₦airaland Forum

Igboid:
So you agree on breaking the history down to parts then.

Part 1 should be all about Bonny and Opobo early history and their early settlers.
The list of kings, the intrigues and power tussle amongst them.
The evolution of early Bonny from the Okpara bu isi system of it's early settlers to adoption of the "Wari" war house system of the riverine tribes around them.


What do you think about the above?

Like you said the article should not be unnecessarily long.
It should solely focus on the ibani igbo historical account of Bonny.
Early settlers at okuloma, Kings, natives, slaves (showing they were igbos of Ibani stock). Brief account of slave trade then. Who were the slaves, who were the slave traders etc Tradition, culture, health care (the dibias) the controversies that lead to the exit of Jaja. Article must make it know that a slave couldn't be King in Bonny.

Basically the person should review Crow's work especially from chapter 10 downwards.

Igboid:
Ututuoma.
Not sure I can do good justice to it.
But I can try.

What exactly do we want to have in this .

Take the readers through a concise but engaging and intriguing journey through the early history of Bonny and Opobo inhabitation, taking note of the ethnic identity of the early/first settlers, citing historical documents where necessary to back it up.

Be as vague as possible in definning Bonny and Opobo current political ethnicity, but being empathic in drumming down the fact that the ancestors of modern Bonny and Opobo were the KINGS and EARLY SETTLERS of those Islands and not just descendants of the slaves.

People on internet hate long articles, so article has to avoid being too voluminous?

Should article try to cite Ijaw distorted versions of Opobo and Bonny history before refuting them?

Maybe to avoid losing vital information while trying to avoid being too long, article can be broken down in parts.

Like Part 1 tailored specifically to present our case on Bonny and Opobo

Part 2, measured to debunk Alagoa and other Ijaw expansionists


Part 3, looking at current Opobo and Bonny identity and a detailed chronicle of Ijaw nationalists deliberate attempt at commiting cultural genocide in Opobo and Bonny .


I'm just brainstorming here.article MUST not be written by me , but I can try.

Well said bro. However, I think the first article should not mention the controversies for a start.

It should connect history to the immediate past and then the present realities(as per language and culture).

Articles that address the controversies can come later.

There may also be need to form a whatsapp group to take certain conversations of here.

For your viewing pleasure.

Make everybody find him village.

Whistling...

BKayy:
They have used the current Nigerian Niger Delta map to override it in Google search engine but some of us still have it.

It will take me time to go through my old hard drives and get it.

I still remember that Bonny and Opobo were not included in his map. The map was more like present Bayelsa state and a very little part of Delta and inch of Rivers.

Exactly, those are the salient facts we need to point out. They are claiming Niger Delta now to confuse more gullible people.

We need to bring out and promote Boro's original map.

Vintagepipes:
Bkayy,
Igboid
Ekealterego
Ofoigbo
Slayerforever

...I have seen this particular anti-Igbo hate write up spread all over the platforms of southern groups by Ijaw people. I saw this on a Bonny group. Although they didn't buy it.

...It is time Ndi-Igbo start to defend and write their own propaganda. I just did a small social media search and this returned back to me in almost every Southern Social media group mostly sent by Ijaws.

....Why is that so?

...At least we cry that we don't have the news media in our palms but at least not social media.

...An intelligent counter story must be written!!
...I didn't know this had gone this far..

The same Boro that died in 1968 after doing dirty jobs for the Nigerian army.
Someone should also try and lay hands on Boro's Niger-Delta map, it will also help stop some propaganda.

mancoconut:
I'm in a bar now and the language I'm hearing sounds more Igbo to me so far oooo!!! are Ijaws really ready for this?

Cc: RobbStark

Where in Opobo are you? If you're man let's meet up and put this debate to rest already by doing interviews? are you game?

I won't advice or encourage this for obvious reasons. Gently, make your observations and leave there.

RobbStark:
I told you all I am in my home town. Lemme post the Jaja monuments as I am there already.

Wow...such a fantastic monument.

But, I am curious? Are there 2 or more types of ijaw? Because I am wondering why Bonny and Opobo would be celebrating Nwaotam? but Sagbama and Gbaramaturu does not despite the fact that they are motherland like you claimed.

