₦airaland Forum

The source of the Ghanaian sounding names of Ijo people has never been a surprise to some of us. Owuso and Ado are such names. However, most of the principal players in the era of King Amakoro (Amakiri II) adopted English names such Pepple, Green, Peterside, Manuel, George, Jack, Barid, etc as nicknames. Unfortunately, these nicknames have taken center stage in the grand scheme of denial of the ancestral lineage of these people from Okirika, Calabarie (kalabari) and Ubani (Great Bani).

One wonders what happened to the names such Ikpo, Oguigbe or Nkwerre, Omekwe, Wokoma, Igbulu, Akiala, Elebike, Obaji, Otaji(Otashi: the leave that is bitter), Nwananaku, Okwu and Osiagu. However, the weird sounding names with foreign undertone such as Owukori, Fubra, Waribo and Finnema seemed to be in vogue.

It is even funny some of people are claiming Ibani as language. The fact remains that Ibani-burufia (Ibani) was a slave in Fubra's house.

If Goodluck Jonathan ventures into the 2011 Nigerian presidential election with the hope of political backing from the southwest region of Nigeria, he will be embarrassed at the polls.

It is not a rocket science for any Nigerian to understand that Yoruba do not vote any candidate except Yoruba extraction. In addition, the presidential election of 1999 had rendered Yoruba political vote inconsequential in Nigeria's scheme of things.

There are really imbeciles on this board.

ow11:
I don't have any comment about the Initial but the boldened version would be plausible If you had gone with the current Amayanabo of Kalabari King Amachree and somehow claim that Amachree is actually Amakiri and insist that is an Igbo name. However in keeping consistent with shooting yourself in the foot with made-up folktales you use to keep people like komando spell bound, you mentioned an obscure compound in Abonnema (Oweredaba) that has never produced any Amayanabo of Abonnema talk less of Amayanabo of Kalabari.

Go ahead with your tales it only serves as entertainment to those that know better and panacea for Biafra apologists who somehow believe their dream is tied to annexing the lands of the delta beyond them. Good thing People like ezeagu, Abagworo and Andre Uweh don't make up stories out of the blues else I wonder what this thread would have turned into.

I await your next sensationalist write up. You are beginning to sound like a city people reporter


Well Komando regarding your question about Ibani, I don't speak Ibani but If you had gone with sounding like Kalabari mixed with Igbo words you wouldn't be too far off the mark. Try and read some Ibani authored sites; the truth doesn't hurt. It only enlightens!

When I am ready, I will post a link to a comprehensive Ijaw dictionary written by Roger Blench. You can google him and possibly learn Ibani if you fancy.

Please do not visit me with frustration because I am only a massager. My forbearers and my humble self did not get involved with name changing schemes. I am just a lover of history. My people say the uneasiness rests the head that wears the crown.

For example Bonny is neither Igbo nor Ijo but bastardized Ubani. Ijo’s ridiculous name changing scheme does not know boundaries such as Amakiri to Amachree, Ama-onye-na-abo to Amayanabo, Ama-amadi to Amadi- ama, Ama-Ogan to Ogan-ama, etc.  The funny aspect of the history involving Ubani (Bonny), Calabarie (Kalabari) and Okirika was the names and nicknames associated with the principal actors in the ruling houses. There were names such as Kamalu, Nwananaku, Ejemenike, Ejike, Owerri Daba, Orikadibia, Elebike, Osiagu, Otaji and Eleru. Also, there were nicknames such Odum and Edi Abali.

You can call my source folktale or oral endeavor however it remains legitimate because it is recorded events by the Europeans which started about 1469 and completed in 1863. Certain people can run but they can not hide.

The great speed to deny anything Igbo may have played a major role in the present language found in Ubani (Bonny) today. James Barbot sited Ubani (Great Bani) was founded by people of Azuogo, Ndokki-Azumini. He listed one of the ancestral kings as King Asimini, this could have been Azumini. He also listed Bile under King Agbaniye Ejike while Calabarie (Kalabari) was ruled king Owerri Daba. I believe that Daba give rise to Dapper.

