Transforming Nigeria, Igboland, Blacks

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I thank all those who kept in touch with me as well as urged me to write more articles on various issues and to run for political office while I was in Nigeria for almost a year.

It was difficult to write articles from rural Nigeria as there was no computer, internet or light or water. Again, I am not a politician. I cannot stomach the dirty moneybag politics and politicians of Nigeria whose aim is  to loot the national treasury, enslave the people, squander and destroy the resources including humans  instead of serving and  improving the quality of life for the people. I looked for political groups that would really serve the people and make  a difference and I did not find any. It was all about sharing the national cake and business as usual. If one is not interested in sharing the national cake and amassing wealth, status and titles then ones would have major difficulties in Nigeria.

 

There are many topics and issues but I will highlight a few and will continue with others in future articles. My commitment is to play a role in transforming Nigeria and Nigerians by transforming their mindset or the root problem. The real problems and solutions are at  the paradigm/mindset level instead of dealing with symptoms. I will continue to speak the blunt truth without fear or favor because the problems in Nigeria , Igboland and with Blacks worldwide are getting worst like a metasizing cancer. What used to be problems of the power elite and cities are have spread to all levels including the villages. A patient with serious diseases or terminal metasizing cancers cannot afford the expansive luxury of playing the ostrich game but must seek accurate diagnosis of the root problems and effective treatments no matter how bitter or painful.  I was in Abuja on October 1st, 2006 but could not really celebrate the 46th Independence Anniversary as the power elite did. For me and some other Nigerians, It was a time for somber reflections and prayers for divine and human interventions to end the man-made injustice, misery, death and destruction of long suffering and oppressed Nigerians.

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Let me make say  right away that my focus has always been and remains  the people, principles, issues,  truth and fairness and realistic solutions no matter how bitter or painful. The most important things in life are not the primitive pathological accumulation of and worship of money, power and positions and titles. It is the mindset and quality of the people and quality of life. It is obvious that the mindset of the power elite and the average Nigerian has deteriorated to the level of mental disorder or animal while the quality of life of the masses has worsened to a catastrophic level. People are dying like flies, grinding poverty, hunger, injustice, misery, death and destruction of people especially the wasting of youths and best brains, internal terrorism, the mad rush to materialism and looting of the national treasury are the important indicators of the true state of affairs in Nigeria.

 

Internal Terrorism

Terrorism is the deliberate strategy of inflicting fear, death and destruction on innocent civilians and property for political, religious, ethnic or any goals. In Nigeria, internal terrorism is called various names like political assassinations, harassment and intimidations, religious riots or disturbances, armed robbery, ritual killings etc. But terrorism by any other name is still terrorism and has no justification. People are living in fear and are being killed and brutalized. This is terrorism.

 

Nigeria is cursed and has become “hell on earth” for the majority of the people except the power elite and their cronies/sycophants. It is still a mere geographic expression (country) not a nation and is not united. How else can one explain grinding poverty, hunger, deaths and misery amid abundant natural/human resources including oil? People cannot violate natural laws and principles (truth, justice/fairness, sanctity of human life, etc) with impunity without mega consequences (curses, death and misery) according to our African cultures, and Christianity and Islamic laws. If Nigerians (people) are united, how come the political, ethnic and religious killings and “apartheid”. Territorial integrity or geographical entity is not the same as unity or people harmoniously living together in love, trust and mutual respect.

 

Quality of Life

The quickest and simplest way to know the quality of life in a country is to look at the education and health sectors. The vital statistics tell the full story. It is as grim as hell for the masses. More people are dying now than even during the height of the uncivil war (1967-70). Nigeria’s healthy life expectancy is now 41 years according the World Health Organization (WHO, 2006). There were 6 deaths within a 2-week period in my village. Infant and maternal death rate is one of the highest in the world. The educational system is a disaster zone with shameful facilities, graduating illiterates and teachers unpaid. 70% poverty level is totally unacceptable for a major oil producing country like Nigeria.

 

Corruption

Corruption is at all time high and extreme destructive. It kills and murders people. It deprives people of health care, education and employment. The worst corruption is the corruption of the hearts and minds of Nigerians. The perverted mindset and thinking is an equivalent of HIV/AIDS. Some progress is being made in this area by EFCC but much more needs to be done to wipe out this cancer. The ICPC should become active and aggressively deal with corrupt practices not only EFCC dealing with economic and financial crimes.

