Regarding this piece, I’ve gotten quite a few messages from some Anioma people who are, understandably unhappy about my position. My view on their reaction is simple — it is difficult to change your position on something when you’ve been told it’s true all your life, especially if the person who has told you is a paternal figure.

Second, and this is important, no one should be compelled to choose an identity he is not comfortable with. However, that does not stop others from trying to proselytise to you about group dangers/positions.

A very recommended read would be OBN Eluwa’s Ado Na Idu. OBN Eluwa like I mentioned, was the man most responsible for the creation of the current Igbo identity, and he did his work largely between 1947 and 1953.

Finally, before I get into my next meeting, I have to point out that what I said about Nigeria happening to you is just the fact. So I’ll leave this with the following words from Muhammadu Buhari, uttered during his only media chat as President…

“They say they are marginalised but they have not defined the extent of marginalisation. Who is marginalising them? Where? Do you know? Choosing a minister is not a matter of ethnicity, it is a matter of the constitution. I am limited by what the constitution says that there must be a member of the executive council from each state. There is a lot of partisan politics in it. Who is the Minister of State for Petroleum? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the governor of the CBN? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the Minister of Labour? Who is the Minister of Science and Technology? What do they want? I stood elections and I won, I am limited by the constitution, I have a member of every state in the Federal Executive Council and I have to listen to them when I sit as chairman. That is the limit the constitution gave me.”

The two men that he referred to in that statement, Ibe Kachikwu, and Godwin Emefiele, are from Onicha Ugbo and Agbor. Both in Anioma.

Udo diri unu