Bros,you are doing a good job but Okoli Otie is not the progenitor of the Okodu clan. Infact,Umuoji,Abatete and Ideke(Nkpor) has no oral history about Okoli Otie. He is just a very powerful man who settled in Umuoji during the Aro migration. Legend has it that Okodu migrated from what is know today as Nri settlement, north of our present location and settled among some aborigines and founded the Okodu clan. There are ancient songs ,chants and stories about him but none about Okoli Otie. Okodu begot Ezeogu the first son; Ezeogu had nine sons reason why they are called "ebe iteghete Ezeogu" anglisized to Abatete(nine quaters of Ezeogu). Umuoji the second son was named after a deity Okodu brought with him,hence we are called Umuoji and because of our numerical advantage we are fondly called "Umuoji Igwulube Okodu"(Umuoji the bees of Okodu). While Abatete and Ideke(Nkpor) have nine and five quaters respectively,Umuoji have twenty-five quaters. Nkpor was formerly known as Ideke and lived amongst Ezeogus until a war ensued between them and the later. They took refuge in Umuoji who live just south of Abatete and was later moved to their present location with abundant land. This relocation was famously known as "Nkpogha" or "Ndi akpoghalu akpogha"(people that were relocated) in Umuoji parlance,hence the name Nkpor.

Now,I have read some piece online about Umuoji being founded by an Aro warrior but that is too farfetched. It couldn't be because the town existed before the formation of Aro.

Umuoji is affectionately called "Igwulube Okodu Nmili Manyulu Oku" (Igwulube Okodu the rain that quenched a burning fire) for mediating in the war between Nkpor and Abatete and relocating the former who are albeit small in number to their current location where they inherited a large fertile expanse of lands.

I told my wife that I will build a cultural center and erect Eke Idenmili statue in the front and she yelled OBALA JESO !

OdenigboAroli:
I told my wife that I will build a cultural center and erect Eke Idenmili statue in the front and she yelled OBALA JESO !

Loollllzzzzzzzzz@Obala Jesu!! Please do u know the legend behind Eke Idemmili,Eze Idemmili and other deities around? Kindly avail if you do.Deme nu!

Chiwude:
I appreciate your submission on starting with Anambra first after which other threads can be opened for other Igbo speaking states. However, I somehow noticed how you tried to tie Arochukwu and Nnewi as two major players to the founding of Onitsha and its Kingship system. Any evidence for this or link to buttress your position?

I did not tie Arochokwu together, They said from the Article thae EZE CHIME was an Aro man that sourjened and you know the footprints off Aro in Igbo and South South Historical settings cant be erased or wished a way, he was on a reverse migration and he founded many towns which include some parts of onitsha not all, when he came back from benin unlike how people say that onitisha are benin, which is blatant lie. These were igbos on reverse migration, JUST LIKE LAGOS IGBO COMMING BACK FROM LAGOS will you say that those igbo are yoruba...NO


So the Question is ...is EZE CHIMA an Aro or Nri man on sourjourn ? That will be the essense of the debate


dalu umunne m like bigfrancis21 musing2 asadike Radoillo tonychristopher asadike, ezeagu, OreMI22 PAGAN9JA, odumchi, EzePromoe, magkhan, Wulfruna, Radoillo, Ishilove, buchichukwu69, Daverytimes, VickyRotex, conyema12, Caracta, Emmayur, tk4rd, uduokirika1, omarhlichanwa, chinnelle, AsanwaKC, Phut, passion007, Chigold101, mildteddy, softwhispers, donbenie, DesChyko, chrisviral, Niwdog, ImperfectMe, IGBOnation, bigfrancis21, Benfaco, nwadiuko1, timsbee, executivegej, Harvard13, Tinyemeka, UjSizzle, christopher123, Optimall, moca, UjSizzle, telexfree1, Luckygurl, Mbkite, DaimlerBen, Ihuomadinihu, vinxce, EzePromoe, e4e5d4d5, odumchi, OdenigboAroli, smartsoft, agabaI23, asadike, Okeikpu, tonychristopher, adorebee, Lilimax, PaulCI, Peppyluv, JustCare, ifyalways, JustCare, toshmann, preselect, oziomatv, skimpychick, OreMI22, Nnewi1stSon, centje, Handsomegod, spyder880, iconize, IGBOSON1, eaglechild, Kcinho, Emperoh, mensdept, frakdon, BuddahMonk, CaptainOjemba, colored, ckenneths, Bishop42, biafrandream, cjrane, tranxo, myhobbies, write2obi, all4naija, osystein, Zonacom, Get2go, FreeGlobe, yellowsun, oneeast, Malawian, InyinyaAgbaOku, BuddahMonk, HappyJoe, chidyhels, asha80, ak47mann, Kagame, Zonacom, Hishuula, Dainfamous, FKO81, ACM10, enochnochi, Schematics, bankson80, Myluv1, MusaIbrahim1, ikoloanambra, Abagworo, investnow2013, rafindo, enochnochi, Igbonazy, chino11, manchy7531, LordNaya, lygn19, XBLadez, B2mario, GreenCap, millionaireman, Ihedioha2015, emmysoftyou, ejiyke2007, Nedu09, lygn19, IGBOSON2, osayuwamwen, ROYALD, RareDiamond, sCun, ejiyke2007, mandax, saintendurance, UnknownT, millionaireman, MI6Surveillance, anitabeauty, Ikwokrikwo, Ahmed4002,ikwerremilitant, hopeathand can add theirs also.


Give us a hint especially those from Anambra

Gbam


Onye igbo ka ibu...

OdenigboAroli:
I told my wife that I will build a cultural center and erect Eke Idenmili statue in the front and she yelled OBALA JESO !

christopher123:


I did not tie Arochokwu together, They said from the Article thae EZE CHIME was an Aro man that sourjened and you know the footprints off Aro in Igbo and South South Historical settings cant be erased or wished a way, he was on a reverse migration and he founded many towns which include some parts of onitsha not all, when he came back from benin unlike how people say that onitisha are benin, which is blatant lie. These were igbos on reverse migration, JUST LIKE LAGOS IGBO COMMING BACK FROM LAGOS will you say that those igbo are yoruba...NO


So the Question is ...is EZE CHIMA an Aro or Nri man on sourjourn ? That will be the essense of the debate


