₦airaland Forum

HalfTruth:
The brain is not spillingin Osun and Ogun? Tell me why not? Aregbesola has conducted more projects than T. Orji ever did in Abia. Igbos talk so ignorantly of regions they know nothing about. Such a shame.

Is it the osun that everybody was rioting just yesterday from pensioners to even secondary students for inability to pay WAEC fees by govt.

lobrosky:
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Are you around ikeja ? Lagos

goodgate:
Don't dull it! Rich peeps send their kids to BMJS.

Yet the school couldn't build good security

Harmored:
Mtcheew this is serious,where I came from all these issues are minor problems,it is well with the kid's

Where are you from pls

So this junk made front page ?

Nairaland is losing it

Pls this is not bashing I have noticed some weird mentality with some Yoruba...they believe that you can't make money without ritual...this orientation should stop pls

This is barbaric ...this is not bashing pls but my observations.. Even here in nairaland I see people talk that

This Benin Yoruba thing is becoming embarrassing and shameful. In this fast paced world some people are still talking oba this and who has oduduwa ...people are busy inventing technology and building fast cars youvarw here saying who is the first oba
Why don't they say who first placed man on the Mars
Who first discovered the shortest way to universe


Shame on you all

This seems the reason why igbos want out

She is stupid ....why shoot in a ghetto ..she no see VI or bannana island or some sort Enugu

Must it be ghetto

mrDennis:
Am a proud bini man and I make bold to say I CONCUR ! If not for the fact that it was an abomination for a non-Benin man to speak bini back in the old days by now Benin would be a 'major' language second only to Hausa .

People who do not know facts don't know the IBO race/kingdom started after *EBO* meaning yellow man a prince of Benin kingdom was banished accross the Niger and the place was called *ONITSE* meaning "it's enough". Today it is called onitsha . And the whites who couldn't understand bini called them IBO (he-bo)

Ile ife learnt its bronze casting from Benin also it's crafts that's a fact , also bini kingdom was a a very diplomatic kingdom and thus we had lots of ambassaodors , thus the oranmiyan story

Truth be told this is a clarion call to all binis around the world to start putting pressure on FG to revert to regional system let's take ondo , delta, bayelsa and anambra territories back!

This is crazy
No
This is madness
No
This is stupid , delusional and madness at the same time




Is it the Benin igbo conquered during ancient and modern wars

ISpiksDaTroof:
Ok, I guess if that's the case. I don't know how possible that is, however, seeing as Nigeria has a huge housing problem. Anyway, the housing scheme doesn't have to be situated in only Anambra State. It could be spread out among different states. I think, in my humble opinion, that would make more sense, than a Games Village.

He wants to build stadium with his money ...let him be....anambra don't have issues with housing

ISpiksDaTroof:
I'm not asking him to house people for free.

What where you saying

I don't want to say islam is terrible .....but what I want to day is that girl is a minor and she has no right to say anything rather than to follow her parents


What a religion ?

Welcome to Oworo land, where Igbo, Nupe, Yoruba etc tongues meet


A view of Agbaja in Oworo (2009). Photos: MAURICE ARCHIBONG. Copyrights Reserved.

Welcome to the Kogi State community of Oworo. Kogi State is in Nigeria’s Middle Belt area, and that state’s capital is Lokoja. Nigeria’s two major rivers, The Niger and Benue meet in Kogi near the state capital, which is why car number plates celebrate Kogi as Confluence State.

Oworo land is located on a plateau and is, therefore, very refreshing and rarely posts the torridity that sent colonial overlord, Federick Lugard, running out of town and relocating his seat of government to Zungeru, over Lokoja’s comparatively high ambient temperature.

Aside the cooler ambience of Oworo land, another plus for this terrain is the plenitude of prospective tourist attractions. A colonial catering rest house and another structure, which locals say served as Lugard’s country home is among these sites.

Vanishing: Ancient houses in Oworo.

In the same vein, Oworo throws up two streams and a spring. Elderly Oworo indigenes told us that this spring, which flows out of a rock on the way up the plateau, has never gone dry. Seeping from the rocks, many people collect its water for drinking with the belief that it has been purified by nature.

As Omu-iye, the name of one of the streams suggests, Oworo people believe there are therapeutic consequences after a wash in this river. In the same vein, we were also informed that Omu-Oke, one of the other waters located in Agbaja, also has spiritual cleansing powers.

