₦airaland Forum

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
Do you know how to read ? How does main language become recognized aka official language? Can someone say Chinese or Russian is a recognized language in the USA?
Furthermore I find funny that it is the only link you could come with an unofficial report? Like seriously the fact you can not even give me the number of Igbo in EG or their percentage yet you want to say Igbo is recognized in a 90% fang country ? Lmfao
The only way to know if a language is recognized is through the constitution of the country , provide the constitution and shame me or forever remains quiet ...lol @ Igbo being recognized in EG as in ? Are state documents, announcements, etc written or gave in Igbo ? Na was oooo

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
igbo is not officially recognized nowhere , go and recognize in your enclaves first ...the only official and recognized languages are Spanish french and fang .period a simple look at the EG constitution can put an end to this speculation ...

bigfrancis21:
I think you are the one with the reading problem here. No where did I ever say Igbo was an 'official' language. There's a difference between official and recognized. By recognized, it means the federal government acknowledges the presence of the spoken language in that country. And 'recognized' was what I said. And yes, Igbo language is a recognized language in Equatorial guinea. Is that too hard for you to comprehend?

You call a United Nations report unofficial? How unreasonable could you get?

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
igbo is not officially recognized nowhere , go and recognize in your enclaves first ...the only official and recognized languages are Spanish french and fang .period a simple look at the EG constitution can put an end to this speculation ...

World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Equatorial Guinea : Overview
Publisher Minority Rights Group International
Publication Date 20 May 2008
Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Equatorial Guinea : Overview, 20 May 2008, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce2a2.html [accessed 9 January 2015]
Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Updated on 20 May 2008

Environment
Named for its location near the equator, continental Equatorial Guinea, called Río Muni, lies on the Atlantic coast, bordering Gabon in the south and east and Cameroon in the north. The country also has several islands in the Gulf of Guinea, the largest of which is Bioko, where the capital is located. It lies about 40km off the coast of Cameroon. In the 1990s large oil and gas reserves were discovered Equatorial Guinea's territorial waters off Bioko.

Peoples
Main languages: Fang, Bubi, Ibo, Pidgin English, Spanish (official), French (official)

Main religions: syncretic Christianity

Main minority groups: Bubi 40,000 (est., 3.5-7.4%), Annobon Islanders 2,500 (est., 0.2-0.5%);

The figures here are based on Bubi, Ethnologue, 1995, and Annobon Islanders, Ethnologue 1999. There is no reliable estimate for population in Equatorial Guinea. The total population is thought to be anything between 540,000 (CIA factbook) and 1,138,000. (Government census)

The Fang ethnic group (see Cameroon, Gabon) make up 80 to 90 per cent of the population of Equatorial Guinea, chiefly in the mainland province of Río Muni (Mbini). The group divides itself into over 60 clans. Important minorities include: Fang not belonging to the privileged clan; Ndowe, a small group based on the mainland coast where contact with foreign traders goes back a century or more; Africans, holdovers from the tens of thousands (mainly Nigerian labourers) forced out in the 1970s; Fernandinos and land-owning and better-educated Creole people found mainly on the island of Bioko and targets of Nguema repression; and Bubi and Annobon peoples.

The approximately 2,500 people of the small island of Annobon, 670 kilometres south of Bioko, exist in great isolation, having no link with the outside world besides the twice-yearly visit of a supply vessel. Medical care is poor and schooling nonexistent. In 1993, security force violence against civilians, and the banning of aid flights, created extreme distress. An early 1994 report by a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights singled out Annobon Islanders, together with the Bubi, as victims of ethnic discrimination.

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
How is the recognition manifested then ?

You are contradicting yourself being recognized mean it is part of the official languages.

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
igbo is not officially recognized nowhere , go and recognize in your enclaves first ...the only official and recognized languages are Spanish french and fang .period a simple look at the EG constitution can put an end to this speculation ...

bigfrancis21:
I think you have an English problem. Do work on your English comprehension skills.

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
How is the recognition manifested then ?

You are contradicting yourself being recognized mean it is part of the official languages.

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
Enough with the lie ....I'm a camerooni and my ethnic is spread across the whole region in fact my ethnic group constitutes the majority in Equatorial guinea ....over 80% what's even the percentage of igbos in EG? What did they do or achieve to have their language recognized by the govt ? There are more Igbo up to millions in both Nigeria and Cameroon and it is where their number is insignificant that the Igbo language is recognized. Provide the EG constitution or shut up cause you are spewin hearseay.

bigfrancis21:
There's a difference between recognized and official languages. An official language is a language used for all official government settings and purposes, spoken in offices, used as the language of teaching and information dissemination, e.t.c. On the other hand, a recognized language is a spoken language in the country, not accorded official status, but spoken by a significant percentage of the country's population, with enough speakers of the language for the language to be recognized. In Nigeria for example, English is the official language and Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa are recognized languages.

