This memo is from one Nigerian to another,hitting the nail on the head.I am from a minority tribe so what do i know?
One igbo girl writes another addressing the issue of tribalism in Nigeria which has been over flogged,especially during this last elections....long over flogged but OMG worth the read!
Please indulge yourself and argue if you must but if you come doing exactly what the writer addresses,what does that make you?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIVK9nUGkJeQU5rJtrIrQ55ULcMlYXnJqj64YEgiqqZ9eGoZlelCTf0ymHm5cGtxyVNUNHuPzh_lt9Va5Jzd-viatzcpl62LjD7kGg5_wOihZe-TTIUBPeFhJTIKhz7Ljz4nnAnVeJwc/s1600/photo.jpg)
Dear Chimamanda,
I was scrolling through twitter to see what was trending especially with regard to Lagos elections, and stumbled upon your write-up on the Oba of Lagos's disrespectful remarks to the Igbos and their right to exercise their civic rights. Of course being an ardent admirer of your work and also a fellow Igbo girl, I clicked on the link and hungrily lapped up each word you poured out, eager to hear your opinion and ready to carry emotional placards with you by clicking "share" on my Facebook page.
But the more I read, the more my excitement waned. Because just as I could feel you word for word, I also disagreed with you, and at a point I had to put down myopic glasses that beheld Lagos through your admirable eyes and wear one that showed me our stark reality.
You see, I AGREE that the Igbo community was unjustifiably grieved. However, as I wave my solidarity flag with my fellow Igbos, I can't help but also bite my tongue when I remember unpleasant comments many Igbos regularly make toward other tribesmen. For example, the disrespectful way some Igbos address Hausas as "abokis", dumbheads, and "nama" meaning cow! As you may know, "aboki" means friend but watch an Hausa man when an Igbo calls him that in a disrespectful tone. He stiffens and looks annoyed because he knows the tone he is called with is one of disrespect and insult. (some Yorubas call northerners "mulla"; I dunno what that means but that's for another day *sigh*)
Chimamanda, every tribe is guilty of tribalism; it's by default. It's not right. It should be fiercely fought against but shamefully this is the current reality. HOWEVER not every tribe is guilty of "PEACEMAKER-ISM", and I would love the Igbos to be known more for the guilt of MAKING PEACE.
So we go on and on about the Oba's comment and what happens? Fights, fracas, and some fathers and sons on both sides lose their lives and people lose property and investments.
As you may have noticed from my name Ijeoma Omotade, I am Igbo married to Yoruba and happily married too. I went into the Yoruba culture and CONSCIOUSLY took time to learn about it. It was when I decided to marry that I knew how deep tribalism has eaten even into our so called Igbo and Yoruba elite. *Sigh* Having also schooled in the north during my secondary school days, and as much as I greatly admire the peaceful and simple nature of the average northerner, sadly they are not left out of the "tribalism" card-carrying.
As an Igbo woman, I may not agree with all the Yoruba do but I live in their culture and I'm in their land, so I respect them and in turn they sense my aura of respect and willingness to understand them and they treat me well. And when I get an opportunity to talk about MY CULTURE and correct some misconceptions they have about Igbos, I do so with GREAT PRIDE because there are so many great things about us they don't know! And BECAUSE I respect them, THEY LISTEN and LEARN, even through jokes and laughter.
Even the few who were antagonistic toward me, embrace me now, or are at least civil toward me. It didn't make me any less dignified to understand better another man's culture; it made me wiser, and stronger and more appreciative of the richness of our country. The flagrant disregard for other's culture exhibited by many Nigerians is really bad! How do you expect to reason with someone unless you understand their worldview?
Truly, we wouldn't tolerate half the things we expect from Lagos in Aba or Onitsha or Enugu. Igbos want to be part of the House of Assembly and be among the decision makers for Lagos state. That in itself is not bad because a state stakeholder HAS A RIGHT to be among those making decisions for the state. But historically and by default, people kick against non-tribesman being at the decision-making level and our flippant comments about "taking over the land" is not helping matters either!
Why do we want to "take over" another man's land? It wasn't bare land before people came and developed it. It's people's ancestral homes, and even in a democracy where many are working tirelessly to water the progressive idea of ONE NIGERIA, it is still important we recognize and help preserve each other's heritage. For only then can we truly build the foundation for lasting synergy and proudly BECOME ONE, for the greater good of OUR LAND.
Personally I'm deeply hurt hearing some Yoruba leaders telling my people that we should be "grateful" living in Lagos; that is utterly unfair, point blank. Any Yoruba person saying that is very shallow minded. We Igbos work HARD for our living, and add IMMENSELY to the growth and development of the city. Try shutting down major trade markets dominated by Igbos for just one week and watch Lagos economy go haywire! But so does the Hausa community in the east that bring in food and supply our markets; they work hard too! Let them stop the lorries from bringing in food to the south and watch what happens. So I plead with EVERYONE, my IGBO KINSMEN inclusive. And this is my plea, that we PLEASE speak as we would like to be spoken to; "do as you would be done by", RESPECT AND LOVE your fellow man…ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL BY GOD!
I also share a bit of the Lagos indigene sentiment. I wouldn't want my hometown to be "cosmopoliticized" and my ancestral homes snatched away and turned into highways and hotels, and be told my home town is "no man's land". That's highly disrespectful. History has deep roots in this land.
I don't support the Oba, he is not my relative, nor did he "settle" my family. In his heart he is just like many other Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas; TRIBALISTIC!
The only difference is that he is an influential public figure and so we can all tweet and Facebook his bad communication skills; a public figure who didn't think about the implications of his words before he spoke. However, that statement would have been made by even an angry IGBO king or Hausa Emir because I don't see anyone of them doing any better!
In a quest for peace, there are two parties; the one making amends and the one accepting the apology. Let us the grieved accept, and move on. Let us all learn to APPRECIATE and LOVE one another. The other alternative is not better. No one wants tribal clashes; people will die, women will be widowed, children will be orphaned, on both sides…and Chimamanda, you will probably write a book about it, far away from all the madness, on your creative desk; the one that IS NOT IN LAGOS!
…I still remain an ardent admirer…
Ijeoma I love you!
I dont blame you my sister bcos u are to a yoruba.i know ur yoruba husband and his people ordered you to write this useless reply or they will pursue you.
ReplyDeleteLol....
DeleteCertainly an attention seeker. Anyway one doesn't expect anything less since she is married to a yoruba. She couldn't even drive home her point because she practically agreed with chimamanda's article. Someone should remind the writer that Lagos was a federal capital territory, developed with oil money made from another region. It would be unjust for you to sell my oil and use it to development your land under the guise of Federal maped out territory belonging to us all, then later wake up to ask me to leave or claim ownership of the federal land. Maybe the owners of Abuja should also ask people to leave their land knowing fully well Abuja was a semi desert before the Niger Delta oil money turned it to mega city. The writer is not Knowledgeable. Lagos state is not like any other state, it is not same with Anambra, Ogun or Kano. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state.
DeleteI dont blame you my sister bcos u are to a yoruba.i know ur yoruba husband and his people ordered you to write this useless reply or they will pursue you.
ReplyDeleteHow did they order her to write this? She is right, we are all guilty of tribalism.
DeleteIts amazing how s.one can sound so silly. Her yoruba husband & family ordered her to write this? Common sense is not so common anyway.
DeleteNow I worry about the future of Nigeria, if a sane person can read all Ij wrote and comment thus #sign# but what do I expect from someone who calls himself toto eater. Nigeria, I pray for ur future truely.
