₦airaland Forum

That's not true, there's little gold interest in Nigeria.

SmoothCrim: That is why that area is not historically part of ancient West Africa and would have been of little interest to ancient West Africans.


I think that area is where a new expansive migration started to take root and ultimately led to the Bantu Migration out of Cameroon. That is for another thread though.

Southeastern Nigeria has always been linked to West Africa, it geographically is in West Africa. Could you explain what you mean by little interest to ancient West Africans?

SmoothCrim: Gold Gold GOLD!!


[img]http://3.bp..com/_DnXDQGcPK04/SIkJJCubI_I/AAAAAAAAAnc/YYC1ajQWsQk/s320/gold_bars.jpg[/img]

The heart of ancient West African culture!!!!

Gold had no value in southeastern Nigeria. SE Gold was bronze.

Most people in the old days didn't get involved in the deeper stuff (at this point we're obviously talking about ị gwọ nshi, ị chụ àjà, ị befu ishi). That was left to dibia, title holders and other important people. Community participation is in things like Iri ji and other festivals related to deities (Iri ji is associated to yam deities), and offerings to a shrine.

Odenigbo Aroli: I know you have been itching to join "Ekpe" but be ready for divorce if you are married...lmao You are not alone because myself has been longing to adopt the "Ikenga" but the thought of it alone overwhelms me due to my family's staunch catholic beliefs. The truth is that you can do it but ppl will see you with a bad eye and will start avoinding you. Its very difficukt in this modern day to be a christian and a traditionalist at the same time. I hear say jazz is cool among Aros though.

It depends on where you go. Abia isn't really deep into Christianity like Anambra though. Everyone in Igboland is suspicious of each other anyway because of poisoning.

Christians have all of the above.

It's not surprising that Pan Africanism is a concept from the Americas, just like "black" itself and the Ancient Egypt bias.

ifyalways: I see nothing wrong in being proud of who are,where you come from.it takes a brand new dimension,disgusting if I may add,when one looks down,pull down or bad mouth other tribes just to prove a point or feel good about him or her self.

I agree. I believe that the general tension and the animosity between ethnic groups should not be ignored like in the case of Nigeria where people look at you like a troublemaker when you talk about obvious ethnocentrism.

odumchi: I don't understand. Could you please explain?

Pan Africanists believe that everybody in Africa is equal to one nation, as in everybody should be united just like a single tribe. Tribalism goes against their ideals because it is the original way of how African (or even any other) peoples lived and still live, which is independently as thousands of tribes, 'clans', village groups, kingdoms, empires, and states.

When you don't want this type of a "unified Africa" (or even unified former-colonial states like Nigeria) you are labelled a "neo-colonialist" , such as by Pan-African figure heads like Kwame Nkrumah.

The man seems Ghanian.

Abagworo: Sometimes I kind of come to terms with some derogatory remarks made against black Africans. We lack that ability to coexist as a result of a brain disorder which only the sane ones like myself do notice. Everything is all about tribe and land to these insane people.

The same throughout the whole world. If you want to give the Fulani grazing lands, have you got any space in your homeland?

Tradition is defined as the beliefs and customs passed from generation to generation, customs can include anything from language to dress. Nigerians have the word 'traditional' in order to differentiate native customs from Europeanisation in Nigeria. We can assume that these traditions are passed down directly from an individuals ancestors, and may even undergo slight appropriation for the times. This is true for most ethnic groups in Nigeria, except the Igbo who do not necessarily get 'traditional' from their ancestors, which is why I ask what is 'traditional' in the Igbo world?

Igbo people today do not generally wear much clothing that is related to their ancestors. Igbo people sometimes copy others cultures and call it 'traditional', and I don't mean in an obviously natural way such as Ibibio influence on the communities on the east of their land. The languages are all being muddled up, and not in a 'standardised' and 'local' language sort of way, but in an 'Abia community using Ifeanyi' kind of way. You also have the issue of a generic Igbo culture arising, which is the Ibibio hat wearing, 'George' tying, mgbedike-mask dancing generic, to put it simple, something you'd find in a Nollywood 'traditional' movie. Nollywood seems to be a strong contribution of the muddling up of Igbo tradition and history, both internally and to the wider world (for example you'd get a Kenyan greeting you with 'igweeee' even though most communities do not have igwe).

