₦airaland Forum

Abagworo: Good approach if real. This man seems out to right much of the wrongs done by the past failed administration of "Thiefer" Obi.

U have started again,abi?.
Stick to the subject of the thread pls

pazienza: Well, Oraifite accounts doesn't know what became of Isu,and so it was thought she was a lady that got married away. Good to know that Nnewi account have more details on Isu.

In Orafite, the Ezeani group are found in Unodu quarters.

Well,the descendants of those that returned are here,back at their ancestral homestead in Akaboukwu village here in Uruagu.It was said that. Eze Afuogu,founder of the current dynasty of Uruagu Obis was a grandson or great-grandson,at least a direct descendant of Ezeana Isu from his only daughter.So the Isus are effectively assimilated into the Nnewi mainstream

pazienza: Of course, i know that Mmaku according to Oraifite oral history, was the ancestor of the 3 Anaedo towns, in addition to a daughter named Isu.

I purposely left those details out.

Isu wasn't a daughter,according to Nnewi tradition.He was a son,the second son in (fact).
They were Nnewi,Isu,Ifite (or Oraifite) n Ichi in that order.To him was passed the priesthood of Ana,as he was known as Ezeana Isu in folklore.His descendants got dispersed all over (oso ochu or oso nwanadi) due to a murder or manslaughter in the family.A remnant did return n u can find them in Akaboukwu,Uruagu-Nnewi to this very day.Others were said to have gone on to found Isu quarters n towns in Anioma (Igbouzo n Ogwashi),Anambra n Imo today.Don't. know how true that part of the story is tho,so don't call me out on it.

Radoillo: It's been a while i read the book, but I still do remember bits of what I read. I am certain the book mentioned a central figure in Nnewi history who came from Ndoni and was the son of one Eze Agana. That figure was given a nickname, 'Ugili nwa onye Olu'. 'Nwa onye Olu' means someone from the riverain parts (Ndoni, Aboh are all Olu). What i'm not sure of now is the man's actual name. I think it was Mmaku, but it could have been Ezemewi.

If you have access to that book now, please check it out again. The book does contain an Ndoni angle. Of that i'm sure.

Not with the book now,but "Ugili nwa onye Olu" refers to an Alusi,probably Ezemewi first preeminent deity in Nnewi.

Radoillo: It would appear then that the Anaedo area had early contacts with the Ukwuani area. Because according to Nnewi traditions, there was a man from Ndoni (same general area as Aboh) who settled in Nnewi about the 16th c. I think his name was given as Mmaku. I don't now remember the details of that tradition, but I think Nnewi traces its monarchy from him. Its been a while I read about it.

The tradition and many other details about Nnewi history and culture can be found in John Alutu's book "Groundwork of Nnewi History". An excellent book. I found copies years ago at the College of Health Sciences Library in Okofia, Otolo-Nnewi.

Coming across/hearing of that Ndoni angle for the first time.And yes,I've read Alutu's book several times (we have several copies,my grandpa was one of those he interviewed for the book).
Yes,Mmaku migrated here from some place,but our elders always believed it's northerly.
Btw,he didn't just introduce the monarchy here,he's our founder n ancestor.The 3 Anaedo towns

Jesus!
Who doesn't know St.Charles n the crowd that flocks there every Sunday?.
Now,I'm convinced we need to separate a bit.
Jonathan,dust up that Aburi document sharp sharp

christemmbassey: we are looking for comedians @carnival Calabar2014, u'i make plenty money if u apply.

Like seriously,the guy is an awesome contortionist.
@OP,there's no obligation to tithe for a true Christian but if u want an effective utilization of that which u purpose in your heart to give,the best place is Charity.
"Whatsoever you do to these,the least of my brothers,that you do unto me"

tonychristopher: Nice history but there are snags here as a man from Amichi Nnewi south there is no leadership position of Nnewi amongst us Igbo most Igbo towns are independent and come together for diplomatic and administrative position . Yes in terms of relationship with Aros we have it....like my own part of amichi comes from ndiogbuonyeoma ndi Izuogu. But another notion I found appealing is giving indegines of ontisha migrant status. Yes we might have some migrants from Benin but let us be careful here. We have natives that absorbed these migrants and Onitsha history is clear on that .