DeleteI dont blame you my sister bcos u are to a yoruba.i know ur yoruba husband and his people ordered you to write this useless reply or they will pursue you.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are just one of the problem , she is addressing
DeleteI bet you couldn't comprehend this simple letter, because in the ist place you couldn't read it, let alone assimilate.
I can't even write your so called user name because it is very distasteful and frankly vile. But just like Ijeoma, you have missed the whole point of a simple write up. It's people like you that sit behind a desktop or phone and write crap about others because nobody can get u. Plz if you don't have anything sensible to write, you don't have to write like an ignorant person. She spoke her mind and what she understood from a write up and you come on here and be insultive simply because you don't agree with her. Smh.
DeleteNice nice nice!
ReplyDeleteLong but worth the read.. If only every tribe would read & comprehend this..
Ma'am, let's call a spade a spade. If this statement was made by the oba to the hausas, do you think it will be taken with a pinch of salt??
ReplyDeleteI'm serving in Sokoto state and few months ago, a corps member called the state stupid and my principal summoned a meeting; oh boy, we hear talk tire that day so tell me what reaction we would have gotten if something heavier than that was uttered.
Fine, the igbos might be said to still be playing the victim years after the civil war but then inflammatory statements especially from a custodian of tradition is very wrong.
Idiot dont move on keep looking for who said it right or wrong daughter of destruction
Deleteewuuu gambia
What exactly is ur point? She never said it was right. Or should be condoned. Just saying to resolve peacefully.
Delete@Amaka, Longest time. ... wassup????
DeleteI missed Ur " tor" to every comment.
Afo anu,must you insult her.
DeleteIntelligent write-up.
ReplyDeleteCan we all move on?
Quick silver i use to hate you before buh for dis ur coment u don win my heart have big kiss and kip it up
Deletetrust sooner or later u gonna get a gift from me
kikikikikikikikiki
Nicely written Bae but who is willing to initiate the change first?
ReplyDeleteStart with yourself, that's how change starts
DeleteOf course I've started already thanks
DeleteLol, start with the man or woman in the mirror.
DeleteOmotola missed the point.Her write up is good but off point of what Chimamanda was trying to raise. I suggest she go back and re-read. I agree we are all tribalistic and our history needs to be protected but Chmamanda point wasn't about violence but protection of citizen and right to choose.
ReplyDeleteMumu she no miss anything dont get it twisted
Deletey beefing?
E pain you
kikikikikikikikik
Ijeoma's letter is very good..
DeleteBut should not ride on Chimamanda's letter... it is not in any way related to what Chima was trying to say!!
Why did you not give your own opinion about tribalism all this while Ijeoma?
Chima's letter centred around the fact that the Oba said Igbo's should be drowned if they don't vote his candidate.
She did not endorse tribalism in anyway...so I wonder why your excitement waned as you read on.
Personally,you lost me when you wrote this "I don't support the Oba, he is not my relative, nor did he "settle" my family" Lol,you sound like our dear bvs that attack anonymously and turn around to say.. oh,am not iphie dearie and not related to her...
I read Chima's Half of a yellow sun,i noticed how she incorporated different tribes and addressed tribalism...so you are not one to tell her about that.
Letters like this lose its flavour when you are neither here,nor there... you are everywhere..you did not even succeed in condemning evil for what it is...
The fact that you won respect from your inlaws is what you have to do for survival gurl!! It is imperative you do that..your marriage is at stake there.it does not make you less "tribalistic"
Every Nigerian has a role to play...a prayer to say.. riding on the wings of Chima's letter is indeed pointless!! You should have said or written your mind since Mrs Ijeoma.
Tribalism is a disease.. I didn't know how bad it was until I left home. If only we can join forces,if only we can love one another....half of our problems will be solved..trust me,corruption is not our major problem..Tribalism is!!!
Thank you Ijeoma..you write well. Endeavour to air your mind frequently..the Oba don't bite!
Exactly what I thought as I was reading....
DeleteSame old witch replying everyone in ectetera write up.
DeleteI know your tribe already
Always causing confusion.
Iphie well said, I also had to stop half when I saw her lukewarm attitude. Most marriages be it inter tribal or intra tribal are based on love first before anything else. Since one is marrying into a different tribe it behoves the individual to seek to understand such tribe so as to live in an amicable atmosphere.
DeleteIphie Dearie I love you o. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteIphie dearie u know that type of hug u give to a person n u almost want to enter into their own body? That's exactly d type I want to give u. U summed it up nicely. Tribalism indeed is our biggest problem. If we can all treat each other as d humans we all are irrespective of tribe n religion, what can stop us as a nation?
DeleteIphie,thanks a lot!
DeleteAnother Attention seeker+an over sabi one
ReplyDeleteI tell you
DeleteLol
DeleteIjeoma,must u also become tribalistic because u are married to an omo oduduwa?
ReplyDeleteYour name summarize your all that is in ur brain
DeleteGod bless u Ijeoma!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen any tribe as tribalistic as the igbos even among themselves!
See the outcast thing and enugus not marrying imos etc.
U people always feel U are alone but thats not right,
We are one Nigeria!
I love every tribe in my beloved country
And my altercation with one tribe will never make me think the rest are like that.
Let's all join hands together for a better Nigeria.
One love💪
Enugus not marrying imos hmmmm!!! so sure of what you dont know. Odiegwuo
DeleteThat is the same way an Ekiti man or woman won't marry someone from Ijebu etc.I know because I spent years in that state.
DeleteGod blesd her forever
DeleteYou haven't even seen the one in Yoruba land @marriage. Trust me, you won't "hesperit"
DeleteCharming, all tribes in Nigeria are guilty of tribalism.
DeleteEveryone sha wants to use this avenue to become noticed but anyways, the same way igbos call hausas names like aboki, (I have never heard anyone one call hausas nama, that one is just a regular insult even from Igbo to Igbo, so stop adding extra to justify Ur point) is the same way hausas call igbos 'iyammiri' or something like that and igbos call yorubas 'ndi ofe mmanu', and yorubas call ibos 'aje okuta ma mu omi' so that Ur point doesn't hold water at all.
ReplyDeleteSecondly I think one of d reasons the igbos want to be part of house of assembly or whatever in Lagos( even though I'm not totally in support of it) is because they have helped developed their land to a very great extent. They pay taxes, and other things like that. No Yoruba man has contributed to d growth of Onitsha or any Igbo town, so why would they even wanna mention that. We don't hear igbos in d other western states saying that but we know a great number of igbos have added positively to the growth of Lagos and are still adding.
Well said.
DeleteEvery point stated aptly.
We are in a federalism. Sometimes I think if we were a confederation, we will understand and love ourselves better. How can you live in a federal state and be told to be 'grateful'...
What for?
As much as all tribes should respect each other, we should seriously be thinking of exceeding the boundaries of tribe politics and tribal consciousness. Imagine if the ibos were white or yoruba's white, then the discrimination would have been too much. We are same colour of skin and all we do is keep looking for what separates us.
By the way, look how the Zulu king's speech led to killing of foreigners in South Afr. Such talk should be shunned. Now our Nigerians are calling for the head of SAFRICANS, same people that called their fellow country men visitors.
**Bonaparte NN
Ibos should go and pay those taxes in your land... is it by force. You people should come together VEX and develop your land. Let us come And envy the growth and development there
DeleteGbam and double Gbam for Bona...
Delete10; 33, Ur emotional outburst is welcome though considering it is natural for Ur kind to get emotional brather than apply logic.
DeleteBonaparte NN, Hello.
Yeye fowl @anon 10:33
DeleteHave you been to the east b4?
Tell me which other state that is develope in the sw.
