₦airaland Forum

Amarabae:
hahahahahaha. Make una leave me abeg. Mr urhobo man. I love how that name sound. U-R-H-O-B-O.
I remember Oghenero in UNN then..

What department?

fratermathy:
Your outbursts remind me of someone I used to know. He was so full of hate and pain. He hated everyone but himself. In fact, he's now suffering from chronic schizophrenia.

u wicked oooo! lol

do4luv14:
dey dia dey deny ursef, wen kasala burst open fowl yansh, you go no



ISOKO WADO!!!!...

URHOBO WADOOO!!!!....


ONIOVO-ME WADOOOOO!!!...

Eh! Oniovo me.
Urbobo vi Isoko, awaire ovo vor o.
My people full here

obiezed:
Firstly where was ipob mentioned in my post??,
Secondly, what is your ethnic group, clarify??.

Where was ipob mentioned in mine I wasnt trying to throw a shade at you btw, just pointing out the fact that you asking us to keep igbos out of our ss post would be the same as igbos keeping us out of their posts... Unfortunately the most frequent occurrence of the ss pple in igbo posts is that of biafran agitators, hence the focus of my post

I am an Urhobo on both sides of my lineage

fratermathy:
Oniovo doo! Vwe kobiruo. Awanre oyin ka ji ma awanre kpenu. Etionye owa. Yanji Ipob youths na vwo. Ayen wan agwarhe e. Oho r'ayen gbate e!

Do!!

Ota wo ta re na, o ghe ne gba... Me ye ru we...omo igbo ye na vwo ogho...

SycophanticGoat:
Bro, except you're from Delta, Rivers, etc, when you see these kind of posts, just ignore. However, if you're from Delta or Rivers and want to speak about your Igboness, then go ahead. I've seen several cases where Igbo's from SE comes in defence of Igbo's from SS and next thing you know some people claiming to be from those Ikwerre, Ika, etc, came out to bash Igbo's from SE calling us land grabbers. Although it can't be ascertained if they're actually from those places (due to how some tribes impersonate others on NL) but we have to learn to respect ourselves and allow those Igbo's speak first before we join them and speak in unison. Otherwise, we'll be disgracing ourselves.

Nigeria has this attitude of labelling SS, Igbos when they commit crimes but are quick to call us land grabbers when we tag those same Igbos as Igbos. But we all see through that; however, we have to allow the people most affected to speak first before we do same.

yes I do share your sentiments about Igbo's in SS speaking up first before we chorus it, but the truth is that these guys have been speaking up and seem to be a lone voice in the wilderness, I do understand how you feel about being tagged land grabbers by SS Igbo's but like you rightly pointed it out it can't be ascertained if they are truly SS Igbo's cause this is a faceless forum. Then again non SS Igbo should never be allowed to determine the fate of our Igbo brothers in the SS by telling us who is Igbo and who is not.

Then please I do understand you feel ashamed by Igbo's being rubbed dirt by other Igbo stocks, but the truth is even if a father disowns a son or a son embarks on a prodigal excapade they still share same blood and the dirt of one will rub off on the other, that is why many can be quick to say SS Igbo's are not Igbo's but in return fail to care about theses boundaries when it relates to crimes of any sort.

Then again do we allow artificial, political, post civil war boundaries define us, are you by any chance implying that if tomorrow due to oil deposits and land tussle in Aguleri, Nsukka and other Northern Igbo territories, if these territories are amended to fall into the North, do we then give them up as northerners except the confess by tongue that they are Igbo's, you seem to forget the political implications that such proclamation will have on them in that region, that is the fate many of our brother face in the so called SS.

Do you think that if these Igbo SS groups were in SE, a true federalism, a confederate state, or Biafra that they will be playing politics with their ethnicity. Also bear in mind that other major ethnic groups don't need their own in the Northern or southern region to make such proclamations or confession of their tribe before they identify with them. If you know your history hold onto it that is the only weapon the Igbos truly have now in the Nigeria space against the divide and rule tactics.

Tell me, deep down in your heart do you really believe that Igboland is limited to the 5 SE states, or you simply want them to openly make such confession and proclamation in their very political volatile region before you embrace them or you simply want to give them up for a peaceful happy ending one Nigeria story.

Note: There are igalas in Anambra but even with their very insignificant figure u never find the Anambarians trying to determine their fate or ethnicity.

An educative yet entertaining post. OP thumbs up for taking the time to put this together. This was the norm on Nairaland many years ago. Keep it up

daxlasaint:
Where was ipob mentioned in mine I wasnt trying to throw a shade at you btw.

I am an Urhobo on both sides of my lineage

Ipob are the most virulent Biafra agitators around today,so if you mention Biafra agitation,it is assumed you mean ipob.
Even the ipob when questioned don't intend to include the urhobo/isoko in their agitation except there is some sort of formal agreement. They insist they only want Anioma,ika and ndokwa,I personally don't know if thats possible, but that what they say.also I think the problem most of y'all is differentiating ipob and Igbo,not all Igbo are ipoband not all ipobs are Igbo,if you get this,you will understand to refer directly to ipobs and not make blanket statements about all igbos.
Finally, No offence was taken,one love,

NNAMDICE:
NO NEED TO ASK YOU WHAT YOU MEAN BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU WHERE TRYING TO SAY...UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU,YOU GOT MORE THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR...AND YES..I KNOW YOU ARE TRIBALISTIC IF NOT,YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A SECOND TAUGHT BEFORE PICKING ON THE DELTA IGBOS LIKE YOU DID

Pick on what? I give up.
Honestly I think you have to recheck who you wanted to quote.

