Kasirim Nwuke's emerging ethnic entity.
Kevin Ani
is "Dr" O. K. Nwuke Igbophobic? (Moe, 27/11/98). Out of the same
discussion, a consensus has emerged among Ndiigbo that Nwuke not
only harbours an Igbo problem but also that he is an archetypal
Igbophobe. Indeed, the evidence from his personal profile
presents us with a model case.
1. Like Beeson Kenule Saro-Wiwa and Isaac Adaka Boro, Kasirim
Nwuke spent his early life among Ndiigbo with whom he had his
education. It is also known that one of his relatives held a
senior position in Dr Okpara's government of the former
eastern region. Predictably and like other Igbophobes before
him, he has turned around, spurned the hospitality and
generosity of Ndiigbo and set himself the task of dismantling
the Igbo nation and replacing it with his unnamed emergent
ethnicity. This was precisely what Isaac Boro and Saro-Wiwa did:
use and abuse the open society of Ndiigbo.
2. To digress, consider the case of Anthony Enahoro a man
rescued from obscurity by Zik who made him the editor of one of
his newspapers. The same Anthony Enahore turned around and
justified the official policy of starvation which killed over a
million Igbo children. As a minister for information under
Yakubu Gowon, between 1967-70, he played a key role in
concealing the massacre of Igbo civilians by Gowon's army. When
a team of international observers arrived in Nigeria to
investigate a massacre at Iselle Ukwu, they were misled and
taken to Iselegu several kilometres from the massacre scene!
3. Back to Kasirim Nwuke. In his latest outing, Nwuke blames umuigbo for
the failure of Nigerian lawyers to secure employment in big corporations
in America. I am not entirely sure that this fellow understands the
full implications of this statement. Here is a man who claims
to hold a P.hD but has not grasped the elementary civics concepts
of stereotyping, scapegoating, stigma and self-fulfilling
prophecy. Thus in just one stroke of his poisoned pen, Kasirim
Nwuke has advanced anti-Igboism a notch further in to the international
arena. In essence, from now henceforth, any Nigerian who attends an
interview and fails to secure a job will consider not only his/her
performance at interview and issues around suitability in terms of
personspecifications but also the Igbo factor: did the Igbo ruin his/her
chances? If this is not a clear case of incitement to racial
hatred, what is?
4. Where to locate Nwuke in contemporary Igbo ethnic matrix?
Kasirm Nwuke represents a dying variant in the post-Biafran
strategic behaviour of a section of the elite in the southern
Igbo areas: backward, opportunist and fickle. We recall that
Elechi Amadi, the other exponent of emergent ethnicity sent his
writing career on a downward spiral by claiming that he was not
Igbo. He confounded reviewers, critics and readers who could
make no sense of his work without reference to his original source:
Igbo mythology. Everyone consequently ignored Amadi who sank deeper
and deeper into obscurity. In one recent litrary event in Port
Harcourt chaired by Amadi, no one turned up to the utter
embarrassment of the state governor's representative. However,
efforts are now being made by Ebele Eko, an Igbo to rehabilitate him.
It is heartening that despite Nwuke and other misguided souls in
the area, efforts are being made to rebuild intra-Igbo
cohesion` by individuals and organisations such as Prof.
Nwonodi, Eze Nwoluchem and Ogbako Ikwerre. The issues of Igbo cohesion
have gained more urgency in the light of the Ijaw expansionist agenda
in the delta which threaten to swallow Ikwere homeland itself.
Thanks to these efforts, even coach routes (Ekene, ABC,
The Young Shall Grow, Osondu etc) which heretofore terminated at
Aba are now being extended to Port Harcourt. At the same time,
Igbo broadcasters based in Owerre, Enugu, Obosi, Umuahia,
Asaba, Awka, Abakaliki etc. continue to provide news, music and
enterainment in Igbo (Oge Ndiigbo, Ekene Umu Nwanyi, Ekene Ndia
Afia/Ahia etc) to ordinary Ikwerre folks living in Omagwa, Ogbogoro,
Isiokpo, Elele, Aluu etc., the same Igbo programmes denied them
in their own state media by Nwuke and his emergent ethnicists.
