The Hypocrisy Of Nigeria’s Ethnic Fissure

by Eromose Ileso

Its no longer news to hear about the continuous fault lines of Nigeria’s ethnic divisions. That much has been obvious from the very foundation of the country, even before its independence. That bitter ethnic division got to a head when the Nigerian civil war broke out in 1967. The domino effect of that conflict is still being felt by a session of the country.

However, in spite of the ethnic divisions prevalent in everything Nigerian, it is the hypocrisy of some of these divisions which fosters in the background that clearly shows that there is something imminently wrong with the disposition of some Nigerians. When it comes to mundane issues few play up the sentiments of the ethnic divisions, but when it comes to politics, it becomes a tool by which sections of the country have used to beat others from different regions.

Let us take a scenario which is common place in various homes of affluent Nigerians. In most home in Southern Nigeria, especially those of the wealthy, their security details especially those that man the gate to the entrance of some their mansions, are men who are of Northern extraction. Usually, you seldom see local indigenes who would be gate-men, so most of these jobs are left to those who are from the North. 

But when these same wealthy Nigerians play up the ethnic politics for their own selfish interest, they easily forget that they have a domestic staff that is from a part of the country they have completely vilified. It is a scenario that is being played out daily in the Nigeria society.

It doesn’t end there. In most places in Eastern Nigeria, people from Abakiliki, Ebonyi state used to be the domestic workers you find in most homes. But, as a result of the prevalence of some unsavoury experiences, where some of these workers and those that brought them connive to elope after the person has been paid for bringing such a domestic worker in question down from Ebonyi. 

As a result of this, some Easterners have gravitated towards people who come from the North as their domestic workers. As an instance, in Nnewi, Anambra State, there are a lot of domestic staffs who are from the North especially in Uru community. They were brought down by different persons. Most of them are brought in in their early teens. But at this domestic level, people seldom see through the ethnic divisions to bring in domestic staffs who are from the North into their homes, yet at the political stage, the ethnic sentiments is always played out as a theme to score a point which is never for the overall good of their constituents, but for their personal gains.

Besides, there are several wealthy Southern Nigerians who have little ranches where they rear cattles, because the Hausa-Fulani are the predominant people who deal with catering for livestock, they are employed in these ranches to carter for these animals. Again, this is prevalent locally.

In the North, there are some very conservative Muslims, who have core Christians from Southern Nigeria as their domestic staffs, some have cooks who are from Calabar, Cross River state. Others have chauffeurs who are from the South West. Yet, it is the same Nigerians from the North, who would fly the kite of “the born to rule” template of which some Northern elements and politicians have continually used to foster their interest.

The question then is why is it that the elites especially from the North are quick to play up ethnic sentiments when it comes to politics, but they seldom play up such sentiments in their private lives?

In early May, 2017, a friend who is a consultant gynecologist, told me about his experience where he did his national service in Sokoto. He mentioned a very core conservative Muslim whose children were attending a catholic school. One of the top schools in that area. But you ask yourself, such a person is comfortable doing this when it comes to taking strictly private decisions that concerns him and his family, but for some reason or another, when that same person gets to a position to take similar decision in national political circles, the religious and ethnic sentiments would be used to score a cheap point.

It is very clear that ethnic divisions is used by elitist Nigerians especially those from the North and many from the South to continue to subjugate certain sections of their political base so that they would perpetually be subservient to them. Time and again, issues that ought to be for the overall good of every Nigeria, is used to play ethnic politics.

As a result of this, certain laws that should have aided in the advancement of some key sectors of the Nigerian state have not seen the light of day because of this. 

In this instance is the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) this is a bill that would have completely overhauled the Nigerian oil and gas sector, but the bill has been held hostage by Northern elements in the National Assembly, because of the benefits that would have accrued to oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. Several sections of the bill had been watered down which has almost rendered useless the original intentions of the drafters of the bill. 

The fact that the bill has gone through several parliaments and still not seen the light of day, only goes to show that national interest is not of concern to most of those that represent the interest of Nigerians, rather it is pure personal interest. 

Most of the Northern interest that has lobbied for the bill not to pass over the years, have interest in the oil and gas sector, so in order to avoid a scenario where the PIB might alter certain benefits, it has consistently been opposed. Again it comes down to personal interest. 

The common man in the streets of Northern Nigeria, doesn’t know anything about the Petroleum Industry Bill. But their representatives at the National Assembly are the reason why the bill has not become an Act of parliament for fifteen years.

It is clear that when it comes to ethnic matters, the Nigerian political elite operate with double standards. They have one standard for political matters and another for their private lives. And the former is driven by private benefits despite it being premised on public matters.

This same scenario applies to most Nigerians outside the political sphere especially in their approach to ethnic issues.  

Benin City: A Cornerstone of Nissan Vanette

by Eromose Ileso

There are symbols that are synonymous to different cities around the world, that when they are mentioned, you could easily link them to the place such symbols are located. 

