Nig’s Post-Civil War Nostalgic Trip: Intermarriages Btn Ibo Girls, Men Of Other Tribes
Going down the memory boulevard, the Nigerian Civil War which resulted in widespread devastation and a humanitarian crisis that claimed the lives of over a million people – ended some 35 years ago. Yet, the memories of the politico-socio-ethno armed conflict lingers in the subconscious of many a Nigerian.
From The Daily Times archives, the story by Alphonsus Maduneme on the front cover of Sunday Times of March 8, 1970 remains a classic thriller any time, any day.
Titled ‘Brides Auction For £10,’ the writer discovered from investigations that just a month after the Nigerian civil war – more than 5000 marriages between Ibo girls and men of other tribes of Nigeria had been contracted. And these marriages were being solemnised under the traditional customs of the Ibo people.
“During the war, rebel soldiers – mostly officers – local Red Cross and other relief organization workers who sold relief materials meant for the destitute…paid between 500 to 1500 biafran pounds for a girl. And marriages were contracted,” the writer observed.
Records indicate that plenty northern soldiers took wives from the South East. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Yohanna Madaki, Olusegun Obasanjo, to name a few are Nigerians from other tribal groups that married Ibo girls after the civil war.
Even Gowon was said to be engaged to Edith Okongwu but the marriage was called off owing to civil war sentiments. Perhaps it may be safe to posit that the Ibos taught the rest of Nigerians the value of inter-tribal unions which is one of the primary objectives of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) – promotion of national unity and development by mobilizing and grooming Nigerian youth for service and leadership.
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Which brings us to the issue of whether inter-tribal marriages do work. Writing in the Vangurd Newspaper of March 23, 2017, Josephine Agbonkhese, Anino Aganbi & Chris Onuoha remarked; “Eight months into their relationship, Osariemen – 26, who hails from the south-south succumbed to Uche – 31-year-old who hails from the southeast’s request to meet her father.
“A day was arranged and, hand in hand, the two love birds meandered naively into Osariemen’s home where her father, a retired military officer, was sitting in the living room. ‘Who is this, young man?’ Osariemen’s father asked, cheerfully.
“He is my fiancé, dad. I brought him to meet you,” Osariemen replied. The question that followed was “Where is he from?” (his ethnicity) and Osariemen immediately saw an entirely different side of her dad when she mentioned that Uche was from Anambra State and hoped to marry her.
“Without mincing words, the retired military man vowed to kill Uche if he came anywhere close to his daughter, even as he went on and on, reeling out the many negative perceptions about the Igbos …”
However, despite cultural challenges and ethnic profiling, inter-tribal marriages are gradually becoming increasingly common in the nation. Love, they say, is blind but it conquers a multitude of sins.
In the final analysis, therefore, this is a vote for inter-tribal marriages towards fostering national unity and social cohesion.
