₦airaland Forum

Onijagidijagan:
This word has bn mention mostly on nairaland but I do not know the meaning.

It is mostly used to depict our illustrious brothers and sisters(I*bo) Is it offensive?

pls this is not a tribalistic thread, alot of us doesn't know the meaning

Onijagidijagan:
This word has bn mention mostly on nairaland but I do not know the meaning.

It is mostly used to depict our illustrious brothers and sisters(I*bo) Is it offensive?

pls this is not a tribalistic thread, alot of us doesn't know the meaning

1shortblackboy:
i used to get angry at these kind of igbo people now i just pity them. see what a normal human being wrote.............. they're not called chest beaters for nothing o

AjiereTuwo:
IBANI HISTORY OF GIGI BOATS AND REGATTAS

by Senibo Abinye Morgan Ogolo

The Ibani people of Bonny and Opobo of the Ijaw tribe have always been coastal dwellers, even prior to the founding of Okoloama (Bonny) in the 13th or 14th century. In fact the families of these Ijaw migrants and founders of the would be powerful city states navigated by canoes through the creeks and seas of the Niger Delta up to the Imo River linings in search of a peaceful abode until they arrived Bonny well before the 15th century.
The tradition of Gigi and Regatta via war canoe is held by a school of thought to be naturally thought out by the ancestors of the West African coastline dwellers through inventive ingenuity to serve commercial and military purposes based on our peculiar ecosystem, which the Ibani people are key players, bearing on mind this thought considers the prehistoric era. Notably is another school of thought of Ibani scholars, which suggests that the major influences of different European pre-historic stages affected Ibani sizes of our dugout canoes, the flamboyancies entrenched in the fleets etc.
These influences ranges from the era that can be dated to between 1450 and 1550, which made the Rio Real an important trading river for the Portuguese empire ( called by the Ibani people Potokiri apu). During this Period was the first crowned Bonny King Asimini. Again the Dutch influences of early and Mid 17th century era, and finally the very dominant trade influence of English era that can be dated from the end of 17th century into the 20th century, of which Bonny and afterwards Opobo had expanded so vast in trade and culture.
A well known Ibani chronological tradition suggests that Ada Biriye of Peterside Bonny(whose descendants are in Opobo now) by the encouragement of King Asimini, ferried in flotillas of Gig, well decorated to Azuogu Ndoki in a bid to lure back Princess Edemini Kambasa the daughter of the King around 1449. This tradition suggests strongly that the Ibani people paddling heavy canoes were influenced by the portugese, who themselves were great sailors, row mates and masters.
However by imperative traditions; it is suggestive that the Gig boat and Regatta in Ibani land took a dramatic turn during the reign of King Perekule (called Pepple) or captain Pepple 1704-1754; of which during the English vast influence on trade and aculturization strategies of gaining British Colonies all over the world, the British influenced the Ibani people greatly. On the visit of an English explorer James Barbot into Bonny 1699; he was met with an already influential King Perekule, who declared himself to the European as a captain of his own war canoes in his own right. At that time, Captain Boileau, Alderman Bougsty, Lord Willyby, Duke of Monmouth and Drunken Henry were already good friends of Captain Pepple (Perekule) in nurturing the European cultures to his people. By 1740 when Perekule instituted the first princely Houses in a rather English Royal Style with flags, cannons and canoe regattas etc. it was quite welcomed by the Ibani people then. Apparently canoe regatta and heavy paddling took a dramatic turn from small boats of 4 to 5 feets long paddling, to a huge economic modeled canoe, long and heavy burrow paddled by seemingly gladiators ( called Aru asawo) around the era of 1700. An example of this kind of paddle can be seen in Queens town Opobo today by the tomb of an Opobo nobleman called Ada Aritom, who fought the Bonny civil war of the Annie Pepples and Manilla Pepples 1869, and imagine how big those canoes would had been.
By the memoir of Captain Crow 1792, a vivid description of our Ibani war Canoe ceremonial gigi was made:
“Bonny has long been celebrated for the size and construction of her canoes, and those of the King deserve notice. They are formed out of a single log of the capot, a species of cotton tree, which attains so enormous a size, that it is said that one was seen at Akim, which ten men could scarcely grasp. The canoes in general use, have about fifteen paddles on a side; but those of the king, which are superior vessels of the sort, carry besides the rowers, as many as a hundred and fifty warriors, well furnished with small arms” .
Therefore evidently, the Nwaotam regatta of every 31st of December in Opobo is just a natural adoption of who we really are; and the displays during installations of the Amayanabo or war canoe house chiefs.
Captain Crow also gave a clear description of Ibani war Canoe Regatta 1792:
“As at Bonny guns are mounted in the bows of their war canoes, which are full of armed warriors; and when they start off, with Bangees (likely the seven ekere and Agaama) or drum beating, and colours flying, they present the appearance of an armament with which it would be no child’s work to cope”( cit.3p.276)