A piece of Arigidi, Oworo traditional hand-woven textile.

“In ancient times, Omu-Oke was used to cure barrenness. A woman, who could not get pregnant, became fertile after a bath in Omu-Oke. We believe the waters are still potent, otherwise people would not be visiting tham as they do till date”, one of the chiefs told us.

Oworo water source.

Also, the Oworo settlement of Agbaja boasts Olu-iho, which translates as King of all holes. Olu-iho (or is it Oluwo) is the mouth of a tunnel that links Ebere-Aba to Agbaja, about 2km away. Olu-iho or Oluwo is worshipped every three years and features some sacrifices. And, a matrilineal son of the Aba Ruling House usually presents the offering.

During this one-day festival, always in the dry season and after necessary sacrifices had been made, there will be rainfall, even before the participants got back home. If no rainfall trailed the ritual, it means the gods had rejected the supplicants’ offering.

A view of Ojega Street in Oworo (2009).

It is worth noting, however, that this supposed triennial indaba had not taken place for roughly 10 years in Oworo land preceding our visit here in 2009. In fact, the latest Oluwo observance took place in 1999, and the one that should have been celebrated in 2002 was skipped because the then monarch had embarked on his final journey.
Apart from Agbaja, Oworo villages include Jakura, Ohiji and Tajimi. Over 40 villages make up Oworo country, which is bordered by Bunu Kabba, to the West; Igbirra Koto and Kogi Local Government Area (LGA), to the East; Adavi/Okehi LGA, to the South and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the North.

Getting there and where to stay
As earlier stated, Oworo villages stand on a plateau near Lokoja, and the duration of the journey by car from the Kogi State capital is barely 30 minutes. But for the serpentine nature of the dirt road linking Oworo to the rest of this world, the trip would last much shorter.

To worsen matters, the narrow avenue carved out of the sides of the rocks throws up at least three hair-pin bends, which call for extreme care driving up or down. For our safety, we left the driving to a chauffeur provided by Nostalgia Hotel Limited, which also runs car hire and tours services in these parts.

We stayed at Nostalgia Hotel, during our latest trip to Lokoja, and operated from that town’s Lokongoma Quarters, where this lodge stands. After trudging up the narrow and dusty road in the hills, we finally made it safely to Agbaja, the spiritual headquarters of Oworo territory.

And our arrival could hardly be more fortuitous.

Five Oworo chiefs in 2009.

Encounter with Oworo chiefs
mauricearchibongtravels was lucky to meet at a go, at least five chiefs of different parts of Oworo nation. These royal fathers were Maasi (of Agbaja), Chief Abubakar Alugbere; Wokili of Oworo, Chief Abraham Mokelu, who is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police; Mayaki of Oworo, Chief Gabriel Ehimni; and, Shaaba of Oworo, Chief Abdullahi Adama. Chief Adama (Shaaba) is also Chairman of Oworo Traditional Council (OTC).
The traditional rulers had gathered in the residence of the Maasi in Agbaja, District Headquarters of Oworo country, for a meeting; which is how we succeeded in meeting so many of them in one go.

The OTC is responsible for picking an Olu, paramount ruler of the Oworo nation, and we needed to find out why Oworo people have gone without a paramount ruler since the passage, on 25 March, 2002; of their last sovereign. Shortly, we shall dwell on that issue.
Welcome to Oworo land, where construction of a proposed new road has lasted more than seven years, yet the project remains far from completed!

Although Oworo lands stand on a plateau near the Kogi State capital, Lokoja, Nigeria’s famed Confluence City, only two of the 40 clans of Oworo; Agbaja and Tajimi, have pipe-borne water. In fact, Agbaja is the only settlement connected to the national electricity grid.

On a less depressing note, however, we gathered that Igbonla and Tajimi might soon join the league of electrified villages since a transformer had already been installed at each of these two settlements.

Another positive note: Commendable strides have been recorded in Oworo land with regard to the provision of healthcare and education. For example, each of the 40 Oworo villages boasts primary and secondary schools, and Agbaja has a cottage hospital, while other villages boasts dispensaries.

But, who are the Oworo?
Although numerous Yoruba words can be identified in Oworo vocabulary, there is no letter f in the latter’s alphabet. However, the more attentive listener would probably notice that more words are virtually the same, except that letter h takes the place of f in the Yoruba tongue.

