₦airaland Forum

New Tribune = Beer parlour Newspaper.

Paper awon Omuti alai ni nkan se gbogbo. Very embarrassing piece of Akara wrapper.


Papa Awo will probably slap the whole editorial staff back to their fathers Abule if he was alive.

Nonsense and ingredients

Responding, Governor Fashola emphasised the need for each state of the federation to develop strategies on building the nation, stressing that, "Nigeria will not develop or prosper by what is done in the Federal Capital Territory alone".

"The development that takes place in each of the 36 states using their local resources, their local talent, diverse resources, models and laboratory centres from different levels of development will aggregate to the common and corporate development of Nigeria. I think that this is the best way that as state managers and state chief executives. We must take control of the destiny and progress of this country by creating viable activity centres of commerce, security and of education in each of the 36 states.

That is the man.

It appears Fashola has turned Alausa into the Mecca of smart governance? He's walking the talk too. I hope he's charging them for the free advice.


They better start cloning him?

pleep:
btw guys how do you post videos on this site so that the video shows up on the Nairaland screen?

Try this bro. Thank Isale_gan2 for the info. I only copied it. Welcome to the discussion.

syntax for embedding videos?


Here's a Youtube link

Click Insert Image ikon: [flash=200,200][/flash]

Then, place the link address in the center

Remove "w-a-t-c-h-?"

Remove "=" and replace with "/"

You can adjust the screen size from 200,200 to maybe 500,420.

^^Maybe we should just move all Africa centered news here then

You are right bro, it is pretty terrible we worship everything else but our own homegrown religious ideas and philosophies, very sad really.

"They [Arabs] discourage you that your religion is not good, tell you to just be a Muslim. They can give you money to change your name to a Muslim one. Anything about your culture, they can destroy it," says Kuku Idriss, a Nuba youth leader.

We have to ask ourselves why these people want to impose their own cultural and religious ideas sooooo much:

The Answer: Power and Control

They will always have the advantage as long as they can force you to act in ways they can understand, they seize the initiative, they control the message, they own the culture and you as an outsider will always come behind. It's all about power.

You are like a sports team that is constantly playing an away game, everyday, every year, every time. Arabs, Muslisms, Christians and other cultural oppressors are not fools, they are fighting and playing to their own advantage.

Can't they just let these people be? is it by force to worship your god and speak your language? SMH



BTW, I think this is in the wrong section, Sorry moderators, please fix.

[size=16pt]Sudan: Could Nuba mountains be next conflict?[/size]
By James Copnall
BBC News, Kauda

https://joeylakey.com/b/wp-content/plugins/rss-poster/cache/f87b5__52643247_kauda_afp.jpg
https://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52643000/jpg/_52643240_011903937-1.jpg
Cattle play a key roles in the lives of many Sudanese - from north and south
Slideshow: Cattle country


Seemingly tranquil village of Kauda in central Sudan's beautiful Nuba mountains poses one of the greatest challenges to Khartoum. South Sudan will become independent in July, following a long civil war. But that does not mean the country left behind is united. The people of the Nuba mountains, in the north, are on a collision course with President Omar al-Bashir and his party.

The Nuba are a collection of language groups that are sometimes described as more a political or geographical entity than a homogenous ethnic group.
They follow Islam, Christianity, or traditional religions - but crucially, most see themselves as very different from the Arab elites in Khartoum.

"Despite all the talk about my Arabism, my religion, my culture, I am a Nuba, I am black, I am an African," is how the late Nuba war hero Youssif Kawa Makki put it. Many Nuba rejected what they saw as attempts to Islamise and Arabise them.

"They [Arabs] discourage you that your religion is not good, tell you to just be a Muslim. They can give you money to change your name to a Muslim one. Anything about your culture, they can destroy it," says Kuku Idriss, a Nuba youth leader.


[size=14pt]'Genocide'[/size]
During the second north-south civil war, many Nuba fought on the side of the southern Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebels, now set to form the new country's government.

The SPLA is often seen as a southern movement, but its stated aim was to reform the whole country, creating a new Sudan, a secular state where diversity was respected. This resonated very strongly with many Nuba.

The fighting in the Nuba mountains was particularly fierce.