Efulefu
Madam Ijeoma,u are on an impossible mission in trying to justify Oba Akiolu's hate speech against the igbos.Nothing on earth can justify such extreme hatred for the igbos.You should save ur strenght abeg.
ReplyDeleteAno blame you ur name said it all so am no surprise as u reason with ur dick nd not ur brain
Deletemaking sense...though tribes and tongues may differ,we are one,created by one GOD
ReplyDeleteYes Yes Yes!!!!!
DeleteGod bless u for dis Ijeoma
ReplyDeleteAmen !!! Yes Yes Yes!!!
DeletePassing by*whistling*stops and hail Madam Whirlwind,ma'am am fine,saw ur shoutout to me on a certain post yesterday,thanks *continue with my whistling
ReplyDeleteSolid write-up from an intelligent and properly educated Nigerian. Alas, I fear the crux of her submission will be lost on the jokers that are unfortunately the majority of your readers. Most won't even read the article before condemning her for not being "a proper Igbo girl".
ReplyDeleteGbam...
DeleteExactly! Most people are shallow minded. Every single tribe has something to contribute to this country. Saying we can do without one another is false and ridiculous.
Deleteisnt she Amazingg
Deletesee some fraustrated ibo prostitute insulting dem mama but not this Amazing Queen
Exactly my sentiment. They won't read, they'll just jump into conclusion being carried away by tribalistic sentiments
DeleteOn point!!
ReplyDeleteWow...Dis is a very brilliant piece. Say no to Tribalism!!! A big applause to you.
ReplyDeleteYes Yes yes!!!!!!!!!
DeleteOba should blame himself and his people for the igbos domination of business in Lagos.If they had alloyed igbos to go peacefully in 1967,we wont be facing this issues today.Until igbos have their dream country,they wont be moving an inch away from lagos.
ReplyDeleteThank you my brother, we starved,bleed and died in 1967when we wanted out but yoruba teamed up with other nigerians to abort it and today you are crying about our. Success in lagos, if yourbas don't want Igbos again let thempush for the dissolution of nigeria. As for ijeoma am so ashamed that you can reason properly from what Famous Chimamanda wrote, I only see that you are seeking for attention.
DeleteWhat dream country? My dear wake up! This is 2015. If you like you can start another country for your family no one else is following you there.
DeleteIdiot stayn d continue to be 3rd class citizens always ving inferiority complex.
DeleteOba should blame himself and his people for the igbos domination of business in Lagos.If they had alloyed igbos to go peacefully in 1967,we wont be facing this issues today.Until igbos have their dream country,they wont be moving an inch away from lagos.
ReplyDeleteShut up pls! If u guys had gone, which I wish u had sef, u still wud have come back to lagos for business amd establishments. Why don't u pple just go already and develop ur states and make it just like lagos instead of trooping in here daily in search of greener pastures. So madam TCFTE just shut up and go back to ur states!
DeleteIgbos ND yorubas are the worst teibalist in Nigeria......when I go nysc camp for Enugu, I saw pepper cos I be Yoruba....dem just dey attend to all d ppl Wey dey speak Ibo first.....now after redeployment back to Lagos, I went to alausa for something....come and see Dem bonning me cos my name carry Ibo surname.....phhew!!!
DeleteStella u love too many ppl.
ReplyDeleteMy face everytime stella says 'I love u'
Nigerians too like wahala.
I read the comments on dis oba akiolu ish.
I see as Ezewanyi almost tear shirt on top d matter.
N d way some oda prominent BVs sef dey exchange words, I just weak.
Honestly I agree wit dis lady, I tink if u are in any place as a visitor or foriegner, u shld comport ursef always.
And dis doesn't give any 1 d right to talk down on any tribe just bcos u hold a royal or political post.
BTW
Ezewanyi, I be wan tear shirt wen I see wia u tlk say nobody owns lagos.
Madam, I be omo eko gan gan
I rep lagos island, aganshofin LGA.
If u talk too much, I wld use ur IP addy, to find u(in som1's voiz), n wen I find u, den I wld deport u, back to Nnewi, too bad I wld meet u dia agen.hehehe.
Igbos are a bit troublesome,
I no the number of times av had ish wit igbo women.
Dey just av to be in a group, as small as 2.
Was it in NYSC? a group of 5 overmatured married igbo women, dey wld openly give u eye contact n switch in2 igbo language to gossip u.
Or d day I had an ish with d bus I entered here in ife.
Oboi! I told my friend d bus wasn't comfy, my knees were hitting the seat b4 me, n it was made of iron.
Dis igbo lady wit her house help sat next to me, b4 I cld say jack robinson, dey switchd in2 igbo laffing, saying to each oda, y ddnt she put a car on d road, how can she expect a public bus to be comfy.
And trust me, I gave d woman a piece of my mind, I told her I was partly igbo n understood all she said.
And I reminded her to ask for forgivness wen she gets to church, n wave her goodbye wen she got to her stop. She was dazed.
May all of una beta chill oo, all d muscles wey una rep no flex for d front of oba, na online una dey flex am.
Forget jare, who doesn't gossip? I know i do that. Everyone does. Even when I went to vote during d presidential election, a group of people not knowing I was Igbo cos I was discussing in Yoruba with them, saying all sorts of bad things about ibos, some true, some false so this Ur point no hold water. We all gossip.
DeleteNo let the fools go to his palace and flex naw.... ibos should take the taxes to ibo land and develop ibo land.
DeleteJoy, same thing. When I went to vote, the Yoruba women beside me kept making snide comments about some igbo people.
DeleteJoy, same thing. When I went to vote, the Yoruba women beside me kept making snide comments about some igbo people.
DeleteHian!!!!
DeletePink Shell calm down jhor!!!
Lagos is no man's Land!!!!....
So I did underground check on Ijeoma Omotade, and found out that her first husband was killed in armed robbery attack, she aborted d foetus, tried to hook d son of their igwe but Igwe placed a curse on her...... and that was how she married her yoruba husband.
Ijeoma, Yorubas don't drive out their daughters in law, except U are a liability to them, I am sure U are d one paying rent, feeding and clothing Ur husband..... Y would I wanna join issues with U????
Calling out Chiamanda, won't give U d credibility U are aching for, it won't even give U a spot on NTA, because Ur writeup is terribly flawed.
Most of U just argue from Ur anus, instead of brain, borne out of Ur hatred for Ndi-Igbos.,
Ezenwayin a no jusy blame u see as u dey cry i can understand you ur Gorilla horseband don use #Aboniki lube ur toto as usual
Deleteyou barking smelly pussy i knw ur life only some bv's no understand you
Aboniki dey whoos ur toto
kikikikiki
kikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikiki
Ezenwanyi you are so full of shit.
DeleteAnon is pained.kikikikikikikikiki
DeleteLet the argument begin
ReplyDeleteWao. I love this!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ijeoma. You've written nothing but the truth. The level of hatred by the Igbos against Yoruba on blogs is mind boggling.
They call us lazy as if we were not existing before they invaded us.
Now, three igbo men are representing Lagos in the federal house of assembly but I keep wondering if there's a need to vote on a matter e.g the federal govt says it has funds just to build a bridge, either the fourth mainland bridge in Lagos or the Second Niger bridge, which one would they vote us.
We all know the answer. So pls how can they adequately represent us?
Moreover are they the only non indigene living in Lagos? Why is it that they are the only ones that wants to take over Lagos. Some people's ancestral home?
This election has really brought to fore a lot of issues and all I will say is NEVER AGAIN will this happen. It has really opened our eyes to the igbo agenda against Lagos.