DitariDisciple2:
Ijaws are larger than Ibo in population

Yes. I can attest to this myself. When you get to igbogene in Bayelsa state, there are more Ijaw population there.

Do you know there are Nigerians who do not know ijaws/have not met them or do not have ijaw friends despite being well travelled? Ijaw nation owe people like Timaya till tomorrow.

Eastlink:
Lol, funny. And you’ll call him out on Nairaland .What do you take an erudite Professor as Alagoa for? Even though his history is fraudulent doesn't mean you can call him out as a child, unless you simply want to inflate your ego. You’ve done the best you can do with this thread, now allow others take up the battle and quite the chestbeating.

A little misunderstanding here. While, I do not overrate Nairaland and I do not expect him to be here, it is my hope that someone would see this an draw his attention to it. A call out as I have used it is not inline with the current social media influenced usage.

JANK23H:
Let Igbo present an academic who has achieved anything close to his in history.You hate him because his works do not suit you,but they are quoted by most modern writers of NigerDelta history

My claim is a challenge to an acclaimed Professor of History. My thinking is that you would be irked, report to him and have him come and explain himself while he is still alive.

P.S: I have never met him in person, so I cannot hate him like you claimed.

BKayy:
I blame Ọhaneze Ndigbo for all this.

Before, you blame them ask if they have the information.

Igboid:
Very good submission.

Alagoa sat down and blatantly corrupted Igbo history in Bonny and Opobo, reducing our Aboriginal presence on those Islands to Slave status.
We have how many Universities in SE, each with history departments and tens of professors of history.
And between 1970 till today, a whopping 50years, non of them have beamed a searchlight on Alagoa blatant manipulation of facts and provided a counter rebuttal.

We are really failing as a people. I swear. It's embarrassing.

Another obvious blight on the quality of Nigerian education. I suggest all history departments in most of this schools should be shut down and their professors sacked for a start. They are not what a penny. To imagine that I was the one teaching my neighbor history, that is someone that has a B.Sc in History.

I am just wondering, in a world without internet what was Alagoa referencing.

I make bold to state that Professor Alagoa is an academic fraud.

Eastlink:
INC had not being emboldened as it is now. All thanks to Igbos who unknowingly gave them that feather. Igbo forget to fight for their interest and ignorantly supported Ijaw agenda. From 1995 led by Ekweme till date, Igbo have ignorant supported Ijaw agenda, unlike the Yoruba’s who don’t give a hoot about them. Igbos need to learn from Yoruba and Hausa in politics. Igbos are the only majority acting like a minority among the 3 big ethnic groups.

Check up all the agenda’s that Igbo leadership have supported since 1995 it has always shot itself in the foot.

People take action only when they are informed, so you cannot in all honesty blame those igbo leaders or igbos. How many igbos/Nigerians know that indigenous Bonny/Opobo people speak igbo? Mind you there was no internet when some of those people held sway. So without relevant information, on what basis are you going to contest? I am sure most igbos from these places are even confused and are ignorant of these accounts we have rendered here. Imagine for a second that you have been taught history with that Alagoa's textbook your entire life.

So spreading information is key.
Like someone rightly said here Alagoa, would be swearing for whoever invented the internet by now.
Imagine the volume of information most of us could access from the comfort of our homes without traveling or going to any library.

Putindbutt:
You think say na joke. I can't wait for the clashes between ijaws and ibos. The era of the Eastern region where you held absolute control and influence over the minorities is over. The minorities are today holding high their unique identities.

*If you are serious about it, call a press conference in Bonny/Opobo declaring them ibos.

* Go to Bonny/Opobo palace and present them the biafra flag and paraphernalia.

* Go to the schools, markets, towns and villages and sensitize them on their ibo origin.

* Issue an ultimatum to ijaws of Bonny/Opobo to relinquish their control of the structures they currently hold.

* Carry out No1,2,3,4 in no particular order and then we take you serious. No online chestbeating please!

I told you guys repeatedly that all you are doing here is just an academic exercise. Go to the field!

Please, don't be unfortunate talking about Biafra here, Frank Opiho would explain better.

Bonny and Opobo igbos only need to understand why and how they found themselves on those two islands and stop listening to Alagoa and his ethnic disciplines.

