What followed after the visit was like a movie. The engagement, introduction, wedding, all these happened so fast and it felt like it was someone else's life while I was just a spectator.
The wedding was quite a big one, those one-in-town weddings you would see only on TV. There were food in abundance, gifts, music, I was the envy of every girl - my friends inclusive.
Everyone was happy for me, neighbors, family members, people I never even knew they existed showed up for the wedding. Obinna came too but he avoided me all through and rarely spoke to my mum. The idïot.
The wedding ended all too soon and next thing I knew, I was at the back seat of this very big and beautiful car with my husband, waving goodbyes to everyone.
As the car sped off and left my village, I sat back and turned to my husband. He was on the phone.
He had been a complete gentleman since the day we met and had done nothing but pamper and treat me like a princess. He had never brought up the issue of sex as it seemed he wanted to wait till after the wedding.
He looked up and caught me staring and I looked away quickly to face the window. I was sure he smiled.
The wedding was done.
What next?
********************************
I was awoken by a gentle tap on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see an elderly woman bending above me with a smile. I sat up with a frown and looked around. Where were we? I turned to look at my husband only to realize he was gone. I panicked.
"Ma, Oga is inside already." The woman explained as if she'd read my mind. "He said I should come take you inside."
I sighed. We were home.
I nodded and followed her out of the car to meet two younger girls that smiled at me. "Good evening." I said to them.
"Good evening ma," they chorused.
Though I was too tired to note the beauty of the house I stood before, the brightness of the compound awed me. It looked like a palace.
The older woman led the way in the house, up a stairway and then a corridor. Then I was fully awake and took in the mastery of which the house was constructed and furnished. It was a masterpiece, nothing I had ever seen before, even the king's palace back at the village could not compare to it. There were beautiful paintings on the walls, beautiful matching curtains at each window, the tiled floor gleamed like jewels....It was like heaven.
The woman led me to a door and opened it. "Your room ma."
Completely dazed, I looked into the room. It was far bigger than the house back at the village and far too divine. I walked slowly into the room and looked around. I was speechless.
"The toilet is over there," the woman continued, "And that's the closet should you want to change after freshening up-"
"Where is my husband?" I asked.
"He said that he would meet you later on." She replied simply.
"Is he downstairs?"
"Yes ma."
I nodded. "Thank you."
"Bisi will bring you dinner in 30 minutes," the woman said and turned to point at one of the girls I had met downstairs. I didn't know they had followed us. "And Damilola will clean up when you are done. Would there be anything else you would be needing?"
Would there? I shook my head and the woman smiled.
"You are welcome once again."
"Thank you."
She turned and walked away with the girls behind her and I was left alone.
It didn't take me up to twenty minutes to ruin the bathroom. The bathtub had been quite slippery, had burnt myself when I switched on the wrong tap, the bathroom floor was wet, the shower head was ruined....everything was messed up. Couldn't even find a rag to clean up!
After the funny bath, I went back to the room and to the closet to find what to wear. After much digging around, I found a short and a big shirt. It was something. I wore them quickly and pushed the clothes back in the closet. I wasn't really the orderly type of girl.
True to the woman's words, one of the girls, Bisi, I think, knocked and entered to place a tray of covered plates on the table close to the bed. I could see she had noticed the mess I made in the bathroom which I had left open and tried not to look embarrassed. I went over to the table and sat on the bed.
She stared at me with a ridiculous expression.
"What?" I asked softly and looked at myself
"Those are oga's underwears." She said with a smile.
I could tell she wanted to laugh.
"Oh." No wonder they were quite big. "I didn't know."
She nodded and opened the covered plates to reveal boiled yam and egg sauce. "Eat, let me find something for you to wear."
"Okay." I couldn't have agreed more.
She dished the food out in a smaller plate and handed it to me. While I ate, she walked over to the closet and opened it...I looked away.
She ignored the mess I had made and sorted the clothes out and came back with a short red gown. It was silky and beautiful. I liked it.
"Thank you." I said as she placed the gown beside me.
She nodded with a smile.
She waited till I finished and packed the plates back on the tray. As she made to go out, I thought of something.
"Sorry, aunty Bisi," she turned with arched brows. "My husband, how long have you worked for him?"
She seemed shocked by my question. "Um-two, two years."