In 1992, a jihad or holy war was declared, allowing northern troops and Arab militias to kill even those Nuba who were Muslim. Human rights organisation Africa Watch likened the attacks on the Nuba to genocide. A ceasefire was signed in 2002, but it is no surprise that feelings against President Bashir still run high.

[size=14pt]Beer drinkers[/size]

In Kauda, at least, people have every chance to express their anger. The village is essentially under the control of the SPLM, the political wing of the SPLA.

"In fact, all the counties round here are controlled by the SPLM," says the party's local chairman, Younan Ajour. Life here is very different to most of northern Sudan. Local alcohol, like the heady beer marissa, is openly sold, in defiance of the Sharia, or Islamic law, officially imposed in the north. Women brew it in their homes, then bring it to a line of rough shacks and pour it into calabashes for thirsty customers.

"We don't appreciate Sharia, and don't want it to reach us here," says one drinker, Angelo, an SPLA soldier.

"We have our independence and we hope in the future to be independent," he adds.

The alcohol is not the only difference. Students in Kauda are taught in English, not Arabic, and sit exams from Kenya or Uganda. A young teacher, Yassir, says he has 94 students in his class. He brushes aside the suggestion the separate curriculum and language of education could leave the pupils out of step with the rest of the north.

"We are planning to have our own universities, which will be operated in English," he says.

[size=14pt]Peace, not war[/size]

The Nuba people want to preserve their own identity

In a well-publicised recent speech, President Bashir said once South Sudan secedes, there would be no place for ethnic or cultural diversity in the north, and Islam would be the sole source of law. This has got many Nuba worried.

"We don't want a war, we need peace," says Mahmoud Badawi, who has set up Kauda's only hotel. But that does not mean simply giving in.

Tens of thousands of Nuba soldiers are in the SPLA in the south, and will almost certainly return to their homeland after southern separation - possibly with their weapons. Officials and ordinary people say there is no way they will give back Kauda or any of the other "liberated territories".

"We know our people are very strong, they are very patient, but we don't forget our grievances," says politician and historian El Nour Burtail.

"Our nature as you can see is mountainous, and when we move, we are strong like mountains."

[size=14pt]War crimes[/size]

The Nuba mountains are at the heart of Southern Kordofan state, which borders South Sudan. Stability here is crucial not just for the north, but for the south.
Southern Kordofan is also next to Darfur, where a separate civil war, albeit one based on Khartoum's neglect of the periphery, rumbles on. Southern Kordofan's governor, Ahmed Haroun, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed when he was in Darfur, adding to Nuba unease.

The tensions have infected the whole state, with SPLA soldiers and forces loyal to President Bashir's National Congress Party everywhere. This month's elections are meant to lead to popular consultations on the region's future - but to the dismay of many in the Nuba mountains, this does not include the option of independence. The election results themselves could also spark off real problems.

The Nubas' determination to be different has been a problem for Khartoum for years, and that is almost certain to continue. It is not hard to find people offering dire warnings - like Najwa Musa, the head of the Nuba Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Organisation.

"If they will continue to impose the Sharia law, the Islamic religion and the Arabic language on the people, you will see a new Darfur coming up."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13351773

buzugee:
hehehe sup bros

I'm good bro, but I'll need you to share your source of inspiration, don't be selfish soldier 

I knew this was from the legendary Buzugee as soon as I saw it.

Come to think of it, if truely Aganga is not from Lagos and he has served as a minister using the slot of Lagos, it means Yorubas are the most accomodatind people in Africa. It cannot happen in delta, if the name of a ministerial nominy is percieved to be from another state, it is capable of causing unrest.

Maybe they are.

^^ yea, it's pretty long. The word "summary" was a "bait" lol, glad you are reading it.

In this case, you won't point all your hands completely at corrupt irish leaders but also recognize an opressive british power as well.

That is it.

[quote author=Jenifa_ link=topic=689028.msg8519371#msg8519371 date=1308083317]so what's up with you? how bodi, my brother

that is the gospel truth right there. that post is definitely right on point
I heard it too that while ethiopia was suffering it's famine in the 90s, the country was a net exporter of food!!  [/quote]Jenifa, to help your point further:

The same damn thing happened in Ireland prior to and during the infamous Potato famine which led to the death and migration of millions of Irish people in the mid 1700s. Ireland was a net exporter to Britain -a controlling manipulative more powerful nation, while Irish people were dying in droves. (See the quote below)

There is nothing new about this at all. Like I alluded to earlier on the thread, history is very cyclical, that is why we need good leadership.