IamZod:
Eh! Oniovo me.
Urbobo vi Isoko, awaire ovo vor o.
My people full here

yes mia vor otur na gaga

Nowenuse:
Nigerian govt does not really care about entertainment and when it comes to development, all they care about is Abuja. Most state govts are failures in Nigeria and sadly, Delta state even with all it's wealth is not meeting up.....coupled with the tribal and political divisions in Delta which made things worse.

I think the only way out for Warri is for the elites, both succesful business people and entertainers to come back home and invest in the city.
Delta central/South have very rich and influential people but most will prefer to invest in Lagos and Abuja. I really wonder why they don't see potentials in Warri.

Chances of state creation appear very unlikely. So many leaders are ok with the status quo or are just too weak to work for a change of govt divisions. Until we have a great political system change in Nigeria, nothing new can ever be done, afterall since the last military rule, there has been no change to our govt divisions whatsoever.
However i think if the governor of Delta state is from Warri axis, he will give more priority to the city.
Delta state is just very urbanised (every urban area demanding attention) and due to the ethnic divisions and loyalties in the state, every governor will prefer to develop his own town/area.

Warri boys head too hot abeg..why wont all the influential sons and daughters of warri stay away and invest in Lagos when Warri has become an abode for kidnappers and robbers..Warri need to be safe before any meaningful investment by individuals can take place there.

Seriously Fratermathy, you let these people bully you into editing your original post and removing 'Ika', 'Ikwerre' and 'Ukwuani'?

Smh.

GodIsBiafran:
Look at this weakling...threatening the great Igbo race...in your weak mind you think you can stand toe to toe with an Nwafor...nonsense

Nwafor in my language means stupid and you just exhibited that very well.... waka pass you this waste of sperm and MB... when dem create the warri thread,dem force you to comment...why comment and insult others... ekpa....

See how flat headed ipob gorillas and the cone headed afonja skull miners destroyed this beautiful thread

afonjaheadhunt:
yes I do share your sentiments about Igbo's in SS speaking up first before we chorus it, but the truth is that these guys have been speaking up and seem to be a lone voice in the wilderness, I do understand how you feel about being tagged land grabbers by SS Igbo's but like you rightly pointed it out it can't be ascertained if they are truly SS Igbo's cause this is a faceless forum. Then again non SS Igbo should never be allowed to determine the fate of our Igbo brothers in the SS by telling us who is Igbo and who is not.

Then please I do understand you feel ashamed by Igbo's being rubbed dirt by other Igbo stocks, but the truth is even if a father disowns a son or a son embarks on a prodigal excapade they still share same blood and the dirt of one will rub off on the other, that is why many can be quick to say SS Igbo's are not Igbo's but in return fail to care about theses boundaries when it relates to crimes of any sort.

Then again do we allow artificial, political, post civil war boundaries define us, are you by any chance implying that if tomorrow due to oil deposits and land tussle in Aguleri, Nsukka and other Northern Igbo territories, if these territories are amended to fall into the North, do we then give them up as northerners except the confess by tongue that they are Igbo's, you seem to forget the political implications that such proclamation will have on them in that region, that is the fate many of our brother face in the so called SS.

Do you think that if these Igbo SS groups were in SE, a true federalism, a confederate state, or Biafra that they will be playing politics with their ethnicity. Also bear in mind that other major ethnic groups don't need their own in the Northern or southern region to make such proclamations or confession of their tribe before they identify with them. If you know your history hold onto it that is the only weapon the Igbos truly have now in the Nigeria space against the divide and rule tactics.

Tell me, deep down in your heart do you really believe that Igboland is limited to the 5 SE states, or you simply want them to openly make such confession and proclamation in their very political volatile region before you embrace them or you simply want to give them up for a peaceful happy ending one Nigeria story.

Note: There are igalas in Anambra but even with their very insignificant figure u never find the Anambarians trying to determine their fate or ethnicity.

If they are truly proud of their origin, then nothing should stop them from speaking out. They should speak with courage and without mincing words that they're Igbos then we can also identify with them. I know we extend beyond SE but its also important we don't let others belittle us just because we want to form a united font with our brothers outside SE. I've seen Ikwerre guys attack us on here with so much venom that it then appears like we were the most evil tribe in Nigeria and like we were the ones shedding blood of other tribes on daily basis. Brother, ike adiro'm nji azochitere onye na achoro izo onwe ya.

SycophanticGoat:
If they are truly proud of their origin, then nothing should stop them from speaking out. They should speak with courage and without mincing words that they're Igbos then we can also identify with them. I know we extend beyond SE but its also important we don't let others belittle us just because we want to form a united font with our brothers outside SE. I've seen Ikwerre guys attack us on here with so much venom that it then appears like we were the most evil tribe in Nigeria and like we were the ones shedding blood of other tribes on daily basis. Brother, ike adiro'm nji azochitere onye na achoro izo onwe ya.

