EmptyCoconutHead:
maybe that's why the Yoruba nation are so reluctant to take up his case Sha cos they feel it's not one of them so it's more of an ijaw fight to propagate for the release of their son

midnighter:

[s]
Noted. But I still think he has been able to coast over some difficulties by identifying more with the south-west rather than the south-south

Plus I dont see how you can say that a presidential candidate has never been political. At least there are some games they play to influence the electorate. I have never for once seen him in distinguishing Ijaw attire or even that Fedora hat. Or Ondo Ijaws dont wear that [/s]

EmptyCoconutHead:
they're are not. my colleagues here is Kalabari and each time I bring up the ijaw issue, she flairs up.
also Kalabari are not part of your useless biafra

Sanchez01:

Sowore has never been political. Plus the Ijaws understand the variations within them perfectly. South-Western Ijaws found in Ese Odo LG in Ondo State today, though Niger Deltan, don't necessarily see themselves as brothers with those in the South South. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they hate themselves. They are more clannish than the Igbos. Those in the South South see those in the South West as mixed blood, which is where the 'full born' gist of the OP emanated from.

Those in Edo don't necessarily see themselves as kindred with those in Delta, Rivers and even Bayelsa. Everyone faces their business and only see those around them.

Recall Dickson recently referred to a certain LG in Bayelsa as not being real Ijaws and they very well protested by voting against his candidate. That gives you an idea of the clannish nature of the Ijaw man.

In the case of Sowore and Jonathan, it was more of activism and angst than political.

tpia5:
any knowledgeable person who can attempt to answer posts 1 and 2?

more importantly, how did ijaws start living on water.

any verifiable myths, legends, oral history which address this.

midnighter:


Noted. But I still think he has been able to coast over some difficulties by identifying more with the south-west rather than the south-south

Plus I dont see how you can say that a presidential candidate has never been political. At least there are some games they play to influence the electorate. I have never for once seen him in distinguishing Ijaw attire or even that Fedora hat. Or Ondo Ijaws dont wear that

Irore:


Is it true that the Ijaws are 1. Alleged witches and wizards of upland people sold into slavery? 2. Very cruel, erratic, easily aggrieved and violent people?

Efewestern:


@bolded Not entirely true, I have met some Ijaws from Ondo and who have strong ties with those in Delta State, often times, they do claim to be Deltans. I was surprised to know the Ijaw dialect in Ondo is very similar to the one being spoken in Gbamaturu.

Dickson was damn wrong, the parts he claimed to be real Ijaws were places greatly influenced by the Urhobos.

Sanchez01:

Some, not all. It's almost the same way the Igboness of those in Delta is discussed. Most claim they are not Igbos while some align and think themselves Igbos.

Dickson is only a representation of the clannish Ijaw people who think themselves true while other Ijaws are either mixed or now 'true blood'.

midnighter:


Do you have any ijaw heritage?

Sanchez01:

Why this is so, I think, is because he had his tertiary education in Lagos. However, Sowore personally does not identify with any region. He'd tell you he is a Nigerian and only interested in the growth and development of Nigeria. And I'm almost certain you'd never see him in a typical Yoruba attire. He is an activist and that is what makes sense to him the most.

Sanchez01:
Sowore's brand of politics is what any activist would play in a saner clime. Call for a better government and even push to be a part of the government to effect the change you want.

The best you'd see Sowore in is similar to what almost revolutionary would don. Sahara Reporters make over a million Naira in revenue monthly. It wouldn't cause Sowore a thing to remain quiet over the affairs of Nigeria. Sowore doesn't need the position. Nigerians need a vibrant, radical approach to governance. South Africa is a testament of this...

Sanchez01:
Sowore doesn't need to don a Fedora hat to be Ijaw. I have never worn a bead nor don the typical Urhobo in my life. It doesn't make me less an Urhobo man, a proud one at that.

Sanchez01:
He is an activist and that, I'm sure, is why he doesn't do the identity thing.

Sanchez01:
Lol... Not at all. Purely Urhobo.

Sanchez01:

Some, not all. It's almost the same way the Igboness of those in Delta is discussed. Most claim they are not Igbos while some align and think themselves Igbos.

Dickson is only a representation of the clannish Ijaw people who think themselves true while other Ijaws are either mixed or now 'true blood'.

Irore:


Is it true that the Ijaws are 1. Alleged witches and wizards of upland people sold into slavery? ...

Efewestern:


Those days, witches from my tribe were sent to Ijaw land for cleansing, so it might be the reason people think Ijaws were wizards, not true thou.

cc: Sanchez01

Sanchez01:

LMAO... I need to read up on this. I got a fair gist of this tale years back but not everything. The 'why' was never explained.