It is fun and cool to put the blame on Africans or scream at white folks, but the truth lies somewhere in-between, We have a terrible leadership class filled with folks who see themselves as inferior and see little value in the lives and needs of people who are like them.

It is internalized self-hate masquerading as narcissism, if you ask me 

It's inferiority complex 101, our leaders (who are the same as most of us) don't have an obsession with promoting the needs of their people over those of other competitors possibly because they feel inferior already.  So, we will continue to suffer until we sieze the initiative. Resources are scare, they are not finite, But it seems we have leaders who don't get that.

Cecil Woodham-Smith, an authority on the Irish Famine, wrote in The Great Hunger; Ireland 1845–1849 that no issue has provoked so much anger and embittered relations between England and Ireland as "the indisputable fact that huge quantities of food were exported from Ireland to England throughout the period when the people of Ireland were dying of starvation." Ireland remained a net exporter of food throughout most of the five-year famine

You can read a summary of it on Wikipedia, or check the library for literature on the Irish Potato famine, the similarities are starkling.

^^ Violent is in sarcasm mode bro.

Damn! not this Guy, Damn!!

RIP  

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=689750.msg8518657#msg8518657 date=1308075775]British and French are both tremendous jackasses. Hopefully 1000 years from now, my descendants will be able to screw them over like they screwed with my ancestors. I just pray that God will one day deliver them into my hands (well, that of my children.)[/quote]Well said bro.

If we can get leaders who are willing to think beyond the next 5-100 years and make what Bill Clinton referred to as the supremacy of "future perspectives" (check Carroll Quigley )an obssession of their public policy thrusts, then we will get there.

That is why I'm near fanatical about choosing the right kind of leaders or restructuring the whole damn Nation back to square one. We do not have the luxury or time to manage mumu's and their mumu system.

But as long as we continue to celebrate idi/ots and sweet talking brigands with their poor grasp of history and world politics, especially those who can't calculate beyond the next loot, then we will surely continue to occupy the lowest rung of the human food chain.

Because. . .after Europeans are done eating our Lunch, Asians will continue by eating us for dinner. I don't want that for my children at all.

[size=5pt]I promise not to derail this thread again[/size]

[quote author=Jenifa_ link=topic=689028.msg8518630#msg8518630 date=1308075528]which one is Gatwick Airport? how many foreign airports did we buy?

If you look at the title of the post you will see that the first line is "Africa is Mumu Inc"
to me that is the most important line in relation to this topic.
basically the argument is that we are allowing western countries to exploit us. and not rising up to resist it. why?
why aren't we resisting the land grabbing? why are we letting history repeat itself?[/quote]@Jenifa_ Well done.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=689750.msg8518561#msg8518561 date=1308074573]@Kilode?!: Very interesting. Going to find more on Jstor.[/quote]Please do. Also check page 72 of this book The diplomacy of partition: Britain, France, and the creation of Nigeria By Claire Hirshfield especially the 3rd paragraph, it mentioned how the local Borgu-Nikki ruler was scammed/419ed by Lugard and his French ilk Decouer. Old man did not know the difference between the French and The British when he signed the document, He thought they were from the same white Nation/Kingdom. He didn't even fully understand what it was all about.

Colonial Yahoo-Yahoo boys

33 years: 1978 - 2011

China's GDP jumped from $147.3bn (£94.55bn) in 1978 to about $5.0Trillion 

The number of poor people in China dropped from 250 million in 1978 to 14.8 million in 2007



33 years is too long to stagnate

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=689750.msg8517965#msg8517965 date=1308069008]OT: The Borgu Kingdom has a website, it seems:

http://www.borgukingdomng.com/faqs.html

Always interesting to learn about the the neighbors of Yorubaland  [/quote]

"Borgu was partitioned into British Borgu (in Nigeria) and French Borgu (in Benin Republic)"

Lord lugard and his ilk were just bad assess, Sango fire their grave!