Nnanne odinma, mana Lota, onyeahana nwanne ya. I do get your point brother and I am totally sorry I used fowl words on you, I thought you were just trolling, accept my sincere apology. Ezibo nwanne madu.

fratermathy:
I have decided to write on this at the request of a fellow Nairalander, Efewestern, who is also a namesake to Efe Ejeba, the recent Big Brother Naija winner that broke the airwaves and the internet on Sunday, April 9th, 2017.

Warri City
Warri is the most populous city in Delta State and the second largest oil city in Nigeria, coming only after Port Harcourt. It has had a rich history through the years from its modern manifestation as a small GRA in Agbassa-Warri area to its explosion as a metropolitan hub covering areas such as Okere-Urhobo, Okere-Itsekiri, Pessu, Otovwodo, Ajimimogha, Ogunu, Ejeba, Ugborikoko, Enerhen (suburb) Effurun (suburb), Udu (suburb), Ekpan (suburb), Osubi (suburb). Warri is mainly populated by the Urhobo people of Delta/Bayelsa/Edo States. However, the Itsekiris and Ijaws occupy significant areas in the city and both lay claims to ownership of Warri. Since this write-up is not on which tribe owns Warri, I won't go into it here (however, I have written about this earlier on so you may search for it). Warri also houses an annexe of the Delta State Government house. It has a very good nightlife, a large population of youths and a unique brand of Pidgin, influenced by Urhobo-Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri languages.

It should be noted that although Warri refers to the city of Warri as explained earlier, the term is now being used to identify with people from Delta Central and Delta South. Warri has become like a ubiquitous term to refer to all Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris and Delta Ijaws, whether or not they are from Warri. In fact, the Delta Igbos are beginning to identify with the Warri brand as it is now.

The Urhobo-Isoko People
The Urhobo-Isoko is an amalgam of two related ethnic groups, Urhobo and Isoko, with Urhobo being the larger and Isoko being an offshoot of Eastern Urhobo. They are constitutionally regarded as different ethnic groups but they are one people in everything else, hence my usage of the compounded term, Urhobo-Isoko. The Urhobo-Isoko people are the 5th largest ethnic group in Nigeria (2006 census). They number over 5 million both at home and in the diaspora. They are the 2nd largest ethnic group in the South-South and Niger Delta regions, coming only after their ethnic neighbour, the Ijaws. Urhobos occupy 12 LGAs in Delta State (8 in Delta Central and 4 in Delta South), 1 in Bayelsa State (Ofoni, among others, in Sagbama LGA) and 1 in Edo State (Oghara settlements in Ikpoba Okha LGA). Urhobo-Isokos also have faraway village settlements in Ikale, Ilaje (Ondo State) Oro (Kwara State), and other areas in the South West of Nigeria. The Isoko people, who are ethnically Urhobo and politically Isokos, occupy 2 LGAs in Delta South (Isoko North and South) and have an estimated population of 1 million at home and in the diaspora. Isoko and Urhobo are regarded as one people and the Isoko can understand Urhobo clearly. In the colonial period, the Isoko and Urhobo were both regarded as the Sobo people. However, the Urhobo Progress Union, under Chief Mukoro Mowoe, fought hard to change this name to Urhobo. Isokos were a part of Eastern Urhobo until 1959 when the Western Regional House created an Isoko division from Eastern Urhobo. That marked the beginning of a separate Isoko identity.

The Urhobo-Isoko in Entertainment and the Warri Brand
The Urhobo-Isoko people, though regarded as a minority tribe in Nigeria, have attracted the attention of the majority tribes for various reasons. One of the reasons that the people have attracted so much attention is in the people's natural knack for entertainment. The Urhobo-Isoko language is very musical, demonstrative and filled with innuendos, humour and vulgarity. All these have aided the people to excel in the domain of entertainment. Over the years, Urhobo-Isokos have produced great giants in the Nigerian entertainment industry. So much that we have created a Warri/Urhobo niche for ourselves. The Warri brand is so strong that every entertainer from Delta State, and some from Edo/Bayelsa State, identifies with it.

The Warri brand manifests strongly on the Nigeria's stand-up comedy scene where Opa Williams (also an Urhobo-Isoko) launched the A Night of a Thousand Laughs show and gave voices to the many clowns and comedians from the Warri region. We have Urhobo-Isoko comedians such as Ali Baba (regarded as the King- Ose - of comedy in Nigeria, I Go Dye (one of the richest and most creative comedians in Nigeria), Bovi, I Go Save, Maleke, Gordons, A.Y. (Warri by association), Akpororo (Warri by birth/association), and many others.

In the music scene, the Warri brand has strong voices like Yung6ix, Erigga, Shun Bebe, Orezi, Dr Sid, Sammie Okposo, Kefee (now late), Harrysong (Warri-Ijaw), Omawumi (Warri-Itsekiri), Oritsefemi (Warri-Itsekiri), and many others.

In the movie industry, the Warri brand has pioneers like Fred Amata, Jeta Amata, Chico Ejiro, Richard Mofe Damijo (forget his name, he is a core Urhobo-Isoko from Udu Kingdom). Other actors include Bovi Ugboma, Isokoh Stanley, Joseph Okoro, Justice Esiri (now late), Ayo Makun, aka AY (by association), Omoni Oboli, Ufuoma Ejenobo Mcdermott, Sophie Okonedo (international actress), Balogun Fathia (forget the name, she is a core Urhobo-Isoko), Karen Igho, Peggy Ovire, and many others.

