I happen to be quintessential Igbo. When the accusation about loving money is narrowed down to city level, Nnewi takes the crown. I am from Nnewi.
In my undergrad days at the University of Nigeria, one of my classmates had a play on one of the principles of Equity, Equity follows the law. That my classmate, whenever he sees me would say, Equity follows the law, Nnewi follows the cash.”
Our legendary love for money has gotten so notorious that even Nigeria’s sole Nobel Laurette has weighed in. According to Professor Wole Soyinka, the Igbo will vote in accordance with the dictates of their stomach.
I do not profess to be more erudite or eloquent than the prof. But by making this pedestrian conclusion, he has lead me to think he does not understand how the world works; it’s all about commerce.
If you have no goods or services to sell, you are a nuisance, a parasite, a charge to the public treasury. American politicians protect the economic interest of the United States more than the moral or religious interest.
I love being Igbo; confident, focused, bold, but non-intimidatory. If every Nigerian were Igbo, Nigeria would have been a real giant of Africa, not the paper tiger she currently is. When a literature professor joins in bashing your perceived ability to compete, then you know you have global economic relevance. We love who we are!
Meanwhile, let me go and count my Bitcoin