It would amount to indelible silliness to attempt to make Rivers State Igbo as the idiotic Gowon and Nigerian government led by him tried to make River State Ijo. At least, history is here with us today but what tomorrow shall reveal can not be contemplated.

I would want Ndigbo to take the option as stipulated by the section (7.2) C of PDP constitution. Ndigbo must uphold the sense of political decorum and trustworthness as exemplified in the choice of Goodluck Jonathan as VP candidate during PDP primary elections of 2007. The northern region of Nigeria must produce the presidential candidate of PDP in Nigerian presidential election of 2011. Ndigbo are not known as backstabbers

I do not pay attention to traitors and cowards such as Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas and Edwin Clarke especially when they wallow in a sea of arrant stupidity. The North region of Nigeria gave rise to nonsensical south-south. It is laughable when a punk such Tonye Graham-Douglas talks about north’s intimidation as he has ever stood up against the northern region of Nigeria.

[quote author=ijaw_girl]said this bf

*The meaning of Bonny is beautiful, attractive-The name Bonny was used to describe the Ibani homeland by the Portuguese on arrival, and subsequently became the name of the place. Not a bastardized English word for Ubani-bullcrap

*The original name for Bonny is Okoloama actually means eurasian curlew(the white bird) town or land. When Alagbariye and co arrived on the island, it was full of curlews so they named it after the bird.

*Ubani was used by Igbo traders when referring to Bonny.[/quote]This is another historical nonsense pulled from where sunlight does not reach. Bonny is English and bastardized name for Ubani which was Ngwa outpost before the arrival of Europeans. I shoud not be surprised if there was section of those several islands named Ama Okolo or Okolo Ama. I know that beautiful birds are not called Okolo Ama in Ijo. There were inhabitants (Ngwa, Asa and Ikwerre) already on those tiny islands before the arrival of the “Canoe People”.

@Ibime

Why do you seem to pick issue with my post when we are basically saying the same thing? The previous poster, mrmayor, had alleged that the Ijo migration stated some place in Yenegoa, passing through Ndoki-Azumini and Ogoni. I posited that most migratory pattern usually stem from North to South except those migrations that mimicked European exploratory pattern as in the case of Ijo who were porters to Europeans and came in canoe, hence, Canoe Houses. The Ijo migrations were from southwest to southeast. I even pointed to the case of Jaja as an example of such migratory episode.

Good for Babangida!!!!!!!!!!!! He fought for it in the Civil War with help of the forbearers who are now letting off steam because of the mansion.

mrmayor: I really don't have time for history lesson neither do I have the time to engage in Tribal Battles, I'll give some history outlines, advice do some research.

1. 14th century Ibani people (Bonny to British) (Ubani to Ibos/Igbos) of of the Isedani linage left the homeland (Tubaratoro present day Kolokuma LGA in Bayelsa State)after a civil war.

2. They were led by 3 brothers (1) Alagbariya (2) Asikunuma aka Asimini (3) Opuamakuba. ( Read,Trading States of Oil Rivers by James Currie)

3. They travelled through salt water mangroves,Ogoni land, Ndoki-Azumini, they picked up Ibo/ Igbo people on the way, in Ibani History  name like Opara Ndoli is known  ( Read, Chronicle Of Grand Bonny)

4. Alagbariya was the Hunter and High Priest of Ikuba ( National God of Ibani People) Iguna was its Sacred Animal ( Read Things Fall Apart)

5. Alagbariya in his travels found a place that had the same Ecology as his original Homeland in Central Ijaw. ( Chronicles of Grand Bonny)

6. He named the place OKOLOMA ( Land of Curlew) it had same brackish salt water mangrove ecology as his homeland. All Ijaw refer to Bonny as Okoloma or Ibani

7. He reported to Opuamakuba, the first settled at Orupiri, at that time Tombia people were living at present day Finima (LNG Site) and Abalama people were at Abalamabie.