In the Reality TV series, the Warri brand has produced two Big Brother Winners: Karen Igho and Efe! Efe has been the man of the moment since he won Big Brother Naija on Sunday April 9th, 2017. He has attracted so much attention to the Warri brand through his down-to-earthedness and humour. Efe received massive votes across ethnic divides because he was considered to be "real", just like most Warri people usually are.

Features of the Warri Brand
I have been saying "Warri Brand" over and over again. So what exactly are the features of the Warri Brand in the Nigerian entertainment industry? Let me just outline some so that anyone can identify them:

1. Humour: The Warri brand in entertainment is filled with laughter and humour, whether in the movie, music or reality TV shows. Anything Warri people just makes everyone laugh. It's as simple as that.

2. Language: The way Urhobo-Isoko people speak English is very different from that of every other Nigeria. In Urhobo English, the accent, intonation and pronunciation of words usually elicit interest from every other person in Nigeria. When Urhobo-Isokos speak, they tend to demonstrate a lot and this makes their communication very effective and humourous. Discourse particles such as "Shuooo!", "Ewoooo!", "Oghene Biko!!!", "Okpetu!", "Ibabo!", etc, and the way they are pronounced, usually make other Nigerians reel out with laughter.

3. Warri Pidgin: The Warri people speak a unique type of Pidgin which, together with Sapele Pidgin, forms the Urhobo-Isoko dialect of Nigerian pidgin. This pidgin is influenced by the Urhobo language, as well as by Itsekiri and Ijaw languages. The pidgin is innovative, humorous, and expressive. Warri people can speak certain types of pidgin that no one else can decode. i.e. "Kasala just burst for area as men carry shaka bula commot from Ekoro. As we observe them, some men just Va, me and my kidney just perm small so that my blood nor go boil egg. Oniovo, the omutan and opata wey Akpos de throway go put am for voicemail soon and na okpetu go end the kasala". I challenge others to attempt at decoding this (mind you, this is a VERY LIGHT Warri pidgin expression). Erigga, an Urhobo-Isoko rapper from Warri, as well as Shun Bebe, are known for using the Warri dialect of Pidgin to rap.

4. Slangs: Warri people are known to have some very funny slangs and expressions found nowhere else. These slangs are found in both the English and Pidgin spoken in Warri. Warri people even have their own terms for many things. i.e. "Sun too hot nor mean say fowl go lay boiled egg", "no matter how rough they drive motor inside TV, e can never jam you wey de watch am", "Warri nor de carry last", "at all at all naim bad pass", "kpata kpata na draw", "anybody wen de dull na odonyo e be", etc. Again, Erigga expresses these in his music alot.

5. Simplicity: The Warri brand is known for simplicity and "real". You hardly find people forming "posh" or what they are not in Warri. Even RMD, with all his money and class, is still that confirm Warri boy anytime. The Warri brand is simple and real, no complications, no scandals, no stress!!!

Warri and its Future Potentials as Nigeria's Ultimate Entertainment Hub
I have written on the Warri brand already and its position in the Nigerian entertainment scene. However, much is left to be done. Warri has gained its niche largely through stereotypes. There are many divergent artists, actors and entertainers that are yet to be discovered. All they need is support. This is why I am very glad about the way every Nigerian (regardless of tribe) voted Efe, a simple Urhobo-Isoko boy of the Warri brand. Many people said that Nigerians did not vote for Efe but voted for the Warri Brand and I agree with this in a way. Warri needs to take a large share of Nigeria's entertainment industry but this can't do this alone. Warri needs support to get to this stage. Below are some of the reasons why Warri can be the next entertainment hub in Nigeria:

1. Warri has a large population of youths who are very creative and need a platform to show their creativity. In fact, the average Warri youth can act, sing, rap, dance or crack jokes with ease. Most of the shows in the Warri axis are done on a very low key. Warri and its environs need more shows and more support from sponsors.

2. Warri has the potential market for entertainment. With an estimated population of over 1 million residents only within the city (not to mention those in Sapele, Ughelli, Abraka, Oleh, Ozoro, etc), Warri has a good market for entertainment. If sponsors key into this population and the people's love for "flexing", they would realise that Warri is a good market.

3. Warri is an oil-rich city that attracts lots of people from all over the world. These people need places to relax, enjoy and express themselves. If the entertainment tourism potentials of Warri can be reached, more and more people will flock to this city and the boom will continue.

4. Warri has the potential wealth to keep the entertainment industry running. With young billionaires and millionaires dotted across the city, Warri has the wealth to keep showbiz afloat. All that is needed is for show promoters to look for good sponsorship from these big names and use this to encourage Warri-based entertainers, as well as to bring in other entertainers from all over the country.

5. Warri has a large swathe of celebrities who would be willing to work with new entertainers from the region provided they are provided with good platforms to market their music and carve their own niche. The older celebs are very open and willing to help the younger ones. All that is needed is the encouragement and show promotion by entertainment gurus.

Final Words
Warri is a brand! Having evolved from a modest Government Reserved Area to a metropolitan city, it has become a hub for latent talents in Nigeria. The Urhobo-Isoko people that populate Warri and its environs have a solid representation in the entertainment industry. However, there is more to be done. Warri can be the new Lagos, the entertainment hub in Nigeria. With just a little push and encouragement, the Warri phenomenon can explode to entertain and delight all Nigerians!!!