Also stop mentioning the term minorities and be specific about your ethnic identity unless you are trying to hide something we already know. Afterall, everyone is a minority somewhere for example igbos in Akwa-ibom.

Eastlink:
The first step is writing an article to a national daily countering his fraudulent Bonny history. I bet he’ll pick up a rejoinder.

I will make out time to put up one no matter how short (I could just edit this thread into an article). I have not done so before and do not really understand the process. You could put me through including, the best daily for visibility.

I did not even know such event is taking place, now that it has been exposed here. I am more vexed about the whole thing.

Eastlink:
Thanks for bringing this up. We appreciate you send more of this. It's obvious the old man still goes around substantiating his identity genocide.

The bolded name will be called out in due time. Despite his old age, he still goes about enforcing his identity genocide. He won't complain of old age when called up to an an historical debate to provide facts to his bogus and fraudulent history on Bonny.

The man needs to be called out while he is still alive. So that morons will not continue referencing him tomorrow.

DubaiLandLord1:


Igbos never lived in the coastal areas.

The English man even talk am for here sef.

Igbo land start and end in the South East

Beautiful! But he forgot to talk about the ijaw people that cover '6 states' in the Niger delta. Were they so invisible?

Putindbutt:
In his lecture, Amasenibo Eric G. Jumbo listed out the current threat to Ibani Language which include Commerce and Christian Religion.

Also speaking, Warisenibo Abinye Morgan Ogolo, challenged the people of Bonny and Opobo Kingdoms to make concerted efforts to stop speaking Ibo language.

This will help to rediscover Ibani Language so that it will take its rightful place despite the damage it has suffered over the years.

The Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro L G A, represented by the Council Secretary, Mr. Sunny J. Pepple, called on volunteer experts of the Ibani language to partner with the Council to revive the language.

The event featured dances, lectures and Ibani language competition among selected Secondary Schools with CSS Opobo emerging as winner while GGSS Finima and Bonny National Grammar School, emerged as runners up.

Dignitaries at the event include, Professor Emeritus E.J. Alagoa, Dr. Mrs Iyalla Amadi and the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, represented by Mr. Francis Alli among others.

http://www.riversstate.gov.ng/item/1117-chairmen-set-to-develop-ibani-language-curriculum.html

This is exactly what this thread is about.
This last attempt at erasing 200years old history.
Notice the criminal inference that the igbo language was due to commerce and religion.

Guys, did you guys notice the criminal presence of no other than the ancient revisionists at this event? Professor Emeritus E.J. Alagoa

The man is on a mission. He should come to a live debate while he is alive.

cc
Ekealterego
Eastlink
Igboid
Ofoigbo
Vintagepipes
Slayerforever

Please, anyone with Barrister Uche Okwukwu's(from Elele) contact should hit me up.

A History of the Niger Delta
An Historical Interpretation of Ijo Oral Tradition
by Abiegberi Joe Alagoa

The first title in a planned series of classic texts, written and published in Africa, on the history and culture of the Niger Delta. Long out of print, this book brings together oral traditional evidence and all other available historical material including the work of the eminent historian of the Niger Delta, Kenneth Owuka Dike. The study is an attempt to reconstruct the early history of the Ijo people of the Niger Delta, from the nineteenth century, using their own mostly oral traditions . The work has been considerably revised and updated to include material and research conclusions from the ongoing Ijo History Project on Niger Delta history chaired by the author.

Vintagepipes:
Even Bayelsa state govt recognised that Nembe is a different language. Why? Can Ijaw people explain?

They also recognise that those are just the major languages. That confirms the fact that there are others.

Even historical records showed Nembe were a different people.

There is need to stem the growing tide of ignorance in Nigeria.

Eastlink:
Reaching BBC is not too difficult. BBC tend to rely on trends to invite you. They won't invite you if you are not controversial or a trend setter. And you must set the pace by getting in touch with popular Youtuber in the history niche to help out.

I would appreciate if you would point me to anyone. Thanks.

Eastlink:
You can call out Ijaw historians to a live debate by writing an article to a national daily. Or go to INC page or Speak Ibani NGO to get one or two to a debate. If in Lagos, I don't mind accompany you to a Radio or TV house in Lekki to do an open broadcast. You might want to consider a popular Youtuber to launch the Bonny/Opobo origin - truth or facts episode. But since you say you have BBC links all you need do is go on air with the findings, I assure you that the Ijaw nationalist will send a rejoinder. From the rejoinder, you can get them to come to BBC Lagos for an open contest of fact.

