ijaw citizen:


Keep deluding yourself like an Mgbatigbati that you are!

Jaja is an Ijaw man!
Raised by Ijaw parents from a very tender age.
Raised in Ijaw language, culture, tradition and Ijaw values.

What is left? Jaja of Opubo-ama is a complete Ijaw man and he paraded himself as an Ijaw man, his decendants too are parading themselves as Ijaw people.

I know this fact is hard for you to swallow and its giving you acute depression. So what are you gonna do about it?

mbatuku2:

I dont know how old you are, but you kind of come off as a teenager. Your replies dont make much sense. I hope you are not trying to say King Jaja is Ijaw? Anyway, I dont think you are the right kind of person I should be having this conversation with. Moreover, you are from Bayelsa, and not from Rivers(and possibly not even from Bayelsa).

killayut:

Are you from Rivers State ?

killayut:

Go and change the title AMAYANABO of Bonny to EZE or OBI of Bonny... LOL...You can do that in the cyber world like you NON RIVERS IGBOS ALWAYS DESCRIBE PORT HARCOURT on wiki and online as an IGBO town with no pressence of anything IGBO in PH... a firmly OKRIKA Ijaw controlled CITY with outlined POLO ... hahahaha ..

killayut:

It is every where in NDOKI history and even in the major NDOKI town called AZUMINI... stop arguing stupidly and ignorantly.. You people always love to write the history of others for them...AZUMINI itself is said to be the Ijaw word ASIMINI..

pazienza:

I have a close friend,who is from Okoroma-Azumini, i happen to be a family friend,and have visited their hometown,and i had interacted with the people.

Your ijaw story is a fabricated story, azumini was named so,because it is located at the back of a river the locals call "Ogigo", 'azu' in igbo language means 'back', mini(miri)= water/river.

You have to pay me for giving u a lesson in Ndoki 101. *grins*

ROYALD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymarwWDZXYY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iFssQMte68

Meringe: From my own understanding, Opobo town is originally not an Igbo town but due to slave trade and busineSs transactions connected with the colonial Masters, Igbo slaves taken from Igbo towns were dumped there and they were large in number and some regained their freedom there like King Jaja and some traders migrated from Aro and other igbo communities to Bonny and with their close link with Azumini and Ndoki of Igbo communities, Opobo was turned into Igbo speaking community.

From what I deduced from here.

Abagworo:

I don't think the thread is about origin as the origin of Opobo is quite recent and documented with events surrounding it. I noticed that there were claims of "Ibani" being the original language of Opobo but its obvious "Ibani" is only indigenous to Bonny and was left behind by founders of Opobo probably due to situation of things then. I noticed a recent language enforcement or claims of language extinction when it never was there in the 1st place. Some went as far as lying that Igbos forced them to start speaking Igbo during the 1st republic and that's a wicked lie.

Meringe:
We are on d same page.
All those coastline towns had very few inhabitants with the unknown language 'ibani' as language. Now, settlement of Igbo speaking people in a very large number including other factors and eventual kingship of Jaja influenced the opobo Language to be Igbo.
Now, the major opobos tell you that they are Igbos while few of them try to bring back the suppose dead language of Ibani.

I believe that the Ibani are also migrants in that Island maybe of Ijaw descendant and are few in number but Igbo language took over cos of the factors said earlier.

bigfrancis21:

@Bold...do some Opobos really see themselves as Igbo?

bigfrancis21:

@Bold...do some Opobos really see themselves as Igbo?

Meringe:
So many of them I ve met call themselves Opobo Igbo.

bigfrancis21:

That's really good to know. Meanwhile some people here would want to have us believe that Bonny and Opobo are really anti-Igbo and stuff.

Meringe:
We are on d same page.
All those coastline towns had very few inhabitants with the unknown language 'ibani' as language. Now, settlement of Igbo speaking people in a very large number including other factors and eventual kingship of Jaja influenced the opobo Language to be Igbo.
Now, the major opobos tell you that they are Igbos while few of them try to bring back the suppose dead language of Ibani.
I believe that the Ibani are also migrants in that Island maybe of Ijaw descendant and are few in number but Igbo language took over cos of the factors said earlier.

Abagworo:

Even the "Asimini" has Igbo roots too Any Ijaw baring such name definitely has Igbo roots.

bigfrancis21: As a basic freedom of life, everybody is free to choose whatever identity one wants. If some Opobos see themselves as Igbo, so be it. If others don't, so be it.

Opobo may be Ijaw land however not all of its indigenes are Ijaw by blood. There are definitely opobo indigenes descended from former Igbo ex-slaves and slaves. One thing is sure, DNA or ancestry cannot be wiped out totally from one's lineage.

Meringe:
We are on d same page.
All those coastline towns had very few inhabitants with the unknown language 'ibani' as language. Now, settlement of Igbo speaking people in a very large number including other factors and eventual kingship of Jaja influenced the opobo Language to be Igbo.
Now, the major opobos tell you that they are Igbos while few of them try to bring back the suppose dead language of Ibani.
I believe that the Ibani are also migrants in that Island maybe of Ijaw descendant and are few in number but Igbo language took over cos of the factors said earlier.

