by Odumorun
I nigh e'er honor the mutual rivalry betwixt the Igbos as well as Yorubas quite amusing, if occasionally trying.
Tribalism is non caused yesteryear the presence of tribes. It is the artificial foisting of dissimilar tribes together to adapt the needs of colonialist exploitation that created tribalism, or the rivalry of dissimilar tribes inside the same state.
But fifty-fifty without colonialism, given that these tribes shared mutual borders as well as assuming the white homo never came, at about phase or the other these tribes would take away keep collided equally business office of the normal procedure of expansion through trade, state of war as well as intermarriage. The forests as well as the Niger would non long take away keep divided the Igbos as well as Yorubas fifty-fifty without interference from abroad.
Indeed both tribes were united yesteryear a mutual domination yesteryear the bang-up Republic of Benin Empire. Ekiti slaves as well as Igbo slaves would take away keep mingled as well as mixed inward the Republic of Benin regal courtroom long earlier the commencement Portuguese fix canvas for Africa.
I am Yoruba as well as never cease to wonder how these ii bang-up tribes, the most resourceful on the continent (if yous incertitude come upwards abroad as well as I defy whatever 1 to squall for to whatever African inward Europe or America to a greater extent than resourceful, self confident as well as willing to expect the white homo inward the oculus than the Yoruba or Igbo), don't appear to realize that it is largely their childish quarrels that take away keep prevented the evolution of a to a greater extent than progressive Nigeria.
Let's non pretend at that spot are no differences, but many of the differences are based on myths as well as misrepresented history.
Lets expect at a few of them. I volition assay to live on equally honest as well as objective equally possible.
1. AWOLOWO AND HIS LEGACY
Undoubtedly the greatest Yoruba homo of the final hundred years. His costless teaching policy opened the doors of learning to millions of the downtrodden who would take away keep been doomed to a life of ignorance without it. This cannot live on denied. He introduced costless teaching inward the western part simply v years after Clement Attlee did inward Britain. Tens of thousands of other Nigerians from the poorer classes benefited from this policy. In fact, the oposition to Awolowo's costless teaching policy was class-based with many midpoint as well as upper bird people from all tribes objecting to their kids beingness taught inward the same schools equally the barefooted offspring of the poorer classes.
2. AWOLOWO AND TRIBALISM
Yes, he resorted to tribalism when it suited him as well as he used it opportunistically to seek political power. However, as well as then did other nationalist leaders such equally Azikiwe. To live on fair to both men, the ability of the feudal northward which the British inserted inward Nigeria equally a 5th column meant it was nigh impossible to effectively mobilize people against the colonial rulers away from the locality the major nationalists were based.
3. AWOLOWO AND BIAFRA
Fact is that Awolowo did betray Biafra. The Nigerian onslaught on Biafra was an human activity of aggression which Awolowo supported, yesteryear joining the federal cabinet of Gowon. I likewise believe inward 1 Nigeria, equally I believe that solely the unity of Africa would elevator us out of poverty as well as underdevelopment. But this has to live on voluntary. Gowon's 1 Nigeria was built on the corpses of about 30,000 Igbo men, women as well as children slaughtered yesteryear the feudal oligarchy inward the North. The secession of Biafra was an human activity of self defense forcefulness which was simply as well as correct at the time.
4. THE YORUBAS AND BIAFRA
If the truth live on told, most ordinary Yorubas did non initially back upwards the onslaught on Biafra. It should non live on forgotten that the struggle against the feudal oligarchy inward the northward had been started yesteryear the masses of Yoruba terra firma who rendered the western part ungovernable after Ahmadu Bello foisted the rotten Akintola on its people; without their struggle, Nzeogwu et al would non take away keep flora the volition to phase the coup of Jan 1966.
Even Obasanjo, a telephone commutation ally of the northern elite admitted inward his book, My Command, that at that spot was no appetite with the ordinary Yoruba people for the North's state of war of aggression against Biafra inward 1967. The onslaught on Ore changed this as well as I strongly experience this lost Biafra the war.