That's a good write up but fee diatortion. We have boundary with otolo

The thread is about Nnewi,not Nnewi n its satellite towns else one would have delved into the history,traditions n institutions specific to Ichi n Oraifite,our brothers.
Amichi,as a town,has its own history separate from that of Nnewi.That it came under Nnewi's influence at some point doesn't change that.
And yes,there's no single Aro settlement in any of Nnewi's four quarters till this day.

Lots of 1diots on nairaland these days,I swear.Thought they only infest the politics section,now they are here.Sad

ZUBY77: I m not interested in this childish sentimental argument.

Awka as it is now is larger than Nnewi.

In your wildest dream,bro.i have kin from there who just left here this morn,if u must know.Not here for a mercedes-measuring contest tho,this thread is about Nnewi history,its structure and institutions.Let's stick to that

Was waiting on poster to post his link before countering most of the inaccuracies already noticed in his post,but........ Ichi town is in Ekwusigo LGA not Nnewi North from whence they were carved out along with Oraifite.
Nnewi,Isu,Oraifite n Ichi are reckoned to be sons of same parents,Ikenga and Nmaku,some history versions reckon the man's name to be Nmaku n is silent on the wife's name.Ikenga n Nmaku,according to Oral history,were the original founders of the settlement later known as Nnewi,from whence Ichi n Oraifite dispersed to found their own holdings.Isu's sons/grandsons/descendant were said to have gone on ritual exile due to a murder/manslaughter in the family from whence only a part returned n were absorbed in what is Uruagu today.Others were said to have settled in such places as Igbouzo,Ogwashi n other parts of Anambra n Imo states today (don't know how true that part of the story is)
Also note,Nnewi never had an Obi Nnewi.What we've always had are the four Obis of Otolo,Uruagu,Umudim n Nnewi-ichi of which the Obi Otolo is primus hence Igwe Nnewi.The titles of Obi Otolo n Igwe Nnewi go hand in hand,they cannot be separated.
Again,the four quarters are not villages,but communities that can stand alone in themselves but being of same ancestry remain one community.
Each quarter is made up of several villages,each village in turn made up of several Umunnas.Yes,the lead family in each umunna holds the obi of such umunna while the lead family of the lead umunna provides the obi of the village.
The assembly of the obis of a quarter's villages,along with certain title-holders constitute the Ime-Obi of such quarter,with the quarter Obi presiding.
The four Obis,along with certain Nnewi-wide titleholders make up the Igwe-in-Council.
All traditional posts are hereditary.
The highest decision-making/legislative body is Nzuko-Ora Nnewi,an assemblage of adult males,elders,priests n titleholders.
It can be said that Nnewi has been running a federal structure centuries before Nigeria ever thought of it.

Idiat!
The man is a fmr Head of State n C-in-C,he's entitled to such for the rest of his natural life.
Get some brain

Seven days for the committee to do its work when the Constitution said three months?.They have lost already

CharlesPhc: Is the President of the Customary Court the valid Judiciary Officer to administer the Oath of Office in the absence of a CJ? Just asking...!!!

Was about asking same question.The Constitution says it must be the CJ or Acting CJ,this alone is enough to invalidate the process

EMMA BC: I'm sure u are neither frm Ihiala nor Aguata. This proposal for Njaba was made way back during OBJ first tenure and was accepted by Anambra and Imo. By proximity Ihiala is closer to Orlu than Awka. They belong to Orlu catholic diocese. Would u then deny them freedom of association? No.

Only Uli n one other small community,who's name I forget now,are in Orlu Catholic diocese.Ihiala,Okija,Ihembosi n co are all in Nnewi Catholic diocese.Carry this ur Njaba nonsense elsewhere pls.No Anambra community is going with u.

waternogetenemy: Nwanne apologises. Anioma is a good state and i am not against it, but will it be viable as a trading post as opposed to present oil state status?

