[size=14pt]Ogwu-Ikpele:The story of a town submerged by River Niger[/size]
Written by Okodili Ndidi, Onitsha
Thursday, September 29, 2011


For the Ogwu-Ikpele people in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, living by the bank of River Niger portends no evil, rather, it affords the people a means of livelihood, supported by aquatic splendour and resources. To them, there is no other way of life aside the one surrounded by the mass of water.



[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/29/tribune/images/aogwu-ikpele[1].jpg[/img]




These people have been living on farming and fishing along the bank of the River Niger for ages until recently, when the serenity of the coastal community was broken by the surging river that submerged half of the community, leaving behind in its trail tears, pains and irreparable losses.


When the administration of late president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, announced the dredging of the lower Niger, the decision was greeted with enthusiasm, given the inherent benefit of the project, but like everything about life, the ugly side of the project, which is the resultant rise in the river current has left a once bubbling Ogwu-Ikpele community in ruins.


At the last count, about 600 including schools and health centres, have been submerged with over 1,000 hectares of farmland with cash crops washed away.


Although, the ocean surge began about a decade ago, the residents, through self help, were able to curtail it by putting up palliative measures, but obviously, the measures could not stand the increased current as a result of the dredging project and the river over-flowed its bank.


Conducting newsmen round the community which shares a common boundary with Ndoni, Rivers State, one of the residents, Mr Alphonsus Emordi, said that, "over 600 buildings have been carried away by the surging river, adding that the situation which started about 10 years ago had become worse since the commencement of the dredging of the lower Niger."


Emordi disclosed that the community, through various mediums had complained to the relevant authorities to tackle the issue by constructing a concrete embankment along the river bank as was done in neighbouring Rivers State. He lamented that even schools and the only health centre in the community had all been washed away.


Emordi who also said that it might appear foolhardy to continue to remain in the community given the level of the threat, insisted that the people couldnot just wake up and move out of their ancestral homes and abandon their life investments.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/features/28870-ogwu-ikpelethe-story-of-a-town-submerged-by-river-niger

So Anambra share a boundary with Rivers state. New msg to my big ears.

Relax101:

So Anambra share a boundary with Rivers state. New msg to my big ears.

You haven't been studying Musiwa's map all these while?. Yes, Anambra shares boundaries with Imo, Delta, Abia, Rivers and Enugu states.

Abeg na where his class dey hold?

Read his threads. I hope you understand Batu English?.

I know I read about a place called Ogbe Ijaw/Ijo in Anambra. cant remember. abeg help me confirm.

Relax101:

I know I read about a place called Ogbe Ijaw/Ijo in Anambra. cant remember. abeg help me confirm.

May be it is an Ijaw settlement by the Niger in Anambra. Greater part of River Niger is in Anambra state.

So you mean there are indigenous Ijaw ethnic group in Anambra?
If yes, let me go call that rapid dog called Killayut. lol.

Relax101:

So you mean there are indigenous Ijaw ethnic group in Anambra?
If yes, let me go call that rapid dog called Killayut. lol.

May be I 'm not sure but I know Anambra state has indigenous Idomas or Igalas.

^^^Yeah Anambra has Igalas, I really dont about the Ijaws

According to the Chairman of Nde-Nde Market Traders Association, Ose Ogbe Ijaw, Onitsha , Chief Sunny Nwagwu, the recent shoot-out was as a result of the incessant attacks on them by the suspected hoodlums.

“We wish to state that the original group that had been doing the job of unloading and loading, security of our goods and shops for over 15 years are Nde-Nde market securities. We thought that the group camped at Ose Nku Ogbe-Ijaw who subdued the market securitymen were real MASSOB members, until we started experiencing subjections, hijacking of our goods and imposition of levies called MASSOB levy”


http://odili.net/news/source/2011/aug/4/511.html

Maybe, someone from Anambra can explain better.

;d ;d ;d ;d

Posted by: Relax101

According to the Chairman of Nde-Nde Market Traders Association, Ose Ogbe Ijaw, Onitsha , Chief Sunny Nwagwu, the recent shoot-out was as a result of the incessant attacks on them by the suspected hoodlums.

“We wish to state that the original group that had been doing the job of unloading and loading, security of our goods and shops for over 15 years are Nde-Nde market securities. We thought that the group camped at [b]Ose Nku Ogbe-Ijaw [/b]who subdued the market securitymen were real MASSOB members, until we started experiencing subjections, hijacking of our goods and imposition of levies called MASSOB levy”


http://odili.net/news/source/2011/aug/4/511.html

Maybe, someone from Anambra can explain better.

I grew up in Onitsha and so I can discuss this.