dalu umunne m like bigfrancis21 musing2 asadike Radoillo tonychristopher asadike, ezeagu, OreMI22 PAGAN9JA, odumchi, EzePromoe, magkhan, Wulfruna, Radoillo, Ishilove, buchichukwu69, Daverytimes, VickyRotex, conyema12, Caracta, Emmayur, tk4rd, uduokirika1, omarhlichanwa, chinnelle, AsanwaKC, Phut, passion007, Chigold101, mildteddy, softwhispers, donbenie, DesChyko, chrisviral, Niwdog, ImperfectMe, IGBOnation, bigfrancis21, Benfaco, nwadiuko1, timsbee, executivegej, Harvard13, Tinyemeka, UjSizzle, christopher123, Optimall, moca, UjSizzle, telexfree1, Luckygurl, Mbkite, DaimlerBen, Ihuomadinihu, vinxce, EzePromoe, e4e5d4d5, odumchi, OdenigboAroli, smartsoft, agabaI23, asadike, Okeikpu, tonychristopher, adorebee, Lilimax, PaulCI, Peppyluv, JustCare, ifyalways, JustCare, toshmann, preselect, oziomatv, skimpychick, OreMI22, Nnewi1stSon, centje, Handsomegod, spyder880, iconize, IGBOSON1, eaglechild, Kcinho, Emperoh, mensdept, frakdon, BuddahMonk, CaptainOjemba, colored, ckenneths, Bishop42, biafrandream, cjrane, tranxo, myhobbies, write2obi, all4naija, osystein, Zonacom, Get2go, FreeGlobe, yellowsun, oneeast, Malawian, InyinyaAgbaOku, BuddahMonk, HappyJoe, chidyhels, asha80, ak47mann, Kagame, Zonacom, Hishuula, Dainfamous, FKO81, ACM10, enochnochi, Schematics, bankson80, Myluv1, MusaIbrahim1, ikoloanambra, Abagworo, investnow2013, rafindo, enochnochi, Igbonazy, chino11, manchy7531, LordNaya, lygn19, XBLadez, B2mario, GreenCap, millionaireman, Ihedioha2015, emmysoftyou, ejiyke2007, Nedu09, lygn19, IGBOSON2, osayuwamwen, ROYALD, RareDiamond, sCun, ejiyke2007, mandax, saintendurance, UnknownT, millionaireman, MI6Surveillance, anitabeauty, Ikwokrikwo, Ahmed4002,ikwerremilitant, hopeathand can add theirs also.


Give us a hint especially those from Anambra

I concur

I did not tie Arochokwu together, They said from the Article thae EZE CHIME was an Aro man that sourjened and you know the footprints off Aro in Igbo and South South Historical settings cant be erased or wished a way, he was on a reverse migration and he founded many towns which include some parts of onitsha not all, when he came back from benin unlike how people say that onitisha are benin, which is blatant lie. These were igbos on reverse migration, JUST LIKE LAGOS IGBO COMMING BACK FROM LAGOS will you say that those igbo are yoruba...NO


What part of Onicha was founded by Aro ?
This is very crazy!!!

INTRODUCTION:

Our history as a people should neither be a mystery nor a guess work. It must be written by us for us based on our knowledge of what was, what is and what will forever be as children of Onicha: a divine town of assured prospects; a town that was oriented and aligned to sacred stars of the immortal galaxies; a town, that was divinely inspired and strategically founded on the sacred banks of God's own river, the Niger. Onicha, the sacred abode, uniquely ordained to soar and tower above all obstacles; a town, where the immortal flame of God's own love will forever glow. Onicha-Ado n' Idu! Atulukpa Ose! Onicha, oke Ebo na eri agu! Eke nwe ovia! (The royal python that reigns in the the sacred forest!) Oke Nnunu Mmuo n' ebe n' oku!(The great mystical bird that perches on deadly flames and yet remains immuned from the inferno!) Onicha; my Onicha, our Onicha, the divine breasts whose nourishing milk has sustained all from the misty dawn of times!

The word "Onitsha" is an alienization of the proper spelling of our correct name "Onicha". From my research, this word was first used by Mungo Park in his reports of his expedition amongst the Niger people and this was continued by other Europeans. The compound term "tsha" is non-existent in any African or Igbo syntax. We should abandon the perpetuation of this anomaly and revert to the correct form of our name: Onicha. The ancestral name of our beloved town is "Onicha-Mmili".This was to distinguish it from our other kinsmen at other Onicha settlements on the West of the Niger, like "Onicha-Ugbo"; "Onicha-Olona"; "Onicha-Ukwu"; and other blood relatives that branched out from the major migrational group to develop those settlements on the West of the Niger or "Enu Ani". It is really sad that these days, our interactions and dynamics with these our blood relatives at Enu Ani have become almost extinct.

My immortalized and legendary kinsman, Chief Philip Okonkwo Anatogu, the Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha, once explained that the word "Onicha-Ado N' Idu" referred to the Nation of all Onicha stock that made the exodus from the Idu land. Idu was one of the names for ancient Egypt. "Idu" or "Edo" was later corrupted to Edo and was usurped by the Benin nation. The Iyasele explained that the towns of Onicha-Mmili, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu, Issele-Ukwu, Issele Mkpitima, Ezzi, Obamkpa and other towns of Benin migrational orientation were all collectively referred to as "Onicha Ado n' Idu" by the Edos! Over the years when Onicha-Mmili became very accomplished, the usage of the name "Onitsha Ado n' Idu" appeared to have been narrowed down to her. Many of our brethren at Enu Ani had criticized this as what they perceived as an attempt by Onicha-Mmili to solely assume what was a national identity of all Onicha children. Who are Ndi Onicha? Onye ka anyi bu? Ebe ka anyi sii? Anyi abu ndi Edo/Idu/Benin?

BACKGROUND OF OUR ANCIENT ROOTS:

Just like many ancient kingdoms that are now scattered in the Southern part of the Sahara, the Onicha history is rooted in Ancient Egypt. From linguistics, cultural, cosmological, anthropological, pictorial, traditional and spiritual analyses and comparisons, Onicha people and their Yoruba and Edo relatives are from Ancient Egypt, known then to our ancestors as Kemet. The word "Egypt" was a hellenised (from the Greeks) name for Kemet. (I have always wondered the psycho-social motivation for the European's fixation for alteration of names and identities of the indigenous people that they conquer.)

Our confusion and rejection of our Egyptian roots is premised upon years and years of colonial mis-education and doctrine that the Egyptian civilization was attributable to Europeans. The colonial masters never taught our history from its remotest past but taught and narrowed the genesis of African history to the colonial era and advent. Most Europeans who made a good effort to conduct research on African history and anthropology, like Professor Richard Henderson, in his "The King in every man" did excellent works but their works were very prejudicially narrowed in time and scope. None ever attempted to conduct an indepth study to connect our history to the advanced ancient Egyptian roots. This was a deliberate omission, perhaps premised upon the colonial doctrine that "Africa was a race without a past" because it does not take a lot of studies for one to connect Onicha and closely related communities like the Edos and Yorubas to ancient Egypt.

We really need to understand that words like "Yorubas", "Benin", "Igbos", are relatively new terms and were never used by the ancestors of these people to identify them. We should also note that the Igbo, Yoruba, Edo, and many West African languages descended from one parent language and belong to the "KWA" language group. We must endeavor to write our history from its purest and ancient source and not be limiting our studies to events of 700 years ago. This is an insult to our ancestors whose eons and billions of ageless genes exist in us. ONITSHA DID NOT START WITH OUR ANCESTRAL ADVENT TO THE BANKS OF THE NIGER FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO!

OUR KEMETIC/EGYPTIAN ROOTS

Marcus Aurlielus Garvey once opined that a people without a knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots. We must, for the sake of our children, approach the study of our history with fervency and zeal, otherwise, we deprive them of a foundation upon which they can stand to withstand the fierce battles of man's unkindness to man as history keeps attesting. Just mentioning that we left Benin over a contest for a royal throne is a mockery of historical accuracy and a severe limitation of the true self knowledge of who we are, in terms of scope and time.

