Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by modhream: 8:41am On Aug 09, 2015 |
operandus: Do you remember that the former chairman of Ohaaneze Ndigbo Chief Ralph Uwechue(RIP) is from your Anioma tribe? The character you address is not even Igbo to start with,talkless of being anioma |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Ihuomadinihu: 3:44pm On Aug 09, 2015 |
Can't believe people are still faced with identity crises in 2015! Well,if you don't want to be under the igbo ethnic group,please drop my ancestors Language,Dialect, Name, Culture and Tradition. Completely get rid of anything that reminds you of Igbo including the term Anioma, maybe the world will then listen to you. 6 Likes |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Patebere(m): 7:08pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
Since this people speaks a dialect of Igbo and also bear Igbo names, then wat makes them non-Igbo?? If we man say rightly dat they are not Igbo, then we can also say dat almost all parts of Ebonyi state are non Igbo. because most part of Ebonyi state speaks a distinct dialect of Igbo such as d Abakaliki side and odas. I'm 4rm Edda in Afikpo south LGA of Ebonyi state but I find it difficult 2 undastnd Ehugbo dialect which is in Afikpo North LGA of d state. Many oda parts of Igboland has distinct dialects of Igbo dat u find it difficult 2 link 2 d general Igbo language but dat doesn't make dem non-Igbo. I tink d main problem is 4rm dis geo-political zone of a tin, cos d Igbos in South-south states are d ones tryin 2 estrange demselves 4rm d Igbo tribe which is mainly in d South-east. I will advise we come 2geda and find a way 4ward b4 our dear Igbo nation will be completely balcanized!!! 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by tonychristopher: 7:38pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
OK asaba people are Latinos
This OP is just stupid and crazy that's all I can say 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by tonychristopher: 7:47pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
wingman:
Gbam!!! This is just what it is. Had Biafra won the war or if there was no war will all this crap come up ?? How come nobody denied their Igboness pre-Nigeria civil war years ?? Just to avoid marginalization many denied their roots even when their names state boldly who they are. Off course it was a futile exercise.
But the people that caused the war are from delta Igbo ...90% of those bastards are from delta Igbo Now this is what we mainland Igbo get Well I know pure Igbo there and the few dinials are those that make noise and they are from agbor and ukwuani Maybe they should ask why swampy clans of delta reference them as non core deltans |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by tonychristopher: 7:49pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
NormalCodes: Shachris, shame on you. That's guy is terrible and despicable His type is my signature meant for Not pure Igbo blood in anioma |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Rucheen(m): 8:07pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
Quest: what is first class stupidity?
Ans: Stupidity of the first class is when a Chukwuemeka from Anioma claims in any form a non-Igbo identity. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by badnature: 9:32pm On Sep 22, 2015 |
1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Sunseeker: 9:15pm On Oct 10, 2015 |
IF Igbos are ashamed of them selves..... IM SORRY FOR THEM !.....Their children dont even speak the language....They hate themselves....Culture must be more than red hats and a few red girls !! shame |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by badnature: 10:43pm On Oct 10, 2015 |
the level of stupidity of the so called delta people is alarming! I keep asking them WHY is it that when ever Nigerians regard "Nzogwu" as igbo man,you will not see any of those idiots coming out to tell Nigerians that"Nzogwu" is just delta and not igbo.or is it that Nzogwu is the only igbo person in delta state every other person is not igbo,his parents included? the are all VICTIMS OF YORUBA,AWUSA/FULANI MEDIA PROPAGANDA |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by victor1464(m): 7:18am On Nov 12, 2015 |
SexyKaycee: . These our Igbo brothers that desperately want to deny their Igboness eh...