8. They arrive in the new home and found very little fresh water and Alagbariya as Priest of Ikuba sacrificed his daughter Osunju to the Gods for Fresh Water.

9. History records Opara Ndoli as leader/ Ruler of Ibani people at Orupiri, he didn't make the journey to Okoloma ( Bonny)

10. Opuamakuba was the first ruler in new home Okoloma, when he became old he handed over to Hunter/ Priest Alagbariya.

11. It was during Alagbariya's rule that the Portuguese first arrive. ( Read, Intelligence  Report On Bonny by H. Webber, Lower Niger and its Tribes P.A Talbot)

I'll stop here tonight.

This is terrible attempt to rewrite historical facts. After reading the bullets from numbers 1 to 4, I concluded the piece lacked the basic fact of recorded event which is geographical reference. Anybody who had correct sense of southeastern Nigerian physical geography should understand the most migratory pattern stems from the north to south. Any migratory attempt from present day Bayelsa can not pass through Ogoni and Nduki-Azumini to settle at Okirika. If the migration has originated from Akirika or even Ndoki-Azumini, there is a possibility that it passed Umuagbai through Ogoni to settle in present day Okirirka. Even Jaja and his entourage used canoe in attempt to reach any possible Igbo community along eastern coast and eventually ended up in place called Opobo. Igwe Nga and Ikot Abak (Abasi) were already inhabited by Ndoki (Igbo) and Annangs people. With help of the Igbo people in Igwe Nga, Jaja was able drive the Annangs away. 

We must not forget these people who are trying very hard to rewrite history were “Canoe People” who came to southeastern coast of Nigeria as porters to Europeans. Any inroad migration they made to the hinterland mimicked the European exploratory pattern. Again, there is no ethnic group known as Okirika or Kalabari. Kalabari is another bastardized name the Europeans (Spain) gave to Calaber as Calibari.

The only Nigerian election that tested the strength of block votes of the geo-political zones in Nigeria was the 1999 presidential election. The presidential election which produced Olusegun Obasanjo as civilian president of Nigerai rendered southwest block vote inconsequential.

The southwest of Nigeria will always have their candidate who must be a Yoruba. I believed the rest of Nigeria will not give hoot about all these political ranting from the zone.

bawomolo:
and what section would that be?

Your guess is good as mine.

ow11:
How long would you hold on to this untruth? You have been corrected before. . . .Okrika is actually Wakrike which means 'We are not different'. UmuOkrika is probably just a mere coincidence. Maybe you should change your source. . .Don't you think?

It is very funny if you think I should believe such crap as Wakrike for Okirika especially when it is coming from a person who has made name on changing the names of places. Why have you not informed us that Bonny is neither Ijo nor Igbo but a bastardized Ngwa word, Ubani?

Abagworo:
@dede1

You should update your geography well.osisioma in which ariaria is located is bounded on the north by isialangwa,west by omuma,right by aba north and obingwa,south by ugwunagbo.eberi is the headquaters of omuma and yes people live there as a part of aba.

Bros, I think you have gone too far if you think that Ariaria Market situated along Fox road in Eziukwu Aba and did not pass Unungasi is in Osisioma. By the way, Ariaria Market did spread to PH-Aba Express way talk-less of Eberi Omuma. Even the Railway tracks did not bisect Eberi Umuma. The inhabitants of Eberi travelling from Aba, on train, must disembark at Ogwe and when travelling on cars could disembark at Ogwe or Obuehie.

sjeezy8:
lol that is funny tho because before the SE became relevant in the eyes of IBB presidency - He was in the SW trying to get support, you see how he kicked off his campaign in the SW( Ibadan, Oyo state)- But it flopped. So obviously his first choice for VOTES- was the SW. - WHICH FAILED.