Who and what were we before the tiny or microscopic phase of the Benin/Edo experience? How did we get to Benin? And from were did we get to Benin? Why did we migrate from where we were to Benin? Why does Onicha Igbo syllable contain more Yoruba words than Benin words? And why are our kingship and chieftaincy titles and arrangements resemble the Edos/Benin and not like the Yorubas? What was our original language? Do we still have its linguistic remnants in our chants, dirges, eulogies and dances? What is the meaning of the chants that we intone during the sacred Ido Ogbi gba (last funeral phase) of an ascended ancestor? Why did Onicha people readily and without any objection embrace and adopt the mystical rituals of the Igala Immigrants and their Muo via/MmuoOgonogo/Egwugwu, placing the Muo-avia on a powerful position that almost paralleled and usurped the powers of the monarch? Did the Igalas have any Yoruba, Edo or Benin roots? Did Onicha, Edo and Igala have a common roots? Why are the
Ulutus/Mgbelekekes, who are Igala immigrants, the custodian of the most powerful sacred shrine in Onitsha: Ani Onitsha? These and many others are the questions that we need to ask? Onitsha words like "Ogbadu"(corn), "Okwute" (rock/stone), "Ogede" (plaintain), "Ologbo" or Onogbo", (cat), "Okpulukpu" (box or container", "Erulu" (beads), "Ikpulu" (a specie of garden egg), "Inye Ori" by Muo Avia,(Ori means head or chi in Yoruba) and so many others are all Yoruba words, except "Ologbo" which is still used in Benin today. However, many of our traditional titles are the same with the Edos/Binis: Onicha titles like "Iyasele" is "Iyasere" in Bini; "Ogene Onira" is "Oliha" in Benin; "Odu Osodi" is "Osodin" in Benin; "Omodi Daike" in Onitsha is "Edaiken" in Benin; "Esagba" in Onitsha is "Esogban" in Benin; the "Isama" titles are the same in both towns amongst many others.

The land of Kemet or ancient Egypt, also called Idu or Igodomigodo by our ancestors, now sadly inhabited by descendants of Arabic and Turkish (with other European) invaders, was before the invasion, the ancestral land of Onicha people and many other African nations. We were forced to make a southern migrational exodus to avoid annihilation by the constant invasion from foreign forces from Persia, Turkey and other parts of Europe. The land of Egypt was a very sophisticated and super advanced nation of civilized people. The foundation of ancient Egypt was laid by Africans who are now scattered in disorganized groups called tribes and clans; in total ignorance of their identities, contributions to world science, arts and their very advanced civilized roots in ancient Egypt. Now and then, it hurts a lot to see the ways that Arabs have been desecrating the ancient tombs and graves of our African ancestors in Egypt. Our ancestral graves are being excavated on a daily basis in the name of "research". If these were their ancestors would they be allowing these desecrations and digging up of their ancestors for studies and research? In the name of research and studies, they are destroying land marks and coded information left by our ancestors for us and our children. Six years ago, they conducted a melanin pigmentation/skin color test on the skins of 25 Pharoahs and ancient Egyptian mummies that they excavated and found that they were all Africans with very dark skins but this information is yet to be published in the bi-annual Egyptian Historical Society magazines. The Key is to keep the African in stupor and ignorance of his great past.

OUR CONNECTION TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOWN CALLED "ON"
Everything that the world knows today in terms of religion, science, astrology, astronomy, medicine, laws and other branches of philosophical studies are from ancient Egypt. According to Herodotus, a very travelled Jewish Historian, who kept records of his visit to ancient Egypt, Egypt was peopled by very disciplined and organized citizenry who were "very" black people with "wooly hair". Everything revolved around the Pharoah, who was an incarnate of God on earth. The word "Pharoah" is the Greek translation of the Kemetic term, "Parah" meaning "Great house/home or abode"(compare this to the title of our King, "Obi" which is also a home or abode".) The term alludes to the fact that the King or Pharoah is a great abode or temple that houses many forces, spirits or powers. The Gods and Goddesses dwell in his body making it "a great house or "Obi".

The "Obi" of modern Onitsha today is the continuation of the ancient Pharonic dynasty of ancient Kemet or Egypt. Onitsha must retrace the history of her monarchs from his imperial Majesty Obi Achebe back to the Ogiso Kings of Igodomigodo in Edo, then to Egypt; to Pharoah Tutankhamon, Pharoah Amenemhet, Pharoah Amenemes, Pharoah Amenkhuti Ra; Pharoah Khafara, and back to the first dynasty in Egypt. Enough of this tracing of our kingship to just Obi Oreze or his father Ohime(corrupted to "Chima" by his later descendants. Did they not descend from somebody? We must take back our history to where ti belongs. Do we have to wait for Professor Henderson to come and tell us?

Onicha got its name from the ancient Egyptian city of "ON", unfortunately renamed as "Heliopolis" by the Greeks and now being called "El Minah" by the modern Egyptian government, which has changed the name of this city five times. The City of "On" was the citadel of spiritual excellence and was one of the most sacred cities of ancient Egypt. The priests of On were very mystical and were the repository of the ancient mysteries of Egypt. The priests of On guided their mysteries jealously and were the only priests that crowned the Pharoahs. No king of Egypt could be recognized without being consecrated by the priests of On. They were called the "Priests of the most high". The Pharoh and his family traditionally resided in the city of On. "Onicha" means those that were sacked or cut off from the city of On. The word "cha" in ancient Egypt means to cut, descend or fall from. The Onitsha Igbo dialect term "chapu" like in "chapu ya isi" (cut off his head) still has the same root like the ancient Kemetic Egyptian language: "cha" : to cut off or make to fall.



Some say Onicha is from Bini area,some say Ife but this very author who is a respected Onicha chief and a leader believe the migrated from EGYPT...LOL
See how he tried so hard to disassociate from the Igbo label.

INTRODUCTION:

Our history as a people should neither be a mystery nor a guess work. It must be written by us for us based on our knowledge of what was, what is and what will forever be as children of Onicha: a divine town of assured prospects; a town that was oriented and aligned to sacred stars of the immortal galaxies; a town, that was divinely inspired and strategically founded on the sacred banks of God's own river, the Niger. Onicha, the sacred abode, uniquely ordained to soar and tower above all obstacles; a town, where the immortal flame of God's own love will forever glow. Onicha-Ado n' Idu! Atulukpa Ose! Onicha, oke Ebo na eri agu! Eke nwe ovia! (The royal python that reigns in the the sacred forest!) Oke Nnunu Mmuo n' ebe n' oku!(The great mystical bird that perches on deadly flames and yet remains immuned from the inferno!) Onicha; my Onicha, our Onicha, the divine breasts whose nourishing milk has sustained all from the misty dawn of times!

The word "Onitsha" is an alienization of the proper spelling of our correct name "Onicha". From my research, this word was first used by Mungo Park in his reports of his expedition amongst the Niger people and this was continued by other Europeans. The compound term "tsha" is non-existent in any African or Igbo syntax. We should abandon the perpetuation of this anomaly and revert to the correct form of our name: Onicha. The ancestral name of our beloved town is "Onicha-Mmili".This was to distinguish it from our other kinsmen at other Onicha settlements on the West of the Niger, like "Onicha-Ugbo"; "Onicha-Olona"; "Onicha-Ukwu"; and other blood relatives that branched out from the major migrational group to develop those settlements on the West of the Niger or "Enu Ani". It is really sad that these days, our interactions and dynamics with these our blood relatives at Enu Ani have become almost extinct.

