THE IGBO IDENTITY AND ITS INTERPRETATION IN WEST CAMEROON, 1970 – 1997

Abstract

The Igbo people have always been on the move. They migrated to West Cameroon before and after independence. From the 1970s to the 1990s, they were found in Kumba, Mamfe, Tiko, Victoria and Buea working as truck pushers and being involved in trading and religious activities, especially in the growth and sustenance of the Anglican Church. Truck pushing and trading were the major occupations of the Igbo ethnic group in West Cameroon. The Igbo through their hard work were able to break even, but were misconstrued to be siphoning the wealth of Cameroon to Nigeria. This shows that they were not welcomed in the country. They were labelled lovers of money, cannibals and 'Biafra'. The Cameroonians used the word 'Biafra' derogatorily. This paper argues that though some Igbo were lovers of money by their actions in West Cameroon, but it was wrong to refer to them as cannibals. It goes further to argue that if not for the Igbo, the Anglican Communion might not have been in existent in Cameroon. This paper looks at the economic and religious activities the Igbo were known for (Igbo identity) and the various name tags they were addressed, as it adopts the social identity theory. It makes use of primary and secondary sources. Findings show that as the Igbo were going about their activities, they suffered abuse in form of derogatory remarks from the Cameroonians, which were hallmarks of Igbophobia. Recommendations are presented on how to put a stop to the verbal assaults suffered by the Igbo in West Cameroon.