If 'traditional' is something passed from ancestors and, in the modern Niger area, is meant to be as opposed to modern/foreign/European influence, then why is 'traditional' in Igboland undergoing massive modification? Some call this as positive or natural. I only understand cultural change when it is natural, what I'd say is natural would be if the changes were brought from the customs passed down (such as George Indian material woven by Akwete women 'in an Igbo fashion'), an evolution, or if the influence came directly from contact as was appropriated and care was taken not to trample on other traditions. The following examples are all Igbo 'traditional' events, and then there are older examples of tradition before major influence from others. The clothing is influenced by Islamic African cultures but none of these people are muslims. I've also noticed the trend of Igbo brides dressing in Bini coral shawls. This is only for example and no offence should be taken by those in the photos:

Today:
https://www.onitshaadounion.com/files/QuickSiteImages/LogoDesign/DSC00136.jpg
[img]http://web.njit.edu/~ma383/Images/Igbo%20bride2.jpeg[/img]

Early 20th Century:
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxl14tQrO41qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72at5ONNY1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxl0sgb4Cq1qjh37to1_1280.jpg

Wedding/women before:
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw065xl5fT1qjh37to1_1280.png
https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m35qbsabAU1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72at5ONNY1qjh37to1_1280.jpg

Related groups are similar (Ibibio):
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3lzx6ROJd1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://cdn.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ini-edo-white-wedding-bella-naija_042.jpg

How others are:
Japanese wedding then and now.

[img]http://4.bp..com/_N0etphrdLf0/SOz1SyemsjI/AAAAAAAAApY/RQnH4cQhAr8/s1600/escanear0302.jpg[/img]
https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a352/kimonolover/JapaneseWedding2_L.jpg

Tradition is defined as the beliefs and customs passed from generation to generation, customs can include anything from language to dress. Nigerians have the word 'traditional' in order to differentiate native customs from Europeanisation in Nigeria. We can assume that these traditions are passed down directly from an individuals ancestors, and may even undergo slight appropriation for the times. This is true for most ethnic groups in Nigeria, except the Igbo who do not necessarily get 'traditional' from their ancestors, which is why I ask what is 'traditional' in the Igbo world?

Igbo people today do not generally wear much clothing that is related to their ancestors. Igbo people sometimes copy others cultures and call it 'traditional', and I don't mean in an obviously natural way such as Ibibio influence on the communities on the east of their land. The languages are all being muddled up, and not in a 'standardised' and 'local' language sort of way, but in an 'Abia community using Ifeanyi' kind of way. You also have the issue of a generic Igbo culture arising, which is the Ibibio hat wearing, 'George' tying, mgbedike-mask dancing generic, to put it simple, something you'd find in a Nollywood 'traditional' movie. Nollywood seems to be a strong contribution of the muddling up of Igbo tradition and history, both internally and to the wider world (for example you'd get a Kenyan greeting you with 'igweeee' even though most communities do not have igwe).

If 'traditional' is something passed from ancestors and, in the modern Niger area, is meant to be as opposed to modern/foreign/European influence, then why is 'traditional' in Igboland undergoing massive modification? Some call this as positive or natural. I only understand cultural change when it is natural, what I'd say is natural would be if the changes were brought from the customs passed down (such as George Indian material woven by Akwete women 'in an Igbo fashion'), an evolution, or if the influence came directly from contact as was appropriated and care was taken not to trample on other traditions. The following examples are all Igbo 'traditional' events, and then there are older examples of tradition before major influence from others. The clothing is influenced by Islamic African cultures but none of these people are muslims. I've also noticed the trend of Igbo brides dressing in Bini coral shawls. This is only for example and no offence should be taken by those in the photos:

Today:
https://www.onitshaadounion.com/files/QuickSiteImages/LogoDesign/DSC00136.jpg
[img]http://web.njit.edu/~ma383/Images/Igbo%20bride2.jpeg[/img]

Early 20th Century:
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxl14tQrO41qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72at5ONNY1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxl0sgb4Cq1qjh37to1_1280.jpg

Wedding/women before:
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw065xl5fT1qjh37to1_1280.png
https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m35qbsabAU1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72at5ONNY1qjh37to1_1280.jpg

Related groups are similar (Ibibio):
https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3lzx6ROJd1qjh37to1_1280.jpg
https://cdn.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ini-edo-white-wedding-bella-naija_042.jpg

How others are:
Japanese wedding then and now.