We have helped in developing the state and we pay our taxes. No yoruba Man has ever helped in developing our Eastern states or pay taxes so they are two different thing. Since we have Nationalise in Lagos state we have equal right to contest for all political position we seek, If Obama can become the president of America its 102% possible in Lagos state.
DeleteOloriburuku chinyeluobototibaje
Deletewho wan live for dat una nbauku ototonolife village
ahh
comot for dia
anuofia
equal ryt ko oloshi as if ur papa get lagoon for una village
When I started reading this, I thought I was just going to read another long boring epistle, but this lady proved me wrong. She mirrored my thoughts. Until we tell ourselves the truth, we can never move forward. This change we chant begins with us. Eka Joy, I like how you air your thoughts on some issues, but on political issues, I think most times you come off as opinionated. You and the Chikwelu lady or so. We should learn to be liberal and accept other people's opinion. We should realize. The election wasn't about what party rules (@least for me) but more about what the personality involved had to offer. We should never support evil cos it is done by someone in a party we love, while we shout blue murder when that same act is perpetrated by someone in a different party. We should learn to to cuss out or insult people cos their opinions, or tribe differ. Why insult someone saying "that's how you ofe mmanu people behave" but turn around and shout that people are being tribalistic. So many things, good and bad are attached to every tribe. Probably statistics have shown that, but when someone points it out, in a certain manner, it could seem like the person is attacking a particular tribe which is not always the truth. You now rush and insult the person and all the people from that same tribe. Well, what do I know? I am also from the minority too#
ReplyDeleteHmmmm very well written and articulate. So very true we all have tribalism in us. Let's collectively stop the division of this country and build it instead.
ReplyDeletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
ReplyDelete.
Babe make sense no doubt i swear....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Oba should blame himself and his people for the igbos domination of business in Lagos.If they had alloyed igbos to go peacefully in 1967,we wont be facing this issues today.Until igbos have their dream country,they wont be moving an inch away from lagos.
ReplyDeleteA no blame u ozodinma
Deletetoto water no gree ur papa see road
gorrila
So the Oba held your placenta in Lagos and blocked the expressway that forced Ibos to stay in Lagos? From your name, we can tell you are not a learned being. What stops you from going to develop your fatherland? Did you get a memo from Yorubas begging you to stay? She is pleading for us ALL to tolerate one another and you are just spitting thrash here. Can you stand war? Please wake up and put tribalism aside and. Think rationally for once(might be a difficult feat for you).
DeleteNice WriteUp
ReplyDeleteStanding ovation for you Mrs Ijeoma Omotade, respect.
ReplyDeleteWow!! I so love this write up but lets be realistic, would you have written this if u re not married to a yoruba man?
ReplyDeleteStanding ovation for you Mrs Ijeoma Omotade, respect.
ReplyDeleteNo weight.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely no weight.
Simply no weight.
You haven't said anything different.
When I call an hausa man "aboki", I don't do it cause I am tribalistic, that's just what I call them till I learn his name. Same way an hausa man calls me nyarinya (or whatever), or an Akwaibom man calls me "Ughene), I don't take offence at all.
In fact I don't even understand this argument.
Bye.
Ezenwanyi Alusi, I appreciate your intelligence and send my hugs.
Its iyammiri or something like dat.
DeleteExactly huni....nothing different.
DeleteIt's cz she's married to a Yoruba man, so she's trying to sit on the fence.
Thanks Love!!
DeleteWaohhhhhhh! She hit d nail ryt on d head!
ReplyDeletewhat is she saying?? repeatn almost wat chimamanda wrote. well..ijeoma u r just biased...prolly cos u r married to a yoruba guy. nigerians are all tribalistic.....that we all kno. buh soundn kinda defensive wit wat d oba said is totally wrong. wats bad ia bad. leave adichie alone.
ReplyDeleteDon't mind her.going round and round without saying anything
DeleteNonsense talk...
ReplyDeleteShe should go and nyash down...
Attention seeker!!..
E nno pain me for u as u no get life local slut
Deleteadakenwen u dey jealous say she sabi book pass u nd marry oda tribe u local ibo cheap smelly pussy #akunakuna
Ijeoma needs to rest Abeg , let the issue be already . She's just a by force Yoruba babe , she doesn't seem proud of her estern roots and desperately wants to be westerner .. Oya Aunty we don hear , You are not as enlightened as Chima and haven't seen the way things are done abroad cause if you've lived abroad you can't help but agree with Chima .
ReplyDeleteLet her be atleast she get sense pass ur local biatchy mama
DeleteEwu gorrila
Ibos at it again. What makes you think she isnt more enlightened? Because Chima lives abroad? Ibos heads belong to the gutters.. call meetings of your think tanks nd develop igbo land
DeleteAll these people insulting the Igbo tribe, God dey. After all we have done for Nigeria, upon all the stress other tribes have given us. I am really pained by all these comments. Anyway God, if it is your will that the Igbos should leave Nigeria, pls make a way. Bless all Igbo people and make us more prosperous. Help us that we may not be moved by our persecutors, but unite us and make us stronger in the mighty name of Jesus Christ Amen!
DeleteAll these long epistle in defence of unity Bcos u are married to Yoruba eeh! Iam sure u already hav issues Bcos of ur choice of marriage from some of ur immediate kinsmen let's leave it at that,.Chimamanda has the right to defend her tribes men where she saw they were unjustly treated that doesn't make her a tribalist,rather it shows that she is a proper nwafo igbo,not ur kind cos ur already compromised..u better change that ur name to Fumilayo.,
ReplyDeleteYou are an idiot. How can u assume she already has issues. Una dey go school at all.
Deletepantrick see ur name sef na pant u cari dey reason no be brain again
Deletelooser of e pain u as ibo go to ur village wahala no dey
Lol...
ReplyDeleteNice piece. I call our shoe menders aboki na, n they smile wen I add inakwana.
This incidence really brought out many people's hidden hatred for each other. Movie producers calling out on each other, evrybody became a renowned writer over night...it is well.
As u live n make money in another man's land....u beta mke plans to return home.
Finally can the matter die already??
Mschweee! Everybdy seeking to be noticed/relevant. Sorry I must say u re nt intelligent. Pls pack well jor.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is Tribalistic, but Yoruba people are the most accommodating tribe in Nigeria, that's what gives Igbos the audacity to call Lagos A no mans land, while Igbos are the most Tribalistic,( I have lived with all), Northerners are more of religion than tribe.
ReplyDeleteAn Igbo man will never allow any other tribe be among his decision makers.
Yoruba's welcoming Nature has been abused, if not why will anyone call Lagos a No mans land.
If Igbos are that good in developing cities, y Dnt they go develop Enugu or Aba and make it be like Lagos, or go to Kano ( center of comerce) and call it a no man's land, then Hausa's will show them Its someone's land.
Yoruba's are sleeping, do the needful before an Igbo man will want to be Oba after AKIOLU
Blessing is yours sweetheart
DeleteIbos are worst no other tribe could be part of anything in ibo land
its an insult for them to say Lagos os no mans land very wrong of them
if they are no pleased let em move to Dia various villages
Yorubas r stupidly accomodating . My point ibos shld take their taxes and biz to their land nd develop it. They wld so kill themselves! Too much tribalism even amongst themselves..
DeleteUr so on point Sugar! We yoeubas r way too accomodating! Imagine even wen u have an igbo tenant in a house who refuses to pay rent for more than 2 yrs and still say it to ur face that's hes not gon leave! That's their attitude and it stinks! Gosh! Dear Igbos, pls knw dat ur notin near d biblical israelites, dont bite the fingers that fed u cos yes! we fed u by accomodating u!
