IPOB raises alarm over FG’s approval of a book falsely labeling Igbo people as invaders of Ife kingdom
…Calls for immediate withdrawal of the history distorting book
Maureen Aguta
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has decried the approval of Sola Akinyemi’s book titled ‘Fundamentals of Civic Education for Basic 8’, saying the book distorted his history and clearly labeled Igbo as invaders of the Ife Kingdom.
The group called on the government to withdraw them from schools.
Akinyemi’s book has generated controversy for claiming without any proves or showing any historical antecedent that Igbo people used to invade Ile-Ife in present-day Osun State, southwest Nigeria.
On page 38 of the book, the author termed some historical figures as “courageous people”.
The author mentioned Moremi of Ife, Efunroye Tinubu, Bayajida, Amina of Zaria and Jaja of Opobo, in the list of heroes and heroines in the book and provided some historical activities they performed at various times during their existence.
On the same page, Akinyemi noted that Moremi Ajasoro of Ile-Ife played a vital role in the defeat of “Igbos who always came to capture her people as slaves”.
He disclosed that “Moremi of Ife: Moremi Ajasoro as popularly called hailed from Offa. She lived in the 12th century. She was married to King Oranmiyan of Ife (later Oyo).
“In her days, there was a serious problem in her community. The problem was the invasion by the Igbos who always came to capture her people as slaves. She felt concerned and decided to solve this problem at all costs. She allowed herself to be taken captive by the enemy and because of her beauty, their king married her.
“While she was there, she got all their secrets and fled back to Ile-Ife and gave her people all the information they needed to defeat the enemies. Eventually, the enemies were defeated and she was reinstated to her husband, King Oranmiyan of Ife (later Oyo).”
Reacting to the content of the book, IPOB in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Tuesday, described the book as an “evil and distorted history book”, adding, “All schools in the Alaigbo (South East) should reject that book and must not allow it to be sold to school children.”
IPOB said the book contains false labelling of Igbo people as invaders and troublemakers.
IPOB said, “The current Minister of Education, a tribalist, and the Yoruba author are masterminding an ethnic hatred against Ndigbo by distorting history in the Civic Education subject.
“For the Nigerian Ministry of Education to approve such ethnic hate-based textbook that describes Ndi Igbo as invaders and troublemakers is very disappointing and unfortunate.
“In the history of Nigeria, there is no record that Ndigbo has invaded nor attempted to conquer any other tribe, now or in the past. Ndigbo has never had a history of invading other tribes.
“But because of hatred against the Igbo ethnic nation, the Ministry of Education under the leadership of Yoruba cabals have introduced a book in primary school describing Ndigbo as troublemakers and invaders. This is not only wicked but also to brainwash non-Igbo children to hate Ndigbo.
“We demand the removal of such distorted history books from Nigerian schools. We equally demand that the Ministry of Education and the author of the book organise a public debate and lecture Nigerians and the world on this false history of Igbo’s invasion of Ife kingdom.
“Moreso, we demand that educators, the State Ministry of Education, headmasters and headmistresses, and proprietors of Igbo extraction lead a petition to demand the removal of this ethnic hate-based book from the education curriculum.
“In the event that the government of Nigeria and her education ministry refuse to remove the book from all their schools, then Ndigbo would abolish such an evil book from schools in the Eastern Region.
“At the expiration of 14 days from the release of this press statement, if the government does not withdraw the treacherous book titled “Fundamentals of Civic Education for Basic 8 (JSS 2) authored by traitor “Sola Akinyemi”, we will order Ndigbo young and old, big and small to locate the books in our region, the Eastern Region and burn them.
“Again, every IPOB member must help search for this evil and distorted history book and burn every copy found. All schools in the Alaigbo should reject that book and must not allow it to be sold to school children. Igbo parents everywhere in Nigeria must not buy such books that seek us against other tribes.
“In fact, we call on Ndigbo to reject every book that is authored by Sola Akinyemi. All his books should be burned anywhere they are found in the East,” the statement said.