" D-do you know why my husband is remarrying?"
She looked at me for a while with a confused expression. "No, he's never been married."
Now I was shocked. "No first wife?"
"No. You are his first wife."
I guess I must have stayed silent for long because next she said was, "If that's all ma, I would like to go back to work."
I nodded. "Thank you very much. I am grateful."
"It's nothing." She said and walked out of the room.
I was confused. My husband seemed like one of those men that got whatever they wanted, be it money or any kind of house, car, food and even women. What he wanted from a young girl like me, I did not know.
I lay back on the bed and looked up to see that the ceiling was made of mirror. It seemed odd and fascinating at the same time but I was more drawn to the girl reflected in the mirror.
Twaci: ***************************** I sat at the corridor in tears. The monster had gone after he had had his way. The evening was cold and mosquitos bit me but I didn't care. I wanted my mother.
I didn't understand what had happened that afternoon but I knew it was bad and I felt assaulted. I hugged my bosoms, ignored the pain and cried much more. Where was my mother?
"Omalicha?"
I jumped up. "Mama! Mama!" I ran into her with full force but was completely thrown off balance when she pushed me back.
"What is it?! You wan fall me?!"
I bit my lower lip and more tears rolled down my eyes as I shook my head. "Sorry ma."
"Ha! Na wa oh!" She walked past me and entered the house.
I could feel my chest expand and burst open in a million tears. I was distraught. I wanted my mom and here she was but there was no comfort. She didn't care. Didn't even notice.
Funny enough, my tears dried up. I had pushed the pains so deep that it no longer affected me. The hurt was gone to be replaced with a weird calmness and sudden emptiness. I sniffed, wiped my face with my palms and went inside to meet my mother.
She was on the bed and was engrossed in the money she was counting. She didn't look up when I entered. I crossed over to the bed and climbed on it gently as my vagina still hurt. As I made to cover myself, she looked up. "Na sleep be that? You no go give me food?"
I didn't even look at her. "I no cook."
"Why na? You no sell?"
"I carry the money pay Iya Biodun. She been dey complain say-"
"But why na? I send you? You for carry that money cook food you come dey do oversabi! I send you?"
I ignored her totally.
She sighed. "No wahala. Dey do your own. I wan talk to you sha."
I stayed mute.
"You dey hear me so?!" She yelled and I stood up grudgingly.
"Yes ma."
She sighed again and pushed the money she held in her bag, then turned to face me. "You get boyfriend?"
I was shocked by her question but then was too tired to express it. I didn't move at all. "No."
"Good." She said with a smile and dusted something off her lap, something she always did whenever she wanted to talk. "Because e get something wey I want make you do for me. I just go see Oga David, you remember that my friend abi?"
I nodded. David was one of her numerous friends that gave us money to feed sometimes. I didn't really know their level of friendship...but he was her friend and that's all I wanted to know.
"Well," she continued, "He tell me say e get one man wey wan marry. And the man talk say na small fine girl like you e dey find."
My mom wanted to marry me off. I stared. That was all I could do. I had no strength to display any form of emotion be it shock or anger. I badly wanted to cry but couldn't, the tears were all gone.
My silence didn't deter her.
"See ehen, the man get plenty money and he go take good care of you and me. He go fit send u to school and open shop for me-"
"I am not interested. I won't marry him."
I didn't know if it was my English or my answer that shocked her but it was clearly written on her face. She quickly caught herself and stared at me in what looked like disgust. "Wetin be all these shakara?! Wetin dey do you?! Ehen?!"
No reply.
"Heh! This girl wan kill me oh!" She burst into tears in her usual dramatic fashion. "So you like as we dey suffer abi?! Ehen Oma! Answer me!"
I looked at her squarely but said nothing.
"You no go talk now?! This useless girl you no go open your stupid mouth answer me abi?! Ha! If only your father was alive!-"
I stood up. That was all I could take. My father was a very sore subject for me, especially when it came to my mum. I got back on the bed, ignored the pains in my vagîna and faced the wall.