 

NEPA

In my village, I prayed in darkness for electricity (NEPA or Power holding authority) and drinking water. Nigeria cannot boast of a minute with electricity nationwide while some poorer African countries celebrate a full year with interruption.

 

Third Term Agenda

When the anti-democratic and unconstitutional third term agenda to elongate the rule of a current president was defeated on May 16th, 2006, one thought that it would bring fundamental changes and immortalized as a major positive element of Nigeria where no ruler has perpetuated himself in office unlike the case in some African countries. The third term agenda was a major threat to democracy, peace and stability of Nigeria whether the pro-third term group realizes it or not.  But this glorious achievement has quickly been forgotten. Those who wanted third term are now running for office for 2007 elections and are still lord it over those who fought and defeated third term agenda. Is this fair? Like psychopaths, it is back to business as usual. The next president’s sycophants will attempt similar agenda as has been the case since 1970s Gowan regime.

 

Fairness/Justice

Nigerians have no sense of fairness and justice. Injustice is the Nigerian trademark. The oil producing areas (Niger Delta, Igboland) and women deserve fairness. The recent exclusion of Imo and Abia states from the Presidential Coastal Line States is an injustice because the issues is oil producing and environmental damages  and the need to address these issues. Injustice brings mega curses.

 

Leadership

 

The lack of leadership in Nigeria is the greatest curse of Nigeria. Nigeria has too many rulers, demigods, emperors and misleaders at all levels including my village Umuezie State but no leaders. It is unfair to blame the president alone for all the problems. Leadership is about people and relationships. It is about service above self and trust. It is about character, humility, integrity, inspiration, and empowerment. It is about creating the environment where people can excel, have purpose and feel fulfilled and a part of something special. It is about being a role model (moral authority). It is about Service, sacrifice and servanthood. It is not about positions or titles (formal authority) and selfishly amassing filthy wealth or self-interests. I hear the rulers and power elite telling me how they love Nigeria but they never say they love Nigerians (Igbo. Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, Fulani, Bini, etc or Christians, Muslims and traditionalists). Leadership is about people not things (oil, geography, national treasury, etc).

 

Mental Disorder

The so-called oga or bigmanism, his Excellency, titles, egotism, greed, the primitive accumulation of wealth, mansions, jeeps, the delusions of grandiose,  and perverted thinking ( illogical thinking) being celebrated in Nigeria are symptoms of severe mental disorders . The psychiatrists and the medical profession in Nigeria are negligent in not making this fact know to the public.

 

Idolatry

The real “god” Nigerians worship is money, positions and status and materialism is idolatry. The religious leaders, priests, pastors and imams are negligent in not making this know to the public as well as fighting against it.

 

Igboland and Igbo Efelufu and Cultural Suicide

Cry beloved Igboland. There is cultural suicide and other evils destroying Igboland. Culture is the people’s way of life including beliefs, traditions that distinguish them from another group not just clothing and bare breasted dancers. Now Igbo efulefu (useless, fools, political/economic and status prostitutes) are shamelessly destroying authentic positive Igbo culture and shameless plagiarizing Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani cultures without giving due credits to the owners of the cultures. For examples, look at today’s monarchy and so-called traditional weddings in Igboland.  I must say that I admire the Yoruba, Bini and others with monarchy culture before the coming of the white man but it was nit the Igbo culture. Igbo enwe eze (Igbo have no king).

 

Igbo people are blessed and gifted people with freedom, democratic, egalitarian, brotherly, progressive and deeply spiritual (Godly) culture long before the world embraced these modern qualities and before the first white people came to Nigeria. Family heads, elders and age grades formed the social, political and governance system. There were no kings or demigod rulers. Igbo enwe eze. During colonialism, the British looked for familiar monarchy system which they found elsewhere in Nigeria except in Igboland. So, they appointed the infamous warrant chiefs which contributed to the 1929 Women Revolutionary in Eastern Nigeria. Now, look at what is happening in Igboland. Monarchy and feudalism is now being imposed on an egalitarian freedom loving democratic people. Igboland desperately need leaders (servants of the people) not monarchy and demigods who want to make the people their “subjects” whereas Igbo people are traditionally citizens with servant leaders.

