₦airaland Forum

Yujin:
The civil war dealt a deadly blow on the Igbo nation but thank God that we are strongly recovering. However, one persistent challenge here is with the history and origin of the Western portion of Igboland otherwise known as Anioma. Historians have been clear on the make up of that geographical area that a lot of migrations happened in there. The culture, customs and language shows a mixture of different groups of which the dominant ones are Igbo and Bini. Of the two, Igbo takes the major share in virtually all the activities of the people except in the area of Kingship or governance of the people. In Anioma, you find the same leadership titles as is found in Benin. When it comes to language and festivities, just few words and festivals are shared with Benin even though Benin was an empire with immense power that dominated a lot of lands and tribes. Why could her influence be so limited if actually the people of Anioma were erstwhile of Benin origin? This is a pertinent question to ask. Igbo on the other hand were never empire builders. They were more of republicans who prefer direct and inclusive governance of their communities. Like I wrote earlier, a lot of migrations happened and so the Igbo migrants into Anioma would be too big and with more power to have had their language and customs displace the former one if actually the earlier occupants of Aniomaland weren't Igbos. This of course is most improbable. That a lot of Anioma monarchs go to Benin for blessings and legitimacy does not equate their respective kingdoms as offshoot of Benin. Those conversant with empires and how they operate with their vassal states would agree that as long as an empire has suzerainty over another land, the leader of the vassal state would have to consistently get to the emperor for legitimacy to ward off any contender to the throne because failure to do that could see the monarch replaced with another of his kind. The problem today is that what was done before as a survival instinct today has been stamped as a tradition. How can you speak a language totally unrelated with another yet you go and get legitimacy from that throne which at present has no jurisdiction over you? It could only be a political set up that has been etched as tradition and never one birthed out of origin.
Anioma kings have always been from the people themselves except when new communities are formed. One clear example is using the Ugbodu community as an example. These people's history can be verified from the relics of their ancient language which was clearly not Benin. If the Edos were the aborigines of Aniomaland, won't the Ugbodu's have abandoned their Olukumi language for an edoid one? Why the tilt to Igbo language when there was clearly no imperial power to force them? Its very clear that anything 'unIgbo' in Aniomaland was an external influence.
Another pandoras box is this: did the Edo migrations happen only at their eastern flank? What about those on the western side towards Yorubaland? The case of having an 'Osemawe of Ondoland' as the paramount ruler of Ondo town the second largest and most important city in Ondo state tells a lot of stories. The influence of Benin is very clear here just as it is in Akure the capital but you will never hear her people disclaiming Yoruba because they realize that their King acknowledging the great Oba of Benin does not translate to having their origin from Edo. It was clearly a case of politics- Empire vs Vassal state.
I hope my long essay did shed some light at the grey areas and it is my wish that we embrace our history and make them source of friendship than bitterness. Trying to de-Igbonise Anioma will only leave the people lost just as our Ikwerre brethren are presently lost in articulation and history. It is my prayer that our people will stop this internal wranglings that bring no one any good.

cheruv:
Its clear you're one of the descendants of the Bini army the Anioma resistance crushed in the great Ubulu war of 1755 and scattered their remnants all over Anioma. Every Anioma town from agbor in the West to onicha in the East to abo in the South all sent reinforcements to help defend Ubulu Ukwu during that Bini war of aggression. The only town that did not was Isele Ukwu.
You Edo descendants are recent settlers to Anioma... So when issues concerning Anioma are raised,it's pertinent that you allow the aborigines make the decision. As for your stance on Biāfra I'd appreciate that bkos outside the Igbo tag, Biāfra is another identity common to all "bia" speakers

cheruv:
Am Anioma... So I've every right to speak for the whole Western Igbo cultural group. We're the same as our siblings to the East and lemme tell you something, we formed 40% of Biafra's military leadership... The Biafran chief of naval staff was from Agbor while that of air staff was from ukwuani.
Stop deceiving or hyping yourself on that Bini trash kos when the time comes,we the Western Igbo would do away with whatever Bini shit we've on us.
You hate the Igbo but love Anioma... And you think we're children to be deceived by such useless claims after massacring our people in 1967??
Abeg go and sit down!

cheruv:
You're still saying what I said earlier... Your Bini people killed up to five Igbos(of course Anioma are Igbos) btwn Benin city and agbor with a further two thousand in sapele and warri
See Anioma at this point in time doesn't need that useless brotherhood with Bini people. With the passage of time,we'd either Igbonize Benin city itself or cut off whatever links Benin has to the East

gregyboy:
Reason y i gat to be proud of benin were i came from
1.benin historys linked and controlled most majour ethinic group in nigeria eg ibos and yorubas and the hausas and sub etnic group
2. With a few population b4 the advent of the white man the benis controlled a country who is seventh most populated country in the world
3.only ethnic group in africa went on war with the british but lost due to betrayal
4.the benins have an art work that is globally recogonise in the world if u doubt check a current dictionary for benin bronze
5.a kingdom that never sold themselves as slaves but olders as one

....my fellow brothers u have to be proud not only because u worth it but u deserve it ther is a saying that osigbalor gha ru dogun ogha torie sota or kpowmen igbehe'

martha89:
Trash write up,ika doesn't have any influence on Esan. Laughable all the business owner in Uromi are Igbo's you wish,don't you Igbo's get tired of praising yourself?

BoleAndFish:
98% of this write up is utter balderdash.

gerg:
Difference between Nigerian and American government is that American government create wars, send their soldiers to go and die, but they pay them their salaries and all allowance and in case of death, their families are well remunerated but in NIgeria, the case is entirely different. NIgerian government create crisis, send soldiers to go and die and when they die, they declare them as missing soldiers. Even those that are alive are not paid their salaries and allowances. Nigerian Military don't have records of it's soldiers. I wonder how they pay salaries. NIgerian military is the least logistic military in the world. shame on them.

RedboneSmith:
Do you know that the originator of the write-up is an Ika man from Igbodo?