell, with proper papers, where is the sin? Often, it is the host who initiates the sale. To sell your property and then resent the buyer is like trying to eat your cake and still have it.

Another complaint is that the Igbo, once settled, contest elections in their host communities. Yet, as Nigerians, they have the right to contribute to governance wherever they reside. Impact and service, not dominance, are the hallmarks of such participation.

If a tenant repairs a leaking roof at his expense, should that be cause for suspicion or gratitude? If as a community member, an Igbo man funds development projects and earns the trust of the people, why deny them the mandate to serve?

Consider Hon. Nelson Chukwu Cyprian Len (DCN), an Igbo man and elected member of the Taraba State House of Assembly for Nguroje Constituency, also Chair of the House Committee on Information, Culture, and Tourism. Born and bred in Taraba to an Igbo father and indigenous mother, he speaks Fulfulde, Mambila, Hausa, and Igbo.

His record, massive constituency projects and strategic appointments, shows the Nigerian project at its best: representation based on trust and performance, not tribe.

When Nigerians travel abroad, we proudly watch our people, like Kemi Badenoch (formerly Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke) and many others, hold sensitive offices as legislators, mayors, etc. But at home, we too often force candidates on communities and States based on ethnic lines rather than capability.

The Nigerian project should not be about WHERE you are from, but WHAT you can deliver. As Romans 12:10 exhorts, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.”

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

StopHarassingTheIgbo #OneNigeriaProject #UnityInDiversity #EndEthnicProfiling #IgboAreNigeriansToo