My immortalized and legendary kinsman, Chief Philip Okonkwo Anatogu, the Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha, once explained that the word "Onicha-Ado N' Idu" referred to the Nation of all Onicha stock that made the exodus from the Idu land. Idu was one of the names for ancient Egypt. "Idu" or "Edo" was later corrupted to Edo and was usurped by the Benin nation. The Iyasele explained that the towns of Onicha-Mmili, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu, Issele-Ukwu, Issele Mkpitima, Ezzi, Obamkpa and other towns of Benin migrational orientation were all collectively referred to as "Onicha Ado n' Idu" by the Edos! Over the years when Onicha-Mmili became very accomplished, the usage of the name "Onitsha Ado n' Idu" appeared to have been narrowed down to her. Many of our brethren at Enu Ani had criticized this as what they perceived as an attempt by Onicha-Mmili to solely assume what was a national identity of all Onicha children. Who are Ndi Onicha? Onye ka anyi bu? Ebe ka anyi sii? Anyi abu ndi Edo/Idu/Benin?

BACKGROUND OF OUR ANCIENT ROOTS:

Just like many ancient kingdoms that are now scattered in the Southern part of the Sahara, the Onicha history is rooted in Ancient Egypt. From linguistics, cultural, cosmological, anthropological, pictorial, traditional and spiritual analyses and comparisons, Onicha people and their Yoruba and Edo relatives are from Ancient Egypt, known then to our ancestors as Kemet. The word "Egypt" was a hellenised (from the Greeks) name for Kemet. (I have always wondered the psycho-social motivation for the European's fixation for alteration of names and identities of the indigenous people that they conquer.)

Our confusion and rejection of our Egyptian roots is premised upon years and years of colonial mis-education and doctrine that the Egyptian civilization was attributable to Europeans. The colonial masters never taught our history from its remotest past but taught and narrowed the genesis of African history to the colonial era and advent. Most Europeans who made a good effort to conduct research on African history and anthropology, like Professor Richard Henderson, in his "The King in every man" did excellent works but their works were very prejudicially narrowed in time and scope. None ever attempted to conduct an indepth study to connect our history to the advanced ancient Egyptian roots. This was a deliberate omission, perhaps premised upon the colonial doctrine that "Africa was a race without a past" because it does not take a lot of studies for one to connect Onicha and closely related communities like the Edos and Yorubas to ancient Egypt.

We really need to understand that words like "Yorubas", "Benin", "Igbos", are relatively new terms and were never used by the ancestors of these people to identify them. We should also note that the Igbo, Yoruba, Edo, and many West African languages descended from one parent language and belong to the "KWA" language group. We must endeavor to write our history from its purest and ancient source and not be limiting our studies to events of 700 years ago. This is an insult to our ancestors whose eons and billions of ageless genes exist in us. ONITSHA DID NOT START WITH OUR ANCESTRAL ADVENT TO THE BANKS OF THE NIGER FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO!

OUR KEMETIC/EGYPTIAN ROOTS

Marcus Aurlielus Garvey once opined that a people without a knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots. We must, for the sake of our children, approach the study of our history with fervency and zeal, otherwise, we deprive them of a foundation upon which they can stand to withstand the fierce battles of man's unkindness to man as history keeps attesting. Just mentioning that we left Benin over a contest for a royal throne is a mockery of historical accuracy and a severe limitation of the true self knowledge of who we are, in terms of scope and time.

Who and what were we before the tiny or microscopic phase of the Benin/Edo experience? How did we get to Benin? And from were did we get to Benin? Why did we migrate from where we were to Benin? Why does Onicha Igbo syllable contain more Yoruba words than Benin words? And why are our kingship and chieftaincy titles and arrangements resemble the Edos/Benin and not like the Yorubas? What was our original language? Do we still have its linguistic remnants in our chants, dirges, eulogies and dances? What is the meaning of the chants that we intone during the sacred Ido Ogbi gba (last funeral phase) of an ascended ancestor? Why did Onicha people readily and without any objection embrace and adopt the mystical rituals of the Igala Immigrants and their Muo via/MmuoOgonogo/Egwugwu, placing the Muo-avia on a powerful position that almost paralleled and usurped the powers of the monarch? Did the Igalas have any Yoruba, Edo or Benin roots? Did Onicha, Edo and Igala have a common roots? Why are the
Ulutus/Mgbelekekes, who are Igala immigrants, the custodian of the most powerful sacred shrine in Onitsha: Ani Onitsha? These and many others are the questions that we need to ask? Onitsha words like "Ogbadu"(corn), "Okwute" (rock/stone), "Ogede" (plaintain), "Ologbo" or Onogbo", (cat), "Okpulukpu" (box or container", "Erulu" (beads), "Ikpulu" (a specie of garden egg), "Inye Ori" by Muo Avia,(Ori means head or chi in Yoruba) and so many others are all Yoruba words, except "Ologbo" which is still used in Benin today. However, many of our traditional titles are the same with the Edos/Binis: Onicha titles like "Iyasele" is "Iyasere" in Bini; "Ogene Onira" is "Oliha" in Benin; "Odu Osodi" is "Osodin" in Benin; "Omodi Daike" in Onitsha is "Edaiken" in Benin; "Esagba" in Onitsha is "Esogban" in Benin; the "Isama" titles are the same in both towns amongst many others.

The land of Kemet or ancient Egypt, also called Idu or Igodomigodo by our ancestors, now sadly inhabited by descendants of Arabic and Turkish (with other European) invaders, was before the invasion, the ancestral land of Onicha people and many other African nations. We were forced to make a southern migrational exodus to avoid annihilation by the constant invasion from foreign forces from Persia, Turkey and other parts of Europe. The land of Egypt was a very sophisticated and super advanced nation of civilized people. The foundation of ancient Egypt was laid by Africans who are now scattered in disorganized groups called tribes and clans; in total ignorance of their identities, contributions to world science, arts and their very advanced civilized roots in ancient Egypt. Now and then, it hurts a lot to see the ways that Arabs have been desecrating the ancient tombs and graves of our African ancestors in Egypt. Our ancestral graves are being excavated on a daily basis in the name of "research". If these were their ancestors would they be allowing these desecrations and digging up of their ancestors for studies and research? In the name of research and studies, they are destroying land marks and coded information left by our ancestors for us and our children. Six years ago, they conducted a melanin pigmentation/skin color test on the skins of 25 Pharoahs and ancient Egyptian mummies that they excavated and found that they were all Africans with very dark skins but this information is yet to be published in the bi-annual Egyptian Historical Society magazines. The Key is to keep the African in stupor and ignorance of his great past.

OUR CONNECTION TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOWN CALLED "ON"
Everything that the world knows today in terms of religion, science, astrology, astronomy, medicine, laws and other branches of philosophical studies are from ancient Egypt. According to Herodotus, a very travelled Jewish Historian, who kept records of his visit to ancient Egypt, Egypt was peopled by very disciplined and organized citizenry who were "very" black people with "wooly hair". Everything revolved around the Pharoah, who was an incarnate of God on earth. The word "Pharoah" is the Greek translation of the Kemetic term, "Parah" meaning "Great house/home or abode"(compare this to the title of our King, "Obi" which is also a home or abode".) The term alludes to the fact that the King or Pharoah is a great abode or temple that houses many forces, spirits or powers. The Gods and Goddesses dwell in his body making it "a great house or "Obi".