However, the onslaught of Biafran forces from the mid-west turned the tables. Regardless of the armed services benefits of the incursion it was politically suicidal. War must e'er serve political ends. The onslaught on the due west yesteryear the Biafran regular army played into the north's hands yesteryear pushing the majority of the old ambivalent Yoruba people behind the federal state of war effort. Thousands of Yorubas after joined the federal regular army against the east.
I firmly believe that if Biafra had non invaded the west, they would take away keep won the civil war. Wars are non won yesteryear bullets but social support. Regardless of proficient intentions equally the bang-up French revolutionary Maximilian Robespierre in 1 trial said, neutral people make non take away keep armed missionaries on their terra firma . The arrival of armed Ibo soldiers on Yoruba terra firma pushed the largely sympathetic majority of the Yoruba people behind Awolowo's opportunistic policy of supporting the federal fix on on Biafra.
5. THE YORUBAS NATURALLY HATE THE IGBOS
This is a myth. Apart from the park banter, at that spot is no tape of Igbos beingness physically attacked inward the western part equally they regularly are inward the north. It is likewise a fact that the premier of the Western Region, a Yoruba man, Ladoke Akintola, was killed yesteryear largely Igbo soldiers.
The majority of the Yoruba people till this twenty-four hr catamenia take away keep e'er supported that coup, fifty-fifty though Okpara the Eastern Region premier was non killed.
There is a rigid social democratic spirit with the ordinary Yoruba homo that places ideology as well as regulation inward a higher identify parochial sentiment.
The number was non whether Akintola, a Yoruba, was killed yesteryear Igbos patch Okpara was spared; the number for them was that Akintola was a reactionary as well as retrograde, Okpara, a progressive, was not. The coup was seen equally a progressive 1 as well as then to them it was simply natural that the conservatives should live on dealt with patch the progressives should live on spared.
It is a fact that Kaduna Nzeogwu is equally pop today inward the due west equally he is inward the east.
6. IBO INDUSTRY
A known fact, the Igbos are the most productive people inward Africa. If the Nigerian authorities had tapped the ingenuity of the Igbos which reached its meridian during the civil war, nosotros would live on good on our agency to industrial greatness today. We used to express joy at Igbo-made at the same fourth dimension equally nosotros made fun of China-made. PRC is straight off the world's industrial powerhouse. What a missed opportunity.
7. YORUBA EDUCATION AND POLITICAL AWARENESS
Not to live on sniffed at, both inward England as well as the U.S.A. of America the Yorubass are yesteryear far the most educated Africans. In Nigeria, most Yoruba homes would boast of at to the lowest degree 1 graduate. The bird of enlightenment has made the Yorubas the most politically witting people inward Nigeria. This is why the history of Nigeria actually is the history of the struggle of the Yoruba lower classes. The revolt inward the 60s position paid to the commencement republic.
It was their uprising inward the minute democracy that ended that corrupt regime. And without the June 12 struggles of the largely Yoruba masses inward the south-west, the province volition all the same live on nether armed services rule. This cannot live on denied.
8. YORUBA COWARDICE
This is a myth. H5N1 warlike people who take away keep produced about pre-colonial Nigeria's greatest generals, such equally Lagelu, Lishabi, Ogunmola, Oluyole, Ogedengbe etc. are no cowards.
In the colonial as well as post-colonial era, the ruggedly private Igbos take away keep e'er produced the braver, to a greater extent than enterprising fighters; the bravest insurgents, the best civil rights as well as merchandise union activists inward Nigeria take away keep e'er been from the East.
But, collectively, the Yorubas take away keep e'er been inward a bird of their own. There is no other business office of Nigeria where the majority of the people tin live on as well as then easily roused inward to activity equally inward Yoruba land. The ordinary homo inward the due west is likewise much less intimidated yesteryear ability as well as coin than their counterparts are inward the mercantile E or the fuedal north.
No affair how rich yous are inward the south-west at that spot are boundaries that cannot live on crossed when dealing with the downtrodden. The ordinary people inward the E as well as northward are much to a greater extent than subservient.