Off Topic: BTW, check this link bro: http://members.optusnet.com.au/~rossjones12/pdfs/Borgu%20ethnic%20groups.PDF I'm particularly curious about page 4 and the stuff they wrote about the Fulbe(Fula), interesting indeed. Considering how much "power" they seem to wield in Nigeria, it ties in with the argument I often read about their relatively more modest influence in other parts of West Africa.

Sorry about the digression folks. carry on

@Violent. Exactly, those points you raised are the reasons why I'm worried and I suspect same for several people here.

If we don't fix those things we are not benefitting Zilch from these land deals.

violent:
No one can ever lay claim to being an authority on issues like this.  There will always be arguments and counter arguments, for every Lester Brown, there are several other renowned economists or investors who share opposing views.  In as much as i can't lay claim to ever coming an inch in measures of quality of experience when Lester Brown is mentioned, i work in an industry where i have constructive arguments with some of the best minds ever, and I am positive that i have gained an experience good enough for me to come up with my own ideas and stand by them.

and if this is regarding your initial statement, i realize i might have gone out of line by stating that you're wrong.

It's ok bro. At the end of the day we are all arguing for the same thing. A better deal and better Standards of living for our people. That is the goal really.

Now, for me, just as I concluded earlier on the thread, I'm more worried about our lack of coherent policies backed by well crafted systems. The system is the key. We have an archaic land use act in Nigeria. We need to fix these things and make sure that the onwnership of land and resources are well defined.

EX: if Mr. Chinaman approaches the Benue State Governor to seal a land deal that will displace the people of Oturkpo from their subsistence farm lands for 100 years while paying them peanuts to work the land.

1. Mr corrupt Governor can claim he provided jobs through farming.
2. He brought in foreign investment.
3. He can get the land back if Mr. Chinaman messes up

But

1. Are we sure that the job will provide any increase in standard of living?  ( think about fishing before Crude Oil in Niger delta, are they living better now?)

2. Can Mr. Chinaman/investor invest in technology and skill transfer if he already bribed Mr. Governor to seal the deal and still bribes him to sustain it? (remember the oil industry)

3. Can Mr. Chinaman be trusted to walk away quietly from a forceful seizure of land or can you trust him not to manipulate our unstrusctured corruption prone system to keep himself and his investments secure( think Shell, Chevron, remember the spies in our Oil Ministry according to wikileaks?)

4. Can a China or USA with their massive world geo-political influence be trusted to pursue altruistic endeavors when they can easily manipulate a corrupt weak system?

5. Can you trust these leaders to protect the interest of our people?

No sensible land ownership system, an oppressive land act which gave ownership to a corrupt  Government and pressure from Shylock investors is a recipe for more suffering. We've been down this road before several times

The issue is not about fear mongering or an aversion towards investment.

In a sane society with well crafted systems we can leverage these interests and benefit immensely from it, but I see no system in place and I see little pressure on our leaders to get one running. That is why I'm worried. Resources are scarce and our competitors are not dumb Mother Theresas.

If I'm China, Korea or USA I will do exactly what they are doing. It is not my fault that other folks are silly. So we need to work on fixing the stuffs above plus other issues, else we'll keep getting ra/pe/d royally. It is what it is.

violent:
and how do you know this?  

I will be glad to hear that you know more about this issue than Lester Brown. Google him bro.

violent:
I think you are a bit wrong here, you assume that these companies are investing in Agriculture to save the US economy once food becomes a scarce commodity- -----WRONG!!!!!!!!!

They invest to make money--simple and pure!. . .they don't give a fúck about America or if America is going to run short of food in the near future.  They are in it simply to make pure absolute returns.

The US economy is fledging, and on the verge of collapse, pension funds have since realized that investing in government bonds might no longer be as safe as they thought it might be, it will also be very dumb to invest in money instruments like t-bills because once the US starts printing out dollars, inflation is likely to wipe out any tangible gains to be made on t-bills.
This therefore mean that Pension funds will have to invest in asset classes that are less susceptible to the fledging US economy, and the only place you can find such asset classes is in Africa, as the African economy is less correlated with the economy of the rest of the world. 

Additionally, agricultural commodities have a long steady pay out rate which is actually a good thing for pension funds in a world where life expectancy has increased and an average person is likely to live longer and thus collect more money as pension.

