I was engaged in a heated argument with one of my friends yesterday evenin' when we heard the news that the senate has empowered the vice president to act as president. We were arguing about his name 'Ebele', my friend said it's igbo and that Jonathan is some retribalized igbo man(just like Mike Okiro). I disagreed and insisted that the 'ebele' name was just a mere coincidence in spelling with the igbo name 'ebele' and that they were pronounced differently. He never agreed up till now and i felt like asking u guys especially the ijaw peeps Is there an ijaw name 'ebele'?

Early life, education and personal life

Jonathan was born in Otueke in Ogbia Local Government Area [/b]of the then Eastern Region, later Rivers State, now Bayelsa State.[1] He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours, Upper Division. He also holds an M.Sc. in Hydrobiology/Fisheries biology, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt[1].
He is married to Patience.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodluck_Jonathan


Ogbia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ogbia
—  LGA and town  —
Country Nigeria
State Bayelsa State
Time zone WAT (UTC+1)
[b]Ogbia is a Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ogbia. They are igbo people by tribe.
It has an area of 695 km² and a population of 179,926 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 562.[1]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogbia

Though Goodluck Jonathan is Ijaw , but the one and only native African name - EBELECHUKWU - given to him by his parents belongs to the Igbo peole. This is what he had to say about that in Abakaliki three years ago.    







 Nigeria can’t do without Ndigbo, and I am one –Jonathan
                       by Kalu Okwara    March 03, 2007
         

                               Dr. Goodluck Ebele Johathan

        Presidential running mate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Goodluck Johathan, has declared that the Igbo nation is strategic to the progress of Nigeria, noting that he is part of the race.
        Speaking at a campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Dr. Jonathan said that his middle name," Ebele, "is an Igbo word meaning mercy.
        Dressed in full Ndigbo regalia, Dr. Jonathan who is Bayelsa State Governor, said their administration would turn Abakaliki into the Taiwan of Africa, if elected in April 2007 general election.
        He noted that Ebonyi State is endowed with rich potentials as its rice production would be pushed into the international market.
        Earlier, Presidential candidate of PDP, Governor Umar Musa Yar’ Adua, of Katsina State promised to declare the energy sector a national disaster to solve electricity problem in the country.
        Also speaking, at the PDP’s presidential rally in Abakaliki, Yar’Adua described President Olusegun Obasanjo as a leadership role model, who had provided them with the roadmap to achieve their agenda.
        According to the presidential candidate, other priority areas of their government, if elected would be agricultural production, education, health, security and infrastructural development among others.
        He assured that their government would be transparent and accountable to the people, stressing that their administration would be honest, hardworking and receptive and would be committed to making the citizens feel proud of the nation.
        Also speaking during the rally, National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, while urging people to vote for PDP candidates, noted that Ebonyi State had numerous untapped mineral resources.
        "The PDP government has embarked on the exploitation of the abundant minerals in the country. To achieve this, we have invited some foreign investors to come for a thorough scientific survey of these minerals. And I want to assure you that Ebonyi State will benefit immensely from it," he said.
        According to him, the government would remain committed to the attainment of 100 per cent child literacy, stressing that they would provide one meal to pupils in all public schools.
        On health, the national chairman said pregnant women would deliver free of charge in public hospitals.
         

                                                          HOME

Hell Yeah! He must be Igbo and Ogbia must be an Igbo LGA. . . . Igbo Kwenu!!

Where did they get the Ebele attached to his name

igbo people have dont it again

this must be the hidden agenda Becomerich is always talking about

All I want is for Jonathan to speed up the process of dualising the East-West Road. If he can, within the short time frame he has, he can also power up the delta areas. But the most important thing he can and should do for now, for which the Niger Delta people will print his name in gold is to dualise the East-West Road - from Warri to Oron's James Town

somebody have edited the Wiki Link
it now says the people of Ogbia have Igbo Ancestry and not that they are Igbo

either you change the English from black to blue, the fact remains the great grand father of a GOAT is still a GOAT even if the GOAT is in denial that it is now a SHEEP

even if they live in Denial, he is still an Igbo man whether they like it or not

Ha ha ha just laughing at the way people cook up stories. Jonathan is not igbo man neithe is he ijaw man. He is Ogba tribe in bayelsa state.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Ph.D



PROFILE OF HIS EXCELLENCY GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN Ph.D.