***
Views expressed inward published articles reverberate solely the thought of the author as well as non necessarily that of . Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/
I nigh e'er honor the mutual rivalry betwixt the Igbos as well as Yorubas quite amusing, if occasionally trying.
Tribalism is non caused yesteryear the presence of tribes. It is the artificial foisting of dissimilar tribes together to adapt the needs of colonialist exploitation that created tribalism, or the rivalry of dissimilar tribes inside the same state.
But fifty-fifty without colonialism, given that these tribes shared mutual borders as well as assuming the white homo never came, at about phase or the other these tribes would take away keep collided equally business office of the normal procedure of expansion through trade, state of war as well as intermarriage. The forests as well as the Niger would non long take away keep divided the Igbos as well as Yorubas fifty-fifty without interference from abroad.
Indeed both tribes were united yesteryear a mutual domination yesteryear the bang-up Republic of Benin Empire. Ekiti slaves as well as Igbo slaves would take away keep mingled as well as mixed inward the Republic of Benin regal courtroom long earlier the commencement Portuguese fix canvas for Africa.
I am Yoruba as well as never cease to wonder how these ii bang-up tribes, the most resourceful on the continent (if yous incertitude come upwards abroad as well as I defy whatever 1 to squall for to whatever African inward Europe or America to a greater extent than resourceful, self confident as well as willing to expect the white homo inward the oculus than the Yoruba or Igbo), don't appear to realize that it is largely their childish quarrels that take away keep prevented the evolution of a to a greater extent than progressive Nigeria.
Let's non pretend at that spot are no differences, but many of the differences are based on myths as well as misrepresented history.
Lets expect at a few of them. I volition assay to live on equally honest as well as objective equally possible.
1. AWOLOWO AND HIS LEGACY
Undoubtedly the greatest Yoruba homo of the final hundred years. His costless teaching policy opened the doors of learning to millions of the downtrodden who would take away keep been doomed to a life of ignorance without it. This cannot live on denied. He introduced costless teaching inward the western part simply v years after Clement Attlee did inward Britain. Tens of thousands of other Nigerians from the poorer classes benefited from this policy. In fact, the oposition to Awolowo's costless teaching policy was class-based with many midpoint as well as upper bird people from all tribes objecting to their kids beingness taught inward the same schools equally the barefooted offspring of the poorer classes.
2. AWOLOWO AND TRIBALISM
Yes, he resorted to tribalism when it suited him as well as he used it opportunistically to seek political power. However, as well as then did other nationalist leaders such equally Azikiwe. To live on fair to both men, the ability of the feudal northward which the British inserted inward Nigeria equally a 5th column meant it was nigh impossible to effectively mobilize people against the colonial rulers away from the locality the major nationalists were based.
3. AWOLOWO AND BIAFRA
Fact is that Awolowo did betray Biafra. The Nigerian onslaught on Biafra was an human activity of aggression which Awolowo supported, yesteryear joining the federal cabinet of Gowon. I likewise believe inward 1 Nigeria, equally I believe that solely the unity of Africa would elevator us out of poverty as well as underdevelopment. But this has to live on voluntary. Gowon's 1 Nigeria was built on the corpses of about 30,000 Igbo men, women as well as children slaughtered yesteryear the feudal oligarchy inward the North. The secession of Biafra was an human activity of self defense forcefulness which was simply as well as correct at the time.
4. THE YORUBAS AND BIAFRA
If the truth live on told, most ordinary Yorubas did non initially back upwards the onslaught on Biafra. It should non live on forgotten that the struggle against the feudal oligarchy inward the northward had been started yesteryear the masses of Yoruba terra firma who rendered the western part ungovernable after Ahmadu Bello foisted the rotten Akintola on its people; without their struggle, Nzeogwu et al would non take away keep flora the volition to phase the coup of Jan 1966.
Even Obasanjo, a telephone commutation ally of the northern elite admitted inward his book, My Command, that at that spot was no appetite with the ordinary Yoruba people for the North's state of war of aggression against Biafra inward 1967. The onslaught on Ore changed this as well as I strongly experience this lost Biafra the war.