I think your confusion starts with not knowing the basic difference between 'recognized' and 'official' languages.

bigfrancis21:
Finally, you are the one dragging on an empty argument. If you read the website properly, Spanish and French were tagged official in brackets, indicating their official status in the country while listing out other languages recognized by the government of Equatorial Guinea.

tonychristopher:
Look at an ordinary Cameroon man talking ..do you think this is unripe plantain we are talking here ..go meet Ur french masters to spoon feed you

tonychristopher:
Education is wasted on you..the money used for educating you would have been used to buy hays for cows in the grazing fields

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
Yawns ...is that why are selling spare parts here?

CAMNEWTON4PRES:
empty head

Probably another biafrais who benefited of the generosity , kindness of Cameroonian ....dummy blame your parents for not raising you well while you were in cameroon ..confused lots

tonychristopher:
Look at an ordinary Cameroon man talking ..do you think this is unripe plantain we are talking here ..go meet Ur french masters to spoon feed you

onila:

tonychristopher:
Just gave that baboon eating unripe plantain eating mongrel my mind

Does he know Igbo

The only African tribe the white respect ...
A Cameroonian.. can you imagine that ..talking

Hmmmmm

januzaj:
Y are Yoruba ruling Lagos cuz its no man's land according to igbo?
ans:-well....uhm...well...uhm....uhm

Chiwude:
I was going through the archives of the evergreen Nigeria Village Square and I saw an interesting post that tried as much as possible to clear some false misconception about the Igbos.
Tighten your seat belt and read through.

Source: Denker

In this piece, I intend to focus on the Igbo as a people. The Igbo, their culture, civilization, and their contributions to world greatness, are, perhaps, among the most little understood, taught, publicized and recognized of all human knowledge. What is sometimes upsetting is the little the Igbo themselves, including their educated sons and daughters know about themselves. Or, more bafflingly, how the educated Igbo parrot, and hold fast, without taking a second look at the false information about the Igbo, which they heard or read from scantily informed or biased sources, foreigners and natives, and, of course, the ever busy Igbo detractors.

I decided to write this article after the now familiar surprise look I get from many an educated Igbo when I begin to discuss Igbo factoids and misrepresentations. What embarrasses most of them is that certain incontrovertible, and some would say, elementary facts about the Igbo, which were always self evident, now suddenly hits them like a thunderbolt and it becomes crystal clear to them that their previous beliefs which they parroted were false. Here are a few facts in question and answers:


Question: Is Southeast and Igboland the same thing?


Answer: Not at all. Southeast is only about 3/5th of Igboland. Igboland covers the whole of Southeast, parts of Rivers, Delta, Benue, and Akwa Ibom states.


Question: Why were we taught in school that Igbo people are easterners?


Answer: It is both an unfortunate parroting by teachers and careless adoption by Igbo educated class. Igbo people come from Southern Nigeria and not Eastern Nigeria. It may be correct to say that the Igbo are found predominantly in eastern Nigeria. However, by saying that the Igbo are easterners, the implication is that the Igbo in western Nigeria, numbering about 2.5 million (Agbor, Ogwashi Ukwu, Ibuzo, Okpanam, Asaba, Orimili, Ndokwa, Anioma, etc) are not Igbos. The best known Igbo anthropologist Professor Mike Onwuejeogwu is from the western part of Nigeria, Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Dennis Osadebe, Okonkwo Adibe (the famous musician), Sony Odogwu, etc. are all from the western part of Nigeria. They are no less Igbo than those who live in the eastern part of Nigeria. The correct answer to your question is "the Igbo come from Southern Nigeria."


Question: Why do some Igbo refer to themselves as "core Igbo?"


Answer: That is clearly arrant nonsense. Nobody is core and others peripheral. All Igbo are the same. It is both arrogant, thoughtless and insensitive for anybody to regard others as marginal.


Question: Is Igboland landlocked?


Answer: Not at all. Igboland stretches from Igwe Ocha (Port Harcourt) to Agbor. The Atlantic ocean washes the shores of Igboland. Africa's second largest river - River Niger, traverses Igboland with one part of Igboland in the east and another part in the west of Nigeria. Uguta Lake has the potential of accommodating large ships and could be made a navigable port. If Igboland is landlocked, then all Nigeria is landlocked.


Question: Is there oil in Igboland?


Answer: Yes, indeed. There is a lot of oil in Imo State, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers State and Delta States Igbo areas, and now in Anambra. Besides, Igboland has many other natural resources, including coal, limestone, etc.


Question: Are the Igbo a nation or a tribe?


Answer: The Igbo are a nation, and a very large one. There are many tribes in Igbo nation, just like you have many tribes within Israel.


Question: Why do some Ikwerre people say they are not Igbo?