Congratulations to Efe Ejeba on his success at the Big Brother Nigeria show. He has done Urhobo-Isoko, Warri, Delta and Nigeria proud. I also wish to thank all Nigerians, be it Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Igala, Tiv, Junkun, Anaang, Ibibio, Oron, Efik, Baruba, Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ogoni, Ebira, Gbagyi, etc, that supported Efe and the Warri brand. Keep supporting us and we will never let you down!

Warri!
Warri!!
Warri!!!
Their .........!

Urhobo-Isoko Wadoooo!!!!
Misiagware oooo!

N.B. I noticed that after Efe won, even Hausa people in far away Sokoto were claiming to be Warri people .
Igbos in far away Enugu started updating their status with ChukwunEFE,
Even Yorubas were claiming "area" like say dem bam from Agbassa
Even Lalasticlala and Seun de post Efe threads go frontpage since like say dem relate to Efe
Is ok, is ok!

- Iroro Orhero

Oga keep your dirty mouth shut before you misinform the public. RMD and Fathia Balogun are not Urhobos. If you say this thing in public you may get the beating of your life. That's how you twist and rewrite people's history for them and you create problems for your tribe in the future.

I rep warri anytime as far na for good cause, who nor like a fit clear enter garage nothing dey happen.

RedboneSmith:
Seriously Fratermathy, you let these people bully you into editing your original post and removing 'Ika', 'Ikwerre' and 'Ukwuani'?

Smh.

I removed it because Efewestern asked me to. After all, he's the person behind the idea of this thread and he's a brother I respect.

Left for me, I would even add more sef. You should know I don't give a damp about these guys and their childhood traumas.

I only wanted this thread to stay on course for the sake of my people but these guys just have a way of creating tribalism where there is none and making mountains out of moles. Inferiority complex plus self delusion has made them feel they have to fight for a perceived interest that wasn't even tampered with in the first place.

Urhobo-Isoko Wadoo!!!

Meyeruwe ooo!!!



Missing Amiedi seriously .....

Datazone:
Oga keep your dirty mouth shut before you misinform the public. RMD and Fathia Balogun are not Urhobos. If you say this thing in public you may get the beating of your life. That's how you twist and rewrite people's history for them and you create problems for your tribe in the future.

Google is your friend man. You just made yourself look so ignorant now.

Mofe-Damijo was born in Aladja community of Udu Kingdom, near Warri, Delta State. Although he bears an Itsekiri name, he is an Urhobo man.
https://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/the-king-of-boys-conversation-with-richard-mofe-damijo/
http://urhobotoday.com/?p=4409
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mofe_Damijo

Datazone:
Oga keep your dirty mouth shut before you misinform the public. RMD and Fathia Balogun are not Urhobos. If you say this thing in public you may get the beating of your life. That's how you twist and rewrite people's history for them and you create problems for your tribe in the future.

RMD is an Urhobo man.
Go and research well.

Datazone:
Oga keep your dirty mouth shut before you misinform the public. RMD and Fathia Balogun are not Urhobos. If you say this thing in public you may get the beating of your life. That's how you twist and rewrite people's history for them and you create problems for your tribe in the future.

Fathia Balogun Williams: I’m Not Yoruba, I’m Urhobo From Okpara Waterside Delta State
http://naijagists.com/fathia-balogun-williams-im-not-yoruba-im-urhobo-from-okpara-waterside-delta-state/
http://hamiltonstyle.org/fathia-wins-yoruba-award-declares-i-am-urhobo/

fratermathy:
Why? Does my dialect sound Ughelli-ish?

yes it does

omoharry:
Warri boys head too hot abeg..why wont all the influential sons and daughters of warri stay away and invest in Lagos when Warri has become an abode for kidnappers and robbers..Warri need to be safe before any meaningful investment by individuals can take place there.

Very true. Insecurity is an issue we have to tackle in Warri. Although it's getting better now but it's still hydra headed.

The number of guns in Warri is just too much. That's the main issue. The government needs to de-arm these guys first.

YorubaMuslims:
You are ignorant, the Land of Rising Sun is not new to Biafra, they were all Easterners before the northerners us the system of Divide and rule on them,
Cross-River is more Eastern than any southeast state.
Biafra is the ''Old Eastern Region''

bravo omniknowest, how "informed" for you to use the word "BEFORE" but now mr omniknowest,how many geographical zones do we have?? Omniknowest don't we have south south,south west and south east now?? Village man... Stop attributing the present to the past.

siloXIX:
yes it does

You know Agbon, Ughelli, Agbarho, Abraka and adjoining areas speak almost the same variant of central Urhobo. That's exactly what I used in my posts. Although my spoken Urhobo has a particular leaning towards Abraka dialect, as many people have said. But I'm not from Abraka. I spent a part of my childhood there so I guess I acquired the spoken dialect unconsciously.

Kobiruo!

Sanchez01:
Your point is so valid, but I believe you are quoting the wrong person.

yea lol...saw it this morning...na sleep eye.

fratermathy:
I have decided to write on this at the request of a fellow Nairalander, Efewestern, who is also a namesake to Efe Ejeba, the recent Big Brother Naija winner that broke the airwaves and the internet on Sunday, April 9th, 2017.