Anioma has lots of oil n gas already being mined.U guys ought to get well informed before u comment

maestroferddi: I will advise you to do some basic research instead of defaulting to objectionable invectives. In any case, Nnewi was not included in the Njaba State propositions but instead the Ihiala axis of southern Anambra.

You've shifted from Anambra south to only Ihiala now?.Dude,have done with this.No part of Anambra state is going with ur Anim,or is it Njaba?.Work for ur Orlu state.If u get it,good for u.Leave us out of it

maestroferddi: Well, I am sure you do not know better than the leaders of Southern Anambra who know what they, their people and the area stand to gain by allowing development and recognition get to their doorsteps. Rather than remain beasts of no nations, don't you think that Ihiala and Orlu peoples need to re-establish the cultural and linguistic affinities they had in the defunct East Central State prior to the Anambra and Imo states arrangements? Is Ihiala axis not the most neglected part of the present Anambra State? Orlu's case is somewhat similar in Imo State but is somehow tempered by her human resource endowment; a case of present day Israel that is heavily supported by her privileged sons both at home and in the diaspora.

Dude,get off that thing u are smoking.What leaders are u talking about?.Mbadinuju is not even reckoned with in his hometown,Uli not to talk of the whole Anambra south of which Nnewi is the headquarters.
Btw,where did u get that stite that development n recognition eludes Anambra south?
Ihiala neglected by who?.
I am in Anambra now,where are u pulling such nonsense from?

maestroferddi: Are we talking something serious here or doing some Onitsha/Ochanja market level analysis? How can any discerning South Easterner in present day Nigeria be pooh-poohing something as fundamental as the much sought-for additional state for the zone? Just imagine potential allocations amounting to over a trillion naira which the zone would have received if it were allotted six states like other zones during the last state creation exercise. When you then factor in political considerations like legislative allocations and entitlements, local governments, federal character entitlements and most importantly physical and infrastructural developments that could have since been in place, then you can now see the essence of the clamour. Let's folks be objective in all these ill-advised excitement and complacency. This is 2014.

He was responding to "suggestions" of carving out southern Anambra to join Orlu zone in the so-called Anim state.We don't support that at all,create whatever u want somewhere else but leave our Anambra as is.This is coming from a son of Anaedo,Uruagu-Nnewi to be precise.

egift: I always say that Ndigbo need to be more into bargaining for their benefits in Nigeria instead of following a Zoologist as if our lives depend on it. Out of that 19, I don't think Ndigbo will even get up to 3. After all my people went there asking for one

Actually,from the report,Igbos get 5 out of 19.6,if u add Orachi from present Rivers state.We have Aba,Adada,Etiti,Njaba-Anim n Anioma already approved with a yet-to-be-named state created first to bring the SE to parity with other regions.Of all proposed Igbo states listed,I support only Anioma tho.I'll rather we go along with present Ohaneze delineated territories of Abia,Anambra,Anioma,Ebonyi,Enugwu,Imo and Rivers state.
As to the other recommendations from the conference,I say it's all bullsh*t.How can u recommend rotation of presidency on geo-political basis,yet ban geo-political zones/regions as functional federating units?.Recommend merger of states,but ban the merged state from being a region?