[img]http://4.bp..com/_N0etphrdLf0/SOz1SyemsjI/AAAAAAAAApY/RQnH4cQhAr8/s1600/escanear0302.jpg[/img]
https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a352/kimonolover/JapaneseWedding2_L.jpg

ChinenyeN: I'm doubtful that there's that much of a displacement in age between northern and southern axes that one would consider it a factor.

Some northern settlements run back to at least 800. Most southern settlements especially in Abia State don't go back further than 1300, that's not including the 200 year old villages. Northern Igboland is also more populated.

Abagworo: The riverine Igbo is where Benin influence stops and it is around Onitsha, Ogbaru, Oguta, Egbema, Ndoni and Ogba but a further existence of trace Benin influence is found in Okija, Uli, Mgbidi, Orlu, Oru , Oroatta/Ikwerre/Etche all the way to Ohafia in Northeast Abia State. Ohafia people believe they are from Benin.

I doubt anything from Ohafia or any other town close to it concerning Benin is widespread let alone pre-colonial. You usually hear about it when Igbo groups claim others but it has never come up out of peoples theories. This may even be the same for Ikwere and some others.

Obiagu1: I once said that there was nothing like Nri clan and some people doubted me. Clan is strange in Anambra and some people are trying to create clans in Anambra when none existed. We are town independent of each other but have cultural tie to Nri like most Igbo towns and clans. There's nothing like Nriland, never existed and never will.

What would Umunri and Onicha (Umuezechima) see themselves as?

"Nollywood" misrepresents everything, and is at the forefront of the bastardisation of Igbo culture.

ifyalways: How do the native doctors , ifa priests etal look in real life?I'm persuaded to believe that "most" look dirty and haggard.perhaps, the few enlightened believers of ATR should invest in "educating the priests and priestesses on the need to keep a clean, healthy enviroment"
However, I find it very disgusting that in almost all 'religion themed' nollywood movies, the bible and Christian wins/ hero/victor while our traditional religion is always portrayed as evil. When would we see a movie of how our fathers lived peacefully, worshiping their gods without the usual church/ missionary garbage?

For Igbo Dibia, most of them cannot be distinguished from the general populace, although some don the stereotypical outfits shown in Nollywood as well. The stereotypes of evil dibia comes from people who gwọ nsi (or pretend to) which is not all dibia because dibia aren't all murderous lunatics (apart from wartimes). When an alusi starts asking for human beings many communities looked for ozo na nze's help to get rid of the alusi. The shrines shown in Nollywood are usually those cut in the bush type shrines with omu hung at its entrance with all types of terrifying sculptures drenched in blood red and black cloth, whereas in real life these existed but a shrine could also be a tree in the middle of the road, a statue in your house, or a building next door. Why would one even need to go to a dibia for poison anyway?

The real Igbo 'priests':

High priest Eze Nri Enwelana

[img]http://www2.newsvirginian.com/mgmedia/image/294/0/164881/african-kin/[/img][img]http://3.bp..com/_BaabZGe_Uf8/SWCTbDn4K1I/AAAAAAAAGAw/UBuqP76jJHs/s400/igbo+chief.jpg[/img]
[img]http://cmsimg.newsleader.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=AA&Date=20110730&Category=PHOTOGALLERIES&ArtNo=107300802&Ref=PH&Item=4&Maxw=640&Maxh=410&q=60[/img]

Other dibia:

https://ugrrquilt.hartcottagequilts.com/african%20textiles/ukara2.jpghttps://images.biafranigeriaworld.com/EkweNcheDibia.jpg[img]http://anthro.siu.edu/mccall/ohafia/igboscans/dibia/Dibia1.jpg[/img]https://pentangle.net/blog/files/2008/12/2162043226_8307c46226.jpg

Shrines (Ihu arusi)

[img]http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/buildings&CISOPTR=6015[/img][img]http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/buildings&CISOPTR=6050[/img]
[img]http://2.bp..com/-yPZH6TrB2Fo/TpbmMQtQyFI/AAAAAAAAAn0/sFFj5AEpXWI/s1600/chi%2Bshrine.jpg[/img]
[img]http://igbocybershrine.files./2011/08/anyanwu.jpg[/img][img]http://igbocybershrine.files./2010/11/ngwu-deity.jpg[/img]
[img]http://nationalmirroronline.net/thumbnail.php?file=/A_shrine_where_the_Osu_is_dedicated_515272961.jpg&size=article_large[/img]

