Any moment from now, the Abia State Government will complete the protocol for the reinstatement of non-indigenes purged from the state’s Civil Service by the administration of former Governor Theodore Orji in 2011, an act that Governor Alex Otti described as “illegal”.
While implementing the controversial policy back then, Governor Orji had argued that since Abia indigenes in the employ of sister South-East states had been disengaged on grounds of being non-indigenes, their counterparts in the Abia staff roll should also go to their respective states.
The indigene/non-indigene dichotomy exists in almost all the states of the Federation, despite the voluble mantra of “One Nigeria” associated with our country. Employment opportunities are off-limits to non-indigenes in the civil services of most states.
The situation is so bad that women from other states married to indigenes are often denied employment or prevented from attaining certain levels of promotion in the civil, judicial and teaching services. Some wives are forced to go back to their native states in order to contest for political offices.
During the 2023 general elections, this anomaly was taken to ridiculous levels in Lagos State when some interest groups campaigned against some governorship aspirants because they were married to spouses from the East.
When Otti assumed office as Abia State Governor in May 2023, he declared an immediate end to the indigene/settler dichotomy, insisting that people who live peacefully in Abia State are from the state. He appointed some non-indigenes as Mayors (Local Government Chairmen) of some local councils. Indeed, he appointed an Edo State indigene, Benson Ojeikere, as the Head of the Civil Service, purely on merit.
Otti’s decision to bring back the disengaged workers came in the wake of a reception organised for him by Anambra indigenes living in Aba who presented a list of 154 of their kinsmen affected by the purge and pleaded for their reinstatement. He promised that all affected non-indigenes still under 65 would be given contract employment, especially in the teaching service where their services are most urgently needed. He also pledged to compensate those who are over-aged or deceased.
Before the Civil War and creation of states, Nigerians generally lived freely and felt at home in any part of the country. Some even attained political prominence in their regions of residence. But the military-like centralised federal structure and dependence on federal allocations from the centre promoted the odious indigene/settler syndrome, which attacks the unity and civic integrity of Nigeria.
We commend Governor Otti for the advocacy by example for the restoration of meritocracy and fostering of true One Nigeria in his state. We hope others will emulate him. Let us go back to our good past and stop paying lip service to unity and patriotism.
We are all Nigerians.
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