The "Obi" of modern Onitsha today is the continuation of the ancient Pharonic dynasty of ancient Kemet or Egypt. Onitsha must retrace the history of her monarchs from his imperial Majesty Obi Achebe back to the Ogiso Kings of Igodomigodo in Edo, then to Egypt; to Pharoah Tutankhamon, Pharoah Amenemhet, Pharoah Amenemes, Pharoah Amenkhuti Ra; Pharoah Khafara, and back to the first dynasty in Egypt. Enough of this tracing of our kingship to just Obi Oreze or his father Ohime(corrupted to "Chima" by his later descendants. Did they not descend from somebody? We must take back our history to where ti belongs. Do we have to wait for Professor Henderson to come and tell us?

Onicha got its name from the ancient Egyptian city of "ON", unfortunately renamed as "Heliopolis" by the Greeks and now being called "El Minah" by the modern Egyptian government, which has changed the name of this city five times. The City of "On" was the citadel of spiritual excellence and was one of the most sacred cities of ancient Egypt. The priests of On were very mystical and were the repository of the ancient mysteries of Egypt. The priests of On guided their mysteries jealously and were the only priests that crowned the Pharoahs. No king of Egypt could be recognized without being consecrated by the priests of On. They were called the "Priests of the most high". The Pharoh and his family traditionally resided in the city of On. "Onicha" means those that were sacked or cut off from the city of On. The word "cha" in ancient Egypt means to cut, descend or fall from. The Onitsha Igbo dialect term "chapu" like in "chapu ya isi" (cut off his head) still has the same root like the ancient Kemetic Egyptian language: "cha" : to cut off or make to fall.

Now,this bloke actually lied to himself and believe Eze Nri paid tribute to Obi of Onicha....lol
Keep reading.

ONICHA TRADITIONAL CONCEPTS OF SPIRITUALITY:
Onicha people traditionally beleive in one omnipotent God whom we call"Ose Ebuluwa" or "Osa Ebuluwa" ( "Olisa Ebuluwa".) One of the original ancient Egyptian, Kemetic names of God, was "Osa". The Greeks changed it to "Osiris". Another name of God in ancient Egypt was "Ra". In Onicha today we bear the names "Chukwu Ra" etymologically it alluded to "Ra", the high spirit. It was this aspect of God that the Jews worshipped that is why the term"RA" is reflected in many Jewish and Isreali names. Terms like (Abraham);Ab "Ra" ham, (Israel): Is "Ra" el, {Sarah};Sa "Ra" h, (Raphael);"Ra" phael, (Gabriel);Gab "Ra" el, (Ariel); A "Ra" el, (Mount Ararat);A,ra "Ra" t, and so many others. Could these be "just" coincidental?

In Benin, God is called "Osa No Obuwa", which has the same etymological root with "Ose Ebuluwa". The closest transliteration(it cannot be adequately translated into English) of the term "Osebuluwa" can be glimpsed if one attempts to etymologize the term "Osebuluwa". The term is derived from "Ose/Osa(mystical force/being), ebili(waves), uwa(world), Osebuluwa therefore, subject to my human limitations, means "The mystical being whose waves sustain the world." Going into the mystical and esoteric meaning of "OLISA": which literarily means "the devourer of mystical seven", would cast me beyond the scope of this article. MAKA NA IVIE LIE ISAA ONAA!(WHATEVER DEVOURS SEVEN CEASES TO EXIST!)

The name Ose Ebuluwa was (still is) deemed so holy that the Onicha men, especially Priests of Nze(Agbalanze) would not respond to any greetings from family members upon waking up in the morning, until they ritually cleansed their mouths with (chewing stick) Atu Oborsi, bathed and then faced the direction of the rising sun to pronounce the sacred name "Ose Ebuluwa". He does this whilst standing in a very consecrated and hallowed ground called "Ani Ezi". This name is very powerful:none should dare to falsely swear in this name. Our ancestors were spiritually advanced to know that God had no gender, we therefore till date ascribe no gender to God unlike in our European oriented creeds.

In Onicha spiritual philosophy, in the divine realm, things of the physical world like genders, colors, emotions and other trivialities do not exist. We believe that everything in God's creation has a divine purpose. We see everything on earth as a reflection and part of the divine will and therefore regard every object, living or non-living as having a sacred stamp from God Almighty. We see the herbs, the sky, the sun, moon, stars, rivers, hills and everything on earth as a different expression and extension of ourselves: we see everything on earth as our equals and do not endorse any superiority over GOD'S creation. We do not seek converts or convince others to believe in our path of spirituality because everybody has his/her own path and pact with his/her Chi. Thus an Onicha man/ like most traditional Africans, would not impose his views of the divine concept and wage a holy war to convert other towns to partake in his spirituality. We believe that our ancestors having ascended to the divine realm before us, have the powers to intercede on our behalf over our spiritual needs since their genes still exist in us; we believe that our connection to our ancestors are eternal and was so ordained by God. We use objects or images in our communications or prayers to the divine just as an objectification of the divine principles that they may represent and never WORSHIP or ascribe Godliness to any anything carved by human hands. Above all WE BELIEVE THAT GOD, IN GOD'S INFINITE WISDOM, CREATED US AND MADE US MANIFEST AS NDI ONICHA FOR SPECIAL REASONS AND THEREFORE CANNOT SIN AGAINST GOD BY BECOMING OR CONVERTING INTO WHAT GOD DID NOT MAKE US TO BE. Onowu Anatogu, philosophized that na onwelu ive Chukwu ji kenye Agu n'ovia, welu Azu tinye na mmili, aputakwo na mmili, enwe Azu Isi, enwe Azu Asa na azu ndi Ozo ga asi. (God for a divine purpose created the lions and placed them in the jungle, and with the same divine purpose cast the fishes in the waters, and further divided them into different species like the Cat fish, Electric Eel and other species.) He further stated that it would have been very easy for God to make him an Awkuzu, British, Nsukka or French man, but for some reasons God did not. He concluded that God never makes a mistake or regrets God's creations.

Our spiritual cycle and circles revolve around our divine King, the Obi of Onicha, the Agbo Ogidi, who encapsulates and personifies, the ultimate divine manifestation of sacred principles in man. The Obi of Onicha is the soul of the past, presence and future of Onicha people. He embodies all and is the big house (OBI) that swallows all, this is why he is addressed as "Agbo Ogidi" the true pronounciation is actually "Ai-Gbo Ogidi". The Obi is the royal python(UBI) that swallows its prey. The Obi is followed in spiritual rank by the Eze Idis who are the custodians of Nze and empowered to consecrate men to become Agbalanze. The Diokpas are also sacred beings whom God and the ancestors have chosen to intercede in spiritual matters on their behalves. The Agbalanze are consecrated priests who can officiate before the sacred ancestral or other divine altars for intercession. The stool of Omu(Queen) of Onicha has been vacant for more than hundred years now. Our last queen was Omu Nwagboka. She was from Ogbendida village and was married into the Egwuatu family of Ogbeotu. The Omu was never the wife of the King in Onicha but was appointed by the King.