This is why we regard Nwuke's current views as ungrounded, fossilised
and even silly. At best, Nwuke is a quasi-intelligent man with
thoroughly misguided ideas.
4. Why bother with Nwuke at all? Kasirim Nwuke must be checkmated.
Within the past few days, he has unmasked himself as a man with an
Igbo problem. I personally feel that these our discussions have served
to draw him out more and more. Perhaps, he has nothing new to add but
gutter sneer. Therefore, our task now is to analytically oppose him
left, right and centre. Why?
5. Because in the 1950s and 60s, our elders sat and watched while
some sick individuals carefully constructed and nurtured a
theory of Igbo domination. A statement made by justice Onyeama
over a drink at Ikoyi Club was raised into an official Igbo national
policy. Ironsi was blamed for Decree 34 even though Ndiigbo were
a minority in his cabinet, Nzeogwu was accused of advancing Igbo
hegemony even though he did not consult Ndiigbo before his coup.
It was the theory of Igbo domination that eventually provided
the justifying ideology for the genocide that followed.
Therefore when 50,000 Igbo men, women and children were killed
in a despicable pogrom, when additional 1 million children were
officially starved to death, when all males above the age of
ten years were executed at Asaba, people shrugged these off
saying that the all-dominating Igbo deserved it.
6. It is clear that Ndiigbo of this generation will not sit
back and watch Kasirim Nwuke reconstructs any anti-Igbo theory
of any sort whether in cyberspace or anywhere. This is why he should be
isolated, bottled up and ostracised. Nwuke has nothing new to contribute
to the understanding of the Igbo question but he needs the audience to
test out his bizarre construct which are devoid of any historical
grounding. He must be denied that audience which he so desperatly needs
to advance his anti-Igbo views. This is precisely what Ndi Yoruba did.
7. Not long ago, the same Kasirim Nwuke attempted to sow seeds
of self-doubt among the Yorubas in the thread " Ethnic Vs Geographical
Identity (Ekenlor Idi 03/9/98). He was basically told to shut up and
take his theory elsewhere since a Yorubaman is a Yorubaman whether from
Igbomina, Ijebu, Ekiti or Ijesha. One Yorubaman wrote:
Kasirim...the entire premise of your latest adventure
is entirely wrong... Olufemi Joseph is a Yoruba...not
a southwesterner or any geographical label"
Kasirim Nwuke appears to have found a new home for his decadent views in
the open society of the Igbo nation. No way!
--
Kevin Ani
kasirim nwuke
> Kevin:
>
> harder and he would never venture to try you again. I, for one, does not
> subscribe to decorum in this instance. I have been provoked enough to spew
> out every vulgar language I know to respond to Kasiriya Nwuke. Since
> joining Igbonet, which has been over two years now, all I have read from
> this dog have been mean spirited. I mean this guy does not wish ndiigbo
> well. He is totally consumed in his drive to destroy us. He should know
> better.
> If you would agree with me, let us ostracize the mf. We have spent more
> Rgds,
> Magnus
Mr. Ekwueme:
First, you must mind your tenses.
Second, I hope the Ekwueme children are not as uncouth, as unpolished, as
raw, and as provincial as you are.
Good bye.
okn
---
Magnus I. Ekwueme
Very thoughtful indeed. There is nothing more to add. But I must add that
time has passed when Jesus advised that when you are slapped to turn the
other cheek. This time, as we have learnt, when some slaps you, slap him
harder and he would never venture to try you again. I, for one, does not
subscribe to decorum in this instance. I have been provoked enough to spew
out every vulgar language I know to respond to Kasiriya Nwuke. Since
joining Igbonet, which has been over two years now, all I have read from
this dog have been mean spirited. I mean this guy does not wish ndiigbo
well. He is totally consumed in his drive to destroy us. He should know
better.
