My Call to the Igbos and Other Nigerians to Nation Building

My Call to the Igbos and Other Nigerians to Nation Building

By Bolaji O. Akinyemi

In a world where perception shapes engagements, it is important for individuals, groups, corporate organisations, and indeed tribes, to be mindful of what informs public opinion about them.

The hatred or resentment directed toward the Igbo Nation — whatever the excuse — cannot be justified in a world striving for civility and inclusion in this global village that technology has made of us all.

My neutrality on issues of national interest is well known. My defence of the Igbo Nation, the Ron Nation, and other marginalised or oppressed minority ethnicities in Nigeria has come at a personal cost that many may never fully appreciate. More than once, my life has been threatened by those so consumed with hate that they brand us “bastards” for daring to defend the right of the Igbo in a supposed constitutional democracy.

Yes, the operations of IPOB have strayed far from civility, and this worries me deeply. But matching uncivilised agitation with crude hatred, cruel words, and systemic discrimination is not the path to nation-building.

The Question Before Us

Do we truly want a united Nigeria — where every tribe and tongue can dream and become it?
Do we want a nation where spirituality supersedes religious manipulation, and humanity is honoured above prejudice?

I once sat with a highly respected faith leader from the North-East who declared to me that “an Igbo man will never be President of Nigeria.” I told him plainly to withdraw the statement and apologise for traumatising the humanity in me. To his credit, he did. But the question lingers: how do you engage with such venom lodged in the hearts of fellow citizens? Such attitudes, more befitting of beasts than men, must never be allowed to fester in our polity.

Responsibility of the Igbos

The goals of IPOB may appeal to the sentiments of many Igbos, but it is time for the Igbo Nation to stop pretending about the violent activities and divisive communication associated with the Eastern Security Network. Barbarity cannot build a nation. The Finish Court ruling on Simon Ekpa points to the fact that violence should never be accommodated in our push for a better society.

The onus rests on the Igbos — through Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other cultural institutions — to interrogate what feeds negative perceptions about them at home and abroad. These organisations must prioritise the existential rights and honour of their kinsmen over petty political interests.

The Larger Battle

Some months ago, when I took on the Yoruba Elders Progressive Council (YEPC) over their tribalistic call to Lagos State to “act before strangers take over our land,” I titled my rebuttal: Lagos is a Land of Law, Not Tribal Lords. The backlash was fierce, without doubt, more than anything else, it cost me my Facebook Account.

However, a leader of thought from the Igbo Nation who read my exchange with YEPC and AOKOYA reminded me that while my passion was clear, the harshness of my language might alienate some of the very people who should have been allies.

I took his counsel with humility — but let it be known: my goal is not fans. My mission is to raise nation-builders across tribes, tongues, and religions.

Why the Igbos Must Rise

If indeed there is a resolve in certain quarters that an Igbo man will never be President, let us understand what that truly means: it is not about one individual; it is a tribal sentence against a whole people. That is why the Igbo must no longer wait for others to defend them.

The Igbo must organise culturally and politically to:

Correct the erroneous perceptions that fuel hatred against them.

Stretch out hands of solidarity to other tribes, seeking shared nation-building rather than isolation. They have to be deliberate and international about this!

Challenge the taboo that makes it “unthinkable” for an Igbo to emerge as President.

A nation where Igbos are told they cannot aspire to the highest office, where they cannot live and do business peacefully in Lagos or Kano, is a nation sliding toward peril. Only deliberate cultural re-engineering and political solidarity can reverse this dangerous drift.

Conclusion

The hatred of the Igbo is unjustifiable. But the Igbo themselves must take responsibility to engage, to correct, and to re-present their identity before the nation. And beyond the Igbo, this is a call to all Nigerians: we cannot build a great country by nurturing suspicion, prejudice, and bigotry.

If nation-building is the goal, then tribes must stop tearing at each other’s fabrics and start weaving together a collective destiny. Only then will Nigeria become a home where every child — Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Tiv, Kanuri, Nupe, Ron, or any other nationality — can aspire without fear and achieve without apology.

Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.

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