Jaja and his group secured a geographical location that reinforced their tactical and diplomatic vision as founding fathers. The land stood just about a day’s paddle away from their ancestral Ibani root. With it they were set to turn their new kingdom into a unique 19th century bridge for commerce. They crowned their leader Chief Jack Annie Pepple (Juwo Juwo) as King Jaja, the first Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom. They chose December 25, 1870 to establish Opobo. From its location, Opobo easily reached out to set up trading posts with land-based farmer communities. There spread out under thick foliages of fresh water forests to the left of the kingdom, along the one – way direction of a resolute Imo River. The run of the river covered hinterland sections of the Ogoni, Ndoki, Ibibio, Annang, Etche, Ngwa and Igbo people.

killayut:

There are many Igbos who see themselves as Hausa Fulani or even Yoruba or even Ijaw . Ijaw land has elements of non Ijaw people and that is a fact. But to say Ijaw land is now Igbo or Ijaw land belongs to both Igbos and Ijaw just because we have a few Igbos among us is silly. There may even be more Igbos among the KALABARI than the Opobo you guys have been hammering so let Opobo be . The Ibanis speak Igbo today cos their ancestors hid the Igbani during the days of slavery so the Igbo slaves could understand Ibani and carry Ibani war secrete to KALABARI and Okrika incase they were bought over . That mistake spread Igbo among the people and subsequently became the lingua franca ... At this modern time pidgin English is almost the lingua Franca of the KALABARI people cos that is what every one including the youths and elders speak . It does not mean KALABARI is now an English land.. Don't England has some Indians and Pakistanis among them ? Does it then mean England is now part Indian and English ? We respond to your nonsense cos we want to respond so don't take it like you are making any sense. We are only making Tomfoolery of you.. All the Opobo leaders are members of Ijaw league and Opobo is firmly Igbani under the greater Ijaw enclave. The Igbos among them / us appreciate us and are happy to be part of us.. Nri people ... CASE CLOSED.

Bellow are youtube footage showing serious KALABARI occasions where even chiefs address the people in English / pidgin English where every one speaks English / pidgin English.. It does not mean the people are English..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ACu4-4BtLc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN9wQFgqXe4

bigfrancis21:

We are talking about Opobo and you're bringing up Kalabari instead. Opobo people speak Igbo today because a great deal of Igbo people came to live in their midst and with time Igbo was adopted instead over Ibani. The total language wipe of Ibani and adoption of Igbo was a conscious and willful effort on the part of the natives, which must have occurred in more 100 years.

The case of Kalabari speaking English is different. No English people settled in their midst. English is the country's official language and they speak English just like every other Nigerian tribe.

Who they choose to identify with is left to them. If some see themselves as Igbo, so be it. And if some don't, fine.

bigfrancis21:

We are talking about Opobo and you're bringing up Kalabari instead. Opobo people speak Igbo today because a great deal of Igbo people came to live in their midst and with time Igbo was adopted instead over Ibani. The total language wipe of Ibani and adoption of Igbo was a conscious and willful effort on the part of the natives, which must have occurred in more than 100 years.

The case of Kalabari speaking English is different. No English people settled in their midst. English is the country's official language and they speak English just like every other Nigerian tribe.

Who they choose to identify with is left to them. If some see themselves as Igbo, so be it. And if some don't, fine.

bigfrancis21:

We are talking about Opobo and you're bringing up Kalabari instead. Opobo people speak Igbo today because a great deal of Igbo people came to live in their midst and with time Igbo was adopted instead over Ibani. The total language wipe of Ibani and adoption of Igbo was a conscious and willful effort on the part of the natives, which must have occurred in more than 100 years.

The case of Kalabari speaking English is different. No English people settled in their midst. English is the country's official language and they speak English just like every other Nigerian tribe.

Who they choose to identify with is left to them. If some see themselves as Igbo, so be it. And if some don't, fine.

Abagworo:

Opobo was never Ijawland. Its history is not like that of other parts of Nigeria as its habitation is very recent. Ibibios and Aros reached there long before any other groups. Jaja moved to Opobo from Bonny with both Igbos and Ijaws in his group. Opobo today comprises a mix of many groups but maintain mainly Ibani, English and Igbo names with the main language being Igbo.

Here is what I got from official Opobo site

http://www.opoboregatta.com/opobokingdom/about/index.html

We know that there would be obvious modifications or refusal to give details because of Nigerian politics but you can deduce from this site that "Igbo" which they used to substitute "Isuama" was Jaja's tribe .

killayut:

http://www.amightytree.org/oldsite/opobo/opobo_1961.html

killayut:

What right do you have to talk about Opobo ? Are you and Ijaw man ? Does the word Opobo Opubo ama Sound Igbo to you ? If you do not know that Opobo and KALABARI are the same people then you have failed completely.. Mention one Ibani name that is not KALABARI .. STUPUD people.. The AROS were first brought close to the sea by the KALABARI chief known as Owuere ye Daba when he ferried them from the mouth of the River Calabar to the Estuary to be sold as slaves. We bought them like Malams buy Cattle..