However, the onslaught of Biafran forces from the mid-west turned the tables. Regardless of the armed services benefits of the incursion it was politically suicidal. War must e'er serve political ends. The onslaught on the due west yesteryear the Biafran regular army played into the north's hands yesteryear pushing the majority of the old ambivalent Yoruba people behind the federal state of war effort. Thousands of Yorubas after joined the federal regular army against the east.
I firmly believe that if Biafra had non invaded the west, they would take away keep won the civil war. Wars are non won yesteryear bullets but social support. Regardless of proficient intentions equally the bang-up French revolutionary Maximilian Robespierre in 1 trial said, neutral people make non take away keep armed missionaries on their terra firma . The arrival of armed Ibo soldiers on Yoruba terra firma pushed the largely sympathetic majority of the Yoruba people behind Awolowo's opportunistic policy of supporting the federal fix on on Biafra.
5. THE YORUBAS NATURALLY HATE THE IGBOS
This is a myth. Apart from the park banter, at that spot is no tape of Igbos beingness physically attacked inward the western part equally they regularly are inward the north. It is likewise a fact that the premier of the Western Region, a Yoruba man, Ladoke Akintola, was killed yesteryear largely Igbo soldiers.
The majority of the Yoruba people till this twenty-four hr catamenia take away keep e'er supported that coup, fifty-fifty though Okpara the Eastern Region premier was non killed.
There is a rigid social democratic spirit with the ordinary Yoruba homo that places ideology as well as regulation inward a higher identify parochial sentiment.
The number was non whether Akintola, a Yoruba, was killed yesteryear Igbos patch Okpara was spared; the number for them was that Akintola was a reactionary as well as retrograde, Okpara, a progressive, was not. The coup was seen equally a progressive 1 as well as then to them it was simply natural that the conservatives should live on dealt with patch the progressives should live on spared.
It is a fact that Kaduna Nzeogwu is equally pop today inward the due west equally he is inward the east.
6. IBO INDUSTRY
A known fact, the Igbos are the most productive people inward Africa. If the Nigerian authorities had tapped the ingenuity of the Igbos which reached its meridian during the civil war, nosotros would live on good on our agency to industrial greatness today. We used to express joy at Igbo-made at the same fourth dimension equally nosotros made fun of China-made. PRC is straight off the world's industrial powerhouse. What a missed opportunity.
7. YORUBA EDUCATION AND POLITICAL AWARENESS
Not to live on sniffed at, both inward England as well as the U.S.A. of America the Yorubass are yesteryear far the most educated Africans. In Nigeria, most Yoruba homes would boast of at to the lowest degree 1 graduate. The bird of enlightenment has made the Yorubas the most politically witting people inward Nigeria. This is why the history of Nigeria actually is the history of the struggle of the Yoruba lower classes. The revolt inward the 60s position paid to the commencement republic.
It was their uprising inward the minute democracy that ended that corrupt regime. And without the June 12 struggles of the largely Yoruba masses inward the south-west, the province volition all the same live on nether armed services rule. This cannot live on denied.
8. YORUBA COWARDICE
This is a myth. H5N1 warlike people who take away keep produced about pre-colonial Nigeria's greatest generals, such equally Lagelu, Lishabi, Ogunmola, Oluyole, Ogedengbe etc. are no cowards.
In the colonial as well as post-colonial era, the ruggedly private Igbos take away keep e'er produced the braver, to a greater extent than enterprising fighters; the bravest insurgents, the best civil rights as well as merchandise union activists inward Nigeria take away keep e'er been from the East.
But, collectively, the Yorubas take away keep e'er been inward a bird of their own. There is no other business office of Nigeria where the majority of the people tin live on as well as then easily roused inward to activity equally inward Yoruba land. The ordinary homo inward the due west is likewise much less intimidated yesteryear ability as well as coin than their counterparts are inward the mercantile E or the fuedal north.
No affair how rich yous are inward the south-west at that spot are boundaries that cannot live on crossed when dealing with the downtrodden. The ordinary people inward the E as well as northward are much to a greater extent than subservient.
***
Views expressed inward published articles reverberate solely the thought of the author as well as non necessarily that of . Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/