Okay I am Okwelle, I am no more Igbo
Anioma or Ikwerre or Ikah you are all Igbo
its a shame you allow outsiders to deceive you and call you south south
come back to the fold and lets all join hands to make The East Great again
and op you are a bas.tar.d 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by ikennaj44: 12:44pm On Nov 12, 2015 |
igbos kept on falling into the trap of our detractors, that article was solely written by an igbo hater, only for igbos in southsouth and southeast to believe it was written by delta igbo people, Ndigbo must learn how to defend themselves and their people, or ignore such divisive articles, all igbo speaking people know themselves, no igbo speaking people of delta will write such thing. why giving attention to mischief maker. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by basilchidi: 11:31pm On Nov 16, 2015 |
Personally, what I've realised through interacting with anioma people (the nicest person I know on earth is my aunt from onicha-ugbo) is that Anioma itself is a communion of different tribes of which the major ones are Igbo, Ukwuani, and Ika. The Ukwuanis or Ndokwas, and the Ikas are usually the ones who refute the idea or conception that they are Igbos, and truth be told, bini influence is easily noticeable in their dialect and culture. The seemingly more populous Aniocha, Oshimili people and some others are the ones correctly known as the Igbos/delta Igbos, and from my experiences, well over 70% of them see themselves as full Igbos without any other added nomenclature like Ika or Ukwuani. All these are my opinions based on my interactions with Asaba and Onicha-Ugbo people. Thanks guys.... 3 Likes |
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Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by chukzyblingz(m): 6:45am On Jun 29, 2016 |
Sammy888: From my own experience it is more of ika people especially the stupid and wicked people claim beni or yoruba tribe. I lived one year in agbor,attended church service in agbor tongue, though I am from Anambra I understood their tongue by 50%. Their youths are given negative sentimental ideas about the igbos. Their students in college hated us,gossiped us,envy us and blackmailed us. They have low sense and beyond normal IQ. Just a few a sensible. They are wicked and stubborn, arrogant and selfcentered. I love the asabas/okpanams,ogwashiuku, etc closer to us You do not know what you are talking about. all these things because they don't accept being igbo? I don't understand what you mean by beyond normal but there is no single ethnic group in Nigeria - if you compare with the size, that has up to 50‰ of the human resources that Anioma has. Aniomas are great people and ika as a subgroup of the Anioma is doing wonderfully well. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Enahi(f): 11:44am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Wow this is so interesting, good job op. I didn't know this much about the Aniomas, now I understand why my friend from Delta State kicks against my calling him igbo.
My friend bears igbo names but his from Delta State, he told me that the part of Delta he is from originated from bini. Now I know better. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Enahi(f): 11:57am On Jul 01, 2016 |
Sammy888: From my own experience it is more of ika people especially the stupid and wicked people claim beni or yoruba tribe. I lived one year in agbor,attended church service in agbor tongue, though I am from Anambra I understood their tongue by 50%. Their youths are given negative sentimental ideas about the igbos. Their students in college hated us,gossiped us,envy us and blackmailed us. They have low sense and beyond normal IQ. Just a few a sensible. They are wicked and stubborn, arrogant and selfcentered. I love the asabas/okpanams,ogwashiuku, etc closer to us Hmmmmmm...... you call a whole tribe wicked because they don't want to associate or claim to be igbo. You should change your way of reasoning the world has gone past level. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:37pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
[quote author=chukzyblingz post=47027770] You do not know what you are talking about. all these things because they don't accept being igbo? I don't understand what you mean by beyond normal but there is no single ethnic group in Nigeria - if you compare with the size, that has up to 50‰ of the human resources that Anioma has. Aniomas are great people and ika as a subgroup of the Anioma is doing wonderfully well. [ /quote]you can't quote me wrong I know what I am saying. I attended Agbor college, did my ijmb cert there. My interactions with ikas specifically agbor is nothing to write home about. I am not trying to say the igbos are angels,for in any basket of eggs some may not be good. Agbor people have God complexes,selfish and boastful. To me stupidity/foolishness goes with wickedness. In terms of human and material resource plus acheivements dont ever equate ika nation to eastern igbos. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:44pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
Enahi:
Hmmmmmm...... you call a whole tribe wicked because they don't want to associate or claim to be igbo. You should change your way of reasoning the world has gone past level. sorry for that. Because I love one ika lady. She is special and unique. But the truth must be told. Though not referring to anioma but ika people. But sorry there may few exceptional elements among them. They like money but will be the first to say SE igbos love money too much |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Donarozzi: 9:36pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
The Ikelike people of Ogwashi-Ukwu were the aboriginal Igbo of the land before Odaigbo from Nri came. From all indications, the Ikelike people were Igbo, and they were part of the early Eri subgroup of the Igbo people who occupy the stretch of land from Omambala area in the East to Agbor area in the West. That is to say, the autochthonous people of the Enuani area of Anioma are of the same lineage as the autochthonous people of Anambra area. They all belong to the same Eri subgroup of Igboland. Their dialect and culture, the elaborate tradition of Nze/Ozo titles and Okpala system of leadership, clearly show that these people on both sides of River Niger are of the same stock. River Niger is not a barrier; rather, it is an open access that allowed these people to spread out on both sides.