Food scarcity is actually a good news for those invested in the funds. . . .what else could be?

There is nothing wrong with your analysis, except you are implying that the presence of one factor negates the other. Because investors are trying to acquire land and food resources so they can make money does not imply that they CANNOT or are not doing it for National food Security reasons too. Don't be quick to offer dismissals when your own analysis is supported largely by your own opinion.

My post is supported by the articles presented which includes the analysis of experts in the field. I specifically emphasized the interests of those Arab and South East Asians and not necessarily America so as to stress the issue of Food Security, scarcity population growth and drought as a central reason. It does not mean that profit and monetary gain is not a factor, there is no need for an absolute EITHER/OR analysis.

Read the links already provided and read this one too: http://m.npr.org/news/Politics/136394365

Those are experts speaking not conspiracy theorists. I doubt you know more about the issue than those folks.

So in summary, I'm not saying your idea is WRONG, I carefully worded my point, by starting with "while these companies want to make money"

Try to read more closely and be more patient before you reply, that's all I'm saying. These are serious issues, because you are right does not mean I'm wrong.

Fayemi is proving that his head is screwed on right. It's all about the people.

Unlike some other "Kill and Go" thuggish Governors who are experts at oppressing the opposition while their people wallow in abject poverty.

Omo Akin, Well done jare!

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=689028.msg8511859#msg8511859 date=1307984274]I'm not necessarily super concerned about selling of land. If you are able to sell it for a good price, then why not. But if you are like the:

1) Native Americans, who supposedly sold Manhattan to the white folk for the equivalent of $24
2) The French, who sold off the land from the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million at that time
3) Russians, who sold off Alaska for about $7 million (at that time)

then wahala dey  

So if you don't think you are good at estimating the value of your land (which seems to be the major issue here), then imo do short term leases.[/quote]Exactly, That is the point a lot of people are making.

Not just short-term leases, but turn them into dependent costumers (abi na consumers). The worry being expressed by some of us despite the fact that we need and desire investment is very genuine and well rooted in recent history.

If we have Visionary leaders, fewer people will worry about how this arrangement will pan out. But in an unstructured, poorly regulated system, It is very sensible to worry about these things and ask questions.

Katsumoto:
Hahaha Kilode,

The story is no doubt related to the Ekaladerhan/Oduduwa story. It is the same era (9th - 11th century) and bears all the hallmarks.

The similarities
1. Ekaladerhan was spared by his executioner, Odionmwan
2. Odionmwan killed a fowl rather than kill the young prince
3. Ekaladerhan was born by Imade, the Ogiso's secret concubine

Difference
1. He wasn't spared because he was handsome; he was spared because the executioners became aware that there was a plot by the Ogiso's most senior wife, Esagho, to twist the revelations of the oracle in other to have Ekaladerhan executed.

When Ekaladerhan left Ighodomigodo, he went to Ughoton, which was south of Benin. When he was sighted at Ughoton, he ran North-westwards until he arrived in a forest outside Ile-Ife. He actually called Ilefe which means successful escape in Benin. Ekaladerhan was a Benin prince and as such could not speak Yoruba when he left Benin. If he went Eastwards after escaping and arrived in Ugbodu and its environs, he certainly wouldn't have been the one to teach them Yoruba. I am wont to believe the tale that the people there were originally from Ondo rather than being descendants of Ekaladerhan. Unless you want to argue that Ekaladerhan went East of Benin after making contact with Yoruba people first. But that seems implausible because he would have to go through the Benin kingdom.

The similarities are quite strong. I also think an Owo/Ikale/Akoko(Ondo state) or Owan/Ovia(Edo State) link is plausible. I was also curious because I  know some Deltans (Non-Itshekiris) with pure Yoruba names and Ikale sounding dialects and I often wonder about how their language and name managed to survive the Edo influence so far away from "Yorubaland" areas.

Anyway, thanks. The wandering continues. Post more info if you have, I need more reasons to annex some small small  people when I finally launch my conquest.

Ishan is to East of Benin City, just after Uhunmwode.

Right. I was looking at it from the perspective of road travel through Owan to Esan. Yes you are right, it is slightly North-East of Benin geographically.

