EVI 2008 Scholarship Topic: Impact of Ethnic Divides on the Lives of Ebira People - By Oricha Adeiza Silas(Winner of EVI Scholarship)

Written By: Oricha Adeiza Silas Ebira, Nigeria

Posted By: Dr. Joseph Ozigis Akomodi, New York, USA.


EMAIL ADDRESS: sirich4all@yahoo.com

WHY I SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

I am fatherless. I was ten (10) years old in primary school when I lost my dad. My mum as a petty trader then couldn’t send me to school because of lack of funds. I managed to finish my primary and secondary school through the help of my uncle who is now old.
I finished my secondary school in June 2006 and apply for a remedial course at the Federal University of Technology Minna. My plan was to become an electrician but after several efforts to get a sponsor was unsuccessful, one of my leaders in the church; a brother collected this form for me to be filled as an applicant. These are some of the reasons why I thought I should be considered as one of your scholarship candidate.
My names are Oricha Adeiza Silas. My birthday is 12th August 1984, Gender: male.


IMPACT OF ETHNIC DIVIDES ON THE LIVES OF EBIRA PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION:
In order to do justice to this topic we need to understand the meaning of ethnicity. Ethnic group are regarded as social formation distinguished by the communal characters of their boundaries, the relevant communal factors being common language, culture, artifacts ideal and values system, social identifications and modes of dressing. Each ethnic groups has its characteristics, its members identify themselves and are so identified by others as being distinct. From this definition, it shows that the Ebiras shared a lot of thing in common and as such have the same historical background that is undisputable.
The effect of division among the Ebira people as a race has the negative part in which it has affected the lives of the Ebira people. Ebira people are one of the major ethnic groups that constitute the present Kogi state of Nigeria. They are noted for good moral stand, shared values of hard work, hospitality, accommodating and maintaining good relationship with their neighbours. However, recent scenario in the land live much to be desired. As our entire social cultural and political fabrics has been on the downward trend. Quoting from Chinua Achebe’s proverb in his introduction to ‘Things Fall Apart’ that “ turning and turning in a widening gown, the center cannot hold, the falcon can no longer hear the falconer”. This adage actually portrayed what this essay is focused upon. To examine our history in the past and compared our lives as Ebiras as at that good old days with the present reality of our days and crisis situation we found ourselves. One of the early writers on society Ibn Khaldum stated that “to understand the present it is better to know our past and from it predict the future.

FACTORS THAT NECESSTATE DIVISION AMONG THE EBIRA PEOPLE
As a ma matter of fact, ethnicity should serve as unifying factor for the Ebira people, rather than basis for division. Going by the gains members can derive from ethnic group organization, such as social security, social interdependence, mutual labour services, psychological satisfaction, economic assistance and common pool of sentiments.
With all these benefits it behooves on us to identify some of the factors that are responsible for these. Some of these include clannish sentiments, sectional party politics and cultural disintegration etc. to detail.


CLANNISH SENTIMENT:
For instance some of our elders or political elites uses ethnic or clannish ties as basis for employment for Ebira people and even career advancement which often causes animosity and destruction between members of the elites at the state level and this is often detrimental to Ebira unity but rather breeds division. So clannish sentiment often becomes a mark where political leaders hide to perpetuate their ambitions against opposing parties in the land. The sue this to recruit agile young men to unleash terror on their opponents.

SECTIONAL PARTY POLITICS:
On the political side, the growth of ethnic awareness in the society and communal orientation of our politicians. This is often manifested on the sectional character of party politics with attendant volatile nature of disagreement and intolerance of opposition even within Ebira people which usually leads to thuggery, violence and destruction of lives and properties.

