First written in 4th November 2019
The Kind of Hausa Hatred I noticed while watching Football In the East
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Nigeria was having their under seventeen march against Ecuador, the second match.
I was at the viewing centre to watch the match. I am not so much of an English premier league football fan, but I certainly derive joy watching Nigeria U17 football team.
In my company was a Christian from Anambra, and of the same faith, a friend from Akwa ibom.
Immediately when the name were rolled out, the Anambra Christian beside me kick started the search for Igbos in the squad. “Igbo person nor they this team self.” When I heard that, I knew a terrible ethnocentric bitterness would rained in the hall for match viewing. Igbos here means those who are Christians of Igbo origin.
I pointed to the screen, showing him Clement Ikenna. He is part of the team and also a defender. The urge subsided.
What came next was the viewer’s saying; there are no igbos in this team. Only Hausas. When in actuality, there are yorubas like Olwale, Adeniyi, Olakunle.
I said within myself, very well! The heated tribal sentimental exchange is about to be served. I pointed at the screen again this time saying loudly, is that not Divine Nwachukwu, an Igbo? No! They wanted more. They wanted the Nigeria team be perhaps filled with Igbos ( Christian Igbos) 100%. Automatically, I knew peoples mindset are very backward here. I talked to myself; do other ethnic group complain like this about a very insignificant thing like a football squad? I said to them, this man was the coach that brought up your (darling) kelechi Iheanacho. I was just trying to tell them this man, Manu Garuba, has always had Igbos in his team. What I said went into deaf ears and was not meant for them. Albeit still, I had made my point. The hall was echoing with Awusa/Ausa( how most people from the east call Hausa).
The Kelechi Iheanacho team of 2013 had many Igbos like Chidiebere Nwankali, Chidera Ezeh, Francis Uzoho, Chigozi Obasi.
Compared to Nigeria U17 2015 world cup team comprising of Kelechi Nwakali, Ebere Osinachi, Orji Okonkwo, Samuel Chekwueze, Chinedu Madueke, Chisom Chiaha, David Enogela, Tobechukwu Ibe, Chukwudi Agor, Udochukwu Amundu. The coach was Amunike. The only northern Muslim I could see in the squad was Halilu Luqman. I am equally doubtful if he isn’t from South south (like Yakubu Ayegbeni) or South West.
If you compared both Manu Garuba’s team of then and now with Amunike team, they aren’t close at all. Manu seems to have more young lads from the east compared to Amunike who has virtually no northern muslim from his team.
This isn’t supposed to be anything. You know why? Geography! A football coach from south east and south south is more likely to have more footballers from eastern and south south Nigeria than northern ones. Same is for a northern coach whose football selection will be in his immediate environment. But I was shocked that this line of thought could elude them as if Nigeria team is ministerial appointment.
I could remember lucidly that the past nations cup hosted by Egypt, the Nigeria team comprises of two northerners only, Abdullahi Shehu and Ahmedu Musa. I have not heard or seen hausas or any northerner complaining about how the team was Igbolized. Matter of fact, I believe if you search on facebook using keywords that relates to that tournament which was won by Algeria, you would see facebook post where some Igbos claimed and were happy this team are more of Igbos than any other ethnicity. When the team was progressing, it is not unusual to see someone saying, so and so team like Cameroun is playing against Biafra and Nigeria. I think there are more Igbos in Nigeria national team than any other ethnic group from this country. For these champions of ethnocentric chauvinism, the Nigeria super eagles was an example of “Igbos Ingenuity” until when they lost pathetically to Algeria.
We were three that came for viewing pleasure. One said, ah! Na one Akwa Ibom person they there (this was when they had turned their coming to enjoy football match to ethnic composition in the team).
You will never believe the other one amongst us from Anambra said. “Nor be only one state Akwa Ibom people get? (Rhetorical Question) compare to Igbo wen get four state.”
At this point, I gave up explaining to these educated guys and the larger spectators who were not educated. I sighed! ‘Ethnocentrism finish this place.’
Just in the early part of the first half, Nigeria scored. It was thrown behind the goal post by Ibrahim Said. Goals were not forthcoming and scoring chances were passing Nigerian team by. The viewing center was then experiencing heated atmosphere. My support for Nigeria sent a message to one spectator who said, you be Nigeria fans? As if he was there to watch the wall. It got bad when five minutes later, Ecuador equalized. At 56 minutes, Ecuador scored again, taking them two goals up. During this moment, what you would hear was Awusa! Onyawusa! Nama! All derogatory name calling was for the U17 players. It doesn’t matter anymore. The team is losing, since there are two Igbos, the team is hausa team. The coach, Manu Garuba was not spared. Derogatory names rained like wave through out the hall. I could only imagined what people would gain by instilling these kinds of hate in a group of people; anticipate the response of others. They don’t care.
I was only praying that Allah give Nigeria an edge. Surprisingly, the same person who scored the first goal scored the second in the 84th minute, putting Nigeria at par with Ecuador. They celebrated. I was calm looking at them. The moment the hall became silent, I said in a very loud voice, NA HAUSA PERSON SCORE OH!
89th minute of the game, the same Ibrahim Sa’id scored the winner. I stood up with my two hands up like that of the late Steven Keshi when he won the nations cup. I shouted louder, NA HAUSA PERSON NY SCORE! NA HAUSA PERSON NY SCORE.
My happiness was that, it wasn’t only a Hausa, it was a Muslim by name. This will send them a message of embarrassment which it did even though they can never learn from it. We know from the concept of those derogatory words, Hausa means (A Hausa Muslim) in this context. That is why when a Christian in the east exhibit his or her hatred towards Igbo Muslim, OnyeAwusa=(Hausa people) is often employed to identify them.
They were all laughing. They are gradually eating back their ethnic profiling words.
I had once told a friend that the kind of hatred and bigotry against Hausas that has become a parcel of cultural identity in the east, if the muslims in the north exhibit one third of that as response, no Igbo Christian can stay in the north.
This is so in line with an Igbo Christian remark, by the name of Emeakayi gozirin, a staunch supporter of Buhari. His experienced was published in Sociallogia.wordpress.com
He said (not sic) Anti Hausa Muslim hatred is sung in the east; they are evil, bad, etc. he believed it. But, when he got to the north and saw for himself how Muslims of Northern origin behaved towards him, he couldn’t help but change. He was shocked at the contradiction between what he was told and what he experienced. See sociallogia.wordpress.com
Indeed, this is the fact. It explains why some Christian Igbos get to the north, they become Muslims and remain there. They could see the different between backwardness in attitude and progressiveness in friendly muslim interaction which they anticipated to be parochial as what is obtainable in the east; as nauseating and discord ridden base on what they were told.
I WAS ONLY WONDERING HOW MUSLIM OF IGBO ORIGIN SURVIVE THESE TURBULENT CONDITIONS
BN SULAYMAN
#ChroniclesofMuslimIgbos
Published By Sociallogia Team
Social Realities 