AND its not yorubas fault that the two candidates for presidency were yoruba- It Dawned on the North, its either a yoruba president or No Nigeria.

Good for you. The southeast of Nigeria did not jump into this uncalled pattern of political hysteria displayed by goons such as you when IBB sought the political support from southwest of Nigeria. I am lost for words because the so-called IBB has not approached the southeast of Nigeria for any political arrangement.

It is rather unfortunate that certain fools from a particular section of Nigeria get twisted out of human form when Ndigbo and the so-called southeast are strung together in a political sentence. .

seanet02:
you really amuse me!!! so it is a sin for people to request for what they want before they vote for somebody that think he is the right man to lead them
IBB SHOULD PRODUCE ABIOLA IF HE WANT VOTES FROM SOUTH WEST. SIMPLE

I think it amounts to imbecilic grandstanding for the electorates to request a candidate to produce and promise them what the electable office can not humanly create.

sjeezy8:
are you mentally ok?

lol you are a very confused man

If you think that I am mentally confused, I suggest you proffer the reasons why any reasonable Igbo person would care about the presidential post of the jungle such as Nigeria.

sjeezy8:
"Any Igbo person that cares for the post of president of Nigeria is clueless."- DEDE1

So why are igbo peeps on NL and the likes of obinna- dying to vote IBB as president or do you not see the topic titles, "2011: Ibb’s Offer Is Best Option For South East – Obinna Uzoh"? LOL Its obvious Igbo peeps want a future president to be igbo. Is Jonathan not an eastern Ijaw? is his name not ebelchukwu, IS HE NOT THE SAME GUYS ONLYTRUTH- said is igbo in one way or another LOL.

@post
When an igbo becomes president, which there will be- its not going to northerners who vote for him- thats Dead already since the so called "igbo coup" killed Balewa and Ahmadu bello, majority of the core north states are Gone, igbo shouldnt even look in that direction.

The most realstic igbo presidency- I know its going to be an Igbo President-(from delta or rivers) and a Northern Yoruba muslim Vice President ( from Kwara, Kogi, Niger state).- That wins yorubas vote, igbos votes, Minorities votes in the Niger Delta and middle belters votes.

Hausa-fulani are not gong to support an igbo candidate with a hausa-fulani VP- it has never happend because in every election there is always a hausa-fulani or a muslim who the majority of core northern states will vote for.

Pal, you are just throwing piles of disappointments to my way. I can not fathom what Obinna Uzoh meant by “IBB offers the Best Option for Southeast”. However, I know that political patronage is determined by political support.

I think that Goodluck Jonathen is from Ekpeye in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. The last time I checked though, the people of Ekpeye are not Ijo. It will be an encouraging exercise if contributors will stick to the factual facts and stay way from ambiguities.

Let me draw your attention to 1999 presidential election in Nigeria that has invalidated the potential strength of Yoruba vote. In the aforementioned election, the eventual winner was the candidate of PDP and Yoruba extraction. I recalled Yoruba did not vote for the winner. What makes you feel that Yoruba vote should be regarded as a stalemate breaker?

By the way, there is no ethnicity in Nigeria known as hausa-fulani.

@POST

What an arrant nonsense. In 1999 presidential election, so-called Afenifere and entire Yoruba clan did not vote for eventual winner who also happens to be a Yoruba. What suddenly spurred these losers to think that any non-Yoruba extraction would depend on a block of vote from Yoruba clan?

@ article

One wonders what this self-styled and obscure publisher of craps has done for Ndigbo till age.

There is Umu-Okirika in Mbaise and it could have been the original migratory point of cross section of people in the present-day Okirika. My source informed that the people of Canoe Houses came with Europeans as porters. The majority of the people were drawn from ethnic groups along the Gold Coast.

sjeezy8:
There shouldnt even be a discussion- I want igbos to vote for IBB.