Dr.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (see CV), is a man of great honour and outstanding integrity. He is true statesman, whose meritocracy, selfless services and exemplary leadership qualities bear eloquent testimonies to his professional and political successes



His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a man with great quest for knowledge holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Honours, University of Port Harcourt, Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy



(Ph.D.) from University of Port Harcourt respectively. He is seasoned administrator, an academic, a democrat, and an accomplished technocrat and indeed the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.



Dr.Jonathan holds an Honorary Fellowship of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Fellow of the Public Administrators of Nigeria (PAN),



Fellow of the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA), Bona Fide Member Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON). awarded "Best Performing Deputy Governor", and conferred "Exemplary Leadership Quality and Good Governance Award". And recently, he was given an



Honorary Award for Democracy and Good Governance. A native of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State – Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was born November 20th, 1957, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ebele Jonathan. He was amply endowed with intelligence, strength and tact right from childhood, even though his parents were of a humble social background. Young Goodluck started his primary education at St. Stephen Primary School (now State School – Otuoke) and later proceeded to St Michael Primary School – Oloibiri where he passed his First School Leaving Certificate honourably. In 1971, the young lad furthered his studies at Mater Dei High School – Imiringi and by 1975, he sat for the West African School Certificate and passed with flying colours.



Goodluck Jonathan was identified to be a great child right from his tender age because of his attributes and rare disposition. No wonder, his paternal grand mother[b] "nicknamed" him "Azikiwe" [/b]as a striking simile to the great Zik to connote another great Nigerian to come in the nearest future. Goodluck was appointed Class Prefect in class three in 1973, he was further appointed Secretary to the School Food Committee, because of his brilliant disposition. And in his class four and five, he was again appointed Masterson House Prefect while his fellow prefects unanimously elected him as Chairman of the Committee of Prefects.



With his sparkling performance and enduring milieu, young Goodluck soon secured a job as a Preventive Officer in the Department of Customs and Excise from 1975 to 1977.



However, because of his dogged quest for academic knowledge, Goodluck Jonathan promptly enrolled as a pioneer student in the department of Zoology at the newly established University of Port Harcourt, in 1977. He pursued his studies with impregnable zeal and by 1981 he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) Second Class (Upper Division). As a Corper, he served Nigeria devotedly between 1981 and 1982 as a classroom teacher in Community Secondary School Iresi – Oyo State (now Osun State). After the mandatory service, Goodluck Jonathan was invited for a teaching appointment by the old Rivers State Civil Service Commission in 1982, he was however, appointed a Science Inspector of Education in the Ministry of Education because of his brilliant and intimidating performance at the interview.



Dr. Goodluck Jonathan always knew that he had a bond with the academia that he cannot dispute. Hence, he soon left the mainstream Civil Service for the College of Education where he took up an appointment as an academic in the Department of Biology in November 1983. Again, because of his disciplined nature and dedication to duty, he was elected as the Representative of Congress in the Senior Staff Appointments and Promotions Committee. A position he held till he voluntarily left the College in 1993. To equip himself firmly ahead of the foresighted challenges, he enrolled again for a post graduate programme in the University of Port Harcourt.



He bagged a well-deserved Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree in Hydro-Biology and Fisheries Biology and Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology in 1985 and 1995 respectively.


More so, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan later picked an appointment as an Assistant Director in the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), in March 1993. He was deployed to the Directorate of Environmental Protection and Pollution Control where he was directing the affairs of the Environmental Protection Sub-Department.



Dr. Jonathan is a member of various professional bodies, including the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), he is a Fellow of the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA), a Fellow of the Public Administrators of Nigeria (PAN), and he was also awarded the prestigious Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Environmental Society, following his stride’s contributions towards Environmental Management.



Also, his dedication to service, eventful life devoted entirely to humanity and monumental achievements as an accomplished leader earned him the "Best Performing Deputy Governor Award in the Federation in 2002, by the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN). Similarly, the National Association of Women in Education Development further honoured him with the Award of "Exemplary Leadership Quality and Good Governance" in July 2003. In further recognition of his dedication to service, the NUJ Abuja Council conferred on him a prestigious Honorary Award for Democracy and Good Governance.