“While internet warriors castigated Fayose
and patrons of his rice, the man pushed on.
He knew what the people wanted”
“I’m all in favour of the democratic principle
that one idiot is as good as one genius, but I
draw the line when someone takes the next
step and concludes that two idiots are better
than one genius.”
- Leo Szilard
It is not only justice that is an ass. Democratic
election is another unpredictable ass. As the
result of the Saturday governorship election in
Ekiti State trickled in, heralding, with it
imminent victory of ex-governor Ayo Fayose,
my mind went back to the words of Szilard
quoted above. Any passable observer of the
Nigerian political space and the media
reportage of campaigns in the build-up to the
Ekiti election may find the result hard to
believe. The “geniuses” analysing the chances
of the frontline contenders – Peoples
Democratic Party’s Ayo Fayose and Dr. Kayode
Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress, barely
gave any chance to Fayose. The race was for
Fayemi to win.
For one, Fayemi had the highest advantage in
politics, more so in politics Nigeriana – the
incumbency. Secondly, Fayemi’s APC is
hitherto perceived to have absolute control of
the South West geopolitical zone, save for
Ondo State. On his own merit, Fayemi is a
model politician, at least to many educated
young Nigerians beyond Ekiti State. A political
scientist turned practitioner, someone with
grandeur vision of development for his people,
owing to his vast experience in international
development. It is therefore for sound reasons
that even among the APC governors, Fayemi is
one of the most revered by his party’
sympathisers. So many admirers have been
tipping him to a presidential running mate to
anyone APC presents from the North.
Fortunately or not, the Saturday voting was
not done by the ipad-clutching social media
crusaders for whom Fayemi is an exceptional
hero. The result once again showed that
internet popularity or acceptability among
educated elite is something akin to a
Potemkin’s village, when it comes the polls.
The core is not as promising as the facade. The
guy with influence on Facebook or Twitter may
not have a voter’s card, after all. It is the
“idiots” with votes that decide. It was therefore
only democratic for Fayose’s two hundred
thousands “idiots” to trump the “geniuses”
going after an intellectual of a politician. It
was as simple as that. My friends from Ekiti
reported that Fayose who is dismissed in
“serious circles” like the social and mainstream
media, had his own covenant with the people.
Rice or no rice, Fayose is severally described
as the man who understood the local tunes,
and mastered the dance steps. A grassroots
politician who knows where it itches the
people and how to scratch it.
Political choice is purely a sentimental
exercise. And the fact that it is a rule of the
majority means the larger group can always
pick for everybody leadership that is not
necessarily the best. In any case, visionary
leaders in history are often unpopular. It is
usually a matter of choice between going with
the people to satisfy their parochial desires or
taking a radical divergent route at great
personal risk. A story from Ekiti perfectly
demonstrates this. At a town hall meeting
sometime in 2012 , a puzzled Governor Fayemi
was confronted by a man who,by way of asking
question, told the governor; “We have seen
physical infrastructure, but when can we have
stomach infrastructure. We are hungry o!”.
There was applause from the audience. That
one commentator captured the psyche of the
people and what we saw happening in the run
off to the election explains it further. The
picture of people queuing up to collect midget
bags of rice with PDP’s logo emblazoned on it
went viral on the internet. While the internet
warriors made jest of Fayose and patrons of
his rice, the man pushed on. He knew what the
people wanted.
The Ekiti result came with plethora of lessons
in poli-tricks, the rudimentary tricks of the
game of number. It also underlined some fault
lines and disconnects or what I may term clash
of perceptions between the leaders and the
led. In many instances, there have been such
clashes between how the leader felt public
resources should be expended and the view of
the people. This is more pronounced in
constituencies where a predecessor had set a
precedence of throwing money at peopled
white elephant projects at the expense of real
developmental projects. Some governors, for
example, are unpopular today not because
they are not doing their best in utilising their
states’ income but because they don’t
“empower” or “help” people. Now, this should
be a cud for political strategists and scholars
to masticate.
Another great lesson from the Ekiti polls is for
the APC to meditate; rethink, and restrategise.
The election, by all Nigerian standard, was free
and fair. If it wasn’t to any extent, the loud
voice of APC would not go missing. Now, if the
APC, which balks in the hope of taking over
the Federal Government just some eight month
from now, will so badly lose in its stronghold,
what lies ahead for the party? The fall of Ekiti,
for me, teaches the APC that counting on an
opponent’s perceived unpopularity or weakness
is not a guarantee of winning over him. You
have to bring something to the table. Weakness
doesn’t necessarily bring down just anybody,
you have to push him down. If APC thinks it
would just win on a platter, this is a bitter
lesson.

http://m.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/163473-ekiti-election-poll-assopinionated-abdulaziz-abdulaziz.html