The Ogwashi-Ukwu kingship (Eze/Obi) is found in one of the villages that trace their origins from Nri, while the actual traditional right of leadership is held by the "Okpala" of Ikelike. The elders of Ikelike, the first inhabitants of the land, said they were practicing the Okpala system of leadership before the Odaigbo group arrived from Nri. This is a clear proof that the Ikelike people were Igbo. Any attempt to falsify the origin of the Ikelike people will be seen as a deliberate attempt to re-write history, and that will not be accepted by the elders and academics of the Igbo world. 5 Likes |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by SonOfEl(m): 11:08pm On Jul 11, 2016 |
Enahi: Wow this is so interesting, good job op. I didn't know this much about the Aniomas, now I understand why my friend from Delta State kicks against my calling him igbo.
My friend bears igbo names but his from Delta State, he told me that the part of Delta he is from originated from bini. Now I know better. As long as it divides Igbo, its interesting to you. You think I don't know you? A sadist who hates anything being positive about Igbo? Enahi, sorry to rain on your parade, anioma is an Igbo subgroup, not you, or disgruntled ika elements, or nairaland can change that. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 10:17pm On Jul 12, 2016 |
chukzyblingz: You do not know what you are talking about. all these things because they don't accept being igbo? I don't understand what you mean by beyond normal but there is no single ethnic group in Nigeria - if you compare with the size, that has up to 50‰ of the human resources that Anioma has. Aniomas are great people and ika as a subgroup of the Anioma is doing wonderfully well. Then SE igbos are not great. I need your list of ika people that are great and their accomplishments please dont add asaba,oshimili,aniocha to your list. Just Ika to be precise. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by chukzyblingz(m): 11:04pm On Jul 12, 2016 |
Sammy888:
Then SE igbos are not great. I need your list of ika people that are great and their accomplishments please dont add asaba,oshimili,aniocha to your list. Just Ika to be precise. Too numerous to mention. Anioma is doing wonderfully well. We're representing in all fields of human endeavor. where can I start from? Aniocha Ishimili is doing great so also is Ika. I'm not here to make comparism between Aniocha/Oshimili and Ika because that would make you to achieve the goal of your seed of discord and disunity. Your trying to depict Ika as backward because they say they're not Igbo and Aniocha Oshimili as progressive because they accept being Igbo speaks of your insecurity and low self esteem. But for your information, majority of Aniocha Ishimili don't accept being Igbo. You and your brothers can try to use your population to flood the internet with concocted stories like the one that recently went viral where the (Obi of Ukwani in Anioma local government) asked Okowa to shut up because he is Igbo. I have read many concocted stories from you people but only strangers and foolish people can fall for such propaganda. I've never seen a people that claim to know someone more than himself except the Igbo. they claim to know your history but they don't know their own history. And when they concoct their stories, it's always obvious the writers don't even know what they are writing about because of some strange and non existent names of people and places they mention. 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by chukzyblingz(m): 11:14pm On Jul 12, 2016 |
Ika is presently having 2 governors Nigeria. I'm not going to expantiate on that but anybody that's conversant with the Ika land and it's people know what I'm talking about. |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:00pm On Jul 13, 2016 |
chukzyblingz: Ika is presently having 2 governors Nigeria. I'm not going to expantiate on that but anybody that's conversant with the Ika land and it's people know what I'm talking about. wise one,please all ikas are anioma but all aniomas are not ikas. Mind I have friends in Agbor college from Asaba who openly told me they are igbos not ika correcting me to call them anioma not ika. One of them told me inside college that ika people are negative entities that like money too much because our program department,lecturers and landlords are mainly ika. May God judge me if it is false. I stil need ur list of ika great men |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:07pm On Jul 13, 2016 |
chukzyblingz: Ika is presently having 2 governors Nigeria. I'm not going to expantiate on that but anybody that's conversant with the Ika land and it's people know what I'm talking about. back ur boastin with facts. I can give you great personalities from my village Nnewi that can compete with ur íkas. Stil waiting |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:18pm On Jul 13, 2016 |