My mother still ranted. "...you don get liver abi?! I dey talk you dey waka comot! You don dey craze for head abi! See ehn, whether you like am or not, you must marry that man! You no go kill me! Na me born you! You no get strong head pass me! You must marry that man-"
I sighed and waited patiently though my foot tapped in opposite. The sun was hot and it felt as if my brain juice had dried up, all I yearned for was a cold cup of water but that wasn't possible as whoever was inside seemed to take their time in getting the door.
Knock! Knock!! Knock!!! I rapped on the door angrily this time and shifted my heavy selling tray to the other hand, it was quite uncomfortable to hold the wrapper I had used as support for the tray in the same hand. I had complained about the heaviness of the tray to my mum but all fell on deaf ears as she insisted that she had no money. That was all she ever complained about - money. No matter what I did or how much I made from the groundnuts I sold, she was never satisfied. Whatever she used the money for, I had no idea and didn't care. I had promised to take care of her when my dad died...long story.
Knock! Knock!!-
"I dey come!."
I frowned. That wasn't my mum. The voice was quite familiar though, sounded a lot like my mother's younger brother, Obinna. Creepy Obinna was what I called him and never really liked him. He was a tall and lanky 20 years old with a bad breath and pale skin. His eyes always had dark circles under them and the beard he kept was quite dirty and nauseating. He always had this strange smell around him and smiled in a disgusting way whenever he saw me.
What was he doing there?
He opened the door and smiled. Creepy.
"Good afternoon brother," I muttered and pushed past him into the dimly litted one room apartment. Where was mama?
I dropped the tray behind the door, walked over to the water drum and fetched a cup of water.
While I drank, Obinna, who had long observed me from the door, closed it and walked to the bed. "How market?"
"Fine." I replied and wiped my face with the wrapper I still held. I really didn't want to talk. I was tired and needed to bathe.
He picked up his phone and I turned to change. I was quite aware he stared but didn't care. He was always staring and it meant nothing to me. I was 16 years old and purely innocent and really knew nothing of boys or men.
I pulled my top, my back to him and tied the wrapper I had been holding on my chest. Next I pulled my skirt and let it ride down my hips till it hit the floor. When I bent to pick it up, I heard Obinna clear his throat.
"Your nyànsh make sense oh." I heard him mutter and turned with an arched brow.
What was I supposed to say? Thank you?
I nodded with an awkward smile, picked the skirt and walked over to the bathroom. "Where mama go?"
"I no know," he replied, "But she talk say she no go come back on time."
"Where she come waka go?" I wondered aloud and entered the bathroom. I closed the door behind me, untied the wrapper and scooped water from the bucket with my hands and splashed it over my body. It was cool and refreshing and I couldn't resist rubbing my wet skin. There was no soap so I had to wash up like that.
Why was Obinna looking at me like that? I thought as I bent to wash my genitals. And that comment...whatever did it mean?
Your nyànsh make sense oh...I replayed the sentence in my head and as my fingers ran through my vagîna, I felt warm. Now this wasn't a normal feeling of warmth, it burned from within. My heart beat grew faster and I kept rubbing. It was a new sensation, terrifying but pleasurable and I really didn't want to stop. What's going on?
The bathroom door was pushed open and I jumped up. Obinna!
I was thoroughly shocked. He stood in front of me totally naked and didn't seem to care.
"Obinna na wetin?!" I yelled and made to grab my wrapper from the door.
He walked in and closed the door behind him. I moved back in fear. "Obinna wetin you dey find?!"
"Oma calm down," he said softly and moved closer still.
I was backed up against the wall and all I could see was the erection that looked right at me. Oh God! What was he up to? Why was he naked? And what was that-
He stood close now. I tried to run from the side but he pushed me back to the wall and pressed his body on me. I felt his hardon poke my stomach and felt weird. I was scared but weak and could do nothing as he plastered his lips on mine. I shivered in disgust and tried to fight but it was hopeless.
Suddenly violent, he squeezed my small breasts, ran his hands down my stomach to my vagîna and tried to push his fingers in. I cried in pain as he forced his long fingers in and his nails dug into my flesh.
"Please no! Bikonu!" I didn't know what he was up to but it didn't feel right. At least his fingers didn't.
He covered my mouth with his and removed his hand, only to replace it with his dîck. He moved his leg between my laps and propped them open. When he tried to push into me, I bit down on his lips and tried to push him away.
The slap I received dulled my senses for a full minute. I couldn't do anything as he opened my legs, rougher this time and drove in with full force.