If you would agree with me, let us ostracize the mf. We have spent more
time than necessary arguing with him. Can we now cut this off and never to
respond to him even if he presents his mother for a peace offering on this
square. Let us assume, as in the days of yore, to have thrown him into the
evil forest and can never be communicated with by any nwa afo igbo. Ofo!
Rgds,
Magnus
Paul "Akeedy" Ezeji
Kevin Ani <ebony...@nigerpress.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<VxVE6BAO...@nigerpress.demon.co.uk>...
> Re: Kasirim Nwuke's emerging ethic entity:
> Mazi Ani
I must have to doff my hat for your ever interesting, informative erudition
especially on the vexing issues concerning the indomitable Ndi Igbo.
Nothwithstanding, I would advice that you tred softly on certain misguided
efulefus in our midst. Don't forget that this being (the object of your ire
)confused as he seems to be about his self worth bears an Igbo name either
by some accident of history or a deliberate effort on the part of his
parents to identify with the best and powerful. Yes! Ndi Igbo are not given
to disowning their own no matter how recalcitrant or misinformed. I believe
this is a cardinal principle in our world view.
If Nwuke does not seem to know of his heritage at this age why split so
much hairs about his confused albeit peurile utterraces. The best we can do
for him is to patiently and carefully process him through some historical
mill. I will assure you that with time he will understand and appreciate
the greatness of the name he bears. The time is too short, the hour is
late, and the businees is urgent for any Igbos to be distracted from the
prize.
By the way could you find out if this son of ours is one of the nouveaux
riches (freebooters?) in those parts not unpredictably spurned by the
overflow of abandoned property freebies. Hey keep the eyes on the prize my
friend. Like the redoubtables we are, "we (Ndi Igbo) shall overcome some
day." We love you.
'Nwanne Ezeji: ez...@gte.net
Magnus I. Ekwueme
You ain't seen me yet. I can be as nice as anybody you know but when all
niceties do not work,
I go show the face wey I dey use shit. And I can be very ugly. Why will
the rest of this square face a buffoon like you for so long as if we do not
have anything important to discuss. Make we begin worry about some Karirim
Nwuke? Gafara! I bughi onye Igbo. I likighi ndiigbo. All fine and dandy
but f---off Igbonet. Keep your hatred in your heart and I will be watching
the obituary for you're a--. Onye na-achu okuko abughi nke ya, (and with
bad intentions) never fails to fall shamefully. And all you will pick up is
chicken droppings.
Ekwueme family is a fine one but we do not go down on anybody. Especially
the likes of you.
O nwere ihe nwata ga-eme, e lefuo anya. Mana o mekaria (too much) a juo nne
ya ajuju. She would then have to explain where her child came from. Or is
this a case of a kwuru oto tuwa nwanyi ime, o muo ihe atubaghi anya. You
have a major problem that only you can help yourself.
Ndiigbo enweghi oge for you. Having read you call all the shrines in
Igboland (please do not bother explaining how you got to know them) I am
sure you will get what I am telling you here. The Igbo, ingligbo, Haas,
broken and all. Why all the venom coming from you all these years?
My gut is telling me that you must have had a bad experience with an Igbo
person in your life and you are having problems coming to terms with
yourself. You will be doing yourself a big favor by going home and
consulting a "home psychologist" so that you can be taken to a shrine and be
cleansed of all that is torturing your soul.
I never wished anybody ill in my life. I will not wish you anything I would
not wish myself but I am getting to the point where OKN nauseates me. And I
am not one to keep quiet relying on my delete button all the time because by
so doing you will be infringing on my rights to enjoy Igbonet.
Dem never born you to do dat, period.
I wish you well,
Magnus
kasirim nwuke
You have a non-Igbo firstname. Does that make you a non-Igbo.
Why is it that the loudest noise about Nddigbo comes from those of you
with non-Igbo names. Is there a problem here?
I couldn't read a lot of what you wrote.
