Greetings!

The Ikwerre people are prudent, peace loving and have continued to strive
under the immense economic and political deprivation. Please find herein
below an interesting brief contribution by Chamberlein. My apologies if you
are receiving it for the second time. Have a fab day! Peace!

Kin

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Dear all,

It is with interest that I have observed the recent commentaries and

discussions on the Ikwerre and Ibo issue vis-à-vis whether Ikwerres are

Ibos or vice versa. I hope you will all indulge me while I contribute my

penny s worth.

Let me pin my colours to the mast, I am an Ikwerre man, it can therefore be

safely assumed that I have Ikwerre interests at heart. This does not however

mean that I am prejudiced against Ibos or any such nonsense. My early

formative years were spent in different parts of Iboland, and as a matter of

fact my maternal grandmother was an Ibo woman.

Enough of the background, lets get to the real issue. In the main I agree

with most of Fabian Orlumpko s piece of 11 December, with the exception
that

although I was in the midst of the civil war, it was observed through a

child s eyes. I cannot therefore lay claim to the same practical experience

as he has.

First of all, we should all realise that it is what happens in Nigeria that

will ultimately determine the relationship between the Ikwerres and the

Ibos . No amount of theorizing by educated people abroad is going to make

much of an impact at home, after all there are plenty of educated people at

home too.

If the Ibos are trying to solicit the support of Ikwerre people, then they

have not been helping their cause. In the past year Ibos in Port Harcourt

marched round the streets singing inciteful songs directed at Ikwerres .

They have also officially attempted to claim ownership of various parts of

Port Harcourt. This type of behaviour is tantamount to invited guests trying

to oust their host. It is hardly surprising that the host should feel angry

and irritated. There have been other equally inciteful behaviour by the

Ibos in Port Harcourt that I will not go into here.

It is a fact of life in Port Harcourt that there are lots of businesses

owned by Ibos . It has also always been the case that people from Rivers

State as a whole used to go to Aba market to do their shopping. As anyone

who has recently driven to Aba market would testify, cars with Rivers State

number plates are now being discriminated against. The obvious method is to

restrict their parking or stop them parking anywhere near the market at all,

Ibo licensed cars have no such restrictions.

This type of discriminatory behaviour hardly engenders good relationships.

The question of whether Ikwerres are Ibos is a largely irrelevant one,
not

because it is not important, but because it is only a precursor to other

more serious questions. The question to be asked is why is there this sudden

need for Ikwerre to be ascribed Ibo status? The answer is that this is a

means of garnering support for the Ibo cause particularly for those

discussing secession. It is difficult if not nigh impossible for separatist

arguments to be expounded without the wealth generated by the oil rich

Rivers State being a major consideration.

The Ikwerre people for various reasons have been marginalized at the federal

level despite the wealth created for the nation in Ikwerre land. Without

going into the merits and demerits of secession, north-south divide or

whatever name is given to it, from an Ikwerre perspective would we fare

better under the Ibos . Would the Ikwerre situation be any better as a

minority under Ibo governance? I cannot in truth answer this question in the

affirmative.

Until the Ibos demonstrate that they value the Ikwerre not by rhetoric,

but in actuality, their comments and approaches should be viewed with

scepticism.

Chamberlein Eke*

*Eke in this instance is not an Ibo name (for those who are interested).

PS: Not all Ibos should be tarred with the same brush, so I apologise to the

innocent.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND SUNDRY

However, that is not the point. Whoever Eke is, if he chooses to call himself non-igbo i think that should be his prerogative. In the final analysis, it is up to the individual to lay claim to whatever affiliation he chooses, and this without giving reason to anyone.

We are talking of a Biafra of choice, and not by force. Should the ikwerre people, regardless of who they are or are not, choose to affiliate with the north or the west, that is their problem...

As we have stated earlier, we beg no one, we plead with no one, friend or foe; yes we seek a coalition, but with you or without you we will realise our dream.

In short no group of people, or individual is indispensible; yes we will all have to take a leap of faith, in that we work towards what we have not yet seen; we all have to hope, that this which we seek will be better than what we now see.

All this takes vision, I dont know if tyhe ikwerre have that vision? On the other hand, should they be so suspicious of "igbos" and "igbo domination", then, perhaps their participation in Biafra would not be a good thing. Maybe, they have to pursue some other goal for their self fulfillment, or content themselves with the status quo.

Suffice it that the Biafra will be a multiethnic society, with a secular democratic government, we have proposed a variety of confederal structures and protectorate status to independent peoples. We seek a egalitarian society which will respect the sanctity of human life, and provide equal opportunities to all its citizens, and also, 100% resource control for the communities.

Under such a structure how do you propose that the igbos will marginalise anyone?