No part of this work may be reproduced without the consent of the writer...
This is merely a fictitious writing and the names, characters, places and incidents are simply imaginations. Any actual resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or place is entirely coincidental.
seunmsg: Most of those spreading the 1400 figure including the defeated Peter Obi are well aware that FG did not sponsor all of them. They know a lot of state governments, private companies, civil society organizations, media houses etc all got invited and sent in delegates they sponsored.
But it’s good politics to lump everyone together and accuse Tinubu of flying them to Dubai for COP28. Obidients thrive on false news, lies and propaganda so no one is surprised.
jmichlins: not necessarily. Once the mason does a good job of hanging the gate, it will outlive the fence. Materials plays a very important role though. Should you have the money, go for 3" *1.5 channel instead of regular 3" angle iron or worse pipe
ODUANEGRO: Ive known that Atala was synonymous with body of water such as Atlantis, Atlantic, Atlas. It was a Canaanite word, their language was old Hebrew which I have sworn to is the ancient tongue of the Yorubas.
Well, Atala is different from just any body of water. Yoruba have words ....that functionally go beyond concept and give feeling to what is being defined. Odo is river, Osa is lagoon or.a lake, Agbami is sea, Okun is ocean.
So what is Atala?
Agbami... Deep waters... The deepest part of the ocean.
After a series of delays, the Dangote Refinery, a mammoth $19 billion project in Nigeria, is finally poised to commence fuel production as the first crude shipment arrives at the facility, marking a significant milestone for the country’s oil industry.
Quoting industry sources and tanker tracking data, S&P Global, in a report on its website, spglobal.com, said that the OTIS tanker, carrying a 950,000 barrel cargo of Nigeria’s Agbami crude, set sail on December 6 and is currently en route to Lekki, the nearest land port to Dangote’s offshore crude receiving terminal.
The tanker is expected to arrive on December 7 around 8pm, this shipment marks the initiation of crude supplies for the refinery’s operations.
The Suezmax tanker, chartered by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), symbolises the initial crude supply to Dangote’s state-of-the-art refinery as it gears up to initiate production, revealed a West African oil trader familiar with the matter, the S&P report said.
Ikaeniyan0: It was not imported. Agbami crude oil is from the Niger delta.
Indeed. That's the Ikorodu-born, Forbes-rated billionaire Mrs. Folorunso Alakija's crude oil field... Agbami (is a Yoruba word which means deep sea or the deepest part of the sea) is operated by the American oil multinational Chevron in partnership with Famfa Oil and more.
cremedelacreme: I've been following this biker (Itchy boots) as she travelled round the world from Asia to other African countries, crossing borders. Never have I seen where Police or imm igration officer's in other countries were begging for money. Shame on Nigerian Police.
VIDEO: Cops Demand Money From Foreign Female Biker
Are these real policemen or are they just goofing around? Besides this is not a safe period on the major interstate roads for a Dutch woman to be riding long-distance on a bike to Abuja. There are some robbery and kidnapping dark spots on the routes she's likely to follow. I hope she makes it back to her base unscathed.
coolscott: [size=13pt]My grandfather was a wealthy transporter in the east (Aba to be precise). He owned the first ever transport company in Aba. He also was a palm oil plantation owner with vast palm plantations which produced palm oil for export.
His son, my uncle, told me that when he would drive them as children with his land rover to the farm to do whatever they could with the workers on the farm, Naked Ngwa villages would be running after them shouting, "Oyibo, oyibo!" because they were light skinned and had the luxury of a land rover.
The point to note here is that they were mostly naked. With only some patches of rafia to cover them. This was in the early 1950s
The further point I am trying to make here is that when it came to being developed and civilized, you guys only started yesterday. Only as far back as the 40s and 50s you were still moving around naked and I will attach proof here.
Now you do not appreciate the orderliness of keeping records (socio-historic records). Your villages did not read/write from a leadership level, which was absent or rag tag. Nor do you place any respect-worthy amount of value of reading the recorded facts.
Now if the facts were different from what I have stated here, you would have known the full details of your history. You would have read it. You would have know the details that led to the existence of Jaja of Opobo. How Ajayi Crowther arrived Nigeria after leaving on a slave ship, etc. I was made to read these things in my early teens because true social education runs in us.