I am not in Lagos(unless it can be done remotely) and I do not have BBC links, however I have been trying unsuccessfully to reach BBC.

Eastlink:
You can call out Ijaw historians to a live debate by writing an article to a national daily. Or go to INC page or Speak Ibani NGO to get one or two to a debate. If in Lagos, I don't mind accompany you a Radio house in Lekki to do an open broadcast. But since you say you have BBC links all you need do is go on air with the findings, I assure you that the Ijaw nationalist will send a rejoinder.

Ideally, i would love it to be on BBC pidgin/igbo or Arise, Sunrise daily etc If any of them had picked up the baton here David Hundeyin could anchor it for us.

Putindbutt:
Same logic applied to Ibani. Ibani are called Ibani by themselves. And Ibani are a subgroup of ijaws.

While we have seen several accounts of ibani as an igbo dialect and igbo tribe, why has it become an impossible task to show us Ibani and ijaw in the same sentence?

I keep amusing myself when I see you guys attach suffix to peoples ethnicity.

Obolo-ijaw
ndoki-ijaw
ibani-ijaw

The same ijaw that is only four local government in bayelsa state.

Vintagepipes:
.......I reckon it is a consequence of identity crisis. It makes it even worse.
.......Ndoni is just almost opposite Aboh .......or at some point same people as Aboh...
.... but now, people in Ukwuani LGA still reminisce paying taxes to Oba of Bini, while Ndioshimili are mostly Igbos or Identify as Igbo, the umbrella "Ndokwa/Ukwuani sub group have splintered even further....

It is important for most of them to go and dig their history.

Paying reverence and coming from a place/ethnic group are two different things. That is what peolpe like Governor Wike needs to be taught if history were a subject in Nigerian schools.

My research acknowledge that the Benin empire was quite so influencial that people of other ethnic identities were paying the Oba homage. This doesn't mean they are or were of the same ethnic identity.

There is a recorded instance of such in the far away Niger delta and it is part of the things I want to teach ijaw historians in a live debate.

So Ukwani/Aboh people should look at historical records, it is all there.

Putindbutt:
*Bonny is called Okoloama BY THEMSELVES.

*Okoloba, Obani BY THE IBOS.


Which part is difficult for you to understand?

Ndoki is called Ndoki by themselves, Ukwa by other igbos

Ngwa people call Bende/umuahia people umuogbo, while Bende people call themselves Bende,ohuhu,Alai, Item etc

I hope you get the point now.

If anything I am just learning now that it was even Igbo people that call or own the name Ibani.

Bonny was the british pronounciation of Ebane/Ibane.

Igboid:
They have been unfortunately Ijawnized.
The thing dey pain Ndoni people.
They were same people, before the Ijaws rushed Biseni and Ijawnized them.

Ijaws are aggressive expansionists. The Biseni Igbo ancestors were aloof to these schemes like most Igbos are.
We have lost Biseni forever. I can't have someone who doesn't speak Igbo as mother tongue in an Igbo gathering, ancestry or no ancestry, that's nonsense.

Biseni Ijoid language is corrupted by many Ndoni (Igboid) words and even intonation so much that other Ijaws don't understand them when they speak.
But the language is unmistakably Ijoid.

Someone may have to put up a write-up as this will make a good project topic. Any current history student in Uniport, Rsust, Elechi polythenic etc

Ongoing ijawnization of the Niger-delta, a lesson in contemporary history.

Ongoing ijawnization of the Niger-delta, a study of contemporary Niger-delta history.

Igboid:
Bayelsa is like 60% (this is me being generous) Ijaw and 40% other distinct Edoid and Ibibiod ethnicities.

Are you sure it is up to 60%? Let us stop making conjectures please. From what @Ekealterego posted, they are not upto 60%.

