If you have lived in the Western World as an African, and you are sincerely objective, you will conclude that racism is not a racial problem. It is not a problem between Blacks and Whites. You will realize that you have probably suffered more discrimination from other people of colour like Chinese, Arabs, and Indians than from Caucasians. If you go to India, you will be shocked by the discrimination imposed and sustained by the Caste system on people from the same race. You will often be taken aback by the fact that people of your own race or nationality discriminate against you more than individuals from another race. Sometimes these discrimination have religious and ideological colouration. If you are thoughtful enough, you will then summarize that; racism and tribalism are synonyms. All the symptoms of tribalism are the same as racism. The Yorubas may believe they are superior to the Igbos, the Igbos may feel they are superior to the minorities of the Niger Delta, Fulanis may show they are superior to Hausas and vice versa.

Last week I read one of the most objective accounts of the Biafran War by the world-renown British bestselling author Frederick Forsyth, who gave an account of the war that invoked my deepest empathy. Some few days later I read Nnamdi Kanu’s statements on Vanguard Newspaper, and his expletives muddied this empathy. As an undergraduate in the heart of the Yoruba nation, Ile-Ife, I experienced what it means to be an “Omo-Ibo”, the tag that is often given to anyone that is not from the North or South-Western Nigeria. I contested for the office of Chairman, Guild of Editors among campus journalists at the Obafemi Awolowo University and won, but I almost jettisoned the idea of running because of this discriminative tag though I am an Urhobo man. The Urhobos from all oral narratives from the 3 Royal families in Urhoboland of Ogor, Ughelli, and Agbarha are an ethnic nationality that came into being by the marriage of a Benin Prince and an Ijaw woman. The Urhobos are a bridge between the Binis of North-Western Niger Delta and the Ijaws of Southern Niger Delta. The Benin Kingdom, which is one of Africa’s greatest Kingdom, is the seed of many ethnic nationalities in Southern Nigeria, from the ruling houses of the Oba of Lagos to the Obi of Onitsha, one of the most important enclaves in Igboland.

Biafrans who seek the right to self-determination declare they have a claim which is as strong as those of the people of South Sudan, whose independence has been acknowledged and given. The right to self-determination remains the most potent human right, which is why it is the first article of the main United Nations Human Rights Treaties. Nonetheless, Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB, their supporters, and sympathizers vehemently oppose this same rights for others, like the Anioma people of Delta State who have repeatedly said they are not Igbo or Biafrans even if they have Igbo names and their dialect is Igbotic. The same right of self-determination is also not discussable for the Ikwerre people of Rivers State who also see themselves as a distinct but related tribe. Many Biafrans even claim Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers State as part of the Biafran nation with a total disregard for the opinion of the indigenes of these states. If you see the Biafran map peddled by IPOB members and their sympathizers, you will see that these men and women are evil and unreasonable. But you must also acknowledge their futuristic and imperialist agenda which Niger Deltans must prepare for and be vigilant about. The irony is that many Biafrans might be ready to do more harm to any group or tribe in their path to independence than what the Europeans did centuries ago. We should all know as we seek self-determination in a Nigeria that is not working, that no tribe, race, region or religion has a quota in violence, and the people of the Niger Delta will defend themselves victoriously when push comes to shove.

Ata Ukuta – Editor, www.towncryyers.com