The whole truth is that the Ijaw was almost Igbo and interacted normally with us along the river Niger banks. Ijaw men supplied most of the fresh fish at Ose Nku in Onitsha. If you had ever gone to Ose to buy "azu ndu" (fresh fish), there is a good chance that the seller was Ijaw. We knew they were Ijaw, but they conversed in Igbo of course.
We even ascribed legendary swimming proficiency to Ijaws then, none of which was substantiated of course.
We used to hear tales that Ijaws would throw their babies (infants) into the river and leave it there to swim. If the child survived, then they took it home; if not, they simply assumed he wasn't supposed to live anyway. Legend of course.

So, yes, there is "Ogbe Ijaw" at Ose Nku in Onitsha. They lived on boats though.

Hahahaha, hope in 50years, they wont start fighting for their share of the land in Anambra like in EDO. 
Are they indigenous now or they go back home after sales?

We own half of Anambra state state mehn. We just let Igbos settle there cos we don't like dry land.

Back to topic, I hope the community would be compensated. A lot of us complained that the EIA was not carried out properly nor made available to the public. Goodluck told us earlier this year that signifiacnt portion of the dredging budget was for "shoring up" the shorelines. Its obvious they either forgot to shore up this town's tideline or the contractor ate the cash.

Ibime:

We own half of Anambra state state mehn. We just let Igbos settle there cos we don't like dry land.

Back to topic, I hope the community would be compensated. A lot of us complained that the EIA was not carried out properly nor made available to the public. Goodluck told us earlier this year that signifiacnt portion of the dredging budget was for "shoring up" the shorelines. Its obvious they either forgot to shore up this town's tideline or the contractor ate the cash.

You are Igbo nicca. Stop being shameless and be a man abt it. You are not Ijaw.

Relax101:

Hahahaha, hope in 50years, they wont start fighting for their share of the land in Anambra like in EDO. 
Are they indigenous now or they go back home after sales?

Is the place called Ose-nku or ogbe ijaw ose-nku?

According to the article it said something like this Ose Ogbe Ijaw

Onlytruth can explain it better.

Posted by: Chyz*

Is the place called Ose-nku or ogbe ijaw ose-nku?

It was/is called either "Ose Ogbe Ijo" or "Ose nku", not both. The reason is because both fish and firewood are sold in this market. The Ijaw supplied much of the fish while others supplied the chopped firewood. Ose is at the bank of the Niger, a stone throw from the Main market. It is older than Main Market of course.

Onlytruth:

Posted by: Relax101
I grew up in Onitsha and so I can discuss this.

The whole truth is that the Ijaw was almost Igbo and interacted normally with us along the river Niger banks. Ijaw men supplied most of the fresh fish at Ose Nku in Onitsha. If you had ever gone to Ose to buy "azu ndu" (fresh fish), there is a good chance that the seller was Ijaw. We knew they were Ijaw, but they conversed in Igbo of course.
We even ascribed legendary swimming proficiency to Ijaws then, none of which was substantiated of course.
We used to hear tales that Ijaws would throw their babies (infants) into the river and leave it there to swim. If the child survived, then they took it home; if not, they simply assumed he wasn't supposed to live anyway. Legend of course.

So, yes, there is "Ogbe Ijaw" at Ose Nku in Onitsha. They lived on boats though.

I heard in some riverine communities in Anambra, it is very difficult to ascertain who is Ijaw or Igbo because the mingling has gone too far and they are usually over protective of each other. So an Igbo person from mainland will find it more difficult to obtain favor from a fellow Igbo from that area over an Ijaw resident and an Ijaw man from the creek will also find it difficult to obtain favor from an Ijaw from that area over his/her fellow Igbo neighbors. I do think the govs of Rivers and Anambra states just abandoned those areas because someone told me some days they are Anambra state and some days, they are Rivers state. May be they collect double allocation from both states.

aloy/emeka:

I heard in some riverine communities in Anambra, it is very difficult to ascertain who is Ijaw or Igbo because the mingling has gone too far and they are usually over protective of each other. So an Igbo person from mainland will find it more difficult to obtain favor from a fellow Igbo from that area over an Ijaw resident and an Ijaw man from the creek will also find it difficult to obtain favor from an Ijaw from that area over his/her fellow Igbo neighbors. I do think the govs of Rivers and Anambra states just abandoned those areas because someone told me some days they are Anambra state and some days, they are Rivers state. May be they collect double allocation from both states.

The part of Anambra that is by Rivers let us get straight, there are no such traces of Ijaw land there or even close by so lets make that clear now.

As for the collecting of double allocation, obviously the area is in Anambra so the Anambra state goverment should take care of that problem. It doesn't matter which state the people claim.