Warri City
Warri is the most populous city in Delta State and the second largest oil city in Nigeria, coming only after Port Harcourt. It has had a rich history through the years from its modern manifestation as a small GRA in Agbassa-Warri area to its explosion as a metropolitan hub covering areas such as Okere-Urhobo, Okere-Itsekiri, Pessu, Otovwodo, Ajimimogha, Ogunu, Ejeba, Ugborikoko, Enerhen (suburb) Effurun (suburb), Udu (suburb), Ekpan (suburb), Osubi (suburb). Warri is mainly populated by the Urhobo people of Delta/Bayelsa/Edo States. However, the Itsekiris and Ijaws occupy significant areas in the city and both lay claims to ownership of Warri. Since this write-up is not on which tribe owns Warri, I won't go into it here (however, I have written about this earlier on so you may search for it). Warri also houses an annexe of the Delta State Government house. It has a very good nightlife, a large population of youths and a unique brand of Pidgin, influenced by Urhobo-Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri languages.

It should be noted that although Warri refers to the city of Warri as explained earlier, the term is now being used to identify with people from Delta Central and Delta South. Warri has become like a ubiquitous term to refer to all Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris and Delta Ijaws, whether or not they are from Warri. In fact, the Delta Igbos are beginning to identify with the Warri brand as it is now.

The Urhobo-Isoko People
The Urhobo-Isoko is an amalgam of two related ethnic groups, Urhobo and Isoko, with Urhobo being the larger and Isoko being an offshoot of Eastern Urhobo. They are constitutionally regarded as different ethnic groups but they are one people in everything else, hence my usage of the compounded term, Urhobo-Isoko. The Urhobo-Isoko people are the 5th largest ethnic group in Nigeria (2006 census). They number over 5 million both at home and in the diaspora. They are the 2nd largest ethnic group in the South-South and Niger Delta regions, coming only after their ethnic neighbour, the Ijaws. Urhobos occupy 12 LGAs in Delta State (8 in Delta Central and 4 in Delta South), 1 in Bayelsa State (Ofoni, among others, in Sagbama LGA) and 1 in Edo State (Oghara settlements in Ikpoba Okha LGA). Urhobo-Isokos also have faraway village settlements in Ikale, Ilaje (Ondo State) Oro (Kwara State), and other areas in the South West of Nigeria. The Isoko people, who are ethnically Urhobo and politically Isokos, occupy 2 LGAs in Delta South (Isoko North and South) and have an estimated population of 1 million at home and in the diaspora. Isoko and Urhobo are regarded as one people and the Isoko can understand Urhobo clearly. In the colonial period, the Isoko and Urhobo were both regarded as the Sobo people. However, the Urhobo Progress Union, under Chief Mukoro Mowoe, fought hard to change this name to Urhobo. Isokos were a part of Eastern Urhobo until 1959 when the Western Regional House created an Isoko division from Eastern Urhobo. That marked the beginning of a separate Isoko identity.

The Urhobo-Isoko in Entertainment and the Warri Brand
The Urhobo-Isoko people, though regarded as a minority tribe in Nigeria, have attracted the attention of the majority tribes for various reasons. One of the reasons that the people have attracted so much attention is in the people's natural knack for entertainment. The Urhobo-Isoko language is very musical, demonstrative and filled with innuendos, humour and vulgarity. All these have aided the people to excel in the domain of entertainment. Over the years, Urhobo-Isokos have produced great giants in the Nigerian entertainment industry. So much that we have created a Warri/Urhobo niche for ourselves. The Warri brand is so strong that every entertainer from Delta State, and some from Edo/Bayelsa State, identifies with it.

The Warri brand manifests strongly on the Nigeria's stand-up comedy scene where Opa Williams (also an Urhobo-Isoko) launched the A Night of a Thousand Laughs show and gave voices to the many clowns and comedians from the Warri region. We have Urhobo-Isoko comedians such as Ali Baba (regarded as the King- Ose - of comedy in Nigeria, I Go Dye (one of the richest and most creative comedians in Nigeria), Bovi, I Go Save, Maleke, Gordons, A.Y. (Warri by association), Akpororo (Warri by birth/association), and many others.

In the music scene, the Warri brand has strong voices like Yung6ix, Erigga, Shun Bebe, Orezi, Dr Sid, Sammie Okposo, Kefee (now late), Harrysong (Warri-Ijaw), Omawumi (Warri-Itsekiri), Oritsefemi (Warri-Itsekiri), and many others.

In the movie industry, the Warri brand has pioneers like Fred Amata, Jeta Amata, Chico Ejiro, Richard Mofe Damijo (forget his name, he is a core Urhobo-Isoko from Udu Kingdom). Other actors include Bovi Ugboma, Isokoh Stanley, Joseph Okoro, Justice Esiri (now late), Ayo Makun, aka AY (by association), Omoni Oboli, Ufuoma Ejenobo Mcdermott, Sophie Okonedo (international actress), Balogun Fathia (forget the name, she is a core Urhobo-Isoko), Karen Igho, Peggy Ovire, and many others.

In the Reality TV series, the Warri brand has produced two Big Brother Winners: Karen Igho and Efe! Efe has been the man of the moment since he won Big Brother Naija on Sunday April 9th, 2017. He has attracted so much attention to the Warri brand through his down-to-earthedness and humour. Efe received massive votes across ethnic divides because he was considered to be "real", just like most Warri people usually are.

