The Needless Rivalry Between the Yorubas and Igbos By Matthew Akhere

It no longer a secret that there is an intense rivalry and hatred between the Yorubas and the Igbos. It dated back to the civil war. Today, it seems the Igbos would not want anything to do with the Igbos. The Yorubas would rather support any other region than support the Igbos. Take what is currently happening in the National Assembly as a case study.

The Yorubas wanted Lagos state to be giving special status. And the reasons are genuine: Lagos accounts for over 68% of VAT collected in the country. Lagos harbours more 'foreign' Nigerians than any other state in the country. Lagos is a former federal capital facing an avalanche of socio-economic challenges and it is infrastructure is currently being overstretched.

The senators from the Southern and Eastern pasts of the country colluded with the Northern senators and rejected the Bill giving some ridiculous reasons.

One of the senators who kicked against the bill, Aliyu Wamakko, APC, Sokoto North, said the timing was wrong because while other states are finding it difficult to pay salaries.

And Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Igbo extraction, joyfully hit the gravel rejecting the bill.

Come to think of it: all of the VAT collected in Lagos is taken to Abuja. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If it is 13% of oil revenue is allocated for Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers, is it not right that 13% of VAT collected in Lagos be given to Lagos?

The Igbo senators are currently preparing a Bill for the creation of South East Development Commission to tackle an avalanche of socio-economic challenges facing the region and the Yoruba senators are saying we are waiting for you.

And the beneficiary of this meaningless rivalry is the Hausas.

While this rivalry is going on, the senators from the North are having a swell time passing bills that favour the Northern region. The latest of such is the recent passing of the bill seeking the establishment of North East Development Commission to rebuild the insurgency-ravaged North East region of Nigeria.

This means that 3% of VAT accrual to the federal government in the next 10 years for the rebuilding of the North East through the proposed commission. Whereas what the bill seeking to recognize Lagos state as a special status was looking for is only 1% of VAT accrual to the federal government.  They even succeeded in adding Plateau and Kano state and these states are not part of North East!

Why reject a bill to take care of state that accounts for over 68% VAT and approve a bill to take care of a region that contributes little to the VAT accrual to federal government?  What makes the timing of Bill recognizing wrong and that for the the creation of the North East Development Commission right?

Enough of this rivalry between the Yorubas and the Igbos that bears none of the region any good fruit. If there will one, let the rivalry and hatred be outside the senate. Because it is the people of the West and East regions that suffer. And it is all gain for the North.