With respect to your "delete" key, I ask you: what is it for? Is it for
deleting mail? Why does it bother you that you use it? You will eventually
delete all the mail whether you read them or not, won't you? If that is
the case, why would anyone be interested in hearing that you are using
your "delete" key?
Anyroads please move on. I have moved on.
All I want your ilk to understand is that I shall not sit by and watch you
malign the Ikwerre, the Etche, the Ogba, the Ahoada, the Obio, the Ogoni,
the Eleme, and Rivers State. No. I won't. I will fight it out with those
of you who have made these people your football and who in your writings
and pronouncements have not shown these people a smidgen of respect.
I know that a majority of Igbo--netters do agree with and do not endorse
your supercilious attitude towards these people. When the behaviour of the
likes of you provoke retaliatory responses from the Etche, Ikwerre etc -
you rise and scream Igbophobia (what reason is there to be Igbophobic?) -
and you forget the role you played in the delivery of the acrimony.
Respect begets respect. The left hand washes the right hand just as the
right hand washes the left hand.
No, I will not sit idly by.
okn
----
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
not the most intelligent: it is the one that is most
adaptable to change." (Darwin)
ebony...@nigerpress.demon.co.uk
>
> This sort of exchange confirms our worst fears about the educability of
> quota-generated and educationally disadvantaged P.hDs. To make life
> easier for you, let us in this concluding piece lower the level of
> abstraction.
>
> 1. Here is our erudite scholar, a man well versed in general equilibrium
> and institutional anyalyses but who fails to grasp the influence of non-
> economic factors in the spatial distribution of economic activities on
> the ground. Under his very nose and unknown to him, a dual economy has
> been created in Port Harcourt based on the ethnicisation of political
> economy. One economy based in the old PH township is backward and
> permanenently depressed, the other based on the Diobu axis is modern,
> robust and forward-looking. Of course, our dear scholar rarely visits
> his beloved Old Port Harcourt Province.
>
> Now, between 1970 and 1990, anyone travelling to the West or North from
> Port Harcourt would need to go to Aba, Owerre or Onitsha to board a
> coach. If profit was the primary motive, how come our great minority
> economists and entrepreneurs did not see fit to provide this service?
>
> 2. Having vulgarised the political economy of his own town, our erudite
> scholar now turns to Igbo history. In seeking to vulgarise history and
> histriography itself, our man ignores all the known rules of academic
> discussion. Pray, isn't it the case that any one who seriously wishes to
> contribute to a discussion will carefully review previous contributions,
> identify gaps in existing knowlege and then make a contribution that
> will advance knowledge? Are our quota-system-generated and
> educationally- disadvantaged P.hDs also exempted from this simple ground
> rule?
>
> If they are not exempted, then please note that there are numerous well-
> researched sources on Igbo origin which any serious-minded enquirer
> would read before making a public outing on the subject. But what do you
> know, our man has no qualms about making an embarrasing public statement
> on a topic that is clearly beyond his scope. In one outrageous public
> display of ignorance he asks: what/who is Nri? Haba Nwuke!
>
> 3. Our erudite minority scholar is also adept at convoluted logic. This
> man saw fit to make a sweeping statement about the whole Igbo people who
> he said misrepresented themselves and were responsible for Nigerians not
> obtaining employment in big firms in the USA. The same man saw fit to
> protest the "autonomy" of his own family members in order to shield them
> from the consequences of his unguarded utterances. Too late. Sir, when
> next you think of labelling Ndiigbo as a whole, think also of the
> undesirable consequences to yourself your family and immediate relatives
> of such utterances. No be you say you be oga, na why you de run?
>
> 4. Next and in the manner of the archtypal Igbophobe, our man goes on to
> gleefully celebrate what he calls Igbo on Igbo violence in Owerre, Enugu
> etc. (His mentor Ken Saro-Wiwa similarly celebrated the pogrom and the
> Biafran war claiming that Ndiigbo needed a baptism of fire!).