CULTURAL DISINTEGRATION:
Closely related to this is cultural disintegration, which often finds expression in bastardization of our traditional festivals by the youth. Our leaders have failed in their duties to preserve our much cherished custom and traditions inherited from our elders of old. This is often manifested in the rate of violence and conflict that are witnessed during these celebrations making the government to always clamp down these festivities by forbidding their observance through suspension. With this the pride and colourful occasion to Ebiras has become a source of concern to our leaders who are in a dilemma of either to suspend it or banned it outrightly or to reform it to meet modern demands. Even among the traditional leaders there are no agreement or consensus, when it comes to addressing matter that relate to a common agenda on our way forward, as division based on points highlighted always creep in.
The impact of all these factors is the division of Ebira people along clannish parties and social/cultural background.

CONSEQUENCES OF ETHNIC DIVIDES OR VIOLENCE TO EBIRA PEOPLE:
The ethnic divides has naturally always brought negative impacts to the lives of the entire Ebira people especially those based at home. The suspicion of each other is so much, just as clans exist so also does divisions along clannish sentiments.

Lack of well-defined goals or political agenda for our future politics, our leaders find it difficult to assemble together and fashion out common political plan or the followers.
The attendant volatile nature of disagreement along party line in seeking for political power, with resultant conflicts often resulting into violence, killing and destruction of properties as witnessed recently in the land of Ihima and Okene areas recently.
Some of the areas that have witnessed these ugly incidents include Okene town, Ihima, Ogaminana and Ovehira communities to mention but a few. The causes of these crises are traceable to violence from traditional festivals, politically motivated, clannish sentiment and lack of proper relationship between the political and traditional authorities in the land. Most of these crisis witnessed heavy casualties from destruction of lives and property, burning of houses and markets including commercial and private vehicles worth millions of naira. People in the affected areas always run to neigbouring towns for safety and most of them became refugees in their father’s land because they were rendered homeless.

SUMMMARY:
Ethnic groups are regarded as social formation distinguished by the communal characters of their boundaries. The relevance of communal factors are common language, culture, artifacts, ideals and value system, social identification and modes of dressing.
Ebira means character. They are noted for good moral standard, shared value of hard work, hospitality, accommodating and maintaining good relationship with their neighbours.
Ebira is located at Kogi Central in Kogi state of Nigeria in West Africa. There are three ethnic groups in Kogi state i.e. Ebira, Igala and Okun.
The occupation of Ebiras are farming, hunting, weaving and modeling. Their religious beliefs are Christianity, Islam and traditionalist.
The impact (effect) of ethnic divides on the lives of Ebira people has both positive and negative side. The impact is also felt politically, economically and socially. The government presence in terms of projects, unemployment, cultural display and clannish sentiment is also noted.
Lastly, what is the way forward? This is by making suggestions that can revolutionize this division or negative trends. We need to embrace the path of unity and oneness, value reorientation, cultural revival. Our politicians/traditional rulers must unite to pursue a common goal and respect each other.

CONCLUSION
As earlier noted, ethnic divides will further leads to increasing the marginalization of Ebira people by other ethnic groups on the road map to national development. Hence the popular adage that: ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. It is only unity that can strengthen our social fabrics then it will usher in peace and development and follow on the road map to the national development.

RECOMMENDATION
Finally, it is youth restlessness caused by unemployment, indiscriminate and illegal acquisition of weapons into the land for our youths which is freely used in political thuggery, robbery and violent activities.
Religious acrimony, animosity and distrust among politicians and traditional rulers will lead us to nowhere but retrogression until they all embraced the path of unity and oneness.
Value reorientation such as discipline, honesty, hard work and hospitality:- These are the value we need to re-orientate and once this is done, Ebira people will be notably for good as we were before. We need to turn to our basic values.
Cultural revival to foster unity: our people need to be sensitized on the positive impact of ethnic solidarity for development purpose. If this is not revived, there will be no peace in Ebiraland and the crisis, violence, clannish and conflicts that took place in the land will continue and many lives will be wasted in the land. For now, we are noted as warring community.

HOW TO BRIDGE THIS DIVIDE TOWARDS A UNITED EBIRA
Leaders of various political groups must pursue a common goal and respect each other’s opinion and be willing to work as a team.