Nwafor: Symbol of Tinubu’s anti-Igbo ethos

The raw deal meted to Beatrice U. Nwafor, Deputy Controller of Customs (DCGC), crowns the entire story about the fate of Ndigbo in Nigeria today under President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress (APC).

This woman, who donated her entire youthful years to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), will retire next year, precisely, October. But she will, carrying both a message and a burden.

Here is her story and how. She is currently the most senior officer in the service, only next to Adewale Adeniyi, the current Controller General of Customs (CGC).

Naturally, by that fact and the fact that she had served meritoriously without blemish, she was almost certain that she would step in as the next CGC.

She must have pictured the moment she would step on to the podium with swagger to be decorated. She must have practiced how she would smartly walk to the elevated platform, receive her pips, turne and give a sharp salute to the Commander-in-Chief and thereafter, marshal out her own plans, in an address, not only to the formation, but the world.

What a glorious day it’ll be? Such a mental picture, is certainly not out of place. It is a mental image every normal person adept at his work is likely to create.

In fact, it is not only envisaged but a legitimate dream of anyone who had given his or her all, and maintained a glittering record the way she did. In other words, her dream, must certainly be a right, not a privilege, ceteris paribus.

But then, came the main factor. She might have actually have considered it also, while she dreamt her dreams. But it probably flew by like flash and passed by like a fleeting montage. Yet, it was all that mattered. She is Igbo!

That fact alone has turned that dream into – as the late Bob Marley would say – a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but not attained. It must have been a heavy blow – delivered – the way only the APC knows how best.

It must have come with thunderbolt effect – only imagined, but never fully felt by outsiders, except by those who had received similar fates previously – and there are many of them, to boot.

Earlier, snippets of her damning fate had filtered into the public space like a rumour through the social media. But, on Thursday, July 31, 2025, whatever ray of hope she must have clung on to dismiss it, was smashed and her dream finally buried. She would never be CGC.

They must have waited for the last day to deliver the blow, apparently to create the maximum effect. And who else was to deliver it than the man, who represents the sad story APC has become in the lives of Nigerians, particularly Ndigbo of the South East – Bola Ahmed Tinubu – Nigeria’s President from May 29, 2023.

He had “approved” – mind the word – a one-year extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

For what reason(s)? Bayo Onanuga, had a ready answer. One of the Villa parrots, whose remit, like Daniel Bwala, or Reno Omokri, is to deodorise and give fillip to damning issues like this by offering an explanations, no matter how infantile, he came in with the usual obtuse response Nigerians had been regaled with in the past.

Of course, not that it mattered anyways. To Nigerians that are already captured and firmly in their vice grip, what is the use of such explanation outside fulfilling all righteousness, if not to temper the ugliness of the story?

Onanuga, who goes by the sobriquet – Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, told the world that the move was aimed at allowing Adeniyi to consolidate ongoing reforms and complete key initiatives of the Tinubu administration, including the modernisation of the Customs Service, implementation of the National Single Window Project, and Nigeria’s obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol.

He added: “President Tinubu recognises Mr. Adeniyi’s steadfast leadership and commitment to service. The President is confident that this extension will further strengthen the Nigeria Customs Service in achieving its strategic mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation, and border security.”

Now, the sadder story would be if you believed for one moment, this gibberish! Then it would mean that you’re either not here on the surface of the earth or you’re on the lunatic or imbecilic fringes or you’re a mischief maker or you’re a member of the APC or all of the above.

Else, you’ll be home to the real truth – it’s not about any “reforms” or achieving “strategic mandate.” It is to stop an Igbo. It will be an anathema for an Igbo to assume such a reserved position – the first time in Nigeria, post civil war. Not under the APC, and certainly not under Tinubu would such a monumental sin be committed against the land.

Where will the anti-Igbo APC philosophy on which pillar the party’s structure was erected at formation go? Yes! It would be like Azubuike Ihejirika, an Igbo man becoming the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in Nigeria, one of the greatest sins, Goodluck Jonathan committed as President of Nigeria.

Yes, you could have your opinion about Lauretta Onochie, erstwhile Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission – NDDC – but sometimes the truth comes from the must unexpected quarters.

This appears obvious, when she wrote on denying Nwafor the job, thus:

She’s a woman
She has no husband in the villa
She has no boyfriend in the Villa
She has no brother in the Villa
She Is Not from Bourdillon
No Governor’s backing
SHE IS FROM ANAMBRA

This is Tinubu’s Nigeria.”

Indeed, where would this woman run to? To whom would she relate her frustrating story and pour out her bitterness about APC-Nigeria happening to her? On whose shoulders would she cry?

Would she turn to Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the one who calls himself the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly? Has that one finished fawning, genuflecting, and ringing his fingers before Tinubu, to assure him the delivery of 100 per cent Igbo votes in 2027, outside expressing his readiness to wash oga’s stockings?

If you’ve not listened to the current video his boss, Orji Uzor Kalu, in recent times, please do. That will be the faster way of ascertaining the depth to which Ndigbo have sunk in the affairs of Nigeria today.

Would she turn to her brothers in Anambra? Have they stopped flaunting their SUVs and other imprimaturs of obscene and vulgar wealth – the only achievement for being sent to the National Assembly?

You heard them recently celebrating how Tinubu, eventually remembered the zone by obtaining a $3billion loan to include the area into the rail masterplan – which you could safely bet with your grandfathers grave, is an audio event. Is that the mindset that would question why their sister is so ill-treated?

Would she turn to South East governors, who are busy comparing notes on the next chieftaincy title to confer the President to thank him for punching their people and to augment their previous outings of tomfoolery of kowtowing, bootlicking and other forms of mindless obeisance while plotting of how to deny the people of their mandate in 2027, to secure their own positions?

Would Beatrice Nwafor turn her tears to Charles Chukwuma Soludo, alias Charlie Nwa Mgbafor, her governor? That would be the most daunting error, if not the most fatal? Should she, it would certainly be futile.

The Governor of Anambra State is currently busy enjoying the massive edifice he constructed for himself to care about such a frivolity of the customs top job. What does it contribute to his desperation to enjoy the largesse for the next five years, which is now his main preoccupation?

Soludo, would rather be busy dancing with market women or perfecting his new dance-steps he would deliver to those that will be coming for the yearly August Meeting, to be bothered about Nwafor.

Besides, wouldn’t it be an affront to complain about anything instead of praise-singing? At what point would a servant be audacious enough to confront his master with complaint over wrongdoings no matter how painful, instead of licking his wounds in a corner and probably grumbling to himself as the only source of consolation?

So, to my dear sister, Biati nwannem, the only consolation is to take it in her strides. Remember your forebears have suffered worse fates in the past. Yet, they not only survived all, they are still thriving today – far beyond anyone’s imagination.

So, wait it out. Carry your shoulder high. End your task on a high note. Step out with gait, stride into the society with pride and use your remaining days in life to achieve greater things ahead. Add swag to it, instead of being broken.

By the time they see you dancing in the sun, zestful, resplendent, effervescent and vivacious, the table would be turned on their heads. They would be the ones in sifia pains watching and wailing. For when they see your happiness instead of sorrow, they develop bellyache!

Add swagger to it – na that one dey pain them pass!

Nwafor