Umebe Onyejekwe (extreme right) with five Oworo chiefs in 2009.

This explains why Oworo speakers call the local Lugard House Ile Onihun. Ile is the Yoruba word for house, while Onihun probably derived from enian-funfun a Yoruba phrase for white person. In the Oworo tongue, funfun comes down to hunhun because letter f is not part of their alphabet.

While the Oworo tongue sounds like a dialect of the Yoruba language, a few of their words are also common to the Igbo lingo. Apati and Oka, which stand for bag and maize in both Igbo and Oworo are two examples.

Moreover, whereas other Yoruba say, wa for come, Oworo’s equivalent of that call is the same as Igbo’s bia. Furthermore, the morsel meal made from a mix of guinea-corn and cassava, which the Ibo of Onitsha call Nri-oka comes out as Nje-ka in the Oworo tongue.

So, who really; are Oworo people? The chairman of Oworo kingmakers’ society said Oworo are ancestrally Yoruba from Ile-Ife. “We are descendants of Oduduwa”, was his remark.

However, the opinion of another chief was: “The ancestor of Oworo people emerged from the earth”.

Those, who share this view, believe that ancestor sprang from the bowels of the earth spontaneously at Aba.

While this myth does not tell us where this ancestor found a wife or wives through whom the clan multiplied, it throws up more curios; for, Aba; the place that the progenitor emerged from the belly of the earth, is pronounced exactly as the name of the Abia State traders’ hub, Aba, aka Enyinba City, is rendered.

The observations become more fascinating with the realisation that the name, Mokelu; is also borne by both Oworo and Igbo folks. However, Chief Mokelu, one of the five chiefs of Oworo we spoke with at Maasi’s residence in Agbaja, was keen to point out that there are tonal variations in the rendition of his Mokelu and the Igbo equivalent.
Welcome once again to Oworo land: One community with three palaces. As regards the age of Rani, the throne of Oworo paramount ruler; Chief Yakubu Ejinda had this to say: “Oworo has been in existence with paramount chiefs for more than 200 years”.

We gathered that Olu Aba, premiere paramount ruler of Oworo, was installed 1860. Prior to that coronation, this nation’s government was a confederacy, it seems.
Oworo nation boasts three ruling houses; namely, Aba Royal House, presently headed by Shaaba; Ajeto Royal House, headed by Rania Maasi and Adeopa Ruling House, headed by Wokili; while the Chairman of the kingmakers’ body is the Mayaki.

According to Chief Mayaki, a candidate had already been nominated and that the incumbent ruling house is called Akodi. Oworo, we were informed, has three palaces because there are three ruling houses in Agbaja.


Cultural diffusion and Oworo People
As has been the experience of other communities, the arrival of foreigners and their religious beliefs in Oworo land has had adverse impacts on these locals, where some traditional craft, like hand-woven cloth for which ancient Oworo was well-known, have virtually disappeared.

Many local shrines no longer see visitors bringing offerings because an uncountable number of Oworo indigenes now belong to either the Christian or Islamic faith. As one of the traditional rulers rued: “Civilization has taken its toll.”

Another impression of Oworo landscape in 2009.

Albeit, traditional worshipping persists, as could be gleaned from Oluwo observances; an annual festival, which takes place in the dry season. Oluwo is observed across Oworo land to this day, despite the adoption of Semitic faiths by virtually every member of this community.

Although Westernisation has taken evident tolls on Oworo people, Maasi of Agbaja declared; “Our masquerades have remained the same over the centuries. In fact, it is taboo to modify anything relating to these masquerades”.
In deed, there are various other festivals across Oworo Kingdom: Pre-planting season festivals in Oworo land include Egungun festival, called Ikoje.

Villages, where Ikoje takes place from April include Ogbabo, Tajimi and Jakura, according to Mr. A.A. Momoh, Maintenance Manager of Nostalgia Hotel, Lokoja.

Mr. Momoh, who is an indigene of Oworo, also named Boko, a festival that takes place in commemoration of the harvesting season, as one of his community’s most popular fiestas.
The Anglican Communion’s All Saints Church, which berthed at Oworo in 1912, is the oldest Christian House of worship in these parts, we gathered. As usual, the Christian mission established the first school in this community. That institution, set up in 1912 by the Anglican Mission in Lokoja is today known as the Local Government Education Authority Primary School.
Farming and hunting were the main traditional occupations in ancient Oworo society, and these trades predominate to this day. The major food crops include plantain, mango and cashew, while cocoa, coffee and kola-nut are the major cash crops cultivated by Oworo farmers.