DeleteGod forgive all of you. You are the problem we have in Nigeria. See the UK, there are people from Africa, Asia etc, but they are better for it. Yet Lagos that has all tribes in it, singles out the Igbos to insult. I am sure you will pass this tribalistic attitude to your children. All of you should repent. Soon you will claim to love God, but cannot love your fellow man because they do not speak the same language like you. Tribalistic entities repent o
DeleteIjeoma is having sentiment with her inlaws.
ReplyDeleteShe is doing notice me . Mscheew.
Assume JK Won she won't write this.
your life will always da same as u reason like chiken
Deleteanuofia if e pain da ibos let em move back to dia mbauku village wey road no dey na foot part
yeye fowl
Tribalist alert!
DeleteShe really hit the nail on its head. Truth is no one can say at one point or the other, he or she hasn't thrown jabs at other people's tribe. We are one way or the other guilty of being tribalistic and some times sentimental. Loving one another is KEY.
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteSo the igbos should accept apology from who again? ....I don't remember the oba apologising over this issue.
ReplyDeleteNo apologies for you pple.. vex and take your investments away
DeleteTribalist alert
DeleteOh shut the fuck up....you are married to the yorubas I didn't expect otherwise. Nne take several seats biko.
ReplyDeleteNa on top our head una want practice una writing skills....move on please! NEXT>>>>>
ReplyDeleteEverybody wants to be noticed Ijeoma. Abegi go sit down down. Story for the gods.
ReplyDeleteOmarisha hian!! see ur toto too dey smell like dead fish make i call am like illitrate ibos frishhh
Deletekikikikikikikikikikikikikikikikiki
Intelligent write up... lovely piece
ReplyDeleteIjeoma, you are contradicting yourself. We are proud of Chimamanda. We don't know who you are and don't care to know. Thank Stella for your one minute fame on her blog.
ReplyDeleteRacism and Tribalism are everywhere in the world and will continue. The thing is; we have to live and let others live. But in Nigeria, other tribes won't let Igbos live. Neither will they let them go.
Stella, you too is over flogging this issue.
Pls go . But show us you can be great by developing your place girst
DeleteEnough of this oba hate comment towards the Igbo's.......all tribe in nigeria call Hausa people aboki not just a particular tribe.Oba should write an open letter to the IGBO people and apologize
ReplyDeleteletter ko lata ni see ao ibos also insulted the Oba could dey do such to dia king ? they also have apologize to da Oba too cos they also went too far
DeleteNo apologies... Ibos must go
DeleteShe will think she's with them and they're with her till she'll see that her inlaws are pushing her husband to marry another Yoruba wife. Yorubas are accommodating cos they have no choice.
DeleteGo to Owoh, ogbomosho, d typical Yoruba craftsmen are rude, can't relate with customers and never try to go extramile to help out. In comes a money hungry igbo man, he will work tirelessly, do the dirty job and become successful. Open a very big shop. Next tins yoruba's will say, "omo ibo wants 2 take away their country", my dad is Edo,mum from Delta and I don't understand Yoruba. Wen I was in lASU, just cos I'm lightskinned and my name is Ufuoma, they thought I was ibo. They hated me without me doing anything. I'll pass the road, dey keep saying "omo igbo!" speaking Yoruba in my prescence,insulting me. The typical Yoruba local gal is a gossip and very loud. I schooled there for 5years. Even to source for transcript or course registration, once they sense you're ibo(cos the typical Yoruba thinks every non-yoruba,non-hausa is ibo), they tell you to wait outside while they eat and chat and waste your time. I once went with my Yoruba friend and I almost wept when I found out what these people were saying about me "all dese omo ibo prostitutes sef...bla bla", just cos I needed a course rectified for me. and I no be ibo oh. But I have visited Enugu and gone to public offices and same was not done to me. Infact, my close pal there Ajakaiye, deep Ijebu man visits villages eats those their ibo abacha, dances with them.i was even suprised. The local women there keep saying "this Yoruba man,you must marry ibo wife oh"...I also know many Deltans there, Muslim yoruba's there. Even in portharcourt. None have made very serious complaints.
What I'm saying in essence, what is the point of saying you are accommodating when you go dey make life miserable for those you are accommodating. That ibo man, abi Delta man that won house of reps in Lag, didn't oshodi touts visit his house to beat him up? d man escaped by chance.
I'm not saying ibos can't be lousy, same as my tribe can also be overbearing. But don't expect us to agree they are the most tribalistic, esp we wey don face Yoruba venom, abeg. Nor be so. You talk cos it's your tribe, I believe neutrals can judge this matter better.
Anon 11.12 chop kiss abeg. You will go to market to buy something and cos the price u called doesn't tally with d Yoruba woman's, she will hiss, ignore or even outrightly insult u, but an IBO, calabar, Edo, akwaibom woman will take her time to explain to u why its that expensive. Now tell me why those ppl won't be more successful in d Yoruba man's land.
DeleteAnony11:12 thanks for your comment, Biko tell them.
DeleteWell said Ozichi,I really admire her, she sings well too u know.........
ReplyDeleteWow!!!! Beauty and brains...Nice one Ije.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up to this lady, I love her too
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this babe Ijeoma. This is it! Influential people talk without weighing their words & when the fall out occurs they will be far away from the crisis they either started or helped to fan into flames. This is exactly what is happening in SA now... the xenophobic attacks which was faned into flames by the words of a zulu chief abi king Godwill (I think)
ReplyDeleteI can relate with her... One of the words I hated so much before I signed the dotted lines was "omo Igbo" gush! Those words makes me see red not because there is anything bad with it but the contempt & the sneering behind the words makes my spirit bitter & together with the fact that the first time I heard it, it was meant as an insult.
Now am more matured, better informed & yes I still hear it but then my reaction depends on who said it & it way it was said... I either grin @ the teasing/branding or look at the speaker with pity (oh yes... he/she knows no better) and I go out of my way to treat people I meet the way I expect to be treated... that is the only way tribalism & racism will end.
Hmm, we are all indeed prejudiced! We need to kno that we are Nigerians first before any tribe! U need 2 see how an igbo man degradably refers to an hausa man as "aboki", how the yorubas demeaningly refers 2 d hausa man as "malo", and also, and how yorubas and igbos are always @ each others necks, insulting and using tribalistic terms on them. We as a nation can't continue living this way. This is a clarion call, we all need 2 emancipate 4rm dz animalistic tribalism dt was gifted 2 us by our forefathers!
ReplyDeleteNot again same tribal talk today? anyway every tribe in Nigeria is guilty of calling other tribes one hurtful name to other. The best for Nigeria is to eradicate the word tribe, make Nigeria tribe one entity under the name of Nigeria. Languages none only language called Nigeria language or English. Set up a tribal court to prosecute those who go against the rule. That's the only method workable as tribe/religion have caused more issues for our nation.
ReplyDeleteLol Jay Moore,it can never work...
DeleteShe just wants to be relevant thru chimamanda. What the oba said is outrightly wrong. Face that
ReplyDeleteOk let me just say something here first of all the igbos are way more tribalitic than the yorubas. Yes some very deep yorubas like the oyos are really tribalistic but in the lagos yorubas are a bit more accommodating. Am not igbo and my mum is yoruba but i have a lot of igbo friends especially those from owerri.
ReplyDeleteanyway a childhood friend of mine from orlu was getting married and i went for the marriage with a couple of friends from benin,have never had such an experience before it wasn't just welcoming. Too long to go into but just get this on the wedding day we didn't even get a bottle of coke to drink in the weeddinG not to talk of food. No food for us the guest inside the house none at all Infact hunger beat the living day light out of us.
