Which Way, Ndigbo? (2)
By Ichie Tiko Okoye
Before those whose regular trademark is to argue rather than debate topical issues showcase their prosaic apoplectic malady with vitriolic abuses and infantile ad hominem arguments’ let me hasten to declare right from the outset that I do not claim to be the repository of all wisdom. Igbo elders say that wisdom is like a goatskin bag with each individual carrying his own. A similar adage posits that there are more than one way to travel from Onitsha to Abuja.
And while it remains an incontrovertible fact that there are indeed many ways of travelling from Onitsha to Abuja, one would expect the rational traveller to diligently ascertain which of the ways would be most effective, say in terms of pricing, and efficient, say in terms of safety, comfort and duration. I’m hoping that that my piece elicits the same intelligent, robust interrogation.
It bears repeating that while Ndigbo have remained giants in trade and commerce, we have pitiably regressed to Lilliputians in politics since the end of the civil war. It would appear that our proclivity for profitable commercial ventures with a short gestation have engendered a zero-tolerance for medium- and long-term strategic thinking. Everything has to happen ‘in-the-now’!
