I say No

If I say that I am not worried about what is going on in our country presently then I’d be a liar. It scares the living daylight out of me when I think of what we are toying with. I only wish that some of our people will see the danger too and tread with caution.

How did we get here? Whatever happened to living in peace? I have seen and heard of all sorts of videos making the rounds today from both sides of the aggrieved parties and I ask, why is there so much hate? 

Hmm…the only war I have experienced was the famous Enugu riot by students of University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, I was in primary school and was meant to leave with other pupils who lived nearby after the students came to warn the school about what was going to happen. They felt responsible for us because we were in the same campus as them; they had to protect us.

I saw it as an opportunity to witness an interesting activity, I had no clue, I hid from teachers and my older siblings who thought I had gone with another group. There was no time for pickups and most pupils had to find their way home.

When the war started, I thought I was dead and gone with my first inhalation of the tear-gas; I passed out severally. I wasn’t sure I would make it back home safely till I saw my mother crying in the crowd and obviously looking for me. It was such a relief when she found me, she had a towel and a bottle of water; she kept on wetting the towel and cleaning my face with it. She did it to keep me stable because I passed out over and over again. After that experience, I developed a phobia for war movies and kept having nightmares of being in a war front. 

I had forgotten all about that infamous riot till I came across Chimamanda Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun”. That extra ordinary book brought back sad memories of the riot again; I even went to the cinema to see a movie version of the book and ended being more terrified of the war.

I don’t want to delve into marginalisation and victimisation of a certain tribe which I happen to belong to. Call me a coward or a traitor, but I choose to keep mum and I have my reason. Those whose voices carry weight should do the talking and not the plebeians, those in authority, the politicians, Government appointees, men and women of God who have the opportunity to speak and be heard. Definitely not me and not you!

If anything serious happens and I am required to leave this Lagos, how will I start the journey and where will I run to with my five boys. There is no light in my Lokpanta and so I will not be able to watch my television round the clock. Onitsha is too close to the bridge and so they will easily catch up with those of us running for our dear lives.

Hmmm.. I say it again, war is not the solution, it has never been and will never be! Some people now want me to believe that I am hated because I am Igbo. Do I believe this? Not even for one second. I am who I am and I have no regrets whatsoever, or, one regret, I should have been taller and able to eat anything I want without adding any weight. Lol. Those aside, I am proud to be a real nwa afo Igbo girl with my Igbotic nature; I can’t change that fact so I live with it.

I can boast like this in my space here, I doubt I will say this in Jos, Kano, Kaduna or any Nothern state, I would have changed my name to Zainab a long time ago if I was living in the North and also learnt how to cover my hair appropriately. Sharply.lol

Just as I am enjoying this my peaceful Lagos, (Yes oh, Lagos is suddenly the most peaceful state) A Yoruba customer in the market told her friend, "don't mind these Igbo boys, they are not to be trusted". Later on someone tells me to beware of the Yorubas. Why all these hate talks? It's ridiculous and my sister I will not be mindful of anybody in particular just because of tribe.

One more thing, please do not make any hate speeches around me, my left hand sometimes moves involuntarily.

Human minds function alike, serial killers can come from anywhere and saints can also come from any tribe or race. All my Yoruba friends are nice to me except one person (and that person knows who that person is)lol.

That said, I like to state that my name is now Amaka Olufunke Zainab Something. I am fully Wazobia and I say no to Unlawful Killings and Hate Speeches.