Even when one of us went to demand for malt from the person sharing drinks the guy just answered her in igbo rudely then she noticed people were more friendly with me cause i sort of look like them. So she asked me to go ask the guy for a drink for her when i got there he said something in igbo that malt was finish but i could have a very hot coke the girl said she didn't want.
The story very long joor.
Bottom line was that we traveled all the way to support our friend but we were not even acknowledge. Love the igbos but they should still tune it down
So because of one incidence with a group of bush Igbo people you write them off.
DeleteI'm Igbo, grew up in Lagos with mostly yoruba friends....They all came to my village in Anambra for my trad wedding and we welcomed them with open arms. They had a ball.
Every tribe has its bad eggs...don't judge based on one incidence.
Sorry for your problem but why didn’t your friend arrange for her friends beforehand?
DeleteWhen I did mine, before the day began, I had arranged food and drinks for my friends, infact, they ate everything that was shared because I prepared for it. Amongst my friends was a Yoruba girl, two Igbos and two Benin girls.
So, it's not tribalism that made him not give u malt.
Nicest piece Eva.. I must commend d writer and the ending part just was d best for me.. She will definitely write about it, on her creative desk, d one not in lagos.. Lmao.. U addressed the issue with intelligence, jo Kwa..
ReplyDeleteOk let me just say something here first of all the igbos are way more tribalitic than the yorubas. Yes some very deep yorubas like the oyos are really tribalistic but in the lagos yorubas are a bit more accommodating. Am not igbo and my mum is yoruba but i have a lot of igbo friends especially those from owerri.
ReplyDeleteanyway a childhood friend of mine from orlu was getting married and i went for the marriage with a couple of friends from benin,have never had such an experience before it wasn't just welcoming. Too long to go into but just get this on the wedding day we didn't even get a bottle of coke to drink in the weeddinG not to talk of food. No food for us the guest inside the house none at all Infact hunger beat the living day light out of us.
Even when one of us went to demand for malt from the person sharing drinks the guy just answered her in igbo rudely then she noticed people were more friendly with me cause i sort of look like them. So she asked me to go ask the guy for a drink for her when i got there he said something in igbo that malt was finish but i could have a very hot coke the girl said she didn't want.
The story very long joor.
Bottom line was that we traveled all the way to support our friend but we were not even acknowledge. Love the igbos but they should still tune it down
Wetin concern Igbo people with what you wrote??...
DeleteYou should blame your friend for not making arrangement for you people...
Hian!!!...
This one will just be blabbing off point.
DeleteI know a lot of people will disagree with her simply because she's married to a Yoruba. But to be honest, she did made a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteAs we type. The once level headed yorubas have become very conscious. There are plans to curb igbos in lagos. If u expect yorubas to fight and kill. You are on a long thing. They have strategies that will paralyse igbo activities in lagos. Mind you, if u people live lagos,lagos remains lagos. Number one is relocating Ladipo market and computer village. Just watch as things unfold. It's going to be silent war. Shebi u guys don't respect your host community. Una go hear am.
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahahah...
DeleteNa today??...na only mouth una get...
Bringing myself to read through this was just painful. Im tired of Nigerians using the line "let's just move on." You sound like the battered wife who continues to stay despite all the beating, hospitalization, cheating, and inhumane treatment. Do you think if the lives of great human rights activists such as MLK, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Nina Simone were to use the phrase "let it go" that America will be half tolerate to blacks as it is today? Therapist and counselors would tell you that talking about issues relieves the mind of burden, and it helps bring awareness and solution.
ReplyDeleteWord!!
DeleteWhere do I send her kiss to?? Nice one!
ReplyDeleteWe are all tribalistic in a way but don't come to another man's land nd say u must rule.
ReplyDeleteYou can't live in California all your life nd say u want to rule d place, Plz let's respect our domain.
Ijeoma you re just seeking for notice, everything you wrote here is still what Chimamanda penned in her article, I didnt see where Chimamanda stated that Igbo people should be allowed to be legislators in Lagos, neither did she call Lagos no man's Land, she merely stated that the situation of Lagos is different being the first capital city a Lot of Igbos were born and bred here and has no significant ties to South East, so such people in-spite of being full Nigerians should be grateful too?..Nne your write up is a mere rigmarole, you want to curry favor from your Yoruba in laws, pls do so and leave Chimamanda out of your diatribe..You come here and write that you disagree with Chimamanda then your stylishly repeat everything Chimamanda has written biko what exactly are you disagreeing with?..Abi you just want to caption your article with disagreeing with a notable figure so that you will be noticed?
ReplyDeleteShe's just sitting on the fence.
DeleteMemo to toto, stay one place and stop scattering your comments. Seeing your name once is an eye sore but seeing it more than once, it's irritating.
ReplyDeleteJaymoore am watching you. Sometimes you make sense but sometimes you smell of pride. Choose an habit and stick to it, stop changing character like boxers so that I can define you either as a good person or as a bad person.
Marian temisomething, your are trying to show your self too much. Swallow a chill pill, make up your mind and come back better.
You are all welcome #storms outta post#
I definately knew that all uneducated ibo's here on the blog will start passing insults and cussin her out illitracy na pure disease i tell you
ReplyDeletenice write up lady kip it real God bless u
Ibo kings do worst than that of Oba
This writer made serious sense. People like Chimamanda who live far away from Nigeria can just wake up and write anything they think. But those who are within and understand the situation on ground would know there is always two sides to a coin. Please let cool heads prevail.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is Nigeria is guilty of tribalism just like d whites re guilty of racism but we only condemn those dt speaks out. So keep ur tribalism or racism to urself and don't cause problem with ur tongue by speaking anyhow. Nigeria is our home town and anybody av d right to vote and be voted for in any part of d country u come from. Dts what dey call one Nigeria, Yoruba should start travelling out of dia zones to socialize, igbo should do same, likewise Hausa ppl. Bc dts d only way we can practice one Nigeria. If a black man can become president of America, den y can't someone from anoda tribe in d same country do same. Pls let's stop talking rubbish bc nobody forced oda tribes not to socialize. Igbos av socialized bc de embraced d one Nigeria saying, so let oda tribes do so.
ReplyDeleteEvery tribe is guilty but since we all have different hearts and minds, we can never reason in the same direction.
ReplyDeleteIgbo will always be igbo.
Yoruba will always be yoruba.
Hausa will always be Hausa.
You can take a horse to the stream to drink water but you can never force it to drink.
Yawns
ReplyDeleteTalking about tribalism! Yorubas and Ibos can never be on the same page. In fact, Nigeria is a tribalistic country...let's leave it that way.
ReplyDeleteWe can't live in unity, we're diverse. We must not be united. It's not by force. Period!
My OOU days, yorubas and gossip...oh well! That's a topic for another day.
Haaahaaaahaaaa
DeleteOnly Yoruba people will say they're not tribalistic. Even bushman from Ogbomosho will still be telling igbos to go home. Una no dey go una village?
Lagos belongs to Aworis, few ijebu extractions and even many ppl from Gabon and Cotonou claim to be Egun/Badagry Lagosians.
If you're not from Lagos, go back to your villages and plant cocoa pls.
You're part of the people shortening the ration of real Lagosians.
You just expressed my thoughts. It is absurd that Ndigbo just lapped up the ungracious remarks of the Oba of Lagos and equated it as representing the thoughts of the Yorubas in Lagos.