Imperatively therefore, from the accounts of captain crow, regattas and war canoes as exciting as it might appear, have always not been a child’s play at all. It very well depict the gallant valor a chieftain who most times sits or stands in the war canoe possesses, his economic power, material and military condor. Canoe regatta and war canoes have always been a play for men of valor and prowess. Apparently by 1792 Bonny during the reign of King Opubo, it had become a traditional norm and prerequisite to becoming a country chief or owning a co-perative canoe Household. Such chieftain must gear up a war canoe if he is to bear the ama alabo status, which normally will escort flotillas of Gigs to the hinterlands. By these canoes our numerous wars were fought in Bonny and out of Bonny. Even at Opobo the expeditions on the Ibibios and Anangs of Akwas were carried out by King Jaja and his chiefs via fully armed Ibani type war canoes.
The English tradition of trade very well influenced this art greatly; as war canoe houses formation were linked not only to trade and domain (polo or Biri) as in European co-peratives or agency. For instance the major agent of king Jaja was Alex miller Bros. Company. The war canoe House also owned their own logo or seal of authority which was engraved on the hoisted flag of such House. This also by British style was to show power of attorney, autonomy and finally a regal display of identification. Apart from these already mentioned British influence on the Ibani Gigis and war canoes( Omu aru),each of them bore a name and like English Royal Boats are Personified. For instance, the King Opubo Annie Pepple of Bonny personal war canoe Boat ‘QUEENI’ , that was launched for King Opubo by his father King Perekule (Pepple) by 1740 back in Bonny, was handed over to Ada Madu, to Ada Alali, to Ada Iloli, then to Ada Juwo Juwo (Jaja); while King Jajas’ Personal war canoe Boat is ‘Asu Jecki’(Jajas’ Horse) 1869. Chief Wogu Dappa war canoe Boat a crescendo of Prince Dappu Pepple of Bonny called ‘OKPANI’; Annie Stewart Pepple or Kiepirima war canoe Boat called ‘OBUKU SIAGHARI’; Chief Obulu( Ogolo) Annie Pepple war canoe Boat called ‘BOA’ or ‘ABOA’; Chief Oko Sunju Minima war canoe Boat called ‘IKASI’; while the personal war canoe Boat of Prince Fredrick Sunday Jaja is Called ‘OBI JECKI’, so on and so forth.
Consequently, civil wars, military and trade expeditions were all embarked on by the use of war canoe Boats of the component unit Houses that make up Opobo Kingdom; in fact it was one seeming statutory military tool to dominate our neighboring communities. The war canoes Presupposes the existence of a war Canoe House, as it became a criteria to launch a war canoe House since from our ancient Bonny. Apparently in Opobo kingdom, having sixty seven war canoe Houses, means ability to marshal out sixty seven war canoe Boats, fully geared with men of war, or otherwise sixty seven flotillas of Ceremonial Gigs at any time of its need; and all of them must be marshaled out in order of traditional statutory position. In the ranks and filing of Ibani war canoe boats in Opobo, the head House (king Jaja), must be first, followed by Ogolo war canoe boat, followed by Kiepirima war canoe boat, followed by Sam Annie Pepple war canoe boat, then Agba Fubara war canoe boat and followed by other main Houses of the kingdom before other sub Houses in order of when they were founded. This also I call Ibani civilization. The Europeans themselves would rather not play with the Ibani aggressive War canoe Boats postures during any trade conflict of interests or trade tensions.
Ceremonies, alapu leisure trips and royal visitations were done by the use of Gig canoes, which we call Gigi and usually decorated in a more flamboyant manner; always accompanied by hailing and chanting women at the sea shore ( otherwise Mingi aka) of that House being displayed with flags and many times shouts ‘OMIE IYE AWO’ adulterated as ‘ORIE IYA AWO’; even recently this culture is gradually eroding away; for what basic reason I cannot say, but it is gone too.
The type of wood used in Ibani land as Opobo in carving these dug out boats matter a lot to our people. The Kuruu wood is a kind of mangrove cotton tree, which natives assume is prone to sink during the Fongu-mini season of the Ibani People. Another wood is the Kpokpoo, which is said by natives to be lighter in weight and cannot sink; this is assumed to be the best wood to carving these roughed bow arsenals called war canoe boats. There are other woods as Akuu said to have the features of Kuruu wood; another is the Sangaa wood said to have the features of Kpokpoo wood and finally the Isii wood, which is said to be the heaviest and hardest of them all.
In paddling these Bow arsenals; sometimes the gladiators ( Asawo) pulls towards the flow of the tide or ocean current, which natives refer in Opobo as ‘IJIRI’; while at other instances they may pull the Bow arsenal against the flow of the tide or ocean current, we refer to as ‘OTUUBURU’.
This discuss will not be exhaustive, if we fail to mention that depending on the drumming or Ibani singing pattern in the war canoe or Gigi; the paddling synchronized timing of all the young sailors in such Bow arsenal is either fast or slow, depending on the pace of the rhythm on board at a time. If the rhythm and paddling pattern is rather fast and hasty…we call it ‘FOOFI’; while if the rhythm and paddling pattern is slow and unperturbed… we call it ‘SAIGHI- GBII’ depending on the beating. The drumming in the war canoe boats proper, must be the ‘SONOMA-EKEREFARI’ (seven wooden gongs) accompanied with the Bangee drum which we call ‘Agaama’, which is one of the big gladiators drum; while the ceremonial Gigi must be the beating of our local music wooden box -Xylophone called ‘NGELENGE’ or ‘EBEERE accompanied with the rhyming jingle of a loud bell (Gboom) to create rhythm and synchrony in the art and act of pulling such canoe.
Suffice it to say there are rich excerpts of our Opobo Ibani cultures we need to be proud of and sustain; and such heritages include our Ibani House system, Loko system, and the war canoe boats culture.