Stereotype:

https://saharareporters.com/images/stories/theodore_orji_okija.jpghttps://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/news-page-images-480-wide/page_images/news/2011/orji.jpg

But of course, there were human sacrifice cases (and still are, although in pre-colonial victims were criminals and war captives) ritualists, discrimination, and criminals, but many of these were special casese at the extreme end of the religions. No religion is perfect, as we know Christians in Akwa Ibom were nailing metal into their children's heads, women were burnt alive in Europe for being witches, and people regularly detonate themselves for various religious causes (including shooting up random people and funding genocidal empires). We don't use these frequent acts by a minority to judge everyone of that religion.

An example of demonisation exposed:

Okija community defends shrine, vows to resist acquisition

Vanguard
23rd August 2004

By Anayo Okili

AWKA —THE Okija community of Anambra State said weekend that the shrines from where the police recently recovered 80 decomposing corpses were as old as the community itself, and people going there did so purely to get justice. The Igwe-elect of Okija, Igwe Ben Okeke, at a press conference in his palace said the police discovery did not, by any means, make the people of Okija cannibals and warned against government plan to acquire the vast forest harbouring the shrines.

“Okija people are no barbarians, we are no cannibals, and I am personally a practising Catholic Christian since 99.9 per cent of the Okija royal cabinet are Christians,” he said in a statement read by the palace secretary. He also disowned the man who tipped off the police about the forest, saying the informant was unknown in the area.

In the text entitled “Okija: The truth about it all, as presented by Okija Royal Cabinet,” the Igwe-elect said: “The tradition of the worship of these deities is that the eldest (Okpala) in the village who is a pagan becomes the chief priest. People go to the shrines for the settlement of their cases because of the immediate and constant justice they receive from the shrines. It is because these people from far and wide go there for justice on their personal decision. It is true that the greater majority of the visitors who are the customers of these shrines come from outside Okija.

“If after the settlement of a case and the culprit finally dies, it is reported to the chief priest who allows the corpse to be brought and thrown into the shrine forest, buried or left just like that by the relations of the dead person. Some of the skulls discovered from the shrine could be older than all those who are now the priests of the shrines.

“It is true that these Ogwugwu killed the offenders who swore on them, including those who are the owners and the worshipers. These deities have no guns and no knives. It is guilty conscience that kills any offender. We need add that nobody has ever reported to the Okija Royal Cabinet that either the chief priests or their agents killed any of their people. All we hear in Okija is that Ogwugwu-Akpu or Ogwugwu-isi-ula killed someone and these stories were never challenged and we at Okija Royal Cabinet never bothered.

“We pray the police to investigate the cases of the arrested persons with fairness and honesty and if discovered that people worship Ogwgwu-Akpu and Ogwugwu-isi-ula in the traditional manner as their own religion, they should be left to be covered by the persuasive Christian religion. On the other hand, if along the line it is discovered that any person or group of persons went against the law, we shall not hesitate to say the law should take its course in dealing with them. The Okija customs and traditions advocate and insist on fairness and justice as well as respect of human life and cannot condone evil.

“However, we feel sad over the manner the police initially started handling the stories of Ogwugwu-Akpu and Ogwugwu-isi-ula, presenting the entire Okija community as idol worshippers and murderers. We are sure that the police know the real worshippers of these deities well enough. Allow us to end this address by telling you that Okija people are no barbarians, we are no cannibals and idol worshippers,” Okeke said.

Abagworo: If you take a look at Ijaw for example, a vast number of them also claim Benin ancestry which they call "Obiama" and earlier statistics claimed that about one in four of Igbos claim either origin or affiliate to ancient Benin. I do not think that early movements of people before ethnic formation disqualified them from being their ethnic group. If we go by what "Antivirus" has been insinuating, then most Igbos are not Igbos. Only those that trace their lineage to Nri are Igbos. Nri in itself can be traced to Igala leaving Igbo origin void or we should all bow to the "Nfunala" belief of the Ezilihitte people. One interesting thing is the belief in origin of mankind from "Ihu Chileke" in "Oboama na Umunama".

Apart from Ikwere, Omoku and Onicha, who else claims Benin ancestry?

bayooooooo: We should stop blaming colonialists as if it was only Nigeria that was colonized.
US was colonized too. India was too.