A humane administrator, amazingly simple minded and loved by his people, friends and colleagues, nobody ever expected he will venture into the dicey and precarious nature of Nigerian politics. Nevertheless, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan saw the need to boost the socio-economic with political interest of the common man as well as bridge the lacuna of ruralurban dichotomy of his people through the provisions of social infrastructure. Hence, he took to politics in the Fourth Republic and pitched tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was picked as the running mate to the Party’s flag bearer Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. The duo emerged victorious at the polls in the 1999 gubernatorial election, and so, Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan became the first Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State. After a successful tenure, Dr. Jonathan repeated the feat where he led Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha Campaign machinery popularly called ALAMCO. By the grace of God and the desire for Bayelsans to have a good government, the duo won the gubernatorial elections again, in 2003. And Goodluck Jonathan is thus, serving as a Deputy Governor for a second tenure.



All in all, one significant feat that has endeared Goodluck Jonathan to the Ogbia people is the peace he has brought to politics. At the inception of this Fourth Republic, the political activities were characterized with extreme violence and chaos. But he doggedly advocated for politics without rancor or violence and in his usual peaceful disposition without bitterness, Ogbia political silhouette is not only stable and homogenous but one of the most violent free clan in Nigeria today.



Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is happily married to Mrs. Patience Faka Jonathan. The nuptial union is blessed with two children.



Dr. Jonathan is a man well recognized for his cluster of achievements  and immense contributions to the polity, communal liberalism, growth, and general welfare of the people. Beyond these, he is a humble man, dearly loved and respected. He has remained in the consciousness of his friends and contemporaries, as a builder of human social bridges. He is a teacher, technocrat, a democrat, a man of transparent honesty and humility; a perfect gentleman, a tender loving husband and an unshakable believer in the unity, not only of Ogbia clan but also of Nigeria.

.

In present day Nigeria geopolitics you can not describe Jonathan as Igbo

But the Riverrine people of Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta State have a lot in common with the Igbos

Come to the Rural areas of Kalagbari and Okrika and you will see that half of the mothers there are Igbos of the southeast

The Bonny people, Ikwere people, Etche people, or Ndoni people of River State all speak Igbo, dress the Igbo attire but curiously will without knowing it confuse the word 'ibo' as a synonm for Fraudulent or greedy man. However when these folks come to their senses they admit they are as much Igbo as everyone else.

The Igbos too have their own sins as far as disrespecting the riverine people goes. The riverine people call the Igbo people of the South East 'greedy' while the Igbo people of the South East call the riverine people 'lazy'. So its a too way ignorance born out of post war experiences fuelled by others to divide us in the misguided belief that somehow Nigeria benefits more when we disagree with our neighbours. But obviously this is far from the truth.

So Jonathan is not igbo in the context I suspect you guys are looking at this. But the fact that his middle name is Ebelechukwu and the fond name his parents will call him is Azikiwe demonstrates that he is simply one of the few who did not buy into the divisive prejudices promoted by outsiders to divide us.

Presidential running mate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Goodluck Johathan, has declared that the Igbo nation is strategic to the progress of Nigeria, noting that he is part of the race.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Dr. Jonathan said that his middle name," Ebele, "is an Igbo word meaning mercy.
Dressed in full Ndigbo regalia, Dr. Jonathan who is Bayelsa State Governor, said their administration would turn Abakaliki into the Taiwan of Africa, if elected in April 2007 general election.
He noted that Ebonyi State is endowed with rich potentials as its rice production would be pushed into the international market.
Earlier, Presidential candidate of PDP, Governor Umar Musa Yar’ Adua, of Katsina State promised to declare the energy sector a national disaster to solve electricity problem in the country.
Also speaking, at the PDP’s presidential rally in Abakaliki, Yar’Adua described President Olusegun Obasanjo as a leadership role model, who had provided them with the roadmap to achieve their agenda.
According to the presidential candidate, other priority areas of their government, if elected would be agricultural production, education, health, security and infrastructural development among others.
He assured that their government would be transparent and accountable to the people, stressing that their administration would be honest, hardworking and receptive and would be committed to making the citizens feel proud of the nation.
Also speaking during the rally, National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, while urging people to vote for PDP candidates, noted that Ebonyi State had numerous untapped mineral resources.
"The PDP government has embarked on the exploitation of the abundant minerals in the country. To achieve this, we have invited some foreign investors to come for a thorough scientific survey of these minerals. And I want to assure you that Ebonyi State will benefit immensely from it," he said.
According to him, the government would remain committed to the attainment of 100 per cent child literacy, stressing that they would provide one meal to pupils in all public schools.
On health, the national chairman said pregnant women would deliver free of charge in public hospitals.

