By News Ghana - Nov 2, 2013 0


Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; ksc, JP

As Isaac Newton put it in his Universal law of gravitation, ?Whatever goes up, must come down?. The bible in the book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that ?There is time for everything?. The summary of the above is that in the life of a nation, a times comes when both government and the citizenry would be intrinsically inspired and also compelled to take a critical look at their past and frankly assess themselves and be able to tell themselves the truth, no matter how bitter and unpleasant it may be.



Of all the countries on Planet Earth, none should have more claim to God?s blessings than Nigeria. Nigeria is very rich in human population. Interestingly, her human population is endowed with both mental and physical strength. Nigerians excel in whatever clime they are found. In the same vein, the country is abundantly endowed with such resources as hydro-carbon, which metamorphoses into Oil and gas. Other minerals like coal, kaolin, uranium, lime-stone, salt, copper and sea-sand, just to mention a few, are in commercial quantities in almost all the nooks and crannies in the country. Her weather is so clement that agriculture could be practised all round the year. What should God give to a people that He did not give most generously to Nigeria and her peoples?



It is, however, pertinent to acknowledge that inspite of the extraordinary benevolence of God to the peoples of Nigeria, indices used in assessing socio-economic growth of any modern country have consistently exposed the Nigerian state as one that stands at variance with global expectations from such a country.



There is hardly any public institution that functions effectively and productively within the polity. Universities and other tertiary institutions, when compared with those, even, within the West African region, are scored lowest. Currently, a reasonable percentage of Ghana?s annual budget is derived from money that accrues to the country from millions of United States dollars that Nigerian Students studying in educational institutions in Ghana pay. Being the fourth largest oil-producing country, the country built many refineries. Even the largest refinery in Africa is Nigeria. Yet, these refineries do not function effectively hence Nigeria, ironically, is one of the highest importers of petroleum products in the world.



The Aviation industry in the country has become characterized by tales of unabated woes. There is hardly any year the Nigerian air-space does not witness one disaster or another.



It, therefore, has become imperative that Nigerians ask and answer the question; what do we do to revitalize patriotism and restore confidence in Nigerians?



Many areas of national life could, undoubtedly, be touched in an attempt to answer the above question. One aspect that may not be glossed over is the overt injustice meted against the Igbo after the civil war. Circumstances that led to the declaration of the People?s Republic of Biafra have been innumerably recounted and are, therefore, held in custody by history. It is, however, important to recollect that at the end of the thirty-month civil war, General Yakubu Gowon, the then Military Head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, declared a ?No victor, no vanquished? verdict. He subsequently pronounced the three famous Rs; Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.



But a sad vindictive post-war commentary was to be added to the sore tales of the Nigerian/Biafra narrative in 1976 when General Olusegun Obasanjo mounted the leadership of Nigeria, following the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed, who had earlier in 1975 overthrown the regime of General Gowon.



For no other reason than economic punishment, deprivation, humiliation and marginalization, the Obasanjo Military Government set up the Justice Mamman Nasir Boundary Commission. General Obasanjo?s targets were the Igbo areas prolific with hydro-carbon and Mamman? Nasir boundary Commission, ironically, ignorantly and, of-course, unjustifiably used the Imo River as boundary between the present Abia State and Rivers State. It has to stated that both sides of the Imo River, that is Ukwa-west in Abia State and Oyigbo in Rivers State contain many oil-wells. But more oil wells are in Oyigbo area. Let it be said here that the commercial town of Obigbo, which was renamed Oyigbo after the Nasir boundary adjustment, is an Asa town. During the colonial era, Obigbo town and komkom Village, which are now in Rivers State, were integral parts of Asa county council, with headquarters at Obehie-Asa. After the Nigerian/Biafran War, Oyigbo and Komkom were in Ukwa Division, with the headquarters still at Obehie-Asa. They were in Ukwa Division uptill 1976 when Mamman Nasir did his abracadabara. The same fate befell Ndoki communities of Afam and Egberu. They were in Ndoki county council long before Nigeria?s Independence and were in Ukwa Division uptill the staid 1976.



The obvious contradiction in Nasir?s assumption that Imo River is the boundary between the present Abia State and Rivers State has continued to be glaring. This is because Omuma Local Government Area, which is situated on the same side of the Imo River with Ukwa-west Local Government Area which is in Abia State, was deliberately left in Rivers State. Where, therefore, lies the justification on using Imo River as the boundary between the two states?