Answer: First, it is not up to them to say what they are and what they are not. When God created them, He did not ask them who they wanted to be. He just created them Igbo. The only way you'll know who belongs to what ethnic group in Nigeria is the name and what language the name comes from. Anybody whose name is Amadi or Onyeri, or Eke, or Odili, Wanodi (Nwanodi) does not need to tell you who he is. He is Igbo, his politics notwithstanding.


Question: But they claim that their language is Ikwerre, not Igbo.


Answer: That is politics. Ikwerre is a dialect of Igbo language. Just like an Ngwa man speaks Ngwa Igbo, Arochukwu speaks Arochukwu Igbo, etc.


Question: Some people say that Igbo language is not complete, is it true?


Answer: No language is complete. All languages borrow from each other. Igbo language is very rich. It has inexhaustible and rich linguistic features like idioms, proverbs, aphorisms, sayings, anecdotes, riddles, folklores, etc. Igbo language is one of the major languages of the world, being spoken by millions of people.


Question: How many are the Igbo?


Answer: The Igbo are very numerous. There is educated guess that if Nigeria's census is properly enumerated, the Igbo could easily be the largest ethnic group in the country. They may number up to 40 million. Everything right now, is speculation. Nobody knows the true stratification or ethnic populations in Nigeria. The Igbo are the only ethnic group found in large numbers everywhere in Nigeria, and foreign countries more than any other ethnic group in Africa.


Question: Do the Igbo have a culture of their own?


Answer: Yes, indeed. Igbo culture is perhaps, one of the richest and all-encompassing cultures in this world. Igbo culture always observes the temporal and the spiritual aspects of cosmology. The study of Igbo culture reveals that it is extremely deep and original.


Question: Why do the Igbo wear Yoruba Agbada and Hausa babban riga but the Yoruba and the Hausa do not ever wear Igbo national dress?


Answer: Unfortunately this is the case. The Igbo have very attractive and resplendent national dresses. And they come in assortments that are extremely dignifying. The Igbo take up foreign cultures more readily than other Nigerians, and they seem not to care that nobody reciprocates their carefree attitude to life. Most ethnics promote their cultures and show off what makes them unique. Actually, it is still the same so-called educated Igbo class who behave in such disgraceful and the devil-may-care attitude.


Question: Why do the Igbo call themselves Biafrans?


Answer: Great question. Some people have the idea that Biafra originates from the Bight of Biafra. But that is wrong. There was the Kingdom of Biafra that ruled most of the ancient world about 50,000 years ago. Unfortunately, nobody talks about it, for whatever reason, I do not know. But, it is in the ancient maps of the world. If you wish I'll make a copy and send to you.


Question: Were the Igbo also taken into slavery during the slave trade?


Answer: Yes. The Igbo slaves themselves gave account of their travails in slavery. Olauda Ekwuano an Igbo ex-slave who bought his freedom in Britain was the first slave to write about his experience in slavery. His book has become a classic. You ought to find it and read it. Also, other Igbos who were brought to America revolted and some walked back on water and were said to have returned to Africa. Several books have been written about them. One of such books is "Ibo Landing." It is available in bookstores like Barnes & Noble. In Haiti, the Igbo settled there and refused to be colonized by anybody. There are many places where the Igbo left their mark or their signature.


Question: How did the Igbo know days and years?


Answer: The Igbo invented an accurate, if not the most accurate calendar called "Iguafo Igbo (Igbo Calendar)." In Igbo calendar, there are four market days - Eke, Afor, Nkwo, Orie that make one week. Four days make one week, seven weeks make one month, and thirteen months make one year. There are 28 days for each month, with the last month having 29 days. Each month starts the same day as the previous. Igbo calendar forms the perfect astronomical alignment with the cosmos, and regulates the seasons, agriculture, navigation, astrology, geography, mathematics, travel, etc.


Question: Did the Igbo have their own alphabets?


Answer: Yes, indeed. It is called "Nsibidi."


Question: How about mathematics; did the Igbo know mathematics?


Answer: Yes, indeed. There are such inventions as "Okwe" and "Mkpisi" which the Igbo used to resolve figures.


Question: Did the Igbo know anything about banking?


Answer: Yes. Igbo banking was more in the nature of Savings and Loans. The authentic Igbo savings and loans invention called "Isusu' in which contributions are pooled each week and one person, who has the need, collects, is still in practice. Igbo slaves took this invention to the Caribbean Islands where they still practise it and call it "Sue Sue."


Question: Some people say that Igboland is too small for the Igbo, that they have no alternative than to live as Nigerians: is this true?


Answer: False. Igboland is a large country. Do every Igbo need to stay and work in Igboland? No. Everywhere in the world, some will stay home while others venture abroad in search of opportunities. Igboland is large enough for the Igbo. And it is a very rich and hospitable part of the world. It has rich soil for agriculture, abundant rainfall, good sunshine, and table land in many parts. Its land space and population are more than that of over half of the present countries in the world.


