The Internal Challenges That Make Ndigbo Great -By Azuka Onwuka

Why is Anambra peaceful and progressive and Enugu also peaceful and progressive?

Why is Abia peaceful and progressive and Imo also peaceful and progressive?

Why is Ebonyi peaceful and progressive?

Let me stop here because this is my zone and I understand it more than I understand other zones. You can extrapolate my points to your zone and see whether they apply.

Here is the reason.

These five states are Igbo states. But within the states, there are differences. Some love education more than others. Some love business more than others. Some love civil service more than three others mentioned. Some love agriculture more than all others.

When Enugu and Anambra were in one state, there was a contest between Enugu people and Anambra people. Enugu called Anambra people Agba-enu or Ijekebee, while Anambra called Enugu people Waawa (Wawa). There was always a contest of who would be governor or who was holding what post or who was trying to lord things over the other.

The literacy level on both sides was not the same. The financial power on both sides was not equal. So there was always a feeling of “we vs they”: “they want to dominate us,” “they think they are smart,” “they want to take everything,” “we are always marginalised.”

But when the state was split into two in 1991 by IBB, with Imo also split into two that same year to have Abịa and Imo, and later Ebonyi was carved out of Enugu and Abia by Abacha in 1996, Igbos who share relatively similar traits were put in the same states. The rift virtually disappeared.

Today, Anambra people feel like one people. There is no bickering among towns or parts of the state. Each town or part of Anambra is ready to compete with the other. No part feels that it is being treated differently because it is seen not to be the same.

This applies to Imo, Abia and Ebonyi too. Each state moves at its own pace without feeling that another part is dominating it. This applies to other states too.

This is also why Nigeria is filled with bickering, bloodshed and backwardness. Groups with opposing values are yoked together and made to run as one rather than giving each room to operate, move at its pace and be itself.