“The Igbo culture, being receptive to change, individualistic, and highly competitive, gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society. Unlike the Hausa/Fulani he was unhindered by a wary religion, and unlike the Yoruba he was unhampered by traditional hierarchies. This kind of creature, fearing no god or man, was custom-made to grasp the opportunities, such as they were, of the white man’s dispensations.”
More from Chinua Achebe
“Even when there was strong disagreement, one had to remember to be discordant with…”
“Whether the rendezvous of separate histories will take place in a grand, harmonious…”
“In the end millions (some state upward of three million, mostly children) had died, mainly…”
“Our humanity is contingent on the humanity of our fellows. No person or group can be human…”