Unlike many Onicha men, many Onicha women upon their deaths, became deified and elevated to the status of godship (a ritual that the Catholics copied from Africans.) In Onicha today, Princess Ojedi(Nne na ama Odu,Umudei), Omu Atagbusi(Ogbolieke), Aze (Abalaka, Oti idu)Umuaroli, Queen Uto(Oke Alusi odigbogbo, Ogelli Ete, Umuase), Obiasi Okwu Ogodo(Ogbeotu), Ucheju Onyeama(Odoje), Agadi Nwanyi(Onicha), Okike Iba(Ogbolieke) and others that I cannot mention, were all deified feminine ancestors. I still believe that only Onicha women will redeem Onicha from its present decadence like they always did in the past. I will credibly defend this belief anywhere and whenever challenged thereon. Omu Atagbusi, led a boycott of Onicha Women from purchasing the imposed merchandize of the British royal Niger Company. This conflict later resulted in the bombing of Onicha by a British War ship, HMS, around 1778. After this assault, Omu Atagbusi, never surrendered, but continued to wage attacks that later forced the British to vacate from Onicha to relocate at Asaba which was then made the headquarters of the Royal Niger Company.


He articulates very eloquently about Nze na Ozo but runs away from explaining how it originated...Excellent.

OdenigboAroli:
I did not tie Arochokwu together, They said from the Article thae EZE CHIME was an Aro man that sourjened and you know the footprints off Aro in Igbo and South South Historical settings cant be erased or wished a way, he was on a reverse migration and he founded many towns which include some parts of onitsha not all, when he came back from benin unlike how people say that onitisha are benin, which is blatant lie. These were igbos on reverse migration, JUST LIKE LAGOS IGBO COMMING BACK FROM LAGOS will you say that those igbo are yoruba...NO


What part of Onicha was founded by Aro ?
This is very crazy!!!

Lol.


I feel that there is an ARO settlement in otu...they might give their

tonychristopher:


Lol.


I feel that there is an ARO settlement in otu...they might give their

Well,there is absolutely no trace of Aro settlement in Onicha,Obosi,Nkpor, Umuoji,Ogidi,Oba,Abatete,Nkwele Ezunaka and other surrounding towns. To be honest,you will be hard pressed to find Aro traces in Anambra central,much more the north. I don't know where that postulation originated from but it obviously lack evidence.

OdenigboAroli:


Well,there is absolutely no trace of Aro settlement in Onicha,Obosi,Nkpor, Umuoji,Ogidi,Oba,Abatete,Nkwele Ezunaka and other surrounding towns. To be honest,you will be hard pressed to find Aro traces in Anambra central,much more the north. I don't know where that postulation originated from but it obviously lack evidence.

Well I will believe you ....

Among the sons of Iguedo were Nteje and Awkuzu. Why is their history not stated here? Thats an insult to the Ancient kingdoms of Nteje and Awkuzu.

Emyben:
Among the sons of Iguedo were Nteje and Awkuzu. Why is their history not stated here? Thats an insult to the Ancient kingdoms of Nteje and Awkuzu.

awkuzu is my hometown. the only ancestial history I got from my father (though not certain) is that Awkuzu ibilibeogada(king of Locust) originated from a woman called Nnamenyi, and that their is a link between awkuzu and awka, that is why our dialect is almost the same. I would like to update this post as soon I get informations.

chukwubuzor123:
awkuzu is my hometown. the only ancestial history I got from my father (though not certain) is that Awkuzu ibilibeogada(king of Locust) originated from a woman called Nnamenyi, and that their is a link between awkuzu and awka, that is why our dialect is almost the same. I would like to update this post as soon I get informations.

Aiit bro. Am from Nteje, the son of Iguedo of the Umu Iguedo clan. History has it that a son of Nteje called Nnebisi was the founder of United Asaba. I dont know much history.... Will post it once i got em.

Emyben:


Aiit bro. Am from Nteje, the son of Iguedo of the Umu Iguedo clan. History has it that a son of Nteje called Nnebisi was the founder of United Asaba. I dont know much history.... Will post it once i got em.

in asaba, their is a certain junction called Nnebisi road, maybe its true. this is kind of Good, who know, if christ permits, we might find how we are all related

chukwubuzor123:
awkuzu is my hometown. the only ancestial history I got from my father (though not certain) is that Awkuzu ibilibeogada(king of Locust) originated from a woman called Nnamenyi, and that their is a link between awkuzu and awka, that is why our dialect is almost the same. I would like to update this post as soon I get informations.

Do you know any details about this link with Awka? I would like to know. We in Awka do not have any traditions of kinship with Awkuzu, but I've always thought there was something intriguing about the name similarity.

Also could you please give me a feel of the Awkuzu dialect by translating the following sentences into Awkuzu dialect:

1. It is true. The thief that stole my money just left here now.
2. No, I won't give you my groundnuts.
3. Where are you going.
4. Come here before you go there.
5. Did you say you won't tell me your name.

christopher123:


I did not tie Arochokwu together, They said from the Article thae EZE CHIME was an Aro man that sourjened and you know the footprints off Aro in Igbo and South South Historical settings cant be erased or wished a way, he was on a reverse migration and he founded many towns which include some parts of onitsha not all, when he came back from benin unlike how people say that onitisha are benin, which is blatant lie. These were igbos on reverse migration, JUST LIKE LAGOS IGBO COMMING BACK FROM LAGOS will you say that those igbo are yoruba...NO


So the Question is ...is EZE CHIMA an Aro or Nri man on sourjourn ? That will be the essense of the debate


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Give us a hint especially those from Anambra

Ndigbo,unu bia tinye onu n'okwu o. I have been on four different threads snice this week and am surprised that Nigerians still refer to us as IBOS. I have tried to explain the origin of this world but many of them insist on calling us Ndibo.
Look at this thread for example:
www.nairaland.com/2302279/10-beautiful-african-traditional-wedding

Are we now Ibos? Pls come and explain to Nigerians. www.nairaland.com/2302279/10-beautiful-african-traditional-wedding

Ihuomadinihu:

Ndigbo,unu bia tinye onu n'okwu o. I have been on four different threads snice this week and am surprised that Nigerians still refer to us as IBOS. I have tried to explain the origin of this world but many of them insist on calling us Ndibo.
Look at this thread for example:
www.nairaland.com/2302279/10-beautiful-african-traditional-wedding

well i have stoped working hard trying to make people understand that we are IGBO & not IBO. U see the former military government of this ZOO has done so much wrong to us Ndi Igbo. In the constitution of this ZOO, what they refer us as is IBO.

And even our brothers that work as slave marchants at National Assembly do not consider it wise to speak against some alien ZOO keepers giving them a meaningless name... Too bad

I am tired of living inside this ZOO called NIGERIA..

The first day I read that Onicha history posted on this thread by OdenigboAroli, I laughed so hard, people around thought I was going mad.

Imagine the height of historical revisionism and fabrication people would go, just to appear special. All rationality thrown out of the Window.

Onicha is not related to all the Onichas scattered all over Igbo land, from Imo( Onicha uboma) Abia( Onicha Ngwa) Ebonyi ( Onicha in Onicha LGA), but she is magically related to Kemet, and On in ancient Egypt.

Some people are just shameless.

Exactly what I was looking for.
Has bookmarked it.

Thanks @op.
Started reading this yesterday.
Won't rush,nwayoo nwayoo.