For Nigeria to prosper and assume its rightful position in the comity of nations, injustices deliberately meted against some sections of the polity should, inevitably, be re-visited. The greatness of Nigeria can never be attained as long as some sections feel they were simply marginalized on grounds of ethnicity.



The President Goodluck Jonathan?s initiated National Dialogue is a golden and, may be, the only opportunity to correct, once and for all, the structural abnormalities that have obnoxiously constituted a clog on the wheel of Nigeria.

Chief (Sir) Don Ubani; ksc, JP

(Okwubunka of Asa)

Umuiku-Isi-Asa, Ukwa-west

P.M.B. 7048 Aba

E-mail: ubanidon@yahoo.com

Tel: 08035523360

The author is a political analyst and a civil society activist.

psucc:
Don Ubani should not expect justice when he is not giving out one.

The people of upper ITU Mbonuso viz Ubibia, Mbuyat(now Ndiwo), Okopedi and Ntalakwu in INI local government area of Akwa Ibom State had been annexed to Abia State through Bender Local govt area. The Federal Government had been spending so heavily on Boundary Adjustment but each time the panel visits, either they are stooped from tracing/ marking the boundary, or such reports are 'killed' afterwards.

So I wonder why the High Chief will be crying for justice when himself also is victimising another person.

IamJames:
Those who claim there are no Igbos in SS should get educated on HOW [s] Igbos and their lands were carved into Rivers state just to spite them[/s]

slimderek:
Enlightening

MrFourSHIRTS:
there is nothing enlightening here. That article was written by a Nairalander who is also of igbo extraction.... News gh doesn't have any such publication on their website

psucc:
Don Ubani should not expect justice when he is not giving out one.

The people of upper ITU Mbonuso viz Ubibia, Mbuyat(now Ndiwo), Okopedi and Ntalakwu in INI local government area of Akwa Ibom State had been annexed to Abia State through Bender Local govt area. The Federal Government had been spending so heavily on Boundary Adjustment but each time the panel visits, either they are stooped from tracing/ marking the boundary, or such reports are 'killed' afterwards.

So I wonder why the High Chief will be crying for justice when himself also is victimising another person.

Xenowerk4000:

[b]They were never part of Akwa Ibom . So , stop lying . Those four villages chose to remain [/b]in Abia state and there are documents that attest to this .

psucc:
Hahaahhhha. Why double speak at bold.

Since when did the four villages became part of Abia State?

They choose to by the active connivance of some people. In all aspects of the society, they are alien to Ibo culture.

So keep lying!

Xenowerk4000:


Your statement reeks of ignorance . I'm sure you don't even know that Ntalakwu and Ubibia are Igbo speaking villages . Alien to Igbo culture indeed !

psucc:
ignorance? Guy I was born and brought of in Ntalakwu. Amokwe precisely! Ubibia, I also have a feel there having spent more than a year there. Guy aside, Ntalakwu, which dominantly, is populated by immigrants from Ohafia, the rest speaks their native language till today.

The Ibo language you hear them speak is a second language. They learned it. It has beer been their mother tongue and if you will be objective enough, do some undercover job. Just visit the Ubibia villages, and listen to their normal life discussion, don't partake, you discover which language they use in their day to day living.

psucc:
Don Ubani should not expect justice when he is not giving out one.

The people of upper ITU Mbonuso viz Ubibia, Mbuyat(now Ndiwo), Okopedi and Ntalakwu in INI local government area of Akwa Ibom State had been annexed to Abia State through Bender Local govt area. The Federal Government had been spending so heavily on Boundary Adjustment but each time the panel visits, either they are stooped from tracing/ marking the boundary, or such reports are 'killed' afterwards.

So I wonder why the High Chief will be crying for justice when himself also is victimising another person.

Xenowerk4000:

The case of Oyigbo and Itumbauzo are like parallel lines. Oyigbo was part of old Imo state until Melford Okilo connived with the boundary commission to move them to Rivers State . This led to the division of Asa and Ndoki Igbo speaking people in Abia (Ukwa West and East ) and Rivers ( Oyigbo ) . Itumbauzo in Abia and Itu Mbonuso in Akwa-Ibom were part of Bende division (that existed way before state creation ) and they were grouped as one then . Five villages (Itu Mbonuso ) left Bende division while four villages (Itumbauzo ) stayed in Bende division . That's how both of them ended up in Akwa-Ibom and Abia respectively. Itumbauzo was never part of Ini LGA of Akwa-Ibom as you wrongly stated unlike Oyigbo that was part of old Imo state .