See for yourself:


This is BAYELSA

1. The ijoids (South Izon/southern Ijaw, Izon etc.)

2. The Edoids (e.g Epie, Attisa, Engenni [Known as the Oguan), Urhobo, Isoko).

3. The Cross-River people (Ogbia, Abureni etc. )

These are the people in Bayelsa and here is their classification and LGAs

Brass
Abureni; Cross-River language/people
Southeast Ijo; IJo
Ogbia; Cross-River language/people
kugbo; Cross-River language/people

Ekeremor
Izon; Ijo

Kolokuma/Opokuma

Izon; Ijo

Nembe
Abureni; Cross-River people/language
Southeast Ijo; Ijo
Izon (Ijaw)

Ogbia
Abureni; Cross-River language.
Southeast Ijo;
Odual; Cross-River language
Ogbia; Cross-River language
Oruma; Ijo

Sagbama
Biseni; Ijo
Isoko; Edoid/Edo
Izon; Ijo
Ogbah; Igbo/Igboid
Okodia; inland Ijo/Ijo
Urhobo; Urhobo/Edoid/Edo

Southern Ijaw

Southeast Ijo; Ijo
Izon; Ijo

Yenagoa
Engenni; Edo/Edoid
Epie; Edo/Edoid
Izon; Ijo
Ekpeye; Igboid



Notice that Ekpeye is in Yenegoa, the heartland of Bayelsa.

ThumbzTNA:
Eastlink made these suggestions and I agree 100%. And if I had the resources I would have sponsored them.
He says.....


"

Bringing facts here on Nairaland is a right step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. Such as.
1. Inviting Bonny/Opobo people to Igbo the cultural gathering as was the case with the forgotten Ahajioku festival held in Owerri. King Jaja Jeki V used to be a guest.

2. Informing Ohaneze or any Igbo group to open up Igbo associations in Bonny. Getting King Pepple of Bonny and King Jaja of Opobo to endorse these pro-Igbo Ubani unions.

3. Sending an Igbo delegation to visit with Bonny/Opobo.

4. Sponsorship of Igbo language competitions in Bonny/Opobo.

5. Opening of Facebook groups where Igbophilic Bonny/Opobo indigenes are admin. This will help to counter the guerrilla warfare being financed and sponsored by INC/IYC.

6. Supporting Pro-Igbo Bonny/Opobo sons like Dakuku Peterside for Governorship.

7. Sponsoring historians to write the true Bonny Igbo origin history of her Kings and people that will give Alagoa’s fraudulent revision the death knell.

"

Culled from Eastlink

While most of these submissions are valid, I would object to the idea of supporting Dakuku because of this as well as you your title. When you say how to get them back, it gives the impression that they were lost an you want to claim them.

The true situation is this:
Their history has been distorted
Their history is being distorted and the last phase of the on-going historical revisionism, is the attempt by some tribes to stop some of them from speaking in their native tongue.
There is an attempt to colonized them with a different language and this should rightly be condemned by everyone.

@OP cc ThumbzTNA uploading snippets like the one below and properly referencing them would give a better perspective to what you are talking about.
By Baikie, William Balfour, 1825-1864

Most of them needs to be shown their true history so they could make more informed decisions and start asserting themselves.

DubaiLandLord1:
When Igbos are ready for biafla, referendum will only be conducted in the old East Central State.

Nah where igbo land start and end be that.

There is no evidence on ground that shows any igbo kingdom went to war and defeated any coastal area before the arrival and after the arrival of the Europeans.

The answer you need to know the identity of South south people is in the list of South south state governors as presently constituted. 2/6 igbo governors is a majority considering that all others are of different ethnicities. Head or tail, the south south cannot exclude the igbo from Delta to Rivers (let me not talk about the minority igbo in Akwa-ibom, Cross river, Ekpeye in bayelsa etc). Literally, the igbo divides the south south into 2 unequal halves.

Most of you need to travel more and stop relying on heresay.

RobbStark:
Is Abua n Ekpeye part of Bayelsa State??

It's too early abegi

We all know both Abua and Epkeye people are dominantly found in Rivers State, however some of them are indigenous to Bayelsa State. Most of you seem to forget that all these state boundaries as presently constituted are man-made. They are not natural boundaries.

If you are still in doubt and want a detailed history and identity of Bayelsa, kindly open a thread on the topic and mention me. Better still reference the several list of Bayelsa people that @Ekealterego has posted on this thread.