Sometimes, its akin to describing a Siamese twin. Along this line, it is easy to link the Statue of Liberty to New York City, the Eiffel Tower to Paris, the Big Ben to London, Great walls to China, The Taj Mahal to India, the Amazon rain forest to Brazil, the Pyramids to Egypt and the Third Mainland Bridge to Lagos.

These are symbols by which these aforementioned cities are known by. 

However, for some cities, there are other symbols that are in the background that have not gained much traction by way of being noticed by many, not because they are not there, but largely because, such have not seen as part of a symbol of the city.

In this instance is a symbol, though many might not see it that way, but it has become prevalent in the ancient city of Benin, the capital of Edo state, South-South Nigeria. One of the oldest cities in the world as recorded by Portuguese explorers’ when they visited in the 15^th century.

When Benin City is mentioned anywhere, it rich cultural history and customs copiously comes to light, with the evolution of the absolute nature of the old Benin Empire now subsumed within the framework of the Nigerian state. Yet, the city is more than that in its present state.

There is a dominant theme currently in every nook and corner of the city that everywhere you go within the local government councils that make up Benin; they are found everywhere, moving passengers and goods from one part and corner of the city to another. 

For decades now, they have taken centre stage as the dominant means of public transport in the city, as it is now the most used intra city means of transport by which people are conveyed. 

It is none other than the Nissan Vanette bus. From Ring Road to Oluku, New Benin to Upper Mission Extension, Ring Road to Siluko, Textile Mill Road to New Benin, New Benin to Isiohor, Murtala Muhammed Way (3^rd) to New Benin, Mission Road to New Benin, Medical Stores/Okhoro to New Benin, Ring Road to Ekenwan Barracks, Ugbiyoko to Ring Road, Ramat Park, Agbor Park to Ring Road and New Benin, Sapele Road to Ring Road and Saponba Road to Ring Road. The Nissan Vanette Bus is the dominant means of public transportation by which people move around within the city.

The bus usually takes a minimum of nine passengers and a maximum of ten passengers, if a driver decides to take two passengers at the front.

The reason why the bus is so common is not far-fetched. It efficiency and the fact that its popularity in the city means its spare parts are easily available and motor mechanics are within reach in the city to fix it when it breaks down.

Some of these buses are pleasing to the eyes, with sits that are comfortable and suiting on the buttocks, while others are rickety in nature with their exhaust akin to a chimney billowing smoke all over with the interiors and sits like a human who has lost its entire tooth due to old age.

These buses come in diesel or fuel engines. The ones with diesel engines have become more common because of the low combustion of a diesel engine when compared to fuel engines. 

However, the continuous rise in the price of diesel has made several drivers groan that they no longer make enough daily profit from driving as most of the monies goes into buying diesel. 

As a result of this, many of these drivers have had to cut short the route they run. Especially a route they see as too long. For instance, there were a bevy of buses that convey passengers to as far as Oluku, but most of them have had to reduce their driving time by using Isiohor as their last bus stop so that they can maximise the time they would have used to proceed to Oluku to move back to either Ring Road or New Benin to get more passengers. However, other drivers go as far as Oluku by increasing the bus fare by 50%.

There are thousands of Nissan Vanette buses in the city of Benin going by its dominant usage as the vehicle of choice for anybody that wants to venture into intra city transport in the city. 

In spite of its popularity, everything about its sales and spare-parts are largely in the hands of private individuals in Lagos which is so for obvious reasons, largely due to the fact that Lagos is a port city as well as the commercial capital of Nigeria. Still, the popularity of the buses in the city is enough selling point for there to be a Nissan service centre or as least one close to it in the city. Beyond what is currently available in the city.

Several brands cannot boast of such usage, but here, you have a motor brand that is second to none in the city, with the patronage for it so high that no week goes by without you not seeing at least one Nissan Vanette bus that has been added to the fleets that are all over the city.

However, one key thing to note is that these buses are not bought as new buses. Rather they come in as fairly used or ‘second hand/ direct Belgium’ as they are popularly called. 

They are mostly shipped down from Asia or Europe to Lagos like most vehicles in Nigeria before they find their way to Benin. Yet, in spite of the fact that these vehicles don’t come in as new fleets, the sheer number of it in the city is enough for the owners of the brand to site a centre within the city that would be a rallying point by way of an incentive to dedicated users.

Ironically, the most popular brands of buses for intercity transport in Nigeria are the Toyota buses. Which virtually all transport companies have in their hundreds, where they possess the usage of Nissan buses, it is not as common as the Toyota buses. But, the Nissan Vanette bus has found a place within the hearts and mind of intra city transporters in the city of Benin.

It is a feature that one can add to the several unique features that are linked to the city of Benin whenever it is mentioned. You could be at Ring Road about to board a bus to the University of Benin Main gate, when you look around, all you see are Nissan Vanette buses, it is the same when you are in New Benin, those that are conversant with the city, might not have been conscious of it, all over, in the yellow and brown colours with which they are painted, they are common place like water is to fishes.

When next you find yourself in Benin City, besides the taxi cabs that are available for hire, you could just find yourself being conveyed from wherever you are to your destination sandwiched within other passengers either at the front, middle or back sit of a Nissan Vanette bus.