 

 Some people with bold face will tell you that this is our culture and tradition while others will tell you pathetically that the Igbo problem is caused by lack of a king!! I often wonder why these Igbo efulefu do not claim that Christianity is our culture after all overwhelming majority (over 95%) of Igbo are Christians for over 200years yet we do acknowledge that the Whiteman brought Christianity to us. The Igbo problem is not caused by lack of a king but due to Igbo efulefu and the love of money. The love of money is the root of all evils (Bible). The Igbo efulefu will sell their mother and children for money, power and titles. Greed, egotism and inferiority complex are major diseases for the Igbo. Believe it or not the Igbo have inferiority complex as exemplified by not speaking their Igbo language and shamelessly abandoning their culture and stealing other people’s culture!!!! Culturally, I admire Yoruba people who proudly speak their language and maintain their authentic culture.

 

The so-called traditional wedding with “ashebi” girls, Yoruba clothes and English language and outrages of display of ill-gotten wealth is pathetic. I am old enough to know the authentic Igbo traditional wedding ceremonies.

 

The United Nations (UNESCO), True Igbo and other culture loving Nigerians should immediately intervene to stop the cultural suicide in Igboland.  Multiculturalism and diversity is preserving different cultures not making destroying them or them one.

 

Blacks worldwide

I am proud and thankful to a Black person. Blacks are the original human beings and the ancestors of humanity. Blacks had civilizations, culture, technology, and history before the rest of humanity even though these facts were whitewashed by Arabs and Europeans until recently. However, I am ashamed and outraged by Black efulefu (useless, cowards and fools) especially the so-called Black leaders in Africa. What type of race would remain silent when its women and children are being raped, murdered, enslaved and driven off their lands in Sudan by another race Arab Muslims? Surely the “white” people worldwide would never tolerate such a situation. Yet it is the Black efulefu who would passionately foam in the mouth and criticize “America” or “Israel” for its treatment of prisoners in Iraq or “Israel” treatment of Palestinians. A respected newspaper in Nigeria said that the Palestine problem was the worst problem in the world while in reality even the “Do Nothing” United Nations have said the Black Sudan problem is the worst “humanitarian” problem in the world. “America has declared it genocide and has finally gotten the UN to agree to send UN troops if the Arab Sudan government (the rapist) agrees. Ancient African (Blacks) owns Africa from Cape Town in southern Africa to Cairo, Egypt in northern Africa  but it is the Arabs from the Arab peninsula that today occupies northern Africa and still continue to enslave the indigenous Blacks and wiped out Black culture and civilization.

 

Summary

Nigeria, Igboland and Blacks worldwide are faced with mega problems and challenges requiring spiritual, emotional and mental (mindset) transformation. The current mindset is actually a mental disorder and the worship of materialism/consumerism or idolatry. Transformational leadership is needed to drive the mindset transformation. However, the current Nigerian environment does not allow transformational leaders to emerge due to moneybag politics and vested self-interests by the old school political elite and their cronies/sycophants. Both Nigeria and Igboland are cursed and doomed Until effective transformational leaders (Servant leaders) are allowed to emerge who would serve, sacrifice and put service above self to meet the peoples needs and also drive the mindset revolution instead of those who selfishly and egotistically continue to amass wealth, power, status and enslave and destroy the people and squander other resources.

 

The cultural suicide in Igboland by Igbo efulefu must be stopped  to preserve authentic positive Igbo culture. The UN (UNESCO), True Igbo and culture sensitive Nigerian must intervene urgently to preserve Igbo culture which should be one of the pride of the Black race and all humanity in 21st century when the original Igbo culture such as: Choice, freedom, democracy, consensus building, brotherhood, truth, fairness/justice, peace and progress and language pride are the driving forces while the Igbo are moving in the opposite direction due to inferiority complex and love of money.

 

Blacks worldwide must transform their mindset and focus on what is happening to fellow Blacks especially in Africa where genocide, rape, murder, occupation, dispossession of land, slavery By Arabs happening to Blacks in Sudan while Blacks are more concerned about Iraq and Palestine. The white people would never allow the women and children to be raped and terrorized by another race and we Blacks should do the same.

 

Peace to all.

 

Emeka A. Njoku, London, Canada

October 14, 2006

 

 

Note: Emeka njoku is the founder and CEO of Choice Consulting, Canada with offices in Canada, USA and Nigeria providing professional proactive innovative coaching, consulting, counseling on choice, leadership, transformation/change management, relationships, conflict/problem resolution, stress management  and health-related programs. Emeka can be reached by email at eanjoku@yahoo.com

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