Thread by @Chxta

I've read a lot of the back and forth with respect to @AfamDeluxo's suggestion that @nwanyi_ocha be made a commissioner in @CCSoludo's government.

At first glance, it looked to me like it was harmless banter, so I was shocked by what I can only describe as racism that followed.

To be honest, though, those who say that Afam wouldn't have made that suggestion if she was ethnically a non-Igbo Nigerian, or even from another country in #Africa, probably have a point.

But that point, whatever it is, does not remove the fact that Nwanyi Ocha has immersed herself in Igbo culture, and done everything to promote it.

That on its own deserves recognition if she so desires, an ambassadorship of sorts wouldn't be out of place.

But this thread is not about today's Nwanyi Ocha palaver, but about something that it's a symptom of - the fact that Igbo people tend to be exclusionary, rather than inclusive in our behaviour.

We do it all the time.

Remember when Ochendo became governor in Abia, and one of his first points of action was to tell Imo people working in the Abia state civil service to leave.

What two groups in ani Igbo are closer than Abia and Imo?

This is the root of the issue, and you see it, e.g, in the habit of laughing at the so-called "Lagos Igbos" such as @nicholasibekwe when they try to speak the language.

This exclusionary behaviour ends up pushing away a good number of people who could be useful to ani Igbo.

Madu adi anọ na ikpere mmiri welu asọ na akwo aka.

We have access to all of these human resources, but because of a certain kind of behaviour, we chase them away.

Rather than band together as one big Igbo family so as to become stronger, we spend too much time sniping at each other and trying to determine who is more Igbo than the other.

A fool's errand if you ask me.

Anuohia na eji osisi ako oko mana madu na agwa nwanne ya ko ya oko.

Ọ bụ otu okwu m na-agụ ndị Yoruba anyaụfụ maka ya.

N'ihu anyị, @AO1379 jere ozi dịka onye ọrụ government na Lagos, wee bụrụ comissioner na Ekiti.

Enwere m ike ije ozi na Anambra wee bụrụ commissioner na Abia?

Eneke si na kemgbe dinta ji muta mgbagbu na ofu mgba, ọ muta ife ma adaghi n'ani.

We need to change up if we are to progress. There is no other way. Our culture needs to become more inclusive.