₦airaland Forum

As GMB gets set to clinch the APC ticket,a myriad of questions agitate my mind.A nation derives its leadership from amongst its people,hence the leader reflects the society.Are Nigerians ready for a 'CHANGE'?The kind that a Buhari leadership portend?Are Nigerians ready to put an end to circumvention of due process for personal gain?Can Buhari wield the same powers to make drastic needed change in a socio politico milieu that requires redefinition?Can Buhari in Agbada not Khaki bestride Nigeria's political hemisphere like he did in 1983 with the encumberance of a corrupt and inept national assembly?Will the national assembly members whose sole aim of aspiring to the hallowed chambers is to have their hand on our collective patrimony for personal agrandisement allow the passage of bills that will clamp down on corruption and corrupt individuals?Nigerians must realise that CHANGE must come from within.A clear departure from the norm is demanded of every Nigerian.Rumours have it that the PDP and APC primaries have been dollarised,and will require recouping when the prize (presidency) is won.Can we trust these political merchants to bring about the CHANGE we desperately crave?Change can only come from the people.......not from any man.#nay Jonathan#nay Buhari

agbotaen: 8. if i say that ika or ndokwa will produce the governor , if it is zoned or shifted to delta north , i know what am saying , but i will give only few reasons, it is from these two axis that we have strong political figures in anioma , now that can appeal to the rest of deltans , and you do not win elections by appealing to only your ethnic group , as delta is a multi ethnic state and any one that will lead must appeal to uhrobos, isoko, ijaws and the aniomas , and right now it is the ndokwa and ika politicians that have that appeal .
9. okowa is right now one of the most popular politician in delta state and the topmost political office holder in delta north or anioma area and there is nothing you can do about that.

Seriously?How did u measure their individual acceptance.How do we measure a Prof Pat Utomi against Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and say the senator stands high above?I beg to disagree.Anioma is one.Delta State deserves the best.

[b][/b][quote author=agbotaen]7. i predict that if delta north will become governor of delta state , it will come from either ika area or ndokwa/ukwani area, because of several reasons.


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I believe that every man has the right to be who he chooses to be.Anioma have a right to assert their ethnic independence but with predictions like this I shudder for Anioma Unity.What happens to our Aniocha and Oshimili brothers?

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

bigfrancis21: I've noticed another trend among these Edo-clinging groups in tracing their lineage using Edo kings. It is quite clear that the Benin empire had a large territory, expanding all the way to Lagos and western Igboland(Anioma). Several edoid groups were also under this Benin influence such as the Afemai, Esan, Urhobo, Isoko etc. The Benin empire wielded a great influence but didn't find it imperative to spread their language or impose their language on their acquired territories like the British. It seems that Edo language remained as a royal language and was learned as a second language by subdued groups when they visited Benin to communicate with the Obas of Benin and his subjects. During the reign, the Benin empire sent out their representatives to their acquired territories to reign as kings over them, thus maintaining its influence. These benin-blooded kings brought with them the Edo-style of Kingship to the anioma areas they reigned over and they settled in their new foreign territories, only reporting to the King of Benin when necessary. And after each king reigned successfully, his own son took over. With time these kings had descendants who assimilated into the language and culture of the greater populace they found themselves in, while still retaining their Bini surnames(family name) and Igbo first names(showing they had Igbo mothers).

This, however, doesn't in no way conjure up to mean that these kings founded these anioma areas. These kings met an already existing Igbo sub group over which they wielded their influence using the Edo kingship style, given the lack of an existing Kingship structure among many Igbo sub groups.

The British people were great colonialists. They expanded their territories by acquiring more territories and sending out their people to lord over the natives. Nigeria was colonized by Britain. And we had series of British 'Kings' who ruled over Nigeria for so many years in quick succession. That doesn't mean they found Nigeria empty. And that doesn't equally mean that we should turn around and claim british ancestry through the British Kings that ruled over us for decades before independence. It would be very laughable for Nigerians to turn around tomorrow and start claiming British ancestry just because we had British Kings therefore, we are British people. It would also be very absurd to speculate that an Edo group of people arrived an Igbo-speaking area, drove away the Igbo people and settled there, yet lost their language to Igbo - the language of the people they chased away! Such logic is flawed. No matter how you try to defend that logic or come up with some imaginary explanation for that, the logic is heavily flawed because history repeats itself. And never in the annals of history has it been recorded that an invading colonial group invaded a land, chased away its natives, settled there and yet lost their own original language and started speaking the language of the natives of which they pursued away and had no contact with again after their exile. Its either there was no such type of invasion actually or that these foreign people who were few in numbers to actually subdue a greater population journeyed into a new language territory, were taken in, and with time assimilated WILLINGLY into the greater population. In history, all invading groups all maintained their language. The English people invaded America, chased away the native indians, settled there and maintained their English language. The Spanish people who led great and far-reaching conquests invaded new areas(Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay etc) chased away many of the natives, or intermarried with them and maintained Spanish. The same goes for French, Portuguese, and German. The descendants of the Dutch people who invaded South Africa still today speak a Dutch creole, which is reminiscent of their Dutch ancestry. Why can't the same be said for any of these so-called Edo-clinging groups in Delta state? If these people claim to be from Edo, the Edo language should still be spoken somehow, even if its a corruption of Edo, in Anioma. Yet that is non-existent.

Edo kings may have ruled in some anioma areas, that doesn't negate the fact that these people were and still are an original igbo stock who happened to have a foreign king from the Benin empire.

Great piece bigfrancis21.This is what this thread should be-a platform for intellectual discourse.I enjoin the rest of nairalanders to put a stop to the mudslinging,brickbat throwing and cursing.I expect a counter arguement from another intellectual.

By my understanding Emeagwali simply said he is yoruba by birth because he was born in yoruba land and I find this line of thought interesting.I think Nigerians should be encouraged to adopt their place of birth as it will go a long way in fostering national cohesiveness.