It should be passed down to the kids.

Serious i nearly shed tears when i saw the intentional distortion of our genelogy.

Even Onicha Uku, Onicha Olona, Onachi Ugbo all in Anioma are of the same ancestry with Onicha Mmilli in Anambra State.

Ubulu Uku, Ubulu Okiti in Anioma and Ozubulu in Anambra are the same.

Aboh in Anioma and Aboh-Mbaise in Imo State are the same, its just migration pattern and establishing states as an offshots of the original states.

Every community in Igboland is somehow related with their distance relatives who bear similar names.

pazienza:
The first day I read that Onicha history posted on this thread by OdenigboAroli, I laughed so hard, people around thought I was going mad.

Imagine the height of historical revisionism and fabrication people would go, just to appear special. All rationality thrown out of the Window.

Onicha is not related to all the Onichas scattered all over Igbo land, from Imo( Onicha uboma) Abia( Onicha Ngwa) Ebonyi ( Onicha in Onicha LGA), but she is magically related to Kemet, and On in ancient Egypt.

Some people are just shameless.

Uhm.. I wouldn't say Aboh (Ndokwa) and Aboh-Mbaise are exactly kin though...except in the broadest sense of the word 'kin'.

I'd put the name similarity down to the possibility of a word/name occurring more than once independently within a language-cluster area.

**Spreads raffia mat; sits**

pazienza:
The first day I read that Onicha history posted on this thread by OdenigboAroli, I laughed so hard, people around thought I was going mad.

Imagine the height of historical revisionism and fabrication people would go, just to appear special. All rationality thrown out of the Window.

Onicha is not related to all the Onichas scattered all over Igbo land, from Imo( Onicha uboma) Abia( Onicha Ngwa) Ebonyi ( Onicha in Onicha LGA), but she is magically related to Kemet, and On in ancient Egypt.

Some people are just shameless.

Even that onitsha Benin claim is also a fable ...I concur with u

OdenigboAroli:
INTRODUCTION:

Our history as a people should neither be a mystery nor a guess work. It must be written by us for us based on our knowledge of what was, what is and what will forever be as children of Onicha: a divine town of assured prospects; a town that was oriented and aligned to sacred stars of the immortal galaxies; a town, that was divinely inspired and strategically founded on the sacred banks of God's own river, the Niger. Onicha, the sacred abode, uniquely ordained to soar and tower above all obstacles; a town, where the immortal flame of God's own love will forever glow. Onicha-Ado n' Idu! Atulukpa Ose! Onicha, oke Ebo na eri agu! Eke nwe ovia! (The royal python that reigns in the the sacred forest!) Oke Nnunu Mmuo n' ebe n' oku!(The great mystical bird that perches on deadly flames and yet remains immuned from the inferno!) Onicha; my Onicha, our Onicha, the divine breasts whose nourishing milk has sustained all from the misty dawn of times!

The word "Onitsha" is an alienization of the proper spelling of our correct name "Onicha". From my research, this word was first used by Mungo Park in his reports of his expedition amongst the Niger people and this was continued by other Europeans. The compound term "tsha" is non-existent in any African or Igbo syntax. We should abandon the perpetuation of this anomaly and revert to the correct form of our name: Onicha. The ancestral name of our beloved town is "Onicha-Mmili".This was to distinguish it from our other kinsmen at other Onicha settlements on the West of the Niger, like "Onicha-Ugbo"; "Onicha-Olona"; "Onicha-Ukwu"; and other blood relatives that branched out from the major migrational group to develop those settlements on the West of the Niger or "Enu Ani". It is really sad that these days, our interactions and dynamics with these our blood relatives at Enu Ani have become almost extinct.

My immortalized and legendary kinsman, Chief Philip Okonkwo Anatogu, the Onowu Iyasele of Onitsha, once explained that the word "Onicha-Ado N' Idu" referred to the Nation of all Onicha stock that made the exodus from the Idu land. Idu was one of the names for ancient Egypt. "Idu" or "Edo" was later corrupted to Edo and was usurped by the Benin nation. The Iyasele explained that the towns of Onicha-Mmili, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ukwu, Issele-Ukwu, Issele Mkpitima, Ezzi, Obamkpa and other towns of Benin migrational orientation were all collectively referred to as "Onicha Ado n' Idu" by the Edos! Over the years when Onicha-Mmili became very accomplished, the usage of the name "Onitsha Ado n' Idu" appeared to have been narrowed down to her. Many of our brethren at Enu Ani had criticized this as what they perceived as an attempt by Onicha-Mmili to solely assume what was a national identity of all Onicha children. Who are Ndi Onicha? Onye ka anyi bu? Ebe ka anyi sii? Anyi abu ndi Edo/Idu/Benin?

BACKGROUND OF OUR ANCIENT ROOTS:

Just like many ancient kingdoms that are now scattered in the Southern part of the Sahara, the Onicha history is rooted in Ancient Egypt. From linguistics, cultural, cosmological, anthropological, pictorial, traditional and spiritual analyses and comparisons, Onicha people and their Yoruba and Edo relatives are from Ancient Egypt, known then to our ancestors as Kemet. The word "Egypt" was a hellenised (from the Greeks) name for Kemet. (I have always wondered the psycho-social motivation for the European's fixation for alteration of names and identities of the indigenous people that they conquer.)

Our confusion and rejection of our Egyptian roots is premised upon years and years of colonial mis-education and doctrine that the Egyptian civilization was attributable to Europeans. The colonial masters never taught our history from its remotest past but taught and narrowed the genesis of African history to the colonial era and advent. Most Europeans who made a good effort to conduct research on African history and anthropology, like Professor Richard Henderson, in his "The King in every man" did excellent works but their works were very prejudicially narrowed in time and scope. None ever attempted to conduct an indepth study to connect our history to the advanced ancient Egyptian roots. This was a deliberate omission, perhaps premised upon the colonial doctrine that "Africa was a race without a past" because it does not take a lot of studies for one to connect Onicha and closely related communities like the Edos and Yorubas to ancient Egypt.

We really need to understand that words like "Yorubas", "Benin", "Igbos", are relatively new terms and were never used by the ancestors of these people to identify them. We should also note that the Igbo, Yoruba, Edo, and many West African languages descended from one parent language and belong to the "KWA" language group. We must endeavor to write our history from its purest and ancient source and not be limiting our studies to events of 700 years ago. This is an insult to our ancestors whose eons and billions of ageless genes exist in us. ONITSHA DID NOT START WITH OUR ANCESTRAL ADVENT TO THE BANKS OF THE NIGER FEW HUNDRED YEARS AGO!

OUR KEMETIC/EGYPTIAN ROOTS

Marcus Aurlielus Garvey once opined that a people without a knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots. We must, for the sake of our children, approach the study of our history with fervency and zeal, otherwise, we deprive them of a foundation upon which they can stand to withstand the fierce battles of man's unkindness to man as history keeps attesting. Just mentioning that we left Benin over a contest for a royal throne is a mockery of historical accuracy and a severe limitation of the true self knowledge of who we are, in terms of scope and time.