Igbos should vote IBB- I want them too, cause it will really show their true colors by backstabbing Niger deltans/ Jonathan. And when the time for an igbo presidency to emerge comes - I guarantee Niger deltans, Middle belt, SW and Core North will part opposite ways with whom ever igbo vote with.

I mean thats common sense, You are willing to vote for IBB a when he cannot guarantee and igbo president?
1) Hes not from the core North
2) In every Election atleast - 10 northern core states are going to a muslim - Guaranteed., SW not voting for any fellow southerner except Jonathan, or an edo, urhobo, itsekiri or maybe a donald duke. Real talk
3) Middle belt is voting for either a middle belter, muslim southerner, northern or SS(minority) or SW er- I guanrantee it.

Any Igbo person that cares for the post of president of Nigeria is clueless. Why would any reasonable Igbo person wants to be mentioned along side of idiotic captains that piloted the rudderless ship such as Nigeria?

Talking about backstabbing, are you nuts? Ndigbo had been backstabbed with daggers and AK-47s by the communities of southern Nigerians baring Ibibio, Ogoni, Atama and few Ijo of eastern region. It is said that he who is down fears no fall.

komando:
I am Tuboniju, from Ado royal house. The last King, Samuel Paul Uwakwe Ogan is my uncle. Am I Igbo?

That is a distinction without a difference my broda. The mans name was Uwakwe, so you are at least a dual citizen of both ethnic groups (igbo and Ijaw). Let me ask you a question: why were the Konujis being opposed in the first place? Because they were originaly from , land. People should borrow a leaf from courageous Johnathan, who told Igbos, 'I am one of you.'It has never stopped him from also being Ijaw.

The last time I checked though, Goodluck Jonathan is from Ekpeye. The people from Ekpeye are not Ijo. When Jonathan said to Igbo audience that “I am one of you”, he knew and meant what he said. The mundane sense of ancestral denial and political treachery of yesteryears embraced by certain folks in the southern Nigeria will continue to haunt the region politically.

I would still want Ndigbo to adhere strictly to the zoning formula adopted by PDP even if Goodluck Jonathan removes Goodluck Jonathan from his name and assumes Ebelechukwu Azikiwe.   

By the way, Uwakwe Ogan is very Igbo to me because I know one Prof. Ogan from Imo State who was a pioneer member of the scientists that sustained Biafra war effort.

Yoruba do not vote and never voted for any candidate outside the Yoruba land.  Having said this, Ndigbo should not give a rat-arse about the political headache Yoruba will have if Ndigbo would support IBB come 2011 election.

Ndigbo are not known for political treachery or any treachery for that matter. Trust is a cardinal pillar in human endeavor and I believe that Ndigbo in PDP must display such rare character towards the party’s zoning formula.  I do not care much about Nigerian presidency but will always support a southern candidate who is Igbo, Ibibio or Ogoni.

Let me thank all the Igbo chaps and Igbo/Ijo for their wide and intelligent contribution to the extent of Alaigbo. Igbo land stretches from Abeomega to Igwe Ocha (Port Harcourt) and Igwe Nga (Opobo). Also, from Igbineke and Agbor to Gakem and Ikom

@Onlytruth

Nnewi can not be compared to Aba Urban talk less Ngwa land. Even baring Ukwa, Ngwa land is comparable to anything from Onitsha to Ihiala.

@Abagworo

Ariaria Market is seated in the former Obioma Ngwa LGA and never bordered by Eberi. Eberi Omuma is bordered by Ogwe, Owaza, Ihie and Obegu.

I also do not totally agree with you about people who deny their ancestry. Nigeria is teetering toward the area of greater disorder and it is proper that folks identify themselves properly to avoid unnecessary waste of lives and energy. I remembered when people of Akiriaka, near Ohanku in Ndoki, wanted to join their kinsmen in the then Imo State, now Abia State which led to community riot between Akrirka and Annang. I know what led the people of Annang to sue for peace; it was not the strength of small Akirika people but the mobilaztion of youths from all Igbo land especially form Ukwa, Ngwa and others.