> Apparently, Kasirim Nwuke is blissfully unaware of the carnage in Obio,
> Akpor, Emohua areas in his very village which rages on as we write,
> producing casualties by the minute. So Igbo on Igbo violence is not
> confined to Enugu, Aba and Owerre. Regrettable isn't it?.
>
> 5.Now, our man completely bereft of grounded ideas resorts to the
> culture of abuse. Please note that we have so far responded to you in a
> dignified and measured language deliberatly pitched to match the level
> of discourse. It can be worse, but I leave it to those to whom the
> culture of abuse rightly belongs. Remember:
>
> "Subject: kasirim the puppy.
> From: Banji Ayiloge <imo...@USA.PIPELINE.COM>
>
> Mr. O. Kasirim Nwuke,
> In Love with your name?. Use the upper case characters for the
> first letters, I still will not give it to a family pet that I am fond
> off. I am blessed me with enough children each with beautiful Yoruba
> name that has meaning. However, I saw a stray puppy at a little town in
> New Jersey today. It looked so unkept, so underfed to an extent that I
> was considering calling the local A.S.P.C. A to rescue it. I am changing
> mind, I am going back tomorrow to adopt the puppy and I will name it
> kasirim nwuke".
>
> 6. To end this CONCLUDING piece, I shall suggest a reading list for Mr
> Kasirm Nwuke. If this bloke wishes to be taken seriously, he will do
> well to read and digest these books before he spews out further trash
> on the Igbo question and subject himself to further public ridicle. I
> suggest that we appoint an examination panel to ensure that he
> understands what he is talking about before we lift the sanction of
> silence imposed on him. E jikwala history Ndigbo egwu egwu, ma obu mee
> ihe umuaka. O.K.
>
> 7. Reading List for Kasirim Nwuke.
>
> 1. Afigbo, A, E. (1981) Ropes of Sand: Studies in Igbo History and
> Culture. London: Oxford University Press.
>
> 2. Jones, G. I. (1982) Ibo Arts. Bucks: Shire Ethnography.
>
> 3. Ohadike, D. C. (1994) Anioma: A Social History of the Western Igbo
> People. Athens: Ohio University Press.
>
> 4. Onwuejeogwu, M, A. (1977) Patterns of Population Movement in Igbo
> Culture Area. Odinani Vo.2 pp21-37.
>
> 5. Onwuejeogwu, M, A. (1980) An Igbo Civilisation: Nri Kingdom and
> Hegemony. London: Ethnographica.
>
> 6. Oriji, J. N. (1990) Traditions of Igbo Origins: A study of pre-
> colonial population movements in Africa. American Universities Studies,
> Series Xi, Anthropology and Sociology. (This work covers all aspects of
> Igbo origins including the link between Ikwerre and Igbere, the latest
> Kasirique fascination).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In message <Pine.A32.3.96.981128...@acs6.bu.edu>,
> kasirim nwuke <na...@bu.edu> writes
> >Kevin Ani:
> >
> >This was a very entertaining piece. Please bring out the bazzookas and
> >ogbunigwes.
> >
> >Plse you should know whereof you speak. I DID NOT GO TO SCHOOL IN WHAT
> >YOU REFER TO AS IGBOLAND. I did not. So, when you make your claims,
> >think twice.
> >
> >I will challenge you as I have challenged others. If you love Ndiigbo so
> >much please tell us one single thing that you have done for them. Tell us
> >just one thing to which you have commited yourself to change. You spend
> >all your time looking for imaginary enemies and branding people, leaving
> >aside that which needs your undivided attention.
> >
> >You have no other objective other than to clamber on to political power on
> >the back of a misdirected ethnic chauvinism. You, Nigeria's emerging
> >Miolsevics and Tudjmans must be stopped.
> >
> >You see how little your mind is. I care not to know about any members of
> >your family. I care not to know what they did. But little minds. When
> >you have nothing important to say, you.... very uncouth.