[quote author=ekt_bear link=topic=689028.msg8511291#msg8511291 date=1307979255]I've listened to a few talks from companies that invest in agric in Africa, and their ROI is usually around 25-30%. Good, but not rockstar (by African standards, at least.)

Think about it a bit. . . if agric was so profitable (relative to other opportunities available), then Nigerians and Africans would be doing it in large #s.

If you are some pension fund in say the US, 25 or 30% ROI is amazing.[/quote]While these companies want to make money, I think the central issue is more of a National Food security thing than just looking for new places to make more big money. I think they are seeking new places to gain control over food and water resources.

From what I've read and heard, Several countries are worried about a possible food scarcity in the near future due to massive world population growth and increasing number of "hungry" middle class income earners with extra cash to spend, especially in countries with diminishing access to arable lands in Asia and the Middle east.

So, I see this as an opportunity for us to learn from the past and make sure we gain from their speculation and fear.

There's nothing wrong with their investments, we should welcome it, But we need to be smart about it. Land ownership and the production of both raw and finished goods must be in our favour, else we repeat 1818 (Scramble for Africa) again, albeit in a more subtle way.

We need to welcome these people's money/investments and still find a way to make them dependent consumers and not outright owners. That is where the challenge and hard work would be for us and our leaders. Unfortunately we don't have a coherent land use or land ownership policy in Nigeria. Even our Green revolution/Agric policy is not revolutionary in anyway. It's also not export oriented at all.


BTW, When Americans (Hillary Clinton) start warning Africans about Asians and Arabs, especially when their own Hedge funds and Universities are doing the same thing(buying up land resources)? That should tell us we have no friends in this situation. they are simply competing

We better start playing both sides to suit our own purposes. Only if we have visionary leaders

@Katsumoto, have you read this personal account regarding the Olukumi people of Ugbodu by Banji Aluko, (I know he's not an expert) I'll like to know your thoughts, especially concerning the story in the bolded parts.

Now, I'm not surprised about the Lukumi Language story, I've heard several folks speak variants of these Yoruba-like languages especially those from old Yoruba-Bendel border communities. What I'm particularly interested in is the oral tale in bold.

Do you think it might be related in some way to the Ogiso-Ekaladerhan-Oduduwa story? especially this part;

"Ogiso gave birth to the heir apparent to the throne. After the woman gave birth to the child, a male, the nobles consulted the oracle and said that the oracle told them that the child should be killed for peace to reign in Benin Kingdom. At the end, the child was not killed as it was said that the child was too handsome to be killedso a fowl was killed in his place.”

According to Ochei, this was the reason the Ugbodu people left Benin. “They felt that if a crown prince could be ordered for execution just like that, they could do worse things to strangers in their midst. As a result, they left Benin and came to Ewohimi, an Ishan speaking community in Edo State. Due to intra-tribal wars, they later left the place to settle down here in Ugbodu which is a shortened form of Ugbodumila, which means bush saved me in English Language

Maybe Ekaladerhan went East to Ugbodu and not West to Ile-Ife, but Ishan is to the West of Benin, I think, so maybe they went west first. Anyway, your thoughs?

A Yoruba enclave in the heart of Igboland • Story of Ugbodu, others in Delta State
Written by Banji Aluko
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Oloza’s palace


Deep in the heart of the Igbo-speaking people in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State are Ugbodu and three other communities where Oluku mi, a derivative of Yoruba language, is the language of the people. BANJI ALUKO, who visited the communities, examines how close Oluku mi actually is to the Yoruba language and traces how the people came about the language.

HELLO, this writer said, while knocking at the door, and a young lady, emerging from the building, replied, ta ni yen? When the writer heard the reply, he taught it was a mere coincidence or that his ears were deceiving him. Of course, he had every reason to be surprised since he was not anywhere near the Yoruba enclave where such a reply can only be anticipated. After all, he was more than 100 kilometres away from the nearest Yoruba community; he was in Ugbodu, a town in Aniocha North Local government Area of Delta State.

While trying to decipher why the lady gave such a reply, what further followed put the writer in a more confused position. A girl of about five appeared and said, “mo fe ra biscuit.” Perhaps, the people are part of the Yoruba community living in the town, the writer guessed as he tried to find out from the lady.

