Fallacy of NORTHERN HALAL over EASTERN HARAM in NIGERIA

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First let me explain that the word “halal” is the Arabic word for “lawful” and “haram” means “unlawful. From that it should then be understood that the interest of this article is to take a look at the inexplicable and unsubstantiated notion that when it comes to the issues pertaining to the continued unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, the northern region fairs better than the eastern region. The fallacy in this is clear as a bright daylight! The notion that whenever the word Nigeria is mentioned then it is synonymous with the northern region is highly fallacious. This is because in the beginning in 1960 the British said let there be Nigeria and there were the northern, eastern and western regions! Since the departure of the British there is nothing that should accord the northern region the undeserved title of being more Nigerian than either the eastern region or the western region or indeed the entire southern Nigeria.

It is unarguable that without the eastern region there would not have been Nigeria. In fact, history records it that when the due time arrived and the British was ready to grant independence to Nigeria the western region blazed the trail in supporting the much sought gesture, then promptly the eastern region appended its signature of support for Nigeria to be granted independence. The last to very reluctantly accept to belong to Nigeria was the northern region. From that time till today what has the eastern region done to earned the sobriquet of “the bad” and what has the northern region done to deserve the title of “the good” in Nigeria? An unbiased answer will be difficult to arrive at. It is therefore roguery for the north to always paint the picture that Ndigbo are the worst ethnic group in Nigeria.

Indeed, even the British records it before independence that the Hausas in Nigeria are the worst thing to happen to the then emergent independent Nigeria,the north, according to the British, was populated by majority of uneducated people who were less enterprising in any field of human endeavour. This was not the same story about ndigbo whom the British described as adequately educated and very enterprising in commerce and industry> Now< since independence the history as can be accessed at the national library (where still available) showed how the northern leaders threatened to Islamize the entire from the desert to the coast> The same history catalogued how the north became a demagogue in the political affairs. of Nigeria spreading into the western region where they supervised the crisis that became known as the wild wild west! The history states that it was the autocratic nuances of such northern leaders as Ahmadu Bello that incited the soldiers to carry out the first coup which claimed his life and those of other arrogant politicians especially from the north.

According to our history that the north has been striving to keep hidden from new generation of Nigerians it took the resilient efforts of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi and Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu; two fine military officers of the eastern region extraction to foil the coup only for the self-acclaimed saints of Nigeria, the north to ensure that Ironsi was murdered in cold blood for daring to promote “One Nigeria”. The easterners are known to be the most-friendly people in the Nigerian union because they bold and bravely with love embrace all parts of Nigeria, investing and erecting properties in different parts of Nigeria and thereby growing and developing the country as a whole. This is unlike the northern and western regions that with a mixture of fear and cowardice fertilized by hatred for Ndigbo never dare to migrate to the eastern region and the few that come over never dare to invest or build permanent structures. Despite the vexations and provocations that emanated from the wicked massacre of Ndigbo for nothing and handing out twenty pounds to their adults with bank accounts, the same Ndigbo within record time dispersed in their droves back to the north and the west of this country disregarding the inherent danger in doing so with a people that had proved innate hatred and malice against them.

Since after the war the northern military leaders have held Nigeria to ransom till today dictating the very breath of the country, yet Ndigbo stuck with one Nigeria despite that they are treated like beasts of no nation in a country they were major pillars at the foundation. Nearly every obnoxious law in Nigeria eventually proves to have been drawn to harm and hurt Ndigbo! What a northerner does and goes away scot-free with it can never be done by Ndigbo without very costly price paid to keep Nigeria one> Today< the very major challenges to the safety and security to lives and property in Nigeria are posed by northerners either as Boko Haram or as Fulani herdsmen. The corrupt looting of the Nigerian treasury being unearthed by the Buhari administration has shown how far the northern elite that dominate the Nigerian government at all times have continually stolen trillions of dollars of Nigerian money with only very few accomplices of their north among Ndigbo have so far been implicated. With all these statements of fact, why then does the north always want to claim better Nigerians over Ndigbo? What is the crime or wrong done by Ndigbo? If anybody goes the way of the involvement of Ndigbo in certain caliber of crime in the society let the person know that it was not so in the beginning> Ask the British! Ndigbo are very hard working and enterprising set of human beings who do not look up to anybody to cater for their wellbeing and welfare. But the total exclusion of Ndigbo from virtually every legal means of earning livelihood by the Nigerian government controlled by the north pushed many Ndigbo into uncharacteristic illegal occupations all over the world. The involvement of Ndigbo in criminal activities was never in the character of Ndigbo. This is because one enduring national psyche of Ndigbo is never involved in crime. Our people say whatever wrong anybody could do, the worst is stealing! Yet, I make bold to aver that the northerners are still ranking very high in criminal activities in Nigeria> Thos that understand will agree with me!

It is on that backdrop that it must never be accept from the north or anybody for that matter that the north has legitimate claim to Nigeria than Ndigbo.
As I once asked, “are northern leaders better leaders of Nigeria than other major national stakeholders in the country?” Indeed, is there any field of endeavour in Nigeria that the north has proved to outclass ndigbo? It is rather unfortunate that the north through their youths are giving Ndigbo bad name to loot their material and financial property after slaughtering a god number of the pro-Nigeria ones among them. All the lies articulated by the north about Ndigbo must be laughable to even foreigners who know the truth about Ndigbo and what they have suffered in the hands of the north since independence. As we have come to this crossroads of great dilemma and confusion for the Nigerian government that cannot arrest some northern youths after nearly one month of their very uncouth quit notice to Ndigbo, let everybody expect the worst until the north makes a fresh declaration apologizing unreservedly to Ndigbo and agreeing to the unfettered process of renegotiating, restructuring, decentralizing, or genuinely allowing Ndigbo a free exit from Nigeria.

Enough of all the pretence at being better Nigerians by the north! They are the least among genuine and sincere Nigerians!