If only Jonathan even recognize the Igbos now, lol
all those things he said in Abakaliki are all Political,

Are Ogba and Ogbia the same people?

Igbo una don come again, haha, so Goosluck be Igbo, Ebere is different from Ebele

All I can say that he better not allow his Igbo ancestry get out to the wider Nigerian populace. 

Let him be a closet Igbo, but to me, he is a Easterner just like the rest of us.

Niger_d:

Igbo una don come again,  haha,  so Goosluck be Igbo,  Ebere is different from Ebele

Ebere and Ebele are the same.

people from Anambra pronounce it as Ebele while people from the old Imo area will say Ebere

He's Ijaw. Im not going to start claiming him as igbo now that he's the ACTING president, cause there's plenty of authentically igbo ppl that have achieved more who you will never debate their origin.

Sunny_bobo:

Ebere and Ebele are the same.

people from Anambra pronounce it as Ebele while people from the old Imo area will say Ebere

and did u see the meaning of his own Ebele?

Sweet,


Not

Mercy,

OYB_MEND:


The Bonny people, Ikwere people, Etche people, or Ndoni people of River State all speak Igbo, dress the Igbo attire but curiously will without knowing it confuse the word 'ibo' as a synonm for Fraudulent or greedy man. However when these folks come to their senses they admit they are as much Igbo as everyone else.

If the 'Ibo' is not a synonym for a fraudulent & greedy man why are you guys hurriedly claiming the Ogbia people for yourselves now? simply because Jonathan is now Acting President.

From my knowledge of the Ijaws, they tend to give their kids any names that catch their fancy regardless of tribal/language differences. Ask Jonathan the meaning of 'Ebele' you'll be surpised he doesn't even know

what

ziddy:

If the 'Ibo' is not a synonym for a fraudulent & greedy man why are you guys hurriedly claiming the Ogbia people for yourselves now? simply because Jonathan is now Acting President.

From my knowledge of the Ijaws, they tend to give their kids any names that catch their fancy regardless of tribal/language differences. Ask Jonathan the meaning of 'Ebele' you'll be surpised he doesn't even know

Very insensitive a ridiculous response. How do you know where I am from? I speak igbo but I am not from the South East ok?

Jonathan is a full blown Ijaw man. He has Ijaw written all over him. His complexion betrays this fact.

The truth is that ogbia just like many riverine people share a lot in common with igbos.all these resulted from mixed settlements and absorption of freed igbo slaves into non-igbo society.ogbia is ekpeye with high blend of igbo and ijaw.ekpeye is arguably a sister language to igbo.

^^^^
That was part of my confusions as a corper in Rivers States in those days, Ogba, Etche, Ikwerre, Kwale, Ika and some others, all speak and understand Ibo, they discuss freely with each other and still deny being Ibo, an Ikwerre man from Port Harcourt could treathen to kill you if you call him Ibo, lol. To me they are like dialects in Yorubaland.

Remii:

That was part of my confusions as a corper in Rivers States in those days, Ogba, Etche, Ikwerre, Kwale, Ika and some others, all speak and understand Ibo, they discuss freely with each other and still deny being Ibo, an Ikweree man,of Port Harcourt could treathen to kill you if you call him Ibo, lol. To me thaye are like dialects in Yorubaland.

ITS IGBO

the Man in a speech said he was Igbo , so whats the fuss

Okay, some people here are saying Ogbia, some are saying Ogba. Which is it? and which one is Jonathan from?

what difference does it make whether he's Igbo or not? una don start again o!