“Are you a Yoruba woman; what is the meaning of ta ni yen?” The writer asked the questions at once. Reluctantly, she answered, “I am not Yoruba o, I am just speaking my language.” Apparently, she was not unaware of the similarity between her language and Yoruba language. The lady refused to entertain any further question about her language and asked him to go to the king’s palace or to the elders if he wanted to know more about the language.

At the palace, the elders still would not talk about the similarity between their language and Yoruba. They asked the writer to wait for the arrival of the king, who they said can only speak on the people, their language and their history.

The period of waiting for the king afforded one time to listen to the conversation and the discovery was nonetheless remarkable. Following closely the conversation between some elderly men and with a deep knowledge of Yoruba, one could establish a nexus between their speech and actions. In fact,  some words and expressions could be understood.

Following their conversation with rapt attention, expressions such as Gbemu wa—bring palm wine, me wa nani—I didn’t come yesterday, me ri e—I didn’t see you, mu beer oka wa—bring one beer etc could be heard, albeit with an intonation slightly different from that of the Yorubas.

Seeing the desire of this writer to follow their talk, one man finally volunteered to explain the similarity between their language and Yoruba. “I believe you are a Yoruba man,” he said. He continued: [b]“We are Oluku mi speakers but we speak a language that is very similar to Yoruba.” This he demonstrated by pointing out some words and expressions in their language (Oluku mi) which denote the same meanings as Yoruba.  

He gave some examples such as ita—pepper, ogede lila—plantain, ogede keke—banana; ku wu se—what are you doing; ule house; osa – market; oma—child; o dowuo—see you tomorrow, e bo—welcome. After explaining some similarities between the languages, he still refused to talk about how the people of Ugbodu, in the middle of other Igbo speaking neighbours, came about Oluku mi. Like others, he maintained that only the traditional ruler of the town can speak about how Oluku mi became their language.

But after waiting endlessly for the king, his brother, Prince Adebowale Ochei, who later arrived the scene, volunteered to speak on behalf of the king, H.R.M. Ayo Isinyemeze, the Oloza (Obi) of Ugbodu. According to him, history gave it that the Ugbodu Oluku mi speaking people migrated from Owo/Akure axis in the present Ondo State between 9th and 11th century AD to settle down in Benin during the reign of King Ogiso of Benin.

He continued: “At this period in the history of the Benin Kingdom, the most neglected of the wife of the Ogiso gave birth to the heir apparent to the throne. After the woman gave birth to the child, a male, the nobles consulted the oracle and said that the oracle told them that the child should be killed for peace to reign in Benin Kingdom. At the end, the child was not killed as it was said that the child was too handsome to be killed, so a fowl was killed in his place.”

According to Ochei, this was the reason the Ugbodu people left Benin. “They felt that if a crown prince could be ordered for execution just like that, they could do worse things to strangers in their midst. As a result, they left Benin and came to Ewohimi, an Ishan speaking community in Edo State. Due to intra-tribal wars, they later left the place to settle down here in Ugbodu which is a shortened form of Ugbodumila, which means bush saved me in English Language. ”

He further pointed out differences between Oluku mi and Yoruba. He said one notable difference is the changing of letter “j” in Yoruba words to “s” in Oluku mi as seen in words like oloja or oja which  are rendered as olosa or osa and joko as soko.

With the movement of the people was the consequent change in their language as shown in their names. According to records compiled by Prince Humphrey Ojeabu Ochei, the immediate Olihen of Ugbodu, the first six Olozas bore Yoruba names namely Adeola, Aderemi, Ariyo, Odofin, Adetunji and Oyetunde. These early kings bore typical Yoruba names years and decades after the establishment of the Ugbodu Kingdom.

As the people gradually lost contact with their kinsmen back home, they began to gravitate towards the Benin and Edo communities. The resulting acculturative process gradually led to the adoption of Edo names among the people. Hence names such as Ogbomon, Ozolua, Izebuwa, Ogbelaka, Izedonwen, Osakpolor, Esigie Igbinadolor, Osaloua, Osamewamen and Ebor emerged as Olozas.[/b]

Since Ugbodu is surrounded by the Igbo-speaking Aniomas, it did not take much time before the Igbo Language started to interfere greatly on the people’s language. Accordingly, Igbo influence steadily and progressively made what has now become permanent inroad and considerable impact on the socio-cultural life as well as linguistic orientation of the Ugbodu people. With this, the Edo influence began to wane, resulting in the adoption of Igbo names in preference to Edo names. Thus from the middle of the 19th century, the general shift was from Edo to Igbo names. This can be seen in the names of Olozas, who ruled between the middle of the 19th century and late 20th century such as Dike, Ochei, Ezenweani and Isinyemeze.

