"I wish the numbers of these Igbos be reduced…. There are too
many of them in the North. They are like sardines and I think they are just too
dangerous to the Region."
Below is an extract from the proceedings of the
Northern Region House of Assembly between February and March 1964, less than
four years after Nigeria’s independence from the British.
Mallam
Muhammadu Mustapha Mande Gyan: On the allocation of plots to Ibos or
allocation of stalls, I would like to advise the Minister that these people
know how to make money, and we do not know the way and manner of getting about
this business. We do not want Ibos to be allocated with plots. I do not want
them to be given plots...
Mallam
Bashari Umaru: I would like (you), as a Minister of Land and
Survey, to revoke forthwith all Certificates of Occupancy from the hands of the
Ibos resident in the Region... (Applause)
Mr.
A. A. Agogede: I’m very glad that we are in a Moslem country,
and the government of Northern Nigeria allowed some few Christians in the
region to enjoy themselves according to the belief of their religion, but
building of hotels should be taken away from the Igbos, and even if we find
some Christians who are interested in building hotels and do not have money to
do so, the government should aid them, instead of allowing Ibos to continue
with their hotels.
Dr.
Iya Abubakar (Special Member, Lecturer, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria): I
am one of the strong believers in Nigerian unity, and I have hoped for our
having a united Nigeria, but certainly if the present state of affairs
continues, I hope the government will investigate first the desirability and
secondly the possibility of extending Northernisation policy to the petty
traders.
(Applause)
Mallam
Mukhtar Bello: I would like to say something very important,
that the Minister should take my appeal to the Federal Government about the
Igbos in the post office. I wish the numbers of these Igbos be reduced…. There
are too many of them in the North. They are like sardines and I think they are
just too dangerous to the Region.
Mallam
Ibrahim Musa: Mr. Chairman, Sir. Well first and foremost,
what I have to say before this Hon. House is that we should send a delegation
to meet our Hon. Premier to move a motion in this very Budget Session that all
the Ibos working in the Civil Service of Northern Nigeria, including the native
authorities, whether they are contractors or not, should be repatriated at
once...
Mallam
Bashari Umaru: There should be no contracts either from the
government, native authorities, or private enterprises given to Ibo contractors
(Government Bench: Good talk and shouts of “Fire the
Southerners”).
Again, Mr. Chairman, the foreign firms too
should be given time limit to replace all Ibo in their firms by some other
people.
The
Premier (Alhaji the Hon. Sir Ahmadu Bello, K.B.E., Sardauna of Sokoto): It
is my most earnest desire that every post in the region, however small it is,
be filled by a Northerner
(Applause)
Alhaji
Usman Liman: What brought the Ibos into this region? They
were here since the colonial days. Had it not been for the colonial rule, there
would hardly have been any Ibo in this region. Now that there is no colonial
rule, the Ibos should go back to their region. There should be no hesitation
about the matter. Mr. Chairman, North is for Northerners, East for Easterners,
West for Westerners, and the Federation is for us all.
(Applause)
The
Minister of Land and Survey (Alhaji the Hon. Ibrahim Musa Cashash, O.B.E.):
Mr. Chairman. Sir, I do not like to take up much of the time of this House in
making explanations, but I would like to assure members that having heard their
demands about Ibos holding land in Northern Nigeria, my ministry will do all it
can to see that the demands of members are met. How to do this, when to do it,
all these should not be disclosed. In due course, you will all see what will
happen. (Applause)
- Culled
from M. O. Onyenakeya, "Igbos in Nigerian Politics", pp.30-32
Published on
13/04/2014 23:32
Greenwich Mean Time
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