“Xenophobic world seems to be associated with South Africans, but the meaning should be checked. It’s happening in the East of Nigeria where a Yoruba man cannot be a councillor, talkless of being House of Rep member in an Igboland”, wrote Naij.com reader Wale trying to draw everyone’s attention to this sensitive issue. We asked our readers on our Facebook page if they have ever encountered hostility in Nigeria on inter-tribal or some other basis and gathered their most interesting responses.

A number of respondents doesn’t share Naij.com reader’s point of view calling Nigeria a “peaceful and loving” country never facing any tribalistic issues.

Francis Anya: Hello, Mr Wale, have you ever lived in the east? Where you were born and breed there, please, say what you are sure of and stop ranting. You want to cause chaos in a peaceful loving vicinity of ours. Stop deceiving people.

Nwabueze Val: I am sure the writer has never visited the southeast of Naija to experience the hospitality and warmhearted reception of strangers in display. By the way how many Yoruba people will come to invest and take the southeast as their home talkless of contesting in the election? You’d better withdraw this hate write-up.

Howerver, there were respondents who agreed with Wale, and some of them even shared their own experience of being disenfranchised due to tribal identity.

Moshood Kazeem: You are 100 per cent right, Mr Wale. Too many xenophobia is in the east. We have a commissioner of Igbo origin. But can a Yoruba do that in Igbo land? I got a work in the east but was denied because I am not an indigene. Na wa ooo.

Audu Sani: The Igbo are the most unaccommodating of all the major tribes in Nigeria. The Igbo will not allow you to even operate a commercial shop in your own building in the east.

Adegboyega Bolaji Kazeem: The Igbo will not give you the same level playing field to do business wherever they are dominant, even in Lagos or Abuja, not to talk of the southeast. Wherever the Igbo dominate if you are given a chance to try politics or business they just want to see how far you can go before they would victimize or even kill you.

Some respondents believe the problem described by Naij.com reader is caused not by tribalistic sentiments.

David Ben: Go to England where 4 Nigerians contesting for election, and a Yoruba man is among of them. Tell me is England a Yoruba land?

Godwin Ogie: Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or other ethnic group really doesn’t matter. I think the concept here should be – anyone as long you are a Nigerian can actually stay, live and contest in any state of his/her choice as long as he/she meets the constitutional requirement.

Okoli Sunday Patrick: Have you ever tried to contest? Do you want it without registering with INEC? Other tribes have restrained themselves as a result of timidity. Always afraid of exploring. Four Nigerians are contesting in the UK elections presently and they are all Igbos.

Chika Nwosu: A Yoruba man who wants to be anything in Igbo land will first of all travel to Igbo land and live there and establish himself and then talk about electing him to any position.

How can a Yoruba man who does not live in the East, who does not want to travel to the East, stay in Lagos and contest for elective position in Enugu and win.

I challenge all Yoruba guys to leave their comfort zone and travel out.

Fred Ezekwe Natahn: Can any Yoruba be bold enough to leave his/her place to live in another region? Laziness will not allow them to leave the family house to make money in another region. That’s why you will see a man born into a family house, grow there, get married and raise children in one family house. The bitter truth is that Yorubas lack sense called advancement.

Quite a number of respondents believes the comment was meant to instigate conflicts among the tribes concerned.

Comr Ella Phil Okoko: Every day we talk about peace and our insinuation implies war. We should be mindful of our expressions on social media.

Decency Ogechi: We should stop calling ourselves names. This world is not a place to live neither a bed of roses. Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba – we are all one. So let us love one another. May God bless you all. Amen.

Halima Babagambo Abduulkareem Where is the federalism? At this stage of our unity, we should not be found taking side again. Please, let’s stand for one and one for all in this country.

Joseph Ikechukwu: Have you ever seen the Igbo collecting other people ‘s property by force, driving them away or killing & maiming? This post is exposing your ignorance. How many of the Yorubas are living in the southeast?

Idris Adebola Aderinoye: I don’t blame the man that started the commotion, I blame the many that are giving him courage to do more by insulting each other. I’ve been to Igbo land and I must say it is a good cultural place to be in if you don’t insult their culture. Please, we shouldn’t let online Boko tribe people divide us. God bless Naija.

Some respondents believe the situation described in the comment is common all over Nigeria and may relate not only to the Yoruba and the Igbo.

Gabby Icegrillz: Wale, is Igbo guy fit to be councilor for Yoruba land?

Ogunsola Sulaiman Olamilekan: I served in Orji River, Enugu. They don’t sell their land to a foreigner.

Bello Williams: Why only in the east? Can it happen in the north? Or the west? Stop being selective and foolish.

Osadolor Patience: Can an Igbo man hold any elective position in the west? Xenophobia is everywhere, except Edo state.

Many respondents were outraged by the comment claiming it was aimed at instigating inter –tribal conflicts. However, despite numerous condemning responses some readers’ reactions, unfortunately, confirm tribalistic sentiments have never left Nigeria.

Chikezie Nwanekezi: I’m sure the next is Igbophobia in Lagos. If people’s votes have ever been counted in the zoo called Nigeria and a Yoruba person who is qualified generally wants to run for office in the east nothing can stop him as long as he’s voted by the people. Besides, an average Yoruba man is fraudulent so I don’t expect him to travel from whatever damnable place to come and lead children of God (Biafrans) in Biafra land. God bless Biafra.

Walter Ajoku: Why are the Yoruba too tribalistic?  What did the Igbo do to the Yoruba that made them to always say bad against the Igbo? We have developed the SW zone economically. Instead of being appreciative to the Igbo they remain ungrateful to us. God blessed the Igbo with knowledge and wisdom to create wealth, that’s why the Yoruba envy the Igbo. We still remain the Israelites in Nigeria.

Audu Ekhale Endurance: Nothing to invest in Igbo’s land, because most of them are thieves, they can kill because of money. If you invest in their land seeing you progressive they will gang up are rob you. That’s why most people find it difficult to invest and even live in that place.

Charles Tsav: It is a pity I am neither Yoruba man nor Igbo man but the truth is that these two tribes are the major problem of Nigeria. I have my reasons: 1. The Igbo are the one that spoiled the name of this country internationally; 2. The Yoruba, on the other hand, pretend to sit on the fence and create tribal war in Nigeria, they are too tribalistic. I rest my case.

Some comments looked unbiased from the first sight, but not too much as it turned out later.

Jombo Ojebe: There are constitutional provisions for contesting in the election in a state that is not your state of origin. The Yoruba rarely travel out of Yoruba speaking states and those that do rarely invest or set up life time businesses in such places. Most Igbo in Lagos don’t even know their states of origin so they have lived all their lives in Lagos, they, therefore have fulfilled the constitutional provision for contesting elections in Lagos. If any Yoruba man contests i the election in any eastern state, he is likely to fail not because he will not be allowed to contest but because there are nor enough Yoruba people in that area to vote him to win. I sincerely don’t think this is any Igbo man’s fault. Please, try to always be objective and detribalised in your posts and comments. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/435350-naij-com-readers-react-on-alleged-xenophobia-in-nigeria.html