Investigations conducted revealed that Ugbodu is not the only community where Oluku mi is spoken in Aniocha North Local Government as the language is also spoken in Ukwu-Nzu (Eko Efun), Ubulubu and Ogodo.

At Ukwu-Nzu, only few kilometres away from Ugbodu, the language is not also different. Although, the people are less emphatic about their history, nonetheless, the similarity between their language and Yoruba is evident in their names and greetings. “Oju e ma won ke,” meaning your face is scarce in Yoruba, was what a man said to his friend he accosted on the road. When Sunday Tribune approached the man, who gave his name as Ayo Oke, he shed light on his language and provided more examples between Oluku mi and Yoruba Language.

He said that “instead of saying e kaabo, we say e bo, meaning welcome and wa ni we yi, meaning come here;” He also gave example of words which virtually have the same meanings as the Yoruba language. Some of these include obe—stew; oni—today; ola—tomorrow; otunla—next tomorrow etc.

Another elder in the town, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, said that the name of Ukwu-Nzu before the Igbo Language “infiltrated” their language was Eko Efun (efun means chalk in Yoruba Language). He also attributed the efun in the name of their town to the rich prescence of white chalk in the town which he said the community was richly blessed with.  

Presently, the biggest challenge for the people of Ugbodu and other Oluku mi-speaking communities is how to protect their language and culture in general. According to a native of Ugbodu, “the elders are more connected to the original Olukumi language than the youth. In fact, we have lost the real Oluku mi and what we have now is an Oluku mi that has been greatly altered by Igbo language. Most of the people who can really speak the language right now are the elders. Ordinarily, the real Oluku mi is like the Yoruba that is spoken in Owo in Ondo State. Someone from that place is expected to understand the language perfectly but right now someone from Owo might not be able to understand more than 50 per cent of our language. This language may die if care is not taken,” he said.

Another factor that also contributed to the decline of Olukumi, according to findings, is that there was a time in the past when an understanding of the Edo or Igbo language, was considered as a status symbol. According to an elder in the town, “An Oluku mi who spoke the two languages then was considered superior to others because it meant that he had travelled wide. This was the inferiority complex our people unwittingly created for themselves which we are trying to correct now.”

In protecting their language which is gradually being threatened, a revival process has been started. Part of this is that some of them now choose to give their children Oluku mi names and to sing and say prayers in Oluku mi. In some cases, some radical reformers and revivalists changed the names given to them by their parents from Igbo to Olukumi. The climax of the restoration process of their linguistic ethos and identity was the christening of the incumbent Oloza with an Olukumi name, Ayo.

Reacting to efforts aimed at protecting Oluku mi, Prince Adebowale said, “I am an Oluku mi man and I am proud of my language. I am not happy that Igbo language is interfering with our language. We are trying our best to correct the situation and part of that is what my brother (the Oloza) is doing by organising an Oluku mi reciting competition. We want to know the people who can speak the real Oluku mi without mixing it with Igbo or English.” As laudable as the task of protecting Oluku mi by the people of Ugbodu(mila) is, only time will tell how far they can go

~double post~

^^^ Ok, So the Nerds won it then. Im'ma need all those barbies to drop the drama and up their game, NERDs are taking over the world.

[quote author=isale_gan2 link=topic=590933.msg8507892#msg8507892 date=1307932711]Igbo Olodumare, by D.O. Fagunwa.

So, I'm reading this book. As I said, I previously read it when I was a pre-teen; don't remember much but a couple of weird characters in it.

I need to discuss it when I'm finished[/quote]. . . Looking forward to your discussions.

mukina2:
raggie sweerie

i loffs your e-dairy its noiice.

@kilode
Kilode? i dont bite

Really? Ok I guess OAM4J was wrong about you then, he said you eat Nairalanders for dinner.

^^ haha, "she" is a good choice.