Who and what were we before the tiny or microscopic phase of the Benin/Edo experience? How did we get to Benin? And from were did we get to Benin? Why did we migrate from where we were to Benin? Why does Onicha Igbo syllable contain more Yoruba words than Benin words? And why are our kingship and chieftaincy titles and arrangements resemble the Edos/Benin and not like the Yorubas? What was our original language? Do we still have its linguistic remnants in our chants, dirges, eulogies and dances? What is the meaning of the chants that we intone during the sacred Ido Ogbi gba (last funeral phase) of an ascended ancestor? Why did Onicha people readily and without any objection embrace and adopt the mystical rituals of the Igala Immigrants and their Muo via/MmuoOgonogo/Egwugwu, placing the Muo-avia on a powerful position that almost paralleled and usurped the powers of the monarch? Did the Igalas have any Yoruba, Edo or Benin roots? Did Onicha, Edo and Igala have a common roots? Why are the
Ulutus/Mgbelekekes, who are Igala immigrants, the custodian of the most powerful sacred shrine in Onitsha: Ani Onitsha? These and many others are the questions that we need to ask? Onitsha words like "Ogbadu"(corn), "Okwute" (rock/stone), "Ogede" (plaintain), "Ologbo" or Onogbo", (cat), "Okpulukpu" (box or container", "Erulu" (beads), "Ikpulu" (a specie of garden egg), "Inye Ori" by Muo Avia,(Ori means head or chi in Yoruba) and so many others are all Yoruba words, except "Ologbo" which is still used in Benin today. However, many of our traditional titles are the same with the Edos/Binis: Onicha titles like "Iyasele" is "Iyasere" in Bini; "Ogene Onira" is "Oliha" in Benin; "Odu Osodi" is "Osodin" in Benin; "Omodi Daike" in Onitsha is "Edaiken" in Benin; "Esagba" in Onitsha is "Esogban" in Benin; the "Isama" titles are the same in both towns amongst many others.

The land of Kemet or ancient Egypt, also called Idu or Igodomigodo by our ancestors, now sadly inhabited by descendants of Arabic and Turkish (with other European) invaders, was before the invasion, the ancestral land of Onicha people and many other African nations. We were forced to make a southern migrational exodus to avoid annihilation by the constant invasion from foreign forces from Persia, Turkey and other parts of Europe. The land of Egypt was a very sophisticated and super advanced nation of civilized people. The foundation of ancient Egypt was laid by Africans who are now scattered in disorganized groups called tribes and clans; in total ignorance of their identities, contributions to world science, arts and their very advanced civilized roots in ancient Egypt. Now and then, it hurts a lot to see the ways that Arabs have been desecrating the ancient tombs and graves of our African ancestors in Egypt. Our ancestral graves are being excavated on a daily basis in the name of "research". If these were their ancestors would they be allowing these desecrations and digging up of their ancestors for studies and research? In the name of research and studies, they are destroying land marks and coded information left by our ancestors for us and our children. Six years ago, they conducted a melanin pigmentation/skin color test on the skins of 25 Pharoahs and ancient Egyptian mummies that they excavated and found that they were all Africans with very dark skins but this information is yet to be published in the bi-annual Egyptian Historical Society magazines. The Key is to keep the African in stupor and ignorance of his great past.

OUR CONNECTION TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TOWN CALLED "ON"
Everything that the world knows today in terms of religion, science, astrology, astronomy, medicine, laws and other branches of philosophical studies are from ancient Egypt. According to Herodotus, a very travelled Jewish Historian, who kept records of his visit to ancient Egypt, Egypt was peopled by very disciplined and organized citizenry who were "very" black people with "wooly hair". Everything revolved around the Pharoah, who was an incarnate of God on earth. The word "Pharoah" is the Greek translation of the Kemetic term, "Parah" meaning "Great house/home or abode"(compare this to the title of our King, "Obi" which is also a home or abode".) The term alludes to the fact that the King or Pharoah is a great abode or temple that houses many forces, spirits or powers. The Gods and Goddesses dwell in his body making it "a great house or "Obi".

The "Obi" of modern Onitsha today is the continuation of the ancient Pharonic dynasty of ancient Kemet or Egypt. Onitsha must retrace the history of her monarchs from his imperial Majesty Obi Achebe back to the Ogiso Kings of Igodomigodo in Edo, then to Egypt; to Pharoah Tutankhamon, Pharoah Amenemhet, Pharoah Amenemes, Pharoah Amenkhuti Ra; Pharoah Khafara, and back to the first dynasty in Egypt. Enough of this tracing of our kingship to just Obi Oreze or his father Ohime(corrupted to "Chima" by his later descendants. Did they not descend from somebody? We must take back our history to where ti belongs. Do we have to wait for Professor Henderson to come and tell us?

Onicha got its name from the ancient Egyptian city of "ON", unfortunately renamed as "Heliopolis" by the Greeks and now being called "El Minah" by the modern Egyptian government, which has changed the name of this city five times. The City of "On" was the citadel of spiritual excellence and was one of the most sacred cities of ancient Egypt. The priests of On were very mystical and were the repository of the ancient mysteries of Egypt. The priests of On guided their mysteries jealously and were the only priests that crowned the Pharoahs. No king of Egypt could be recognized without being consecrated by the priests of On. They were called the "Priests of the most high". The Pharoh and his family traditionally resided in the city of On. "Onicha" means those that were sacked or cut off from the city of On. The word "cha" in ancient Egypt means to cut, descend or fall from. The Onitsha Igbo dialect term "chapu" like in "chapu ya isi" (cut off his head) still has the same root like the ancient Kemetic Egyptian language: "cha" : to cut off or make to fall.



Some say Onicha is from Bini area,some say Ife but this very author who is a respected Onicha chief and a leader believe the migrated from EGYPT...LOL
See how he tried so hard to disassociate from the Igbo label.

rgere are soo many discrepancies in this your story Nna

tonychristopher:


rgere are soo many discrepancies in this your story Nna

That is not my story,nwanne. But are you surprised hearing this from Onicha man?
Well,I am NOT.

OdenigboAroli:


Well,there is absolutely no trace of Aro settlement in Onicha,Obosi,Nkpor, Umuoji,Ogidi,Oba,Abatete,Nkwele Ezunaka and other surrounding towns. To be honest,you will be hard pressed to find Aro traces in Anambra central,much more the north. I don't know where that postulation originated from but it obviously lack evidence.

How could you say this when there are numerous Aro settlements surrounding Onitsha? Arochukwu/Ohafia people led by one Chime in the 16th Century founded the 'Orofia' villages of Ogidi, Nimo, Abatete, Oraukwu, Abagana, Eziowelle, Alor, Umudioka, Ukpo, Ogbunike and Enugwu Ukwu.

Chime's name is highly reverred to the extent that in Abagana his name doubles as a title giving to the eldest man of Orofia village.

The Benin empire was so great that most communities wanted to and tied their histories to her. Onicha would readily deny anything Arochukwu just like they attempted to deny Ogboli's link to Ogbunike or the Ikem village to Ikem Nando.

The name 'Chime' appearing at Onitsha at about the time of its founding and that of these villages needs a proper research. There's more to this whole story than the snippets here and there.

^ I'm a bit surprised that a (presumably) Dunukofia man is saying Umudioka was founded by Aro/Ohafia people

Radoillo:
^ I'm a bit surprised that a (presumably) Dunukofia man is saying Umudioka was founded by Aro/Ohafia people

Please, I wrote 'Orofia' villages of the mentioned towns. Thanks