Question: Where did the Igbo come from?


Answer: That question is still being asked. There are very intriguing theories or histories now being studied. You may have heard of the Jewish angle, the Egypt angle, and the Origin of man angle. This twenty-first century, hopefully, will resolve the mystery.


Question: Why do people say that the Igbo are not united?


Answer: Those who say so, do so out of ignorance. The Igbo are famous for their unity. In the colonial period and the First Republic of Nigeria, the Igbo were always envied for their unity. Under Igbo Union, they accomplished many things. They were feared by others for this. Since after the war, the Igbo are gradually recovering and getting rid of the individualism they developed brought about by their war experience which enabled them to survive as a disinherited people. Now, there are vigorous efforts to reunite them and return them to their old glory which served them well in the past.


Question: Some people say that the Igbo are susceptible to being bought by some other Nigerians, and that they "sell" the Igbo in the bargain; is this true?


Answer: The same parroting and recycling of unfounded talk. When you hear such a talk, challenge the one who is mouthing it to give you evidence, or to cite an example of such an Igbo person. He is likely to say "what of Jim Nwobodo?" Tell him that the Igbo number about 40 million, if it would be fair for the action of one person to represent the integrity of the other 3.99.9 million. The truth is that an Igbo is like any other human being, when he sees where he can take advantage of a situation, he goes for it. It has nothing to do with "selling." Were we not told that fish clusters where the river was deepest or that the dog follows he who has crumbs? Not long ago in the history of Nigeria, other Nigerians were also running after the Igbo for crumbs because the Igbo were in position to call the shots. Things will not remain as they are today. In fact, things are changing fast.


Question: Why are other Nigerians always persecuting the Igbo?


Answer: I have always tried to know myself. I am one of those who believe that the Igbo are among the most peaceful people on earth. But, because of the fact that they are very hardworking, ambitious, and not afraid to live anywhere, or take up any task, they tend to be resented by their less ambitious and successful neighbors or hosts. When you confront a non-Igbo to say what specific offense the Igbo have committed against them, oftentimes they draw blank, or engage in fabrications, which they insist must stand for a fact. The Igbo believe in live-and-let-live. It is virtually impossible for any Igbo to rise against their guests or hosts. It has never happened in Nigeria, or elsewhere. It is an abomination in Igboland for a host to cause his guest harm. Instead, a guest is considered metaphysically and physically under the protection of the host. All Igbo deities forbid doing harm to a guest. The Igbo are accused of "loving money." I suppose the charge is based on the fact that they work hard and acquire money in the bargain. One would like to believe that the outcome of hardwork is good harvest and hopefully prosperity. If anybody takes offense at the prosperity of a hardworking person, then the Igbo or for that matter any other person or persons, have no apologies to render.


Question: Do the Igbo have their own system of jurisprudence before the arrival of the white man?


Answer: Yes. The Igbo had a system of resolving conflicts. The elders were presented with cases that could not be satisfactorily settled within the family or kindred. Matters where veracity must be ascertained, the Igbo resort to spirituality. Oath-taking is a matter left to the spirits to settle. Those who swear falsely were expected to be killed by the spirits within a given period. After the period, he is acquitted and he could celebrate with public merry-making. The Igbo did not have any prisons, but they could ostracise a culprit, exile him, or send him into slavery or to serve to a deity.


Question: Why don't the Igbo teach these things you are telling me to their children?


Answer: In the pursuit of what they taught was the "new way" either from Europeans or o Christianity, the Igbo began to distance themselves from their heritage, and in the process became lost in the wilderness of a world they hardly understand. They have learned their lesson the hard way. The twenty-first century will lead them back home.



Note: This article was posted in 2006.


Main Source :

Nigeria Village Square

wissed:
u should be lashed terribly and locked up for this false and arrant explanations

wissed:
u should be lashed terribly and locked up for this false and arrant explanations

Igboid:
I think it is you who need mental examination, to ascertain your mental status.

Igboid:
I think it is you who need mental examination, to ascertain your mental status.

Aldrickay:
Fool. Ikwerre (port harcourt) is more develop dan d whole of ur biafra.

We the ikwerres and oda part of Niger delta (south south) we giv u landlocked igbos supplus attack.

Hausa dey kill ana 4 north and ana no fit shit. We Niger deltans go jst beri ana alive.

Can u igbos face the north as we Niger deltans are facing dem bomber to bomber nw?

Jonathan till 2019 and no igbo man will ever bcome president or vice president in dis cun3.

We the Niger deltans are very ready for any body. Kick out Jonathan and we shall declear the Federal Republic of Niger delta. And all igbos and hausa will be chased out of our blessed,rich land.

This one no be eastern region govt again oooh.
We are now South South and not South East. Get it.
Greedy fools.