![[OPINION] Guiless Igbo Man and His Bare Soul - Emmanuel Akaolisa](/media/k2/items/cache/dc6e9b7b6bf7d855e775d8c19e709ee1_XL.jpg)
Someone shared a video in a social media group, the video showed dogs fighting for food while another dog came and took the food away without the fighting dogs taking note of this. This video is actually a viral clip which has been described in many ways depending on the content creators who attach audio and texts to them.
This time around the sharer gave it a nuance of “Igbos fighting themselves” and not cooperating like other tribes in Nigeria. As someone who has stayed in different part of Nigeria, I know this is not the reality even though it has become cliché to say that Igbos do not love themselves and yet again saying (when political situation demands) that Igbos are given to bigotry; imagine two contradicting statements attached to a single group.
For example, in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election, some analysts accused Igbos of loving themselves too much, hence the huge amount of votes Peter obi, an Igbo man, got from the South East. This analysis neglects the huge votes someone like Yaradua, a non-Igbo got from the South East. Still, some analysts said the Igbos do not love themselves as they couldn’t give Peter Obi block votes like Buhari got from his region when he ran for elections.
In order to understand the Igbo man properly, it is necessary to understand the core of his person, his essence. When this is done, it will help in putting other issues in proper perspectives.
In the process of choosing His disciples at the commencement of His earthly ministry, Jesus saw Nathaniel and remarked that he is a man without guile, even though they just met. To say that someone is without guile means that the person is not cunny, deceitful, scheming, among other descriptions. In other words, the person is honest, open, unassuming and even forward.
Why did Jesus refer to Nathan as someone without guile? Was it because Nathan asked openly if any good thing could come out of Galilee when he was invited to meet Jesus (of Galilee). We can also say that Jesus being who He is could see and know what mere men could not.
In pondering and checking past events on the Igbo question in Nigeria, I discovered that at the heart of the matter is a people without guile – a virtue and yet a ‘vice’, a strength and yet a weakness. He comes out ‘naked’ so that when you see him you have seen him. He has no ace up his sleeves, no strategy and will not succumb to culture even if he has it (culture), but is spontaneous; whether accurately or haphazardly.
For example, why does it appear that the Igbos do not love themselves, whether politically or socially? One of the reasons is that he follows certain universal principles headlong without putting any spin or art to them. So when his brother commits a crime, because of the universal principle of justice, the Igbo man will not defend the one who has committed the crime as others may, allowing justice to run its course, though he might also ask for mercy sometimes on behalf of his brother, mercy itself being a universal principle. He actually loves his brother and humanity in general.
Sometimes in his openness, the Igbo man appears boisterous; he achieves some academic excellence or makes some billions in cash, and the world will hear about it. He does not know that for example, there are extremely wealthy individuals in the North who little is known about them on the media space. It might be explained psychologically that the Igbos are subconsciously being boastful out of the joy of survival in the difficult Nigerian terrain, difficult for every Nigerian and even more difficult for them, the Igbos, who bear an extra burden of a sour history and cumbersome stereotypes – in other words the Igbos are surprised that they thrive though hanging on a survival mode.
Should the Igbos become more strategic or cunny as some will say? Should they hide themselves from the spotlight and speak less even when they are called formally or informally to speak? One thing is sure, the Igbos have an IGR (Imperfect, Good, Raw) makeup, which if managed properly, will boost its socio-political and economic capital and Nigeria as a whole.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.