mantre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwslG42rXf0

[size=28pt]mr akele is ignorant of international law.

The igbos are from cameroon. International law want the igbo people to relocate back to cameroon if they want to leave nigeria.

Nigeria government have not close the border of cameroon, or prevent any igbo person from leaving.. Many igbos live in cameroon, their home land. And noone is stopping anyone from the east to leave. they should relocate to cameroon..

Just like the fulani or hausa or kanuri. international law want them to relocate back to niger republic , chad republic of cameroon, where they come from.


Any igbo who want to leave can sell their property in nigeria and relocate to cameroon.
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[img]http://ohanaezendiigbocameroon.files./2015/03/gburu-gburu-1-confers-traditional-title.jpg[/img]

sholatech:
Nice writeup my sista but Nay..our girls don't get preggy at young age o, i've heard that you every tribe really depending on where you based.

I don't also claim we are yoruba. No, we have our own distinct tribe, w are proudly OKUN! S way Urhobo in Delta are not Ibo, Beroms in Plateau are n Hausa/Aboki etc.

Okun a gbe a!

chukzyblingz:
I lived in Asaba and I belong to Anioma unions with Asaba people. I have Asaba friends. Ika people don't speak Enuani. Whenever we're having Anioma meetings or any intermarriage/burial, everybody sticks to his language. It's mutually intelligible. All my brothers married from Enuani and Ukwani, I was present in all the marriages.

you people are very strange beings. Agbontaen (Solomon Mgbejume) a well known Owa man is an imposter. Everybody is an imposter. Emeka Esogbue is a very popular historian, but I believe if he comes on this site, you people would call him an imposter. You say this as a way of srlf consolation. This is a childish traits I'm seeing in you people.

genieluv:
But wait o, why do Igbos like Anioma so much? Are we the only Ibo speaking group in the South-south? Why don't u guys try Ikwerre?

If Ikwerre people will not accept igbo, then i really see no reason why most igbos should be ready to kill any anioma person who says he is not igbo.
Igbo identity in Anioma to a large extent has become a personal thing and does not worry us so much.
A former boyfriend of mine was Ika but that guy was just so igbotic, maybe because he really had many igbo friends i dont know, but his father was not even a proud igbo, his mother was indifferent. One of my cousins married an Ndokwa man who believes he is an igbo, but my cousin herself from Anochia does not believe she is igbo cos her father never told her so.

