Dear Voice of Igbos by Reno Omokri

,

Thank you for your take. However, your judgment may have been based on a wrong premise. 

Are you aware that Sir Ahmadu Bello was the Premier of the Northern Region? The point you, Voice of Igbos, and those who support you are missing is that at Independence, Nigeria had three (later four) semi-autonomous regions created to serve only the interests of the indigenous people of those regions, while a central government was created based in Lagos to serve the interests of all Nigerians.

Before Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi promulgated the Unification of Assets Decree on May 24, 1966, which formally ended regionalism in Nigeria and created a unitary system of government, for the first six years of our existence as an independent nation, Nigeria had regions with full powers of resource control and who were free to do pretty much as they pleased, except secede. 

For example, two of the three regions (the West and East) had diplomatic relations with Israel, while the North rejected it. 

What that meant was that as Premier of the regions, each Premier was legally and politically expected to put the interest of his indigenes above the interests of other Nigerians from outside his area, as far as his region was concerned. 

And nowhere was that more absolute than in the Eastern Region of Nigeria. 

The Western Region of Nigeria was the most liberal of the three Regions. Herbert Macaulay and later Chief Obafemi Awolowo had many non-Western disciples whom they helped get elected or appointed into high offices.

The Western Region also had universal free education, which was open to all Nigerians living in the Western Region, regardless of tribe. This was also available in the Northern Region, but not the Eastern Region, where it was available only to indigenes. 

Would it then be fair to maintain that Sir Ahmadu Bello was a bigot when he was fulfilling the constitutional role he swore to uphold? 

Within reason, Sir Ahmadu Bello went out of his way to accommodate non-indigenes in a way that was only done in the Western Region. 

For example, he appointed an Igbo man, Felix Ezejiofor Okonkwo. Alias Okonkwo Kano, into the Northern House of Chiefs. Please note that the man was not elected. He was appointed. Meaning that he was not there as of right. He was there as a privilege. A privilege given to him by Sir Ahmadu Bello as far back as 1957. 

It would have been entirely different if Felix Ezejiofor Okonkwo had been elected. But he was appointed. Why would a man bigoted against the Igbo do that? His appointment by Sir Ahmadu contradicts your stand, wouldn't you say so?

And if Sir Ahmadu Bello was a bigot, then why do you think Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe chose to form a coalition government with his Northern Peoples Congress, thus giving the NPC the mandate to form the first independent government of Nigeria, with Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa as Prime Minister? 

After all, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Action Group made an offer to form the government with Dr. Azikiwe's NCNC, but Mr. Azikiwe refused, preferring to coalesce with the Sir Ahmadu Bello led NPC, don't you think this negates your claims?

Anyway, thanks again, and may God bless you. 

Reno Omokri 

Gospeller. Deep Thinker. #TableShaker. Ruffler of the Feathers of Obidents. #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years. Hodophile. Hollywood Magazine Humanitarian of the Year, 2019. Business Insider Influencer of the Year 2022. 21st Most Talked About Person in Africa, 2024.