chukzyblingz: Too numerous to mention. Anioma is doing wonderfully well. We're representing in all fields of human endeavor. where can I start from? Aniocha Ishimili is doing great so also is Ika. I'm not here to make comparism between Aniocha/Oshimili and Ika because that would make you to achieve the goal of your seed of discord and disunity. Your trying to depict Ika as backward because they say they're not Igbo and Aniocha Oshimili as progressive because they accept being Igbo speaks of your insecurity and low self esteem. But for your information, majority of Aniocha Ishimili don't accept being Igbo. You and your brothers can try to use your population to flood the internet with concocted stories like the one that recently went viral where the (Obi of Ukwani in Anioma local government) asked Okowa to shut up because he is Igbo. I have read many concocted stories from you people but only strangers and foolish people can fall for such propaganda. I've never seen a people that claim to know someone more than himself except the Igbo. they claim to know your history but they don't know their own history. And when they concoct their stories, it's always obvious the writers don't even know what they are writing about because of some strange and non existent names of people and places they mention. bros I did not ask u to make comparison between the two. Ika is made up of many provinces/towns like umunede,agbor,akumazi etc list their great men. I am not mistaking when I say ikas IQ =10 To 100. Infact you lack the dexterity to argue with me, ie low comprehension. 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:11pm On Jul 14, 2016 |
tonychristopher: OK asaba people are Latinos
This OP is just stupid and crazy that's all I can say never, asabas are pure Igbos, my asaba coursemates never denied that. Plus dey are good to be with as opposed to the ikas |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Nobody: 6:15pm On Jul 14, 2016 |
tonychristopher: OK asaba people are Latinos
This OP is just stupid and crazy that's all I can say never, asabas are pure Igbos, my asaba coursemates never denied that. Plus dey are good to be with as opposed to the ikas and their tongue 79.85% understandable 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by MozartianDreams(m): 11:00am On Apr 19, 2017 |
ANIOMA/ASABA people are reclaiming their roots, which is that they are Igbos. Divide and conquer can't work on my people again. All the best for the OP. 1 Like |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by RuggedSniper: 7:07pm On Sep 26, 2020 |
For decades we, Anioma people, have been buffeted back and forth by people attempting to impose a persona on us. Some described us as being neither here nor there. Others do not give us chance to define and describe who we are as a people. We know exactly who we are. We have no confusions about our geography and genealogy. We know that identity is like gold. Just as the gold bar stands behind a currency as a guarantee of its legal tender, so is identity to an individual or a group. The analogy is only partial, of course, the price of gold may rise or fall, but we tend to pride ourselves on the stability of our identity. Anioma ethnic identity is a value we must guard. In recent times we have contended with the intrusion into Anioma world what we might call the concept of, albeit, reality of Igbocentricism.
By Igbocentrism or Igbocentricity we mean an existential point of view that puts Igbo at the centre of Igbo people's cosmology. Central to Igbocentrism is the idea that people believed or assumed to be Igbo must acknowledge, understand and love their "Igboness" so as to understand and deal with non-Igbo. It is a conceptual approach to human relations from the Igbo point of view. It is an Igbo-centeredness of interpretation of such relations and quotidian realities. Because the vast majority of Anioma people speak dialects derived from the Igbo language, it is assumed that they are "Igbo." Anioma history records individuals from diverse origins. There are in Anioma the "Olukunmi" who speak a variant of Yoruba spoken around Owo. Ebu people in Anioma speak Igala as their mother tongue.
While language delimits cultural fields, it is not permanent because people have mastered more than one language. Language is one of many indices of a culture. Language is not enough to define who a people are. Because Americans or Australians speak English does not make them English. Because Mexicans, Cubans, or Argentineans speak Spanish does not make them Spaniards. The nationals of these countries will not introduce themselves as "English" simply because they speak English nor as Spaniards because they speak Spanish. Those of them who can trace their origin to England or Spain know that over time they have formed a new identity called "American," "Australian," "Mexican," "Cuban," or "Argentinean."
Anioma people recognize a geographical contiguity, a clearly defined historicity and cultural commonality, that in their consciousness they define as their collective identity. Our Anioma ethnic identity derives from our common set of symbols and cognition shared by our people: Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika and Oshimili share the same cultural space and delimited physical geography. They dress and dance alike, and use the same musical instruments. The systemic prolonged subordination and marginalization has lead to the gradual radicalization of our youth and elders, as exemplified by the formation of many Anioma associations in Nigeria and abroad. The Anioma are a Nigerian people in terms of their geographical location and ancestral pedigree; in terms of the criteria and categories that are applicable in defining other Nigerian groups, and in terms of their cultural forms and institutions which they have evolved for themselves and which are comparable to those of other ethnic groups, with a specificity that is syncretic in its manifestations.
