Tuesday, 15 September 2015

The Ebira Journey - It's state and it's people (READ and SHARE)



Ebira is a tribe of over 2 million people (well at least by estimates). It has other dialects under it spread in other regions in Nigeria, but considered a minority group as compared to the "three major ethnic group" of the nation. Nigeria of course, is a country consisting of many ethnic groups all amalgamated to form one nation; it has three dominant ethnic group for the reason of their relatively bigger population and territorial size.

Even though Nigeria is a republic, these three major tribes i.e. Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba are somewhat leaders of the other minor tribes and often bear the country's image, relegating other tribes to the background by default. In fact, when people from all around the world refer to the term "Nigerian", they most times simply address the people of the heritage of either of the three and confer on all Nigerians the same stereotype, even though in reality there a many more tribes, dialects and cultures in the country.

It is often assumed that when you are a Nigerian, you are Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba and sometimes maybe from the few other tribal groups in the 2nd tier – ijaw, Warri, Edo etc. And this sentiment is surprisingly even found among most Nigerians too, as the Nigerian pop culture itself also inadvertently promote these misleading concepts further deepening the image. So such Nigerians often know little about other ethnic group outside their own nor fully engage with other as a true Nigerian should.

Many have found that they are truly living in their own cocoon oblivious of what's going on in other parts of the country i.e. of other culture, ideas and character of people of other ethnicity. 

Nigeria is indeed a big country, with over lots of ethnic groups and dialects. But there is little or no participation among other ethnic groups (with a lesser population) in the national stage e.g. the Ebira people who much like other tribal groups neither feature in the Nigerian consciousness nor really participate in National matters. This is simply because the three major tribes are naturally given way as the leaders even though Nigeria could really use variety and could really transform for the better with much more active participation from every group in the country. One curious reference that perfectly exemplifies this point was from Professor Wole Soyinka, who recently referred to the region of "igbira" people as a "hinterland" and was correct when he called it a minority group especially as numbers don't lie. sure!
Well, but people do, especially for those who tag a very negative and false image to this people as either being hot-tempered or not peaceful-loving and violent.  Nothing can be so farther away from the truth. These folks who sell these wrong ideas and image gather them from News, reports from casual folks and gossip talks, when we all know it's an African thing to vilify other people especially so as to glorify your own people and feel superior and appear spotless. It is such a dangerous thing when people with little knowledge about others outside their own shell and confines form resolute ideas of other people, drawing conclusions based on defamatory tales, when the reality is- all tribe have their issues, provided it's African- no tribe is clean.

Just to relate a story I heard recently of a woman, (an Ebira) who was working for a company in Lagos and as she was at the verge of securing a contract she died unexpectedly AKA by "magical" means simply because there were some other people i.e. of Yoruba origin vying for the same thing and envying her post. So they could only do one thing- to attack her the "African" style.
It is often common knowledge amongst Nigerians, that the Yorubas are very competitive especially in an unhealthy way and mostly known to resent it when another tribe is “in their land” and taking position they believe is theirs by right, cause they believe it is their land (even though it is Nigeria of all) but when they themselves go to other places they take over everything. No wonder according to Microsoft Encarta, the capital of Nigeria had to be relocated to Abuja, a more central place and neutral from any claim.

