TO MY IGBO BROTHERS AND SISTERS
I think we the Igbos have a problem within the Nigerian context. Our problem is that we deliberately or most times unknowingly marginalize ourselves thinking that others are marginalizing us. To me, we must put off that idea that people are marginalizing us. Actually, we are the ones that first marginalized ourselves before others came in to marginalize us.
For example, we have abandoned our cities for other cities in search of where to do business. We have developed cities like Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Ibadan, Benin City, Abuja, etc. We forgot that one thing government considers in siting projects is populations. They also consider markets. Of all cities and towns in the Igboland only Onitsha, Aba and Nnewi are the ones where things are happening in the east.
Why can't we develop our land and make it tourist destinations within Nigeria? Must we wait for our own country before we begin to develop? Let us build our place so that Nigerians can depend on us. We should stop accusing successive government of marginalizing us when we can do something that will make us sought after. We have the manpower, we have the financial power but one thing lacking is leadership. We lack leadership because of our selfishness and greed. We should put them aside and begin to think of how best we can make our Igbo nation the envy of other parts of Nigeria.
Who says people from Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri can't constantly come to our land to buy things they need? Who says people from neighbouring countries can't come to patronize us? Must we go there to establish before we think of making it.
Let us think of coming to develop our place and stop waiting for someone else which may never come. The earlier we start thinking about that, the better for us.