The People Voted Their Stomach -Blues For
An Arrested Renaissance
By Prof Niyi Osundare
A-RICE, oh compatriots
Your stomach’s call obey
Say, A-RICE, oh compatriots
Your stomach’s call obey
Hold out your bowls for the golden grains
Pawn your pride without delay
Grab your bribe and dance in the street
To the Riceman’s drum and venal command
Yes, grab your bribe and dance in the streets
To the Riceman’s drum and venal command
Bend your back for his heavy ride
Your golden rice is your sole demand
The Riceman is here, your lord and saviour
Pawn your vote for his golden gift
Say, the Riceman is here, your lord and
saviour
Pawn your vote for his golden gift
Eat your rice and belch like a bull
And give your guts the forgetful lift
The passage down the gullet
Is the fastest road to heaven
Yes, the passage down the gullet
Is the fastest road to heaven
To those held hostage by their shameless
guts
There is no nirvana like the seething toilet
The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture
II
The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture
Cunning Riceman with bags
Full of tricks and daggers
Say, cunning Riceman with bags
Full of tricks and daggers
His first coming left us all
In ashes and fluttering rags
Brazen murders, strange disappearances:
His hands drip with unexpiated crimes
Yes, brazen murders, strange disappearances
His hands drip with unexpiated crimes
But he has an arsenal of cash and rice
Both so vital in these degenerate times
Rabble-rousing, clowning, scheming
Frightful intimations of Idi Amin’s pedigree
Yes, rabble-rousing, clowning, scheming
Frightful intimations of Idi Amin’s pedigree
Yesterday’s fruits still stir the leaves
On History’s bewildering tree
Here, once again,
The wild histrionics of a deadly actor
Say, here, once, again,
The wild histrionics of a deadly actor
Mindless applause from a captive audience
Chloroformed puppets of a wily victor
III
They sold their birth right
For a kongo* of rice
Alas, they sold their birth right
For a kongo of rice
This mindless commerce
Will come at a heavy price
Erstwhile Knowledge Fountain
Overgrown with Ignorance’s malignant weeds
Alas, erstwhile Knowledge Fountain
Overgrown with Ignorance’s malignant weeds
The Book, once robust, resurgent,
Has been voted out of our daily needs
They sold us a lemon; we emptied
Our bank of virtues to pay the price
Alas, they sold us a lemon; we emptied
Our bank of virtues to pay the price
The will powerful guns could not subdue
Now lies suborned by a spoonful of rice
Poverty so desperate, so demeaning,
It consumed our pride, our primal worth
Yes, Poverty, so desperate, so demeaning,
It consumed our pride, our primal worth
The pride we once extolled is vanishing fast
From the face of our stunned, corrupted
earth
The people voted their stomach
And the dunghill usurped their future
Alas, the people voted their stomach
The dunghill embraced their future
The wounds from this blind affair
Defy the magic of the cleverest suture
*Kongo: a small tin, plastic, or calabash
container used for measuring peas and
grains in market sales.
IV
Too good for us, far too advanced
The reigning King is too high above our rot
Say, too good for us, far too advanced
The reigning King is too high above our rot
Too much bound to Excellence and Honour
And a public garment without a blot
He expends state funds on the road to the
Future
He never paves the way to our bottomless
stomach
Yes, he expends state funds on the road to
the Future
He never paves the way to our bottomless
stomach
Whoever doesn’t know in the eating world
That the gut is a grand, demanding monarch
We asked for rice, he gave us Reason
We asked for booty, he gave us the Book
Say, we asked for rice, he gave Reason
We asked for booty, he gave us a book
So we trooped all out to cast our lot
For the side of the dark and loaded crook
The Damaged Good has riced its way
To the top of the brand
Alas, the Damaged Good has riced its way
Right to the top of the brand
Our feet stand askew
On our dark and traitored land
Come again soon, oh brief Renaissance
This interlude forebodes a trembling twilight
I say, come again, brief Renaissance
This interlude forebodes a trembling twilight
Sow rainbow stars in our darkening sky
Divine another Dawn, new and bright

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152773867438488&id=119586108487&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6031041916988942379%3Amf_story_key.4384104506281101052