ReplyDeleteHow very incredulous. Honestly, Ndigbo should drop this mentality that the Yorubas hate them because they do not. Ndigbo have built up some part of Lagos, did they come with the lands from the east? Were these lands not sold to them by indigenes. Has Lagos state government ever discriminated against them?
Ndigbo have kings in Lagos and even palaces and plenty businesses, have anybody ever stopped them from paying homage to their monarchs or doing their businesses in Lagos? We must be careful with our utterances because the Yorubas have truly nothing against us.
Like Imo state governor stubbornly put it, Ndigbo are indeed ungrateful, according to him, we don't like the Yorubas and we don't like the Hausas yet we populate their cities and towns for our daily bread yet we still condemn them. It is unfair. The day these people begin to take us up on the way, we treat and speak about them, it will not exactly be a political and economic picnic for the Ndigbo.
Our respected Leader, late Nkemba Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu had always advocated in his life time that there should be a handshake across the Niger. And, he was right, you know. We should indeed convocate that handshake now.
We've moved on.
ReplyDeleteYes Yes Yes Yes!!!!!
ReplyDeletedis lady just win my heart na nice ibo babe i go marry i wish i find sensible one like her and not da local some ibo sluts here with no morals always looking for trouble
Stop using that phrase "let's move on". Really? Move on? If we do, we will keep encountering the same issue over and over again. Let our stand be known.
DeleteOne Nigeria is only true on TV. We are all tribalistic, let everyone be on his own lane.
The problem with people like Chimamanda Adichie is that they rely on lies fed to them by people like Chinua Achebe - who was, despite his education, a ranscind and billious tribalist. You can not sow HATE and reap LOVE. What you sow is what you reap. Until Igbos learn to RESPECT other peoples' culture where ever they live, they will continue have problems with the host communities. I can not even see the basis for their so called superiority. There is state in Alaigbo that is better developed than other parts of Nigeria. Otherwise why the need to go and live somewhere else if Alaigbo is that well developed. Will Igbos learn from their mistakes? I doubt very much. It took defeat in two world wars before Germany finally accept that they were not superior race afterall. A word is enough for the wise.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful write up. I am Igbo, but I am very disappointed by the way our igbos behave. Their behaviour of some of us is what cause people to hate us. No matter how much you admire a white man if the white man comes to your land and starts putting it to your face that he is far superior to you and that you can't survive without him, you will automatically hate him no matter what he does. We igbos travel a lot and once we do we try to dominate the locals and put it to their face that we are superior to them which is not right. Respect is logically mutual, and you should allow other people sing your praise. My father who is a lecturer told me that it is the self domineering attitude of the igbos to their host communities that cause the massacre of the igbos in 1967. We still haven't learn, must we pour out racial slurs on people that are not our tribe? All humans are equal and we need to stop this unnecessary discrimination as it does not help anyone. Igbos are very enterprising and great achievers, but we equally have very high number of criminal elements. We need to have a paradigm shift away from our self inflicted injury that leaves us being victimized. After all even the bible says if you go to rome behave like the romans so why can't you respect the culture and traditions of your host rather than denigrating it and getting off your illusive feeling of being a super race.
ReplyDeleteIbos must go. Ibos should go... pls go.. we dont want you. Take development to your land.
ReplyDeleteThe igbos are too domineering and the way they insult members of their host communities is totally unacceptable. Go to facebook and check out igboville which I am a member, you will be so repulsed by the way and manner they denigrate other tribes especially the hausa fulanis and the yorubas. Sentiments and ethnicity has totally buried their political calculations as no on talks of developmental logics, improvement of life and welfare of the average Igbo man, but they base their conversation strictly on let another tribe not be there, GEJ should remain there even if we are all dying. The same thing happens to their blind support for the lawlessness in River's not minding the huge developmental success achieved by Amaechi. It is the same in imo where Rochas has completely transformed Imo State and they call him names like Aboki Rochas or Alhaji Rochas. Where are we going with such senselessness? We should focus more on getting a leader that will provide us with the best environment to do our business, provide adequate security and infrastructure rather than blindly pursuing an ethnic agenda that will not better our lot as a nation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this piece. The igbos are enterprising and we Yorubas accommodate them to carry out their businesses just as we do to other tribes, but it won't be fair to Yoruba people if Igbos want to take us for a ride. What we can't do to them in Enugu or Imo, they shouldn't do such things to us in Lagos. We are proud of our heritage and our Land, and appreciate other tribes as well, but for the sake of peace let Igbos know the line that can never be crossed. Can Hausas living in Lagos say Lagos is no man's land? If answer is NO, then Igbos need to bury their domineering attitude so we can all live in peace together. We are all Nigerians, so let's live in Love as ONE.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your rejoinder to Chimamanda. Chimamanda is increasingly becoming an ethnic champion as opposed to a national figure in Nigeria. She missed the opportunity!!. I wonder why she has not deemed it fit to write about the Chibok girls with the same passion and vigor, if she is not a tribalist. At least an observer would have expected a writer of her caliber to have used her popularity to write about these kidnapped girls and put a global focus on their plight; rather she is wasting our time writing about Oba Akiolu's comments. Unfortunately as brilliant as she is, Chimamanda is gradually becoming an ethnocentric Igbo writer/scholar. Her comments during the brouhaha that followed Chinua Achebe's " There was a country" book follows this pattern. Sh sees thing from her bias Igbo view lens. Anyway, thank God for Mrs. Obi Ezekwelesi
ReplyDeleteA Yoruba man that lives in the north or east will tell you he is from Lagos,Ogun, Oyo,ondo,kwara,ekiti
ReplyDeleteAn Hausa man will tell you he's from kano,Kaduna,sokoto e.t.c ...... But an Igbo man who lives in Lagos will never say he is from imo,anambra,enugu,abia..etc but he will say he's from Lagos which is not bad since they have contributed to the development of Lagos.
But statements like, Lagos is no man's land, Yoruba's too dirty,yoruba na jaguda, Hausa man na mumu, Igbo man get sense pass other tribes...etc, makes people see them as tribalistic people.
I grew up having Hausa and Igbo friends, and I hardly even remember they are none indigenes because we flow well.
One thing I know is that there is no bad tribe we only have bad people. Not all every member of a tribe is good or bad.
Let us respect ourselves and our cultural differences
I was born and brought up in Lagos but I have never and will never claim Lagos. My friends, nephew, nieces etc have never. But u will see someone from Oyo, osun, Ogun etc claiming Lagos, so pls, Ur argument doesn't hold water
DeleteLagos is not a NO MAN'S LAND
ReplyDeleteI am from Ikorodu part of Lagos and my parents grew up in Isale Eko, Akgbogbo, Gbambose, Campbell Area of Lagos in the 50s and 60s.
This was the real Lagos then.
I am a true Lagosian and proud of it. I was however born in the UK and i am also proud of the UK however i will not open my mouth and say London is no man's Land....That is urtterly disrespectful because people lived here before my parents came here to study and give birth to me.
My country of Origin is Nigeria and my state of origin is LAgos...I grew up in Ilupeju but my local government of origin is Ikorodu.. No one can take that away from me.
Chidia....spoke quite disrespectfully about her not bearing her husbands name anyway and she lost my respect then. It is not compulsory you bear your husband's name after marriage however this does not mean one should rub it in the husband's face disrespectfully and on the pages of newspapers.
She is also really tribalistic???
She needs to take a chill pill.
