(Photos) Nigerian Man Defends The Chinese Actions - "They Break The Rules & Chase After Their Wives"-

A Nigerian man, named Murako, who currently lives in China, has taken his Facebook page to share a counter- of what is really happening in China, saying that what really

led to everything was that many of the Nigerians there are really stubborn, that they flout the rules of lockdown, go about their business and even chase after married women.

He Wrote:

BEFORE YOU SCREAM RACISM

Today, I woke up to a couple of missed calls and chats. They were from concerned folks back home who wanted to ascertain that I'm safe and not among the Nigerians purportedly victimized in China. To relax your muscles, I am safe and sound. However, I need to tell you what I have come to realize as a black man, especially; a Nigerian living abroad.

Living abroad is like being a minority in Nigeria. You are viewed as an inferior being, people wonder if you are an alien; their heads are full of biased and funny notions of you, the lies they have learned about you fuels their suspicion, hate and condescending approach towards you.

It is like growing up in Rivers state as an Igbo man where I first experienced racism in my life. My classmates had a notion that all Igbo men were threats; that we were smart opportunists who loved money while they didn't. Upon these assumptions, they wouldn't dare to give you their money since it was you who loved money.

My wise father, God rest his soul taught me that people feel threatened when you come to their territory and become successful. He said; to succeed in a Foreigner's home, you must exist quietly and be unnoticeable. If you must be noticed, it should be for your ingenuity and you must master the act of diverting your host mind from your success. When you get back to your village, you can enjoy your wealth in peace but wisely, because your right resides there. Beware that though, in your village, many would still think that you don't have rights because of the family you come from.

Racism, discrimination or whatever you call it cuts across, it all depends on who you are and the position your environment has taught you to believe that you possess in the world at every point in time.

Moving to Lagos State, I realized that I was an insignificant Nigerian whose ambitions must be shadowed or risk labeled a disloyal person who would rise one day and demand fair treatment. I was to accept any ill-treatment done to me to avoid labeled a rebel.

I was shocked to discover that great racism resides among us a people. Whereas we pride ourselves in unexisting ideas of superiority, it is bedeviling for anyone to assume that they have superiority over another person. You cannot conclude that I am a dirty, uneducated and uncivilized nuisance who exists only to do menial jobs and be paid slaves to others simply because I come from a tribe you consider inferior to yours. As the mother of Igboist said; "if you do not have 24 hours power supply, cannot enjoy the things you go seeking for in another man's land; be it within or outside Nigeria, you have no right to mock or belittle another man. Igbos must therefore, kill racism from within for the good of all.

In Abuja, I had a peculiar stench to the rest of Nigerians who had a checklist for identifying and appraising Igbos. I paid the price of being an Igbo man, especially at my workplace and the compound where I lived. It was expected of me that I lose my identity; speaking my language and speaking with an Igbo accent was a taboo. Wearing my Igbo regalia with pride was forbidden. The only thing considered okay of me would have been denouncing my tribe, abhor my identity therein, adopt another tribe and embrace the slave that I'm by default for survival.

Abroad, it didn't change. I'm an African whose skin is dark, and I come from a place where the sun and dirt have made our skins so dark that we could stain white clothing. I have AIDS, Ebola, and several undiscovered diseases besides being the most corrupt and harmful person. My crime is being a visitor who loves to migrate and explore the world. Meanwhile, my hosts despite their global status are second citizens to certain nations who they adore and desire to be like. They get their own dose of racism from these climes.

So you see? Deep down you shouldn't complain of getting bullied and discriminated against if you have ever played a role in making someone else question his existence.

My father also told me one thing that you need to hear. He said; "son, be humble and invisible in another man's land. If you must shine, shine discretely. When you are there, see yourself as someone on the farm. It is the territory of the beasts of the forest and for you to excel there, you must work hard to dominate yet you must not show or risk being devoured by the beasts in whose territory you trade.

"Naturally, when your harvests are bountiful and your crops are great, all the beasts of the forest are attracted to feed on them. To keep them away, you must camouflage your farm in every means possible. Sometimes, you even cover yourself in the dirt and talk in hushed tones to disguise against predatory beasts of the forest. Until you can move all your harvests home, you must observe all of these rules. It is only in your father's compound, where your rights are assured by birth that you can relax, put on the best of your clothes and enjoy your great harvest with your kinsmen. Other than that, if you must succeed in life, whenever you are out of your father's compound, you must act as though you were on the farm. Even while still in your father's compound, you must act wisely, subtly and never be loud." He said.

Unfortunately, this isn't the case with Nigerians, particularly the Igbos. Notice that in the video circulating online, most of the victims are Igbos. Why?

Here, it baffles me how foolishly, daring and arrogant many of us have continued to behave and how some of us have continued to exhibit desperate and selfish tendencies thus affirming the fears nursed against us may be real. When China said no movement, Nigerians defied the order and opened their shops until they were dispersed.

We scream when we talk, chase people's wives and daughters like citizens, curse and walk like we have forgotten that back we are consumed by this same evil.

Nigerians get discriminated in all countries besides China, every objective Nigerian will agree that our behavior at home and abroad do not make it easy for us. Worst, we have a government that has no clue of the rules of international diplomacy. All their actions end up making our international passport valueless.. Where and how can we salvage the situation without having a responsible government back home? Did you know that the issue surrounding this crisis got handled by the Ghanian embassy the day that they received a letter from the authorities that they would be testing and quarantining Africans, especially those with recent travel history?

Besides our government's incompetencies, we complicate our lives abroad by embracing myths over facts. For instance, several Nigerians, including the educated ones still believe that a black man cannot contract the COVID-19 virus. They are going down the road of America where the worst-hit community is the black community who claimed that they couldn't get the virus because being black was an immunity against the virus. We drown in the fake-news used as a tool of war by America and China.

How on earth does anyone believe that a virus will avoid him because he is black?

Conclusively, may I inform you that here, I'm stared upon funnily; most times, people behave weirdly towards me. What do I do? I forgive their ignorance and focus on my goal which is to continue improving myself so that I am sufficiently equipped to impact my community positively upon my return. There's this strong conviction within me that if I refuse to see the limitations and the discriminations placed on me, I will be bold enough to face any challenges, dream big, achieve big, impact big, and get the respect that I deserve for myself and my community.

Of the truth, we are yet to attain a free and an egalitarian society. We cannot get there when everyone is a racist or becomes a victim of racism when it suits them. Think through it and start ending racism from within you.

Thank you if you read through and I hope I have made my point.

Regards,

Emmanuel Muruako