I myself used to think that all Asaba people accepted igbo identity due to their proximity to igbo land only for me to also meet people from Asaba who claim their ancestors came from Igala land and hence cannot be igbo. I was surprised. So anyone who thinks he can divide Anioma land with a scissors based on igbo identity is just making a big mistake.
Anioma people never discrimimate or fight with each other based on Igbo identity issues. You find both igbo denials and proud igbos in one single anioma family and we intermarry each other regardless of igbo denial or acceptance.

Ikwerre people were in the old eastern region with the igbos and have shared the same political destiny with them since colonial times, the question is why are most ikwerres now denying igbo?
Most Ekpeye and Ogbas also deny igbo. A good number of Etches and Ndonis also deny igbo even though majority may accept.
Igbos should work on Rivers first before coming to kill Deltans. We were never classified together with Igbos or shared one political destiny from the beginning, the River Niger had always been the natural boundary.

Goodbye, both my sweet igbo pals, enemies, fine boys and miscreants all together. I remain yours sincerely (genieluv).

genieluv:
But wait o, why do Igbos like Anioma so much? Are we the only Ibo speaking group in the South-south? Why don't u guys try Ikwerre?

If Ikwerre people will not accept igbo, then i really see no reason why most igbos should be ready to kill any anioma person who says he is not igbo.
Igbo identity in Anioma to a large extent has become a personal thing and does not worry us so much.
A former boyfriend of mine was Ika but that guy was just so igbotic, maybe because he really had many igbo friends i dont know, but his father was not even a proud igbo, his mother was indifferent. One of my cousins married an Ndokwa man who believes he is an igbo, but my cousin herself from Anochia does not believe she is igbo cos her father never told her so.

I myself used to think that all Asaba people accepted igbo identity due to their proximity to igbo land only for me to also meet people from Asaba who claim their ancestors came from Igala land and hence cannot be igbo. I was surprised. So anyone who thinks he can divide Anioma land with a scissors based on igbo identity is just making a big mistake.
Anioma people never discrimimate or fight with each other based on Igbo identity issues. You find both igbo denials and proud igbos in one single anioma family and we intermarry each other regardless of igbo denial or acceptance.

Ikwerre people were in the old eastern region with the igbos and have shared the same political destiny with them since colonial times, the question is why are most ikwerres now denying igbo?
Most Ekpeye and Ogbas also deny igbo. A good number of Etches and Ndonis also deny igbo even though majority may accept.
Igbos should work on Rivers first before coming to kill Deltans. We were never classified together with Igbos or shared one political destiny from the beginning, the River Niger had always been the natural boundary.

Goodbye, both my sweet igbo pals, enemies, fine boys and miscreants all together. I remain yours sincerely (genieluv).

chukzyblingz:
I lived in Asaba and I belong to Anioma unions with Asaba people. I have Asaba friends. Ika people don't speak Enuani. Whenever we're having Anioma meetings or any intermarriage/burial, everybody sticks to his language. It's mutually intelligible. All my brothers married from Enuani and Ukwani, I was present in all the marriages.

you people are very strange beings. Agbontaen (Solomon Mgbejume) a well known Owa man is an imposter. Everybody is an imposter. Emeka Esogbue is a very popular historian, but I believe if he comes on this site, you people would call him an imposter. You say this as a way of srlf consolation. This is a childish traits I'm seeing in you people.

genieluv:
Just to set the fact straight because afterall you seem somehow reasonable, am a product of 2 heritage. My mother was born and bred in Anioma land, her own mother is anioma too but her father is from Benue, this is why i consider my mother more of an Anioma woman because she speaks the language more and behaves more like one and even considers herself one. My mother gave birth to me for an Anioma man before she relocated with her father back to Benue taking me along and married an Idoma man who became my stepfather and they resided in Jos, as i approached my mid teenage age i went back to Ubulu uku and re-united with my biological father. So you can see that i am very much an Anioma woman, just that i spent more of my life in the middlebelt. I understand Enuani, Idoma and Hausa to a fair extent. You must not believe me since you have a right on what to believe.