Colonial British America cannot be compared to Nigeria in anyway for obvious reasons. You may have heard of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Antivirus92: abagworo look i am a greater philosopher by nature and can not easily fall to something that i see no sense in. I have read that ur post on the origin of different igbo clans. But to me, they make no sense. We africans lacks the sense of conservation.probably becos we have no equipments that aids conservation due to undevelopment. Unlike the whites who are wise from the begining. When computers haven't been invented,the whites use to write on clay and rocks just for the sake of conservation. Advancement brought paper and later computers to them. Let me tell,out of all the clans in that ur post, the most credible one is nri cos he could trace himself back to his root,israel. Others were mere fabrications.some even said that they have existed before 400bc. Funny! And kept those documents? How was it transfered to the writer? How did their illiterate anscestors preserved those stories? By writting? By computerising? By oral stories? I don't believe such cock and bull stories.

Where do we start from on this...

Antivirus92: so eri is now a colonialist? Accept defeat my dear. All those things u people are talking and posting are just fallacy. By the way i haven't heard that eri colonised any group of people yet so many different people as you people chooses to call it are practising his culture/custom with his language

Have you looked at anything from Nri people themselves? They don't claim anything you've said, and neither do other groups. Yes, with the myth (which you take as absolute truth) Eri is a coloniser.

Antivirus92: so those people ERI met when he settled in igboland are cultureless,customless and languageless as their embraced Eri language/custom and tradition? Today the most igbo culture/tradition is being credited to Eri. And again ,if eri is a stranger among the people,why was his son nri's linage being called the linage of priests in the whole of igbo given that his father was a stranger. So many people may fabricate so many things and post it in the internet as history.so just use ur brain,use what u see, hear and read together.if u combine these three together and reshuffle them wisely ,then you will know the truth.

A myth is a myth. Just with simple logic, all Igbo people can't be from one person who lived only 1000 years ago, some of the newest Igbo villages are around 200 years old. If Eri was a civiliser (and it's highly doubtful people didn't have a culture or language before him) then that's what he was, a coloniser not a progenitor.

You don't need a homologous origin to be a unified nation anyway. Most of the Igbo groups themselves (the ones that people identify with first) aren't from one origin.

I guess dialect is another factor.

Antivirus92: NRI has no direct igbo translation and neither is it a dialect if u care to know.and again nri have existed more than ten thousand years ago.go for a thorough research.NRI is the anscestral home of ndiigbo.even in that nsukka axis you mentioned,there are villages which have their names like obanri and all that,showing that they are of nri descent.

Nri is named after the son of Eri who live 1200 years ago. If you read their history they explain their settlement and their contribution towards Igbo society. Even the wilder stories of Eri migrating from somewhere else claims that he found people in the Igbo area. Nri can't be ten thousand years old where did you get this from?

Antivirus92: Everything you all have said here including the op is totally rubbish,false and a mere fabrication. Again this southern and northern igbo stuff is a fairytale and only exist in nairaland and not in igboland. Someone just opened his mouth to say that some communities are older than the word "igbo". Can somebody be older than his father?.the truth is that in olden days communities usually have their name after their immediate anscestor. You people have constantly refer to ndiigbo as different people which automatically lie. You said that isuama is older than igbo but if i have to go to isuama today or meet the people,i will those who have "igbo" as prefix or suffix in their surname.examples igboanugo,igbokwe,igboesika etc,do u silly people know that some surname have passed so many ages,centuries without being changed. Again have you madmen taken time for once to study the origin of igbo language? Do you know that a language starts from one place before spreading?.if you say that igbos are different groups people who settled in todays igboland,how did the language became one (forget dialect/accent). How possible is it for a different group of people who settled in far enugu state have the same language with another different group who settled in imo/abia?. So all those groups on settling in today igboland have no language,custom and tradition? How are all these things the same in igboland? Are there groups that colonise the others? The igbo language and to a great extent the tradition and customs can be traced to NRI and no other place even "aro".why is it very hard for we ndigbo to accept one anscestral linage?.the language igbo originates from nri as history made it to be,then what language were the aros,isuamas,ngwas speaking before accepting igbolanguage? Who taught those people the igbo language?.why have you people constantly been writing rubbish about the igbo people on nairaland? Again ,there are groups like igala,bini,ibibio etc that exist in igbo society today,those people far back got mixed with the igbos who live in the boundaries like nsukka and onitsha people because of trade. Some of these people in few number settled in igboland and got igbonised.they knew that they are not igbos but they have accepted the igbo identity,and some of these people use to pass information from generation to generation to their children that they are not originally igbos but were igbonised.so if you happen to fall among these groups you have no right to write the igbo history cos you're not igbo.names like arochukwu,ngwa,isuama can be directly translated into english unlike the name NRI which have no meaning in igbolanguage,the cause is that nri as a name have existed before igbolanguage was formed while those other names only came into existence after the founding of igbolanguage.physical appearance is another factor that shows that igbos are one apart from few igbonised people.