@chinenyen.he is from ogbia in bayelsa that speak ekpeye and ijaw language.ogba is in rivers and speak igbo.omoku is the popular town in ogba.

@chinenyen.he is from ogbia in bayelsa that speak ekpeye and ijaw language.ogba is in rivers and speak igbo.omoku is the popular town in ogba.

Who really cares whether he is Igbo or Ijaw?
What's most important is what he calls himself.
If he calls himself Ijaw, then he's Ijaw, if he proudly states that his ancestors are Igbos, then let it be.
He wouldn't be the first Ijaw man with Igbo parents .
Also, I know there're some Igbos with Ijaw ancestery, but why should it be such a big deal

OYB_MEND:

In present day Nigeria geopolitics you can not describe Jonathan as Igbo

But the Riverrine people of Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta State have a lot in common with the Igbos

Come to the Rural areas of Kalagbari and Okrika and you will see that half of the mothers there are Igbos of the southeast

The Bonny people, Ikwere people, Etche people, or Ndoni people of River State all speak Igbo, dress the Igbo attire but curiously will without knowing it confuse the word 'ibo' as a synonm for Fraudulent or greedy man. However when these folks come to their senses they admit they are as much Igbo as everyone else.

The Igbos too have their own sins as far as disrespecting the riverine people goes. The riverine people call the Igbo people of the South East 'greedy' while the Igbo people of the South East call the riverine people 'lazy'. So its a too way ignorance born out of post war experiences fuelled by others to divide us in the misguided belief that somehow Nigeria benefits more when we disagree with our neighbours. But obviously this is far from the truth.

So Jonathan is not igbo in the context I suspect you guys are looking at this. But the fact that his middle name is Ebelechukwu and the fond name his parents will call him is Azikiwe demonstrates that he is simply one of the few who did not buy into the divisive prejudices promoted by outsiders to divide us.

Old boy, your tone of voice is one of the reasons why this issue has become noteworthy in the first place. Ikwerre, Ndoki people, etc are Igbos as you acknowledge, it didn't matter that for the sake of politics some of them have claimed otherwise, but the facts remain unchanged, they're Igbos.
If they're Igbos, then your next statement that Igbos disrespect riverine people makes no sense at all.

I have always tried to tell you, Ibime, and Beaf, that "disrespect" and even name calling runs deep among Igbos, and has nothing to do with being riverine, Agbenu, Wawa, Nsukka, Mbaise, and other such derrogatory names

ChinenyeN:

Okay, some people here are saying Ogbia, some are saying Ogba. Which is it? and which one is Jonathan from?

Ogba is in Egbema in River State while Ogbia is in Bayelsa. But like Abagworo said. Ogbia has a mixture of Ijaw and Ekpeye. Ekpeye is a version of igbo just like Etche, Ikwere etc.

But these things are not necessary. Most importantly he is a Nigerian and grew up in Oloibiri where Nigeria's first oil well was discovered. The man has as much stake in Nigerian project as anyone else and deserves some respect.

It will be condesending for anybody to lecture Jonathan on how to handover to the North in 2011. The South South has neither produced a President nor acting President in this country's 50year history as a republic. I think it is not too early for Nigerians to get ready for a Goodluck Presidency in the next 5 years. The North has ruled this country for over 30 of its 50year history. WHY CAN'T THEY WAIT??

Remii:

^^^^
That was part of my confusions as a corper in Rivers States in those days, Ogba, Etche, Ikwerre, Kwale, Ika and some others, all speak and understand Ibo, they discuss freely with each other and still deny being Ibo, an Ikwerre man from Port Harcourt could treathen to kill you if you call him Ibo, lol. To me they are like dialects in Yorubaland.

That's something you non-Igbos will never understand.
The Onitsha man calls people from Nnewi, Aba, and Enugu Nwa-onyigbo son of Igboman when upset. Are you going to classify him as non-Igbo just for that?
Also there're many localities in Igboland that don't speak understandable Igbo, and yet are Igbos.
Before the civil war and before Nasir's infamous boundary adjustment to remove all oil producing towns from "core" Igboland, the question as to whether someone from Ikwerre, Ogba, Etche could have been laughable.