Located at the crossroads of diverse influences, Anioma has developed a syncretic culture rich in varied contributions, and we rightly can talk of an identity that is uniquely Anioma not replicable anywhere in Nigeria. Through culture contact or cultural cross-pollination, borrowing from contiguous neighbours, Anioma displays cultural syncretism in the real sense of the word. History notes that Anioma people trace their origins to Edo, Igala, Yoruba and Igbo. Ibusa (Igbo Uzo) and one part of Ogwashiuku trace their ancestry to Igbo. All other Anioma people trace their origins in entirety to Edo, Igala and Yoruba. From none other than Chief Dennis Osadebay, comes an uncontested account of the origin of 'Ahaba'. Eri, son of Achado, a king of Igala founded the towns of Aguleri, Umuleri, Igbariam and Nteje. If logic is any guide here, Eri we might reason would found a community with the people he knew, namely, Igala. Nnebisi the founder of 'Ahaba' was from Nteje founded by Eri the prince from Igala. Nnebisi married an Igala woman he had won as a prize from the Igala fishermen and traders who frequented 'Ahaba'. This is the verifiable story of the origin of 'Ahaba' (now Asaba).
Osadebay said that another migrant came from Benin and settled in 'Ahaba,' "and so the present natives of Asaba are descendants of Igala in the north, Benin in the west, and Ibo in the east" (Osadebay, Building a Nation, Macmillan, Nigeria Ltd, 1978 p.2). With this from Chief Osadebay, which to our best research has never been denied nor contradicted, we argue that Asaba people are the least Igbo among the very few segments of Anioma that claim Igbo ancestry.
With such a background, one would have thought that the identity of Anioma people would never be a matter of debate nor an issue that might unsettle the tranquility of informed mind. Yet, writings about Anioma people are replete with misconceptions, distortions, selectivity, inaccuracies and just blatant falsehood. Even some Anioma writers peddle stories diffracted into multiple and apocryphal histories that present every Anioma person originating from Nri in Igboland. May we remind the few of Igbo ancestry how much distance the passage of time and the vicissitudes of history have placed between them and their origin? Similarly, we would remind one or two traditional leaders who argue for extension of Igbo hegemony to Anioma, that they are bartering their honour and royalty for vacuous glory in Igboland, and that they do not represent Anioma people. This muddle as to the definition of an Anioma is not intrinsic to the Anioma identity, but rather a problem fused into the tinted lenses of Igbocentrism through which the Anioma people have erroneously been viewed over the ages. The kinds of questions posed, presuppositions made, set of axioms posited, and the very methodological approaches adopted in many publications betray Igbo bias and oftentimes arrogance of Igbocentricity. The cumulative result of this imposed paradigm has been a people dispossessed of their identity, their history, and, to a great extent, their political and economic rights.
Any Anioma person who feels inadequate unless called "Anioma- Igbo," has serious identity problem. Osadebay and his group coined and christened us with the name "Anioma." They were satisfied with what it meant and what it represented for our people. The Igbocentric conception of Anioma people as "our kith and kin across the Niger" is a fallacy of baseless proportion. Thus, Igbocentrism has not only set the terms of the debate on Anioma identity, it has consumed our intellectual autonomy to counterpoise it with Aniomacentric methodology. This capitulation to Igbocentric paradigm of identity is part of a wider syndrome of intellectual dependency precipitated by homegrown colonialism. We may ask, where was this "kith and kin across the Niger" platitude when our forbears fought the Ekumeku wars of 1883 to 1914, which pitted them against the British through the instrumentality of the Royal Niger Company to dominate trade, culture, social and political lives of our people; when the Second Division of the Nigerian Army commanded by Murtala Mohammed marched into Anioma areas in pursuit of the fleeing 'Biafran Expeditionary Force' and massacred our people at Asaba and Isheagu with such macabre ruthlessness and vapidity; when in 1970 several high ranking Anioma military officers were detained for months (one of them for years) in Port Harcourt prison after Biafra surrendered on January 12, 1970, even though as these officers put it to the writer in their letter to him dated June 7, 1970, to seek help from Governor Ogbemudia, wrote, "...that all other officers of former Eastern Region origin (Ibos, Efiks, Ijaws etc) have been released..." and when in 1996 our people were assured of support from Ndi Igbo during our quest for Anioma state?