However, local farmers, who entered the coffee planting business in 1950, began reaping the fruits of their labour, 10 years later, with the first harvest in 1960.

Vanishing mores
Arigidi is the Oworo word for hand-woven cloth. Until about a century ago, cloth-weaving was a thriving industry across Oworo country. Unfortunately, this craft has died out completely.

Such is the situation that only Chief Ejinda, one of the five chiefs, could come up with a small piece of this indigenous textile. That particular piece of cloth was woven by his late mother, Madam Ramatu Ejinda, who died in 1962 at the age of around 80 years.

Given that this weaver’s transition took place more than 45 years ago, and assuming she wove that textile at mid-age, say 40 years old, the fabric we saw was a veritable piece of antiquity!

Truly, Oworo is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. But, the mining can only begin in earnest after a befitting road has been built to enable tourists climb the plateau safely.

If, Oworo textile weaving tradition and other indigenous craft were revived, and the colonial Catering Rest House as well as Ile-Onihun reconstructed and turned into thriving tourist sites, economic activities; currently at very low ebb in these climes, would certainly witness a boom.
By MAURICE ARCHIBONG



http://mauricearchibongtravels..com.ng/2012/07/welcome-to-oworo-land-where-igbo-nupe.html

When your in Rome dress like Romans
When your in Qatar dress like them

DaBullIT:
IPOB will never see anything good in the current administration





No matter how glaring it is

Just give us two good things that is tangible just twob

tobiasbeecher:
Shut up Mr. man, what do you expect? When you created your useless thread (knowing fully well the anti Igbo sentiment reverberating across Nigeria) didn't you know it will cause something like this? "I'm Igbo my foot"

Enweghi m time gi

The truth must be spoken

hardbody:
So what exactly is it? Joining issues with me in the hope you are getting flavours from her?

Back to your rant. I don't know what your career part is and how old you were when you went to school. We are not all privileged to do the same thing and achieve same feat. I ask you again to Google the youngest professor and as a matter of fact go and check the age at which favoured kids get admitted and graduate from unis. I won't discuss this with you again. I have noticed you and alongside it, I have adjudged your wisdom, you don't deserve my time. So there.

I am sorry if I was abusive ...I hate braggarts

I have been vindicated and this has been over and over... I could remember few years ago that I was telling my friends that I feel that APC isn't the Messiah !!! We are still awaiting the Messiah .... What I keep wondering is how they were e able to spin this. Did they capitalize on people's stupidity ,gullibility maybe docility .

They came cap in hand begging promised them (not me ) heaven on earth

They told them that they will give them N5000 and N10,000 monthly. They shouted hurray and sang kumbaya. But I told them that this is not feasible and sustainable. Di the maths 5000 x 10 million monthly. They called me wailer but I kept saying it isn't feasible ..some accused me of sentimentality but we are seeing my logicality. That's by the way

Next spin was that they told them that they will make USA dollar at par with naira . u asked for economic blueprint ...my friends said it doesn't matter ...how can you run a country without any blueprint.I mean short term and mid term. But nobody saw their plan ... This is tragic

I just don't want to comment on the doom but look forward to the boom. We have to be honest here

The PMS is still not =N=40
The USD dollars isn't yet at par with naira
The unemployed and vulnerable hasn't gotten their stipends promised them. In short they will never ever get the stipend
Oil isn't that fantastic again and will never get to $100 a barrel
We are still awaiting the diversification of the economy


I feel that If it is in sane climates ...people should have resigned but here we are not sane because we are not same . so as Fela the musician will say "suffering and smiling" and I remember his track called "zombie".

We have to get used to these things no matter how unpalatable it might look. They can call me a wailer,tribalistic or jingoistic but the truth is sacrosanct and must be spoken at all times

hardbody:
It's not an issue to me, it never was; but joining a low life to make it sound as being synonymous with responsibility is what makes it stupid. I acquired my first car at age 15 in my second year. It was my dad's promise and he redeemed it. I repeat, your dad is not as smart as you think. Some guys may not have that as first priority but when you sound like responsibility resides with owning a car, then your own maturity is called to question.