Features of the Warri Brand
I have been saying "Warri Brand" over and over again. So what exactly are the features of the Warri Brand in the Nigerian entertainment industry? Let me just outline some so that anyone can identify them:

1. Humour: The Warri brand in entertainment is filled with laughter and humour, whether in the movie, music or reality TV shows. Anything Warri people just makes everyone laugh. It's as simple as that.

2. Language: The way Urhobo-Isoko people speak English is very different from that of every other Nigeria. In Urhobo English, the accent, intonation and pronunciation of words usually elicit interest from every other person in Nigeria. When Urhobo-Isokos speak, they tend to demonstrate a lot and this makes their communication very effective and humourous. Discourse particles such as "Shuooo!", "Ewoooo!", "Oghene Biko!!!", "Okpetu!", "Ibabo!", etc, and the way they are pronounced, usually make other Nigerians reel out with laughter.

3. Warri Pidgin: The Warri people speak a unique type of Pidgin which, together with Sapele Pidgin, forms the Urhobo-Isoko dialect of Nigerian pidgin. This pidgin is influenced by the Urhobo language, as well as by Itsekiri and Ijaw languages. The pidgin is innovative, humorous, and expressive. Warri people can speak certain types of pidgin that no one else can decode. i.e. "Kasala just burst for area as men carry shaka bula commot from Ekoro. As we observe them, some men just Va, me and my kidney just perm small so that my blood nor go boil egg. Oniovo, the omutan and opata wey Akpos de throway go put am for voicemail soon and na okpetu go end the kasala". I challenge others to attempt at decoding this (mind you, this is a VERY LIGHT Warri pidgin expression). Erigga, an Urhobo-Isoko rapper from Warri, as well as Shun Bebe, are known for using the Warri dialect of Pidgin to rap.

4. Slangs: Warri people are known to have some very funny slangs and expressions found nowhere else. These slangs are found in both the English and Pidgin spoken in Warri. Warri people even have their own terms for many things. i.e. "Sun too hot nor mean say fowl go lay boiled egg", "no matter how rough they drive motor inside TV, e can never jam you wey de watch am", "Warri nor de carry last", "at all at all naim bad pass", "kpata kpata na draw", "anybody wen de dull na odonyo e be", etc. Again, Erigga expresses these in his music alot.

5. Simplicity: The Warri brand is known for simplicity and "real". You hardly find people forming "posh" or what they are not in Warri. Even RMD, with all his money and class, is still that confirm Warri boy anytime. The Warri brand is simple and real, no complications, no scandals, no stress!!!

Warri and its Future Potentials as Nigeria's Ultimate Entertainment Hub
I have written on the Warri brand already and its position in the Nigerian entertainment scene. However, much is left to be done. Warri has gained its niche largely through stereotypes. There are many divergent artists, actors and entertainers that are yet to be discovered. All they need is support. This is why I am very glad about the way every Nigerian (regardless of tribe) voted Efe, a simple Urhobo-Isoko boy of the Warri brand. Many people said that Nigerians did not vote for Efe but voted for the Warri Brand and I agree with this in a way. Warri needs to take a large share of Nigeria's entertainment industry but this can't do this alone. Warri needs support to get to this stage. Below are some of the reasons why Warri can be the next entertainment hub in Nigeria:

1. Warri has a large population of youths who are very creative and need a platform to show their creativity. In fact, the average Warri youth can act, sing, rap, dance or crack jokes with ease. Most of the shows in the Warri axis are done on a very low key. Warri and its environs need more shows and more support from sponsors.

2. Warri has the potential market for entertainment. With an estimated population of over 1 million residents only within the city (not to mention those in Sapele, Ughelli, Abraka, Oleh, Ozoro, etc), Warri has a good market for entertainment. If sponsors key into this population and the people's love for "flexing", they would realise that Warri is a good market.

3. Warri is an oil-rich city that attracts lots of people from all over the world. These people need places to relax, enjoy and express themselves. If the entertainment tourism potentials of Warri can be reached, more and more people will flock to this city and the boom will continue.

4. Warri has the potential wealth to keep the entertainment industry running. With young billionaires and millionaires dotted across the city, Warri has the wealth to keep showbiz afloat. All that is needed is for show promoters to look for good sponsorship from these big names and use this to encourage Warri-based entertainers, as well as to bring in other entertainers from all over the country.

5. Warri has a large swathe of celebrities who would be willing to work with new entertainers from the region provided they are provided with good platforms to market their music and carve their own niche. The older celebs are very open and willing to help the younger ones. All that is needed is the encouragement and show promotion by entertainment gurus.

Final Words
Warri is a brand! Having evolved from a modest Government Reserved Area to a metropolitan city, it has become a hub for latent talents in Nigeria. The Urhobo-Isoko people that populate Warri and its environs have a solid representation in the entertainment industry. However, there is more to be done. Warri can be the new Lagos, the entertainment hub in Nigeria. With just a little push and encouragement, the Warri phenomenon can explode to entertain and delight all Nigerians!!!



Congratulations to Efe Ejeba on his success at the Big Brother Nigeria show. He has done Urhobo-Isoko, Warri, Delta and Nigeria proud. I also wish to thank all Nigerians, be it Yoruba, Igbo, Nupe, Igala, Tiv, Junkun, Anaang, Ibibio, Oron, Efik, Baruba, Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Itsekiri, Ijaw, Ogoni, Ebira, Gbagyi, etc, that supported Efe and the Warri brand. Keep supporting us and we will never let you down!

Warri!
Warri!!
Warri!!!
Their .........!