In Ilupeju where i grew up, we had Igbo people, calabar people, mixed race families, indian families, lebanese families, yoruba people, hausa people etc,
Did that make anyone disrespect the culture of the land?????no
The Oba was not exactly right in passing his message accross, however yoruba or hausa people cannot go to the east and say they want to buy a plot of land...howwwwwwww
you cannot go to the east and say it is no man's land...you respect their culture...you can't even go to the east and say you want to hold a political post just like that...howwwww
I love all Nigerians equally and i am proud of them ...but please let go of all this tribal sentiments..An igbo man or a Hausa man cannot be an Oba in Lagos...maybe if they have got Yoruba blood...I suppose thats the way it works, I also feel they can hold some political posts ...that is fair after all...and they do hold political posts at the moment without any problems.
Please lets be tolerant of each other...
Abeg tell those morrons lagos is no mans land buh dem forget how many yoruba land the waka pass b4 dem got to lagos from dia eastern bush
Deletekikikikiki
very stupid people
no wonder dem wan use leg waka for water from Southafrica cross enta Australia
mumu people nd if u ask them dem go talk say Jesus waka for water
some ibos no get sense at all
kikikikiki
kikiki
Whilst Chimamanda railed on perceived injustices to the ibos and presented them as victims in every situation, Ijeoma highlighted the fact that every tribe has been a victim one way or another due to the natural instinct of one tribe claiming superiority over the other. Whilst, Chimamanda ignored the fact that the statement that Lagos is a "no man's land" may be incongruous, Ijeoma pointed out that Lagos is ancestral to the Yorubas and they will naturally feel threatened if they believe, rightly or wrongly, that some people are laying claim to their heritage. And most importantly, whilst Chimamanda opened with undisguised venom and berated those who advocated common sense in reacting to the statement of the Oba, Ijeoma preached understanding amongst the concerned ethnic groups and advocated that each group should take cognisance of the other's sensibilities and culture especially when you are a visitor, however entrenched and influential, to another man's abode.
ReplyDeleteBut wait don't I just love Kiki Hiiggwaay.
ReplyDeleteCan you claim to be an indigenous Lagosian if you were born in Lagos, live all your life in Lagos? The answer is NO.
ReplyDeleteBecause our constitution still recognises 'the State of Origin '
The state of origin policy simply means that regardless of a Nigerian citizen’s state of birth, place of residence, that citizen cannot claim to be an indigene of that state but can only be an indigene of the ancestral place and state of his/her parents. Many Nigerians have lived in their state of birth or have relocated to other states in Nigeria for decades but they are still being treated as second-hand citizens and they have been refused indigeneship. (Roy 2013
).
2 . Residing in Kano for example all your life doesn't make you an indigenous Kano resident. It doesn't matter if you speak Hausa. It doesn't also matter if you have never been to your ancestral village.
Threfore, living all your life in Lagos doesn't make you an indigenous
Lagosian but only a resident.
3. Nigerian constitution has not
replaced the "state of origin with place of residence". In view of this
not everyone can claim Lokoja, Calabar, Lagos and Abuja despite the fact that they were/are all Nigerian capital.
4. Calling Lagos a no man's land is synonymous with calling all Yoruba traditional rulers in Lagos bastards in Yoruba tradition.
Finally,to be able to sweep discrimination and tribalism out of Nigeria, the state of origin needs to be replaced with place of residence and/or place of birth. That way, we see ourselves as one. God bless Nigeria.
Peace!
Wo modeyi opolore oni doba ,Nbami
Deletewo i need ur contact u gat brain we need to be friends im super brilliant too u just say my mind
if u be single babe a no care ur tribe i fit marry u N if na guy u be just be a good brother
one love
Please who knows where did she posted this letter, I need to reply her. She didn't tackle the whole issues. She left out few things.
ReplyDelete*where she posted...
DeleteI need the link or fb name
NO to Tribalism!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Oba was wrong, but taking the issue to the extreme makes u more like him, people need to understand this!
Nigerians are such peculiar species i swear, funny how most of the comments supporting Ijeoma's copy copy write up are anonymous, back to the matter, tribalism in Nigeria is deep rooted and needs lots of orientation to be brought down to the barest minimum. The effects of the Nigerian civil war is still playing out and how the rest of the country ganged up against the Igbos during that war cannot be erased by mere wishes and hushing one tribe down. Lagos is attractive for the Igbos because it was once the capital of Nigeria and major infrastructural developments (airports and seaport) that aid business were put in place, making it easy for people for do global business on the international scale. That was why Chimamanda said Lagos is a peculiar case. So it is only a very ignorant person that can say the Igbos should go back to where they came from owing to the fact that there is minimal or zero government presence in the east all springing from the tribal sentiments that were caused by the civil war. Else other south western states could have also be developed like Lagos, besides how many Yourbas living in Lagos are Lagosians?. Be guided my people.
ReplyDelete@ Pink shell, I cant stop laughing at your comment. You took the words right out of my mouth. So on point. You too much!!
ReplyDeleteAs a yoruba man i wish to officially disassociate myself from Oba Akiolu's statement, say AM SORRY to my igbo brethren and weldone to this writer. but for Igbos agitating for decision making positions in Lagos i say 'dream on'. for chimamanda my advice is pls eschew all bitterness and hate inside of u and simply move on no matter the depth of hatred for the yoruba race ur mentor prof. chinua achebe av planted inside of u.Grow up woman and see life from a brighter side
ReplyDeleteIjeoma is married into a yoruba family, Ijeoma has been victimized and has been faced with some tribalistic hate from her marital kin. Ijeoma has been looking for ways to be fully accepted into her marital kin, seeking favor. Ijeoma found Chimamanda's piece as the perfect way to debut her writing skills mostly in favor of her hubby's people. Now Ijeoma's husband's family and friends will read her piece and see that she's mostly on their side, now they will accept her wholeheartedly and stop victimizing her cos she's proven to them that she is on their side.. end of discussion.
ReplyDeleteLol..abed y'all should just chill with this tribalism of a thing. life isn't that serious.
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ReplyDeleteAll of u has spoken well oo, but the only thing I have to say very clear here is that yorubas are very very insulting, una sabi am very well and its not good, that una oba is a stupid and very foolish man as long as am concern, then those of u saying the igbos call housa "aboki" do u guys understand the meaning of aboki in hausa language? Olodos it means "my friend" not an abusive language. I still stand by my word that no IGWE in igbo land will utter such words, beside why are u ppl crying that the igbos has taken over ur land? When igbos were crying in 1967 that they want to go what have u yorubas did? U went to support the Hausas now u guys are crying, it will not work oo since u guys said is One Nigeria, we must remain one. Any where u settle claim the land and stop harassing igbos.
ReplyDeleteEzenwanyi your comment is what is killing Nigeria, everybody is making valid points in their own way and you come up with "So I did underground check on Ijeoma Omotade, and found out that her first husband was killed in armed robbery attack, she aborted d foetus, tried to hook d son of their igwe but Igwe placed a curse on her...... and that was how she married her yoruba husband" I feel so sorry for you. It is statements like this that makes Igbo people hated by most tribes in Nigeria and I don't blame them. You have no respect.
ReplyDeleteShe made her point so clear..... Thanks IJ for ur nice write up,But u ar now a sister inlaw to Oba Lagoon so dont deny him as ur relation.
ReplyDeleteIgbo land is NO MAN's LAND. Oya Igbo people how do you feel about this comment. We should start a campaign claiming that Igbo land is NO MAN's LAND and let's see how you feel and react to it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 09:44, leave them let them continue, Igbos will be shocked. They don't know that they have opened their yansh to the whole of Nigeria and they have constituted a threat and nuisance to other tribes and cultures in Nigeria by demonstrating that they want to take over other tribes' land with impunity. Yorubas should learn from this and not be so accommodating to them any more. Once bitten, twice shy.
ReplyDelete