And something similar also goes for the other two major ethnic group in Nigeria and as well as others, none is immune, all have their own "black" side and that's why when any of these three major ethnic group get to confront each other, they all throw "shades" at each other. (lol)
Frankly, there is a form of xenophobia about the Nigerian people, and it is in the form of tribalism especially among the less enlightened folks, who are still traditional (no pun intended) in their thinking and see the world only in their own circle i.e. self-centered.
These major ethnic groups in Nigeria have some really bad traits associated with them all especially as regards to the way the grab Nigeria, but unfortunately everyone has all gotten so used to it that it is now normal, "that's the way they do", no one finds that as unusual anymore or much less a crime. In fact some unenlightened folks even erase their own identity and embrace these people and name their kids with a first names after these tribe, just to secure their position and social standing with them. But they simply suffer from a second class mentality and conditioning. In reality, such actions only erase their own relevance, culture and ultimately the history of their own people. Soon there is “no people” i.e. identity, and then next there is no representation. 
It is this kind of attitude that causes people to lose lands and entitlements. It is this same attitude that caused other tribal groups to reign over Kogi state and relegate the Ebiras to the background or second place and why some can boldly even lay claim to Ajaokuta as belonging to them. Why won't they? There is something to be had.  It's much like what the nation of Israel struggles with today, when there is no people or it's representation in a land for many years, other folks would soon take it and form a "history" out of it and when you come back to rightfully take what is yours, it becomes a battle- it becomes tougher for you to win the argument. You’ve been politically displaced.
This is one major reason for territorial disputes in many places in the world today. The Jews in particular were dispersed out of their country, out of Jerusalem by the Roman who were the powers at that time and to further give a fatal blow to them they also sought to erase the memory of them as a people by renaming the land "Palestine". So that in future it will be virtually impossible to return and lay claims to the land when it has become inhabited by other people namely the Arabs who moved there and now identify themselves as Palestinians (even though there are so many Arabian countries in the region they could have stayed but only one Jewish land or Jerusalem which frankly doesn't sound like an Arab tongue).
Their Identity has been replaced. And that is the power of identity. For there was nothing like a people called "Palestinians" even historical records supports this fact and the name Jerusalem has always been identified with the Jews in the Bible and even accounts in the Koran. So in reality these Israelis are in fact the "Palestinian" people- their Identity was hijacked by their oppressors so future generation have no right of claim especially after been displaced for over thousands of years. So that their children and children's children continue to suffer that deprivation or "curse". But thankfully, God delivered them and they are firmly set in their land today, amidst all the disputes and also the less land they were able to recover. They continue to go through this simply because of identity. Which is why identifying with one’s ethnic group is important and why asserting your rightful authority in a place is also important and not giving in to psychological oppression.
The Israel illustration above might seem like a huge digression but a necessary one, as it serves as a great metaphor for how the Ebiras have been marginalized in the broader Nigerian community but more importantly, their own land. In their own case (Ebiras), they simply lacked the pride of being a people, and are mostly not political by nature (i.e disposition) and so lost their voice over the years and their presence could not be felt or acknowledged especially among their much more aggressive neighbours. Gradually your identity and rightful place is lost.
In a jungle like Africa, it is the survival of the fittest or the most aggressive. This is the underlining reason why the Ebiras have yet no governor from their own land Kogi state, no president, no vibrant culture, inspiring society and stable political landscape, just thugs (politicians) who are really of the 1% representing a greater 99% people.
But, the Ebiras are a great people, both in strength of character, physically and intellectually. They are easily recognized amongst their peers in Nigeria as particularly having one of the prettiest females, light-skinned & good looking guys. Same with academic achievements, there are a good number of professors and men of great stature among her people too, as much as you will find in other ethnic groups which has a much larger population and better opportunities (from the advantage of being among the major three). But the inaccurate images in the Nigerian media overshadows these realities and when the political scene of the state is reported, this paints over the true nature of the people.
when others often whitewash their own people with customs that are horrific and subservient to humans who elevated to a demi-god status.
Well, as stated earlier, the Ebiras are hardly the political type, in fact history books has it that the Ebiras usually don't enthrone a king as ruler, all they had was just elders who meet and make decisions for their community cause they believe no man should rule another man, only God (Ohomorihi) alone is king. The idea of kingship was said to later come in from the influence of the northerners i.e. when Islam conquered the region. So politics was never part of the Ebira character nor were they too keen on power or control. They are mostly good-humored people and lovers of co-existence. And same goes on today, it is only the rascally few who seem to be comfortable dabbling into the Nigerian type politics which we all know is a deadly race filled with so much evil and deceitful schemes. Now add to the fact that unemployed and impressionable youths would do anything for money so are ready to be thugs and used by anybody paying the bill. This is how the Ebiras earned "the violent people" tag. 

Boko Haram today is rampantly killing everyone. But you never hear people call the Hausas or the northerners as animals or violent. Of course, when it comes to this, they know the difference.
The undeniable violence in the land is due to the political agents in the society and these takes place during no other period than campaigns and elections. Never mind that the people used (involved) are the dregs of the society, the low-lives who are run by equally pathetic political figures. So it's insane to judge a people by the character or their political folks. When politics in Nigeria is a dirty game and even much dirtier when you have two groups in a state who are at odds with each other and vying for one post- the one with the better 'juju' wins. And we all know the Ebiras are not good in that department.
There are corroboratory stories to this as well. Many have suggested and stated that their neighbours i.e the Igalas (especially those in politics) hexed the Ebira people so that the land is rocked with political violence and unexplained/sudden deaths among political actors and candidates who pose a formidable challenge to their Governorship aspirations. This is of course has more than a grain of truth to it and not outside the realm of imagination considering the extent most people will go just to secure themselves. After all it is Nigeria.
So the Ebira people might have very well been "hexed" but more correctly, the politicians who hail from that area are. Hence bringing violence in the land and causing instability further frustrating their political ambition and causing disunity among themselves and so no sensible candidate, no opposition, no co-operation. This is simply what is called "the devil's arithmetic". 
This further smears the image of the people at a national level and even lead it's people to harbor a low esteem among their people. That's why you begin to hear some say things like- "I am not proud to be Ebira". When in reality, it is these morally bankrupt politicians (on both sides) causing all these things. In life that is the principle of ripple effect, it affects everybody cause of power hungry leaders. Those at the head get to represent the rest of the people (in the minds of external observers), but it is quite unfortunate that much like Nigeria as a whole, it is not our great people who go into politics, instead always the types that bicker like children and fight like thugs as we often see inside the senate house.

