It has been generally misconceived that ethnicity is the bane of Nigeria Development. It is against this background that the Special Adviser to Niger State Governor on Inter tribal matters, HON OBA GEORGE DIKE reacts to set the record straight as enunciated in the interview below.
ACHIEVERS FOCUS
Nigeria as a country in the recent time is embattled by numerous challenges especially unity which constitutes monumental threat to ethnic progress and development. what is your take on this?
GEORGE DIKE
What I have to say is that am a black man and we claim that civilizations started in Africa. At least, the first homosapiens were sighted in Africa but I can not see that pioneering status play out in terms of cultural revolution or people having aspirations of full humanity and development.
While other continents are gaining values, Africa is retrogressing, corruption is getting worse, and things are getting terrible.
To blame it on inter or Intra ethnic competition or competitiveness, is getting it wrong. Poverty is united as wealth is also united.
The wealthy have a way of organizing themselves into a community, leaving the poor and down trodden at the dregs of society.
Therefore, I see unity in wealth and unity in poverty; not ethnic rivalry.
I have been living in Minna for over 42 years as an Igbo man. I have never experienced any threat of marginalization or ethnicity.
I walked up the ladder into my present class and I want many of us to do the same .
It is that journey of walking up the ladder that constitutes the problem for the black man and not the issue of unity. “Are we going to eat unity?,” In all these, the constant phrase that “we are not united” is very funny.
For instance, the economy is presently bitting hard and Governments are doing their best both at the State and Federal levels to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
If you look at the present Government, especially at the state level, we shall discover that it is doing everything possible to achieve the necessary investments in the Industrial sector, social Infrastructure, Educational Development and in ICT research etc.
Construction is going on everywhere in Niger State, more than that has ever happened. Roads, drainages and other Infrastructure are presently receiving attention, including investment revolution in the Agricultural sector and in several other areas.
This, I believe will go a long way to addressing the challenges we are confronting today as a Country.
Assuming things have been done deligently as is now moving, we should be talking about 30 years of Agricultural and Infrastrural revolution in Niger State.
Therefore, we are hoping and praying that the Government in power can stay long enough to be able to achieve something different for the Masses.
Let’s forget about this issue of ethnicity, I don’t notice it.
For instance, when you are trading, those who patronize or work with you are not necessarily your tribesmen.
To be candid with you, Nigerians are very good people and are not interested in this ethnicity you people are talking about.
Perhaps, it suits certain people’s own story to hold on to ethnicity as a bane of industrialization, but it can not be.
Development and Academics do not know where you come from. You can go to Benue State University, FUT Minna and become the best student in your respective area of studies irrespective of your tribe or religion. It is a question of hard work and your God-given talent.
Ordinarily, Africans are related in one way or the other.
For instance, an Hausa man in one way or the other may have a relationship by blood with Igbo or Yoruba. If you talk about the origin of Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba we all come from the same Kwa language group.
If you go to US now, they will tell you that you are all Africans. This means that, there is something common in us.
Therefore, I don’t care about or discuss ethnicity it means nothing to me.
There are over 350 ethnic groups in Nigeria. Can we have 350 discussions on unity? It is not possible.
Therefore, let’s dissolve into a zero ethnicity discussion. All I want is for a Nigerian to proudly say I am a Nigeria.
ACHIEVERS FOCUS
Within the 43 years of your stay in Minna, you have been able to walk into the elite class of the Society. How did you successfully confront the challenges on your way to greatness.
GEORGE DIKE
The difference in class is that of the mindset; that is what I do tell people. It is where you want yourself to be that you will be. It is as simple as that.
I came to Minna as as a Youth copper, but my parents and the Nigeria Government sent me to school.
Education was free when I went to school and am grateful to the Nigeria State.
To the Nigeria of my own generation, there was no way a Youth copper would exhaust or finish within a month what the Federal Government pays him/ her as Monthly allowee. Then , if you wore a copper’s uniform, you would see someone that would carry you from Minna to Onitsha, Anambra State capital without collecting a kobo from you.
It is in view of this, I appeal to the Government of the day to do their assessment, and find out what would be enough as a Minimum wage vis a vis budgetary provision.
Walking up the class means working hard. According to Prof. Jerry Gana, If you are a copper, “copper well”, if you are a trader “trade well”. Even if it is sand that you are supplying, have some integrity and deligence in it.
Meanwhile, I agree that my Generation of yester years will not be the same with the generation of today. Things were much easier during our days . “It was very easy for us secured jobs with NNPC, CBN and different Multi- national Companies .”
Moreso, car loans were very easy to access during our time.
For instance, you may be given #4800 as a loan to buy a car worth #5300. All what you needed to do was to add a little to it.
Of course, there were few people in the Society then. Nigeria had just few Universities and Polytechnics during that period .
Today, we have a lot of Higher Institutions without the corresponding infrastructure to accommodate their Students.
Although, some Governors especially Niger State have commenced a massive investment in the area of Infrastructure, Agriculture, Human Capital Development and Social Interventions programmes like payment of school fees for students within and outside the country. All facets of the Economy are being treated in line with the Niger model.
I hope other States within the country will develop a Niger Model: This will go along way to help our society.
Therefore, walking up the ladder will be natural. It is an ascendancy, from step one to step two and so on. It is a human factor.
Everybody walking hard in the society should be able to attain the elite class ; It is not exclusive.
You were small yesterday and you may be average today while tommorrow you can be big. Economic resources or resourcefulness is not the only factor somebody can use to measure development.
You can measure how happy your people are and their safety. All these insecurity were not there during our growing up days, we sleep outside and most times we forgot to lock our cars.
Nevertheless, we have hope that the likes of the Niger State Governor who is working hard will change the Narratives.