₦airaland Forum

"Owa" is an Igbo word. There are many Igbo communities named "Owa". You can find such communities in all Igbo states. There are "Owa" communities in Delta and Edo states, all these "Owa" communities are Igbo. There are communities named "Owa" in Enugu state (in Udi and other places), Owa communities in Imo state (around Owerri areas), etc. In Igbo language, the word "Owa" can mean "partitition". It's likely from the root "-wa" meaning "to cut off from". With regards to the origin of the Owa village in Delta State, Ogbuefi from Igbodo said, "The name Owa is of Igbo origin. It means a partition, that is, a partition from Ute Okpu."

PhysicsQED: The Ikegobo cult or "cult of the hand" in Benin is very likely to be from Ikenga. The Western Igbo immigrants may have brought that with them.

As for the rest of your discussion with Abagworo, I agree with the general sentiment, but maybe not the specifics. You are possibly underestimating the spread of Edo culture. There are pure Edo settlements like Oza nogogo and Alilehan that are only a stone's throw away from Agbor. Yes there was probably Igbo migration both ways, but its really unlikely that there were no actual ethnic Bini migrations whatsoever.

As for the Owa issue, one possible reason a person (such as Agbontaen) might have difficulty accepting the story is because owa is a basic Edo (Bini) word which means house and there is a pure Edo community called Owa (now named Evbuobanosa) in Orhionmwon LGA in Edo state. It should therefore be pretty easy to see why Agbontaen could claim that although they received later elements from other cultures, their basic foundation was from Benin. I read a more complex derivation of Owa from Ute Okpu in one of the earlier debates here, and it's entirely possible, but perhaps not as convincing. But I think "Owa" is a word in multiple Nigerian languages, not just Edo, anyway.

You aren't the only ones making such arguments, though. Nowadays Ogho is called Owo, although as Chief Ashara (the Owo historian) and even the current Olowo of Owo attested to, the original name was Ogho (which is actually a non-Yoruba word (the "gh" sound, called the "voiced velar fricative" by linguists, is completely alien to Yoruba and is only found in areas of Edo influence such as Ogho/Owo and Ilaje) and just so happens to be a pure Bini word which means respect). Of course today, Owo is considered wholly Yoruba in origin and any Edo influence is chalked up to Oba Ewuare or Oba Ozolua's conquests and expansion, not to an early Edo element in the founding population. Chief Egharevba, and of course, the Binis in general, believed the exact opposite however.

[quote author=yoruba ruler ]@ NRI PRIEST. Please you an your co-travellers of questionable origin should stop giving we Igbos bad name. If you are Igbo then you would know that there is noting like real or fake Igbo, IGBO WU IGBO. I want you to know that the real Nri's ARE THE ADAMAS WHO WERE IN THEIR PRESENT LOCATION BEFORE MENRI MIGRATED FROM AGULERI. The authochous Adamas dont recall their origin but recall the period Menri migrated to the area and the time nri with his co-travellers were assimilated by them. The Adamas are also the aborigines of Oraeri, Adazi enu and Adazi nnukwu towns long before the arrival of Nri Ifiquanim Menri from Aguleri.They are the ones who appointed Eze Nri to serve as their ritual agent and taught Eze Nri the ritual rites they perfomed and the Igbo days and years counting which Igbos allover Igboland were already practicing. AS OWNERS OF THE EZE NRI TITLE, THEY DECIDE AS WELL AS CROWN WHO WOULD BE EZE NRI TILL TODAY. THEY ALSO INHERIT THE PROPERTIES OF EZE NRI UPON HIS DEATH, THEY CAN CHALLENGE THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF EZENRI IF IT CONTRADICTS THEIR BELIEVE, ADVICES EZENRI ON SPIRITUAL MATTERS AND ARE IN CHARGE OF HIS PROTOCOLS. Hence in Nri their is an adage which says ONYE FE NRI, NRI EFE ADAMA meaning if you honour Eze Nri, Nri would in turn honour the Adamas. This is because they appointed Nri as their spiritual agent. As Igbos they share similar culture and beliefs with other authochous Igbo groups across Igboland WITHOUT ANY IGBO GROUP INFLUENCING THE OTHER. Even in Aguleri aborigines are the okpu villages which are the most senior villages in Aguleri the home of Nri. When Eri the father of Nri migrated to the Aguleri He met the okpu people who are have established there long before his arrival.According to the oral history of the aguleris, ERI ADOPTED THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURES OF THE OKPU PEOPLE. THE BIG QUESTION IS SINCE ERI AND HIS GROUP ADOPTED THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF THEIR HOST THE OKPU PEOPLE, WHO ARE THE OKPU PEOPLE ? SINCE IT HAS BEEN SEVERALLY PROVED THAT THE OKPU PEOPLE ARE IGBOS,WHO SPOKE IGBO AND PRACTICE THE IGBO CULTURE FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, WHAT WAS THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OF ERI AND HIS GROUP BEFORE THEY WERE ASSIMILATED BY THEIR IGBO ABORIGINES ? The Okpu people control the most important diety in Aguleri till date.
Their are many authochous Igbo groups spread across Igboland which have given birth to many Igbo towns and communities within and outside the south east. SO ANYBODY THAT SAYS THEIR IS A FAKE AND REAL IGBOS IS A MISCHIEVIOUS IGNORAMUS WITH QUESTIONABLE BACKGROUND WHICH SHOULD BE REBUKED,CASTIGATED AND CORRECTED BY ALL INTELLIGENT IGBOS. Mind you am good in Igbo history and i can clear your doubts with facts. You can read up this well researched article written by a professor in Igbo language and culture known as Politics of Igbo Origin and Culture at: groups.yahoo.com/group/AnambraForum/message/45010[/quote]The Eri/Nri people are one of the oldest Igbo groups. Eri was an Igbo man, not Igala. The territory of the Eri sub-group of Igboland is the Omambala and Enuani areas of Igboland on both sides of the River Niger. Many centuries ago, the southern half of today's Igala area were Igbo-speaking until the Igala people encroached down and absorbed various Igbo communities there through wars and forceful acts. These wars and instabilities caused numerous descendants of Eri Igbo communities in that area to flee southwards into the present Anambra location. To prove this point, listen to the oral tradition of Umunri/Umueri/Aguleri/Igbo Ukwu, etc. The oral tradition says that the Igbo and the Igala were speaking the same language some centuries ago, and that the Igbo and the Igala originated from the same source. What does this mean? It means that the Southern part of the present-day Igala was inhabited by Igbo people until the Igala raided the whole area and drove out many of the original Igbo settlers. So, when some Igbo communities say that they share ancestry with the Igala, they are recalling the time when a large portion of today's Igala area was inhabited by core Igbo people.