> >
> >It pains me that you think that the extension of Ekene, the Young etc to
> >Port Harcourt is philantropy or charity. Port Harcourt is the CENTER of
> >economic activity in eastern Nigeria. Any sharp-eyed business person
> >knows that.
> >
> >I have dared you to produce evidence, just a scintilla of evidence of
> >igbophobia or whatever. None of you has come up with one except inane and
> >nonsensical assertions and conclusions not supported by facts. Facts, my
> >friend, facts. Present them. Where are they?
> >
> >Look here, can you present to me just one single oral tradition shared by
> >ALL the people you assert belong to an igbo NATION? The claim of an Igbo
> >nation - I hope you understand my concept of nation - is false. I contend
> >that such a NATION never existed. An Igbo identity never existed. That
> >is why an Ohaji man will refer to an Nkwerre man as Onyeigo and the Owerre
> >man will refer to an Ogidi man as an Ijegebe. Just as a Yoruba identity
> >never existed. In my view. An Oyo identity did exist. These language
> >based-ethnicities are emerging ethnicities, what I will call an
> >administrative contrivance of the British. Prior to the advent of the
> >British, people did NOT SOCIALIZE into the identities we now seek to
> >impose on them. There was the family, then village, and clan identity.
> >And that was it. So, if you want to MAKE a nation, then you must be
> >respectful of those whose sense of themselves is still different from
> >yours and be sensitive to their sensibilities. That is all that is
> >required of you.
> >
> >This is my argument. If you have a rebuttal plse present. Tell the
> >boundaries of that Igbo nation that existed long before the Portuguese
> >came. What were its mythologies? Did it have any shared gods? If there
> >ever existed a nation in the territory of what today is eastern Nigeria
> >how come slaves taken from that territory preserved very little of what
> >was theirs?
> >
> >I know these are questions that most you will rather not hear. And before
> >you uncork and begin to fire, note that I am using "eastern Nigeria".
> >
> >Now, man go engage yourself elsewhere. If you love Ndiigbo so much, there
> >is more than enough work for you. okn is the least of your troubles.
> >Indeed, he is not your problem.
> >
> >Consider what is happening in Owerre - Otokoto. Consider what is
> >happening in Aba. Then the shoot out between factions of the PDP in
> >Enugu. Igbos killing Igbos. Igbo on Igbo violence. That my friend should
> >concern you. Not an inconsequential like me.
> >
> >Now, let me repeat, I did not go to school in East Central State. I was in
> >Enugu on vacation when I ran into Dr. Ibiam at the ECBS studio.
> >
> >Finally, while at it, could you please tell me what "Igbo" means?
> >
> >Now, let us keep the exchange civil. You are dealing with me, okn. Not
> >with any members of my family. I hope that you are sufficiently well
> >brought up to respect their autonomy. As for me, I do not care to know
> >about members of your family. I am dealing with YOU and YOU alone. OK?
> >
> >
> >Thank you.
> >
> >okn
> >---
> >
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Kevin Ani
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Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 23:01:07 -0500 (EST)
From: kasirim nwuke <na...@bu.edu>
To: Kevin Ani <ebony...@nigerpress.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Kasirim Nwuke's emerging ethnic entity.
In-Reply-To: <Iq3DiAAp...@nigerpress.demon.co.uk>
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Kevin Ani:
Entertaining reading as usual. Nonsensical as always.
I am a quota-generated san six pass holder. I claim neither
intelligence nor erudition.
But one thing you and your ilk must understand is this: I will be at with
you as long as you continue to show scant respect to my people. Write
whatever pleases you. Call me whatever names come to your lips. I will
stand up to you and I will recruit others to join me in this struggle.
Your belligerence and disrespect must stop.
About Igbo-phobia, can you give me one reason why I should have a phobia
for the Igbos? Just give me one damn reason.
o. kasirim nwuke
---------------
> --
> Kevin Ani
>
-----------------------------(+Nw(ES(Ayp)-----------------------------
--
Kevin Ani