Datazone:


You're a big mumu. You don't know the history of your country Nigeria and your people. The Portuguese explorers were the first to explore Nigeria before Britain. Use Google to clarify, Binis and Itsekiris were they first to make contact with white men. Oba Esigie from Benin is the first to speak English and, Olu Antonio Dom Domingos (an Itsekiri king) is the first graduate king in West Africa (in 1642). If you had attended any university in Nigeria, you must have been taught in your general studies done in 100L.


Another stupid post that shows Ijaws in Rivers and their counterpart in Bayelsa and Delta reason like goats was when you affirmed that Ijaws are the fourth largest. Until Jonathan, most Nigerians haven't even heard a tribe called Ijaw exist. Ibibio and Tivs are more than the Ijaws. Urhobos dominate Ijaws in all spheres of human endeavours yet they don't disturb us about being the fourth largest.

Datazone:

There's nothing to check on Google. I know this before I turned 11. It is you who need to check what I said to ascertain the authenticity.

Datazone:

The Tiv and Kanuris are larger than the Ijaws. It was Jonathan who imposed that mentality on you guys and twisted the media that you're that fourth. Before Jonathan, who knew Ijaws existed? Calabar people were known in Nigeria unlike the Ijaws. You guys are minority claiming relevance. Every source that points to Ijaws being the fourth largest came during and after Jonathan's election as President, why?

www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/fourth-largest-ethnic-group-marginalizing-us-orchivirigh-professor-james-tells-govt


An argument on Nairaland:
https://www.nairaland.com/2918049/fourth-largest-ethnic-group-nigeria

Read the screenshot below and see that Bayelsa is not a complete Ijaw state, there are Urhobos and Isoko who are native of Bayelsa. There are no Ijaws in akwaibom. Ijaws are a small group of people in the riverine area, it was Jonathan who brought them to limelight

midnighter:
The truth is that until people stop manipulating census figures, we wont know who is how much in Nigeria.

The other factor is ethnic cohesion.

Do we count Ibibios and Efiks together?

Do Kalabari, Okrika and Izon see themselves as part of the main Ijaw collective?

Are Urhobo and Isoko interchangeable terms?

Most of those Niger Delta groups are too disparate to make a sizeable collective political impact.

As for me I was under the impression that the Ibibios were the 4th largest group in Nigeria...I stand to be corrected...

UniportAgbero:

midnighter:

[s]
You havent answered my question dear, Just check the comments on any "Se Teme" video on youtube and see all the Kalabaris and Ijaws arguing with themselves[/s]

Datazone:


You're a big mumu. You don't know the history of your country Nigeria and your people. The Portuguese explorers were the first to explore Nigeria before Britain. Use Google to clarify, Binis and Itsekiris were they first to make contact with white men. Oba Esigie from Benin is the first to speak English and, Olu Antonio Dom Domingos (an Itsekiri king) is the first graduate king in West Africa (in 1642). If you had attended any university in Nigeria, you must have been taught in your general studies done in 100L.


Another stupid post that shows Ijaws in Rivers and their counterpart in Bayelsa and Delta reason like goats was when you affirmed that Ijaws are the fourth largest. Until Jonathan, most Nigerians haven't even heard a tribe called Ijaw exist. Ibibio and Tivs are more than the Ijaws. Urhobos dominate Ijaws in all spheres of human endeavours yet they don't disturb us about being the fourth largest.

UniportAgbero:

midnighter:

UniportAgbero:
...
That's Ibibio's 4 million vs Ijaw's 12 million

midnighter:


Hmm..I will keep on the look out. But my instinct tells me that ibibios are more than ijaw. I just started hearing about ijaw recently though maybe that is more political.

UniportAgbero:


So you've never heard of Kalabari, Okrika, Opobo, and Bonny before?

Ibibios only found in akwa ibom and parts of cross river. What I expect you to do is a little unresearch. Check Census figures.

midnighter:


Plenty of those people are always arguing that they are distinct groups and not ijaw.

You can go to YouTube and check the comments of any kalabari song and see all of them insulting themselves.

You can't claim people who don't want to be claimed. Is it not what you people always tell us about the ikwerres?

Remove all those groups from your stats first.

Only count "core" ijaw, whatever that means, or allow ibibio, Efik, annang, oron, ejagham, eket and all the rest to be counted together.

UniportAgbero:


I don't know what you're talking about oh. My Mom is Okrika and my dad is Kalahari...So I'm surprised I'm hearing this.