Nri is only a thousand years old. The origin of the Igbo in a broader sense would be around the Okigwe-Nsukka axis 5000 years ago. I don't know the meaning of Nri, but it changes with dialect (Nshi, Nhi) which means it has a meaning in Igbo. But you have a point that the word Igbo existed before among the Isuama. The Northern and Southern thing exists only that you wouldn't hear "north" and "south", you may hear 'hm! Ndi há-há-há', or 'ndi mba miri', and of course 'ndi wawa'.

Even Ancient Egyptian infantry were 'half naked'. There aren't many images from the time span you specified. I posted some images below even though they're not that old and many don't have the complete look of a medieval warrior.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Dahomey_amazon1.jpg/500px-Dahomey_amazon1.jpg

Female Amazon of the Fon, Dahomey, 1840s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Norman14.JPG[/img]

Dahomey, 1890s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-120.JPG[/img]

Horse-Mounted Soldier, Senegal, 1780s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/wag-6.JPG[/img]

Mandingo Soldiers, Western Africa, 1860

[img]http://1.bp..com/-2bjZv71sUOw/TdQ1tQ1dcsI/AAAAAAAAAXc/aksyYmR9Y9o/s1600/Ibo%2BWarfare.jpg[/img]

Igbo local defence, 19th century (they're holding guns).

[img]http://4.bp..com/-9KmUZ8x2LpU/TcB_-bas6cI/AAAAAAAAAVY/1b-jGvL9H84/s1600/Igbo%2Bhelmets.jpg[/img]

Their helmets.

It may also have to do with migration and age. Northern Igbo land which I will include areas around Owere for now is much older than Souther Igboland in terms of people currently populating these areas. Look at the difference between areas Owere and those over the Imo which are only a few hundred years old.

This topic is more than it should be.

Omoku or whoever don't sell land to Igbo people. The other minorities who were once considered Igbo also do not sell land to the Igbo. These communities will sell to other groups however, and they do this because they fear Igbo domination, because Igbo people migrated to the Niger area in 1970.

Okay. So what is the issue now? I believe this is one of the downfalls of the Igbo identity. If everyone were to go back to the tribes, village groups, counties, kingdoms and even empires, who would lose sleep over what is happening in another 'mbà'?

And the West, apart from Asaba is missing in action.

beautiful Onyi: Chidelu- God wrote/willed/destined
Chidebelu- God kept
Stop checking the internet for igbo translations, ask your elders in the village Oby

This is an internet Igbo translation discussion that was why I used an online source instead of claiming blindly. The second name can be different if taken out of its origin and it can still mean Chi wrote or willed. Igbo words like this without the tones are useless if they aren't well known.

Like:

odumchi: It is given to people who were born around the time of Aro New Yam Festival (September) which is known as Ikeji. If this helps with the pronunciation, it's 'Ikééji' while 'strength has' is 'Ikéjì'.

I know Ikeji as I ké ji - tying of yam to stakes. But it can also be interpreted as the above.

The more popular way of saying God kept is Chiedozie. Names are all about how they are interpreted by the namer anyway.
http://www.kwenu.com/afamefune/CH_names.htm

namfav: had to be acohol

Which your state makes money off of.

Pidgin English is what it is, an English based creole. It's not African, just African influenced. The whole point of using a lingua franca is to communicate with the wider world, not because it's "ours". Pidgin isn't even uniquely Nigerian, most of it was developed in the Americas. Most people are more proud of the language their ancestors spoke made up with words that were entirely or mostly formed them. English is used to communicate with foreigners and foreigners can't understand pidgin and probably won't learn.

Pidgin doesn't need to be a lingua france, English already does that and then serves as a bridge with the wider world (or isn't that what people who are for English languages claim?). I understand preserving pidgin as part of the modern West frican cultural heritage, but it doesn't have to come in the way of the economy or ancestral heritage.