Urhobo-Isoko Wadoooo!!!!
Misiagware oooo!

N.B. I noticed that after Efe won, even Hausa people in far away Sokoto were claiming to be Warri people .
Igbos in far away Enugu started updating their status with ChukwunEFE,
Even Yorubas were claiming "area" like say dem bam from Agbassa
Even Lalasticlala and Seun de post Efe threads go frontpage since like say dem relate to Efe
Is ok, is ok!

- Iroro Orhero

Mathias, IMHO this your article seem anti-itsekiri and ijaw. I know you are pro-Urhobo, but if you are really projecting Warri as you claim you should be speaking equally to all major tribes co-locating in Warri: Isoko, Itsekiri Ijaw, and Urhobo.

bigfrancis21:
So many misconceptions going on in this thread.

1) from my own research Warri seems to originally been attributed to the Jekris or Itshekiris. That is the original landmass known as Warri or 'iwerre'. However, it has growwn today to a larger city incorporating towns/lands from neighboring tribes.

2) Urhobo-Isoko cannot be the 5 largest tribe in Nigeria. Frathermarthy lumped together urhobo and isoko as one to bump up the population to 5th place but these two groups see themselves differently. Efiks/Ibibios and all Ijaw groups would have to come first in terms of numbers, and maybe some middle-belt groups before Urhobo-Isoko lumped together. Separating both, Urhobo alone may stand at number 10, no more than no 20 in terms of population.

3) Frathermarthy, isn't it interesting that you're trying desperately to claim Isokos (who see themselves differently) as Urhobos but few days ago paraded a thread on NL on how Aniomas are different from Igbo? Like the English say, you can't eat your cake and have it. Isokos declared their independence from Urhobo several decades back. Unfortunately, that's what it is. On the eastern side, Ika and Ukwuani, although Igbo-speaking, may identify as a separate ethnic group. They have their rights to self-determination.

You are quite correct with your facts.

There are always 2 sides to a coin afterall, just that some people always choose to tell a single part completely ignoring the other.

First of all, there is no way one can talk about Warri without including the itsekirs who are arguably the owners of majority of the main Warri city which later developed into Uvwie and Udu urhobo areas.

Secondly, i wonder how Urhobos with just 8 or 10 LGAs can ever match groups like Kanuris that dominate 2 entire populated states who always produce 2 governors and 5 senators every political tenure, with millions of people in Niger republic and Chad who claim Nigeria or Tivs with 14 largely homogenous populated LGAs in Benue and others in Nasarawa, Taraba, Cross river and even Cameroon. Or a tribe like Gbagyi that dominate about 24 LGAs in Niger, Kaduna, FCT and Nasarawa states.
I even doubt Urhobos will be more than Igalas, Ebiras, Idomas and Nupes, just that middlebelt/northern minority groups do not make ethnic noises because the old northern regional govt which they were born into never promoted ethnicity but regionalism.

We also know that Ibibio-Efik-Annang are divided, but if he could join Urhobo-Isoko together as one, i wonder why he would not join the former together as one, when we even know that within the Urhobo, many Okpe people claim a distinct identity from Urhobos.
He even claimed that Urhobo-Isoko cluster could likely be more than Ibibio-Efik-Annang cluster which everyone knows cannot be possible when the latter have a populated entire state like Akwa Ibom and a third of another state Cross river to themselves.

I understand that as individuals we may love our ethnic groups so much, but i don't think we should go as far as twisting facts to achieve that. @Fratermathy

Nowenuse:
You are quite correct with your facts.

There are always 2 sides to a coin afterall, just that some people always choose to tell a single part completely ignoring the other.

First of all, there is no way one can talk about Warri without including the itsekirs who are arguably the owners of majority of the main Warri city which later developed into Uvwie and Udu urhobo areas.

Secondly, i wonder how Urhobos with just 8 or 10 LGAs can ever match groups like Kanuris that dominate 2 entire populated states who always produce 2 governors and 5 senators every political tenure, with millions of people in Niger republic and Chad who claim Nigeria or Tivs with 14 largely homogenous populated LGAs in Benue and others in Nasarawa, Taraba, Cross river and even Cameroon. Or a tribe like Gbagyi that dominate about 24 LGAs in Niger, Kaduna, FCT and Nasarawa states.
I even doubt Urhobos will be more than Igalas, Ebiras, Idomas and Nupes, just that middlebelt/northern minority groups do not make ethnic noises because the old northern regional govt which they were born into never promoted ethnicity but regionalism.

We also know that Ibibio-Efik-Annang are divided, but if he could join Urhobo-Isoko together as one, i wonder why he would not join the former together as one, when we even know that within the Urhobo, many Okpe people claim a distinct identity from Urhobos.
He even claimed that Urhobo-Isoko cluster could likely be more than Ibibio-Efik-Annang cluster which everyone knows cannot be possible when the latter have a populated entire state like Akwa Ibom and a third of another state Cross river to themselves.

I understand that as individuals we may love our ethnic groups so much, but i don't think we should go as far as twisting facts to achieve that. @Fratermathy

I have already answered all that you listed over again on this thread.

Like bigfrancis21, you are speaking from the perspective of non-Urhobo and you should.


Leave me to wallow in my ignorance, if you see my perspective as being ignorant. It's my choice.

Speaking about LGAs as if population correlates with number of LGAs or states!