@Ibime

You must understand that word, Bonny, is neither Igbo nor Ijo but a bastardized English word for Ubani. Ubani was outpost for Ngwa people before arrival of Europeans with the “Boat People”.

The history of Opobo is a mixed basket. Opobo was found by Jaja of Opobo on a piece of land believed to have belonged to Igwe Nga and Ikot Abak (Abasi). However, I must say Ichie Obomanu has reiterated his being Igbo on several occasions and he is also a member of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo. Chief Emma Aguma is Igbo of Ikwerre and one of the founding fathers of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo. There are also Okirika people who claim Igbo and few claims Igbo/Ijo yet some claim Ijo.

@Andre Uweh

You are always on the spot with correct facts and there is no form of wavering from you.

@OP

It is not your fault that silly perception has led to you into indelible ignorance. If the northern region had been perceived to have won the Nigeria-Biafra civil, the unfortunate notion might have been aided by the cowardice and unfathomable idiocy displayed by certain the section of southern Nigerian that actually fought the war.

Okirika will always point to Mbaise in Imo State. Majority of Okirika people are Igbo hence Amadi Ama instead of Ama Amadi or Ogan Ama instead of Ama Ogan. Anybody from Okirika or Igbo land should understand my drift.

So-called Ikwerre language is a modified Urratta language commonly spoken among people from Owerri. There is no much difference between dialect found in Umuagwo, Obirinze and the so-called Ikwerre.

This is a scintillating display of ignorance. No wonder Nigeria continues to lag behind in every human endeavor. Can someone educate the original poster that Nigeria-Biafra civil war was not between North and South?

It was a war between Eastern Region of Nigeria versus Northern, Western, Mid-western (without Ndigbo) regions and saboteurs from eastern region. Majority of Ogoni, Atama and Ibibio fought on the Biafran side while the majority of Ijo and Efik fought on Nigerian side.

chiozor:
^^^ why do you think Imo and Abia should not be in red

I am of the view that injection of vitality into any economy does not come from the government alone. Baring draconian economic strangulation of eastern regional states, there are not too many states that can match eastern states in growing economy through individual entrepreneurship. The two cities from east, baring federal government presence as seen in Lagos, are constantly mentioned in the sentence with Lagos when serious business discussion is on the plate.

Charlesook:
I don't think I will have the time to read all these before making my comment, but one thing I know and must say is that, the man (Sam Aluko) is insane and should be ashamed of his old age. The northerners are the biggest fools of the nation, they are most suffering part in Nigeria yet the greedy and self-centered few politicians are there galmouring for zoning after ruling this nation so many years. God will punish all of those that are making noise over Zoning. If they are wise enough, what they would have done is to allow those that have long been marginalized to have a taste of ruling the nation for some years before them. Nigeria wont last up to 50 as he (Sam Aluko) will soon join his ancestors.

Please if you wish to insult Sam Aluko, I suggest you include all the southern Nigerians who immensely contributed in codifying the idea that northern region of Nigeria is inherently destined to rule the colonial contraption. If you fail to do so, you are not only making mockery of history but doing disservice to generation to come. Have you asked yourself what is quota system and federal character? If you accept quota system and federal character, the God’s punishment you have wished to besiege other compatriots is not far from you.

Ikengawo:
according to media reports alone.



made it myself, tell me where im right and wrong

the response

THEY'RE ALL FAILING is illiterate and unfunny and im going to say it now so nobody has to say it for me

"THEY'RE ALL FAILING"

there. i dont want to here that.


red- failing, inactivity, unpopular governor or regressive

dark green- mixed reports

light green- progressive, developing/improving, popular governor.

Popularity of the governor with the press media does not equate to the healthy state of economic activity in the state. I honestly think both Imo and Abia states should not be in red.