Let me tell you something about Anioma, by origin, we are a blend of different groups, according to what i researched and what my elderly uncle and father told me, that Anioma people are a blend of different groups, some came from Bini, others came from Igbo, Esan, Igala and Yoruba and that is why we bear influences and cultures from all these areas. We became linguistically Ibo overtime due to the strength of continous Nri migrations and the population of our igbo neighbours across the Niger and also colonialism too.

For instance, Itsekiris are just like us too, their nation was formed by the merge of yoruba and Benin migrant groups, overtime the yoruba dialect displaced the bini dialects due to the largeness of yoruba speakers around them but their political and kingship structures remained Bini and this is why they maintained their new identity Itsekiri but still maintain relationship with both yorubas and binis.

You can say Aniomas are linguistically Ibo, but structurally and culturally we are a mix while politically and in kingship affairs we are bini, can't you see the way our kings dress and the way they are coronated? Many of our kingship titles are Benin, just like the recent new 'teenage' king of my town Ubulu Uku, who went to Benin to perform many rites before he was crowned king. Our people have some very strong ties to Benin which we cannot throw away just because we want to be Igbo, this is why many of our people just find it hard to completely accept igbo identity. Till today most of our kings must go to Benin and perform rites before they become king.

ikechu1:
Why shouldn't we talk about biafra? What are we as people benefiting from Nigeria...just name am, make I hear. Tell me just ONE thing we are benefitting from Nigeria, just name one.

Nigeria as old as it is is one of the most backwards nation in Africa. Even other Africans despise the country. The economy is in complete shitholr. One freaking dollar is equally to 500 naira. Electricity una lack despite claiming "oil producing country". The country is so terrible that almost every month they have a killing. Leaders and elders are all corrupt. There's never been a free, fair election ever. Gang is a must in that country. Education is in shames that even the citizens travel to other African nation including the ones at war to get a quality education. Every thing about Nigeria is a shithole so I don't even know why you think we should be discussing about it and not about what our ancestors wanted. Have you ever read igbo history before? If you did, you would have known majority of the tribes that are found in Nigeria, our ancestors wanted nothing to do with the. Only Zik wanted Nigeria and even he isn't that regarding back home compared to Ojukwu (who wanted to break the nation)...now ask yourself why?

As far I'm concerned, Anioma state should become a reality...most definitely something I hope but as for Nigeria...if Isis invade it and burn it to the ground, I wouldn't even give two rats ass as long as my people were left alone.

Btw: I never said Anioma are all Ezechima clan. Heck My people sef aren't descendant of Eze chime contrary to popular belief.

chukzyblingz:
Agbor practice Nze na ofo and pay homage to where the ofo came from? even using the ekumeku war to disprove bini Anioma relationship? very lame logic

chukzyblingz:
stop fooling yourself. Nobody discusses Igbo on Anioma voice. read the group's description and you never see Igbo anywhere. The page is strictly pro Anioma and people in Proudly Anioma Proudly Igbo says it's Igbo phobic. How it's Igbo phobic I don't know. So anything that's not pro Igbo automatically becomes Igbo phobic?

genieluv:
You have been ranting all over the place since like a biitch on heat, with nollywood so much, ok can you tell me how many igbo actors, producers or igbo movies have won Golden globes, Oscars, Emmys, Grammys or any world entertainment award? Since you claim they have recognition in all planets and galaxies of the universe.
When we see touts and street thugs ranting, we know them.




Biitch, if your cerebral hemispheres, your cerebrum and medulla oblongata were intact you will know am talking of movies and a movie industry that promotes indigenous African languages to the whole world and not some bleached skin igbo bitches who fake accents and expose their tiger-stripped stretch mark ass in the name of acting.
The largest indigenous african language movie industry is non other than Kannywood.

AjiereTuwo:
Your mother must be so proud

blues20:
Don't waist your time with that moniker you quoted, the guy is a frustrated Igbo hater. As if he did not see the Facebook post.... I wonder if they usually hibernate their brain when reading.

chukzyblingz:
here you people go again claiming Igue festival? And turning the ones done in Anioma to Igwe? Why this desperation to turn everything to Igbo? FYI, there is nothing like Igwe festival in Anioma. We have Igue though some towns write it as Igweh, but same pronunciation. Igue/Igweh.

Akshow: childish gibberish rants.

Akshow: Ugleee faced son of a whooore, I don't do kids ok. Find ur childish mates to troll eeediota.

Akshow: Iam a glorious Mooooooorooon. Lemme buzz off.