Xenowerk4000:

Since you were born and brought up in Ntalakwu , I'm guessing you know the names of the villages there . So , Immigrants changed the names of the villages to typical Igbo names ? Likewise that of Ubibia ? Or is Amaba a typical Ibibio village name ? Mbuyat and Okopedi are Ibibio to the core and it reflects in their language , village names and the names they bear . Same cannot be said concerning Ntalakwu and Ubibia .

psucc:
Sometimes, it is good to engage an elderly person with integrity to gain wisdom and understanding. In fact, history is not just dying. It lives! The name Amaba, just changed from its original name anwuba. Especially, Ubibia was fast in adopting Ibo language (though more regular with the youths) due to its proximity to Bende and Etiti Ulo.

They still speak their mother tongue till today.

psucc:
Very wrong history. Fovyhe records, Itu Mbonuso had 14 Villages.

2. Just as the entire Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, they were part of the Eastern Region which had its headquarters at Enugu. Upon State creation, after the Civil War, they became part of the then Cross River State and trouble started in 1975 which led to the setting up of the first Committee headed by Paul Omu. He cunningly, in heart the then Chief of Okopedi Obong Ada Ndom (who adopted to be addressed as Eze Chima Ndom) ceded the 4 Villages to the Imo State.

This led to internal crisis which led those against such annexation to leave in protest and became refugees in Neighbouring Villages. Some or the final batch returned home in 1998-2000.

Sir, these are verifiable claims that can be gotten from any government agency (Boundary Offices) both at the state and federal levels
.

Please tell your children the truth. It is bitter but saves lives

Xenowerk4000:

This is contrary to what I've read on the matter . Seems I have to do more research . But what about the case of Ohaobu-Ndoki in Akwa-Ibom ? What do you have to say about that ?

Xenowerk4000:

Are you saying that all the villages of Ntalakwu changed their names as well ?

psucc:
Sir, if you read history on how communities evolved, you discover that till today new ones are coming up and expanding, thus the sub-villages in Ntalakwu came through expansion and if course must carry a name.

psucc:
Sir, if you read history on how communities evolved, you discover that till today new ones are coming up and expanding, thus the sub-villages in Ntalakwu came through expansion and if course must carry a name.

Vocaliser:


You are embarrassing yourself bros. I’m from Itumbauzo. We were never part of Akwa Ibom even before the war, unless you are mistaking Itumbauzo for Itu Mbonuso which starts from Ikporom . Proximity is not actuality. What brought about the language semblance is inter marriage and nothing more. As a matter of fact, as Ubibia man, Akwa Ibom man can’t understand my dialect. A journey to Ubibia will show everyone here that we are not even close to Akwa Ibom in anyway. My surname is Nwankwo and was passed unto us by our Ancestors. We also bear Okoro, Kalu, Okorie, Ukpabi , Ukpai, Ukomba, etc. Or do you mean to say that our Ancestors who had these names and died over 400 years ago, had to change their names in the land of the spirit because of the Boundary Adjustment event that took place under Babangida? You funny. Eze Chima Ndom never changed or adopted any name bros. Those who bear names like Akpan because of the intermarriage stuff still retain their funny names. Please don’t mislead people further.[color=#006600][/color]

Vocaliser:
Psucc, I am from Amaba Ubibia in Itumbauzo. It beats me so hard how you have chosen to peddle unverified facts about Ubibia. Ubibia was never part of Ini LGA even before the war, go and make your findings.

You said something about some people now living in Akwa Ibom as refugees because they do not want to be part of Abia State. Again, I laugh 😂😂. I’m very sure you must be from Akwa Ibom, bro our dialect is even different from Akwa Ibom language and we do not understand ourselves, except those who inter married.

Please stop writing trash about something you do not know. Itumbauzo was never part of Akwa Ibom. Someone actually corrected you that we have Itu Mbonuso and Itumbauzo, but you ignored him and went on with your juvenile intellectual junketing. Goodluck!

psucc:
You may do well to take the easiest way to learn by asking questions, at least whenever you visit home. Ask the Elders.

Though, I believe that, from your assertion, you know the truth but simply choose to be economical with it.

There's no way an Ubibia man will speak and an Itu Mbonuso man will not understand. The name Itu Mbauzo is just as old as the crisis that resulted from the annexing the 4 Villages to then Imo State in 1976.

Again, I refer you to the Elders of your community and the library in Umuhia.