Anioma state was not created instead Ebonyi was, thanks to the last minute turn around and support from Ndi Igbo. This experience was articulated by Professor Ijomah during the Congress of Izu-Anioma held at the POCO Plaza, Ogwashiuku, March 3rd, 1998, when he said, "... it was agreed during the last state creation exercise that Anioma State should be created. When the stakes were down, the Ibos across the Niger abandoned the Anioma quest at the last hour and supported the creation of Ebonyi State which was not seriously being canvassed before then, causing Anioma to lose." (The ANIOMA, Vol. 10, No 1, May, 1999, p. 11). Anioma people should not be hoodwinked by Ndi Igbo. Recently, Igbos have renewed their gimmickry of support for the creation of Anioma state. All they want is their grandiose illusion of 'Greater Igbo' comprising Anioma and some parts of Rivers State. Only Anioma can provide us an essential part of our historical consciousness, and an index to the universal psychic character of our identity. Only Anioma can communicate a sense of history to us.
Anioma culture sustains the vocabulary of moral prescriptions and a repertoire of covenant with visible and invisible entities. There are areas designated as secular and sacred; some creatures are deemed sacred and should not be killed nor be eaten; some vegetation considered sacred should not be eaten as vegetables. Anioma culture sees unity and sanctity in nature. Philosophically, it fuses cosmology and cosmogony. It shapes our experiencing and perceiving. It teaches us the canons of relevance and evidence. We come to ourselves through our choice of our archetypes. We have maintained cool-headedness in the face of provocation from Igbos who call us 'Hausa Igbo', Ika-Igbo and now Anioma-Igbo. Such appellations are as insulting and denigrating as they are meaningless and nonsensical. We reject attempts to Igbonize Anioma. We do not inhabit the same historical and cultural space with Igbos. When ethnicity becomes subject to the elaborations of cultural identity politics, it often develops into a focus of symbolic contestation. Those wanting Anioma to become "Anioma-Igbo" undermine the efforts of our founding fathers who christened us "ANIOMA." Osadebay puts everything in perspective when he stated, "Strictly speaking, Ibo is a linguistic group or a language, not a tribe, as all Ibo- speaking people do not claim origin from any common ancestor" (Osadebay op. cit. 1978, p.14).
Reckless utterances and writings coming from some Igbo people, through Ohaneze Ndigbo and their internet forum intellectuals, that the creation of Anioma state would increase Igbo states, damage Anioma cause. The quest for the creation of Anioma state preceded the creation of the 36 Nigerian states. Identity is built on choices and commitments. By committing ourselves to Anioma causes our real selves develop. An obstacle to achieving identity is the temptation to avoid choices and postpone decisions. Let us proclaim Anioma by the Enu Ani language that we speak; by the Ika language that we speak; by the Ndokwa language that we speak; by the Olukunmi language that we speak and by the Igala language that we speak. We should intensify our efforts on the creation of Anioma state where our people will be central characters rather than simple bit players, where the importance of our history lies in its significance for us rather than for others. We do not want to be a pawn simply to checkmate the contending and competing interests of other nationalities in the larger Nigerian collectivity. Our journey involves more than navigating the geography of political boundaries. It is a continuous mapping and remapping of the geography of our culture and identity. We no longer wish to be objects in the history of others rather we wish to be subjects of our own history. Our Anioma ethnic identity is cultural self- definition and philosophical affirmation of our self- determination as a people who see themselves at the crossroads of contemporary Nigeria. It is a refusal to accept the transposition of other people's interpretive categories on Anioma. We bear the name of Anioma with exalted pride, dignity and fidelity. We cherish our distinct identity and unique culture. So, efforts to fit Anioma into the constructs and schemata of Igbo provenance are futile.
Kunirum Osia is the former Founding National President of Anioma Association, USA, Inc.
http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2009/may/111.html
(FROM PAGE 1). Word! Kunirum Osia's powerful speech in 2009. "Ibo is a linguistic group or language NOT a tribe (or ethnic group)" ~Dennis Osadebay, 1978. Agatha Amata of the hugely popular INSIDE OUT is from the Igala-speaking ANIOMA town of EBU Delta State. Cc: shachris, TAO11, arrewa |
Re: Anioma/Asaba People Are Not Igbo by Shugavee(f): 11:47pm On Feb 04, 2023 |
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