Shut up

You can't be in second year at the age of 15
Did you write waec at the age of 12


People will come and lie here
What work were you doing or maybe daddy gave u pocket money ..you saved it up...that gave u the bragging right


I hit the streets got a clean car ,got nice apartment and nice shots of life



Self made...not my dad. So shut the hell up pls

Jadekitana:
Instead of insulting ladies, go and make money and buy a car regardless of your age and thank me later! My dad was employed in shell as a corper @age 22. Enough of these rants from lazy youths

As in your dad ..what about you?

My papa get am
What about u



At least got a car

ybalogs:
You're making a lot of sense. I see no reason why anybody should try to castigate you for the write-up but as we already know, the Devil has his followers. God bless

Thanks

naijaking1:
You are not from Nnewi and definitely has no blood linkages to my own Aguata.
I am the first to detect your fraud, later it will be more obvious. Many passersby of Igboland can claim being Igbo, but Igbos know Igbos, and you, my friend is not Igbo.
I were nka, iriem ego, ewekwana nka, I were nke a----------.

f

Maka Chukwu enweghi m Efe gi

We are here to talk not to cast each other's tribe

naijaking1:
You would have done better getting off your tribal cloak to discuss death penalty, political victimization, or even criminal embezzlement of public funds. These are hot and current social issues globally, and it doesn't have to Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa. But, I know you Yorubas want to make it look like Igbos are mostly affected, so that you can feel better?

Bia..isi odikwa gi mma? Uche gi di ya....kedu Ife na eme unu....onye gwara gi na abum onye ofe mmanu ....

Okwere ka osi eme si na umunna ya bu ndi ori
Ochoro mgbafu siri na aluo ya Anya


Abum onye nnewi muo nwadi na aguata na anambra



This ain't Google translation but pure central anambra


Gbado Anya .....Nwa mkpi

investnow2013:
Ekwusigo is the council area in which Ozubulu Town is the Headquaters, but I am talking about Metropolitan area!. There are 3 or 4 if you add (The New kid in the block Otuocha) Metropolitan areas in Anambra State!.They are Awka, Onitsha & Nnewi. Ozubulu by location is under Nnewi Metropolitan area!.

Now you are talking

ini4brandon:
Enyeama nnyin mbok timme di.
Oliseh kicked Enyeama out for "indiscipline" now NFF kicks him out for same "indiscipline".

Lesson I've learnt....We are all imperfect, let's not rush to condemn the next person.
I wish the S.E success and Oliseh speedy recovery.

Brother we igbo have a long standing with akwaibom and oliseh won't jeopardize that relationship ...oliseh isn't an igbo seff
Mbok

YourMrBoo:
Christopher123 said this...

I'm happy is happening hope they won't decline the call.

They will not my dear ....siasia is sane in ke the other dude

Armaggedon:
so u believe that nigerian justice system should not treat everybody equally?

Seriously?

King burnt his member -crime

tb joshua negligence killed 85 member of his church-crime

king is sentenced to death, joshua has not appeared in court talk more of sentencing and is still operating his church

both should be punished thats all!

If you cant analyse situations well, kept silent and dont abuse pple who do

I hate tribal connotation to logical things Joshua case is still in court and Kings case has been concluded

naijaking1:
Automatic internet based translator service doesn't make an Igbo.
Pretending to be Igbo or a Christian shows how sinister your motives are, and you don't fool nobody pal. You're a sick tribal gingoistic troll with your brain set on the word "Igbo"

You are the first person that is saying that I a. Not an igbo

Mana ka anyi were na Ife obuna Tara anyi na abani bu anwunta ....so you can't even differentiate between Google igbo and real igbo

Ha siri na agwa omala ..omalu..agwa ofeke dika gi...ifebe isi na ofia


I am anambra dude ...mumsy is aguata, pops nnewi so mind you I am of a purer stock


So where are you


Well I won't blame you


Enwere igbo
Nwekwa ibo
Bia nwesie igbo bu igbo

I know that you can't be igbo bu igbo


I don't wanna be harsh ...u would have said kitikpa gbarie gi isi


Mana ka odiba ....esim uka


This is the first time atulu GA aju maka igbo..hmmmm madu ka Ana aria .

Di anyi chuba ndi na achu gi

investnow2013:
Ozubulu is Still under Nnewi Metropolitan area & Nnewi is also the Senatorial Headquaters

Hian...this a new one

What happened to ekwusigo

miketayo:
You are an orangutan den

I am an evolved man