We support the creation of Anioma State to be zoned to the SouthEast. The Anioma State should also incorporate all Igbo communities found in the Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode, Igueben, and Esan South-East local government areas of Edo state. These Igbo communities in Edo State include Oza, Ekpon/Ekpo, Igbanke/Igbo-Akiri, Iru, and Inyelen/Inyele, Igbogiri, Owa Iru, Owa Iru Uzo, Owa Ikeke, Owa Iguaza, Ute Oheze/Ohaeze, and more.

Anioma is the oldest State request in the history of Nigeria. Igbo people must unite and ensure that Anioma State is created.

Biafra4tharmy: THE BOND BETWEEN THE IGALA
AND IGBO ETHNIC
NATIONALITIES

Igala and Idoma are proud Biafrans. They are direct brothers of the Igbo. There is enough historical, cultural, and linguistic evidence supporting this point. The Igbo, Igala, Idoma originated from one ancestor.

Da infamous: not igbo' ika are ibos

It is a childish act and a display of small-mindedness to talk like that. It is also very immoral to think of yourself as original and others as marginal. Everybody is judged individually according to his or her achievements.

Securetek: I think the entire South should just focus on abolishing the 1999 constitution. Let's press for SNC and have a rebirth of new Nigeria. SE will not get a new state if 1999 constitution remains the highest law of the land irrespective of whatever lies and propaganda GEJ's sycophantic apologists are dishing out.

Read through the text it says that the decision is hinged on amending the 1999 constitution, if we must practice true federalism then there must be equity and fairness, it only fair to make the south east at par with other geographical zones!!

Brilliant! Kwara, Kogi, and Benue States should be part of the South.

Naijastomosis: Even before now,various interest groups had campaigned for the new state to be carved out of their own state, even LGAs. The truth is that none of the present states alone can produce an equitable new state.

There is a place somewhere that is central to all the states in the Southeast. This place is somewhere in Okigwe. This town is equidistant to Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu states. The best and reasonable thing to do is to use Okigwe as the center and stretch out certain kilometres to "catch" communities/towns to make up the new state. This is my unbiased, honest opinion.

What do you think?

The Igbo should try to incorporate their brothers outside the zone into the South-East instead of dividing the South-East further.

FSU: Please which ethnic group does Ika belong in, and what language do they speak; that is, aside English? Thanks

Ika is a group of Igbo people

Orblonde: Carve out Igbo areas in the SS into a state (or two) and re-zone them to the SE and I will be sooooo happy. They will eventually get used to it, plus the SE will make some emipirical effort to appease them to make them feel welcome. That way I will all my people with me and we can truly be a nation at last. Nigeria will then just be an empty shell politically with no Igbo Abuja puppets leading us like sheeps leading lions.

Exactly. Anioma State must be created and added to the South-East. Also, since Rivers State is 90% Igbo, it should be added to South-East.

Create Anioma State and add it to the Southeast and also add Rivers State to the Southeast. That gives the Southeast two additional states.

wow, nice

Comfortable and strong

It was a smooth game, though I expected Chelsea to win.

Man City are in great form this season. We will just wait and see if they can be consistent through the rest of the reason and in the coming years.

Excellent game!