Well indeed as some have put it, it is a spiritual problem in Ebiraland and I will add also a psychological issue and it stems mostly from outside the land- the politics, the much more aggressive neighbor. Few who have lost the battle in their own selfish quest and have learnt not to tussle with them anymore. So they are rarely ambitious anymore to produce a first governor from their people because they've been psychologically and spiritually suppressed.
Even thugs did confess on record how they were been used negatively to cause violence in Ebiraland, (and some of them aren't Ebira) how they were spiritually motivated and influenced with devilish power. We often discover that these thugs are mostly possessed and under occult influences- no rational mind even among the less intelligent will commit such acts of violence and commit themselves to the destruction of people causing unrest in the society. This behaviour, outsider observers rightfully term as animalistic, which is appropriate, though funny they rather call the Ebira people animals and heartless and not the thugs or the politicians who do these things. But a rational mind knows how baseless such a conclusion is and how inconsiderate it is judging a people by the rascals in their society who are possessed and the brain-dead. 
If you find any action inhumane the natural line of thought should be that something equally "inhumane" or non-human is behind it and so seek to gain a much broader view of things. For if you judge by such actions, then every African is an "animal" cause it is in our continent we find all sorts of horrific and insanely evil practices unheard of in the civilized world. 

In Africa anything goes, and the shadowy activities of the few namely our leaders puts the rest in jeopardy. As a continent, Africa is held ransom because of its leaders who dabble into diabolic things and live by the orchestrations of devilish counsels and not of God, and this naturally ends in a disoriented society, living in chaos and disarray. 
But change has started to creep into the minds of Nigerians and of course the Ebira people. They've started to understand the need to recapture their identity and hold their own in whatever part of Nigeria or the world they find themselves in and support each other. People have begun to get enlightened and are finding where the problem stems from. These Ebira people in diaspora have begun bringing their ideas to Ebiraland i.e. home namely Okene and developing structures from there. 
The competition for attention and fair opportunity is too high especially when contending with the three major ethnic group in Nigeria (who are also too warring with each other to have upper hand). There is little room often left for lesser groups like ours.

It's now time to use ones skills and talent in your land- to build business, companies and technology firms in your home town. After all it is a virgin land; there is so much opportunity to be had and no competition. 

Don't let outsiders come and seize these big chances in your own place of origin as well especially as you don't have to struggle for competition in the cities. When two or more people do business in Okene and run their grand projects in Okene and other important places in the land with big potentials, Okene would soon would rival cities like Lagos, look like as modern as Calabar better still have a much vibrant society, movie industry and the likes.
Even the people of Calabar as modernized as they've become haven't yet found the necessary code on how to utilize their movie infrastructure and do something major. So their stuff is gathering dust. I believe in the genius in Ebira people and know we can create our own movie industry in "okland" turning our calabash to the silver and move to the silver screen. 

Lots of business potential exists in our state, soon Lagos would be overpopulated and become too expensive to live in. But we have a virgin land in Okene to "cultivate", we have a new people with a different mindset ready to "break the ground" and bring something new out of it and all it takes is you, with the heart and mind of a true Ebira.
When we do this, someday we just might find our own rightful place in Kogi state and even a greater representation in Nigeria at large. But once again, it all begins with you, it all starts from the mind and our mentality. No more days of sitting down and allowing subjugation and oppression by political factions of the society or accepting an image and hiding your face and true identity as a result. But rather time to take charge of misconception and play your part. If you are having an employment problem, find an Ebira problem and solve it. You'd make money doing so. 
Finally, through enlightenment not violence or retaliation, the Ebiras can snatch their true image back and it's up to the youths and our wise elders to inspire solutions. When we share and execute our great ideas we can bring about change and experience a different representation which is acceptable and worthy of us
.
It is up to you to raise your banner high when people can't see you and up to your own people to support and raise you up when other people don't want to see you succeed. 
Ebira is blessed. If you look closely you can see it too.
Be an Ebira. Rep Anebira. Transform the land. The change has started!

Play your part. 
Thanks for Reading

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