TRIBES, RACES AND RELIGION

DON’T GO INTO BUSINESS WITH THAT IBO GUY, THEY’RE DUBIOUS!
DON’T MARRY THAT KOGI GIRL, THEY’RE TROUBLESOME AND FETISH!
DON’T MAKE FRIENDS WITH THAT HAUSA MAN, THEY’RE MURDERERS!
DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH A YORUBA, THEY’RE BETRAYERS!
DON’T MOVE WITH A CHRISTIAN, THEY’RE HYPOCRITES!
DON’T BEFRIEND A MUSLIM, THEY’RE WICKED!
DON’T HAVE ANYTHING WITH WHITES, THEY ARE RACISTS!

These are all what we all grew up to know, none of us started it, we were all born into it, and it is saddening that most of the problems in Nigeria and the world at large today is centred around these beliefs.

I know Ibos that would never lie to you in business and I know very dubious Yorubas. I know wife material Kogi girls and I know Yoruba girls you wouldn’t even think of playing. We all know Hausas are not the only murderers in Nigeria, just as it is not only the Yorubas that betray. I’ve met Muslims that their niceness would make you wish you were a Muslim and I’ve met Christians that would make you feel ashamed of being called a Christian!

Ethno-religious sentiments is a big problem particularly in Nigeria, recently the CEO of INNOSON motors had an issue with GTB and the matter was changed to that of tribe, I could remember I also read an article where an ibo man was saying the ongoing fuel scarcity is a deliberate attempt by PMB to frustrate Ibo industrialists, the list goes on and on. I think we need to get over these sentiments and realise that we would never progress as a country as long as we still have a penchant for seeing things from ethno-religious prism.

The truth we need to live with is that all religions and tribes have different kinds of people whose behaviour have little or nothing to do with their religion or tribe! Individuals are the problem not a particular religion or tribe. Once we know this, then we have started solving one of our major problems. Would you just be a human? Would you just be a Nigerian? Shalom!