Now that is why I can understand when you say how can you believe the author is not biased. You see, you do not read and have no counter reference point comparing the author's writing to which you may lay claim to the author's writing being inaccurate or false. You have the one thing your kind go by - the imaginations of your mind influenced by delusions of grandeur relative to other peoples.
This is one thing nairaland has been good for. Allowing for information to be brought to us all. Letting us get educated about stuff we might never have become informed about (even though some choose, like the proverbial ostrich, to bury faces in the sand in trying to escape realities they do not like).
Below is an excerpt from the same writer and on the same page as he gives us an insight as to the states of Igbos in Enugu in 1947. You will notice that he is not really talking them down, but is trying to highlight how fast they improved from the state they were in in 1947[/size]
KINGofHELL: References 1. Oral sources 2. Various online sources 3. Dr Nwanko T. Nwaezeigwe (2013): “The politics of Igbo origin and culture: The Igbo-Ukwu and Nri factors Reconsidered ”
Credit Amb Ayegba A. A. (General Igala Ambassador) Teacher, Researcher and Igala Unity Advocate.
kayfra: Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria Vol. 2, No. 1 (December 1960)
Notes on Contact between the Igala and the Ibo by J.S. Boston
The history of the Anambra connection with the Igala kingdom is contained in the traditions of a group of related villages that form a clan known as Umueri.
This group is settled in two sections, roughly midway between Onitsha and Awka; the northern section is centered on Aguleri, an important trading town on the left bank of the river Anambra, and the southern section has its centre at Nri, some thirty miles away.
The towns forming the first section are Aguleri, Nteje and Oreri.
The northern Umueri villages say that the clan was founded by a man called Eri who came to the Anambra are from Igala country, and settled at Aguleri.
Some versions say that he was a hunter, and others that he was an Igala war leader; it is uncertain whether there was an existing settlement when Eri arrived or whether the locality was unoccupied.
Eri's first son, Nri left his father's home to found the town that bears his name, and other sons founded the remaining towns in this group.
Aguleri takes its own name from Eri's second son, Agulu, but the ruling families there trace their own descent from one Aguve, who is said to have been given the title of Eze by the Ata 'Gala at Idah.
linguistically 'egwusi' was recent in Igbo. in Ekiti and other older central Yoruba dialects, it's 'egushin' simply meant to 'break and remove'. the white specie is called 'êdè' Igbo borrowed a lot of vocabularies from Igalas who share a lot with ancient people of present Yorubaland.
Indeed. It's the Igala connection. Igala is a Yoruboid language and in addition to having part-Yoruba ancestors and bloodlines, Igalas exist in Kogi, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, and partly Edo States. The Igala presence over 500 years in the SE influenced the presence of a few noticeable words of Yoruba origin via Igala who are related to Yorubas according to a 2017 interview by the Attah of Igalaland, the late Attah Michael Ameh Oboni who clearly stated that a group of migrants centuries back came from the Wukari area in Taraba (Wukari is of Jukun ethnicity) and moved along the River Benue then got to the NigerRiver/Benue River confluence where they met in the Kogi area a significant number of Yorubas and Edos who they fused with.
He said that was how Igala came into existence. I read some documents which stated that Igala has close to 30 percent of Yoruba words in it. Indeed it is very clear that Yorubas are direct cousins to Igalas, who also have ancestral ties with the Idomas, Ebiras, Nupes, Jukuns, Nsukka and other Northern parts of Enugu and Anambra, etc. Eri who was in the Igala-associated communities such as the Nri area was an Igala man who fathered children who then fanned out to establish other places. There's extensive historical work online showing that a significant section of Aguleri is of Igala origin!
1. Omi in Yoruba is Omi (water) in Igala. 2. Ogede in Yoruba is Ogede (plantains) in Igala. 3. Ewa (beans) in Yoruba is Egwa in Igala. 4. Okuta in Yoruba is Okuta (rock) in Igala. 5. Akuko in Yoruba is Akuko (cock) in Igala. 6. Ifa in Yoruba is Ifa (Yoruba religion) in Igala. 7. Olukumi in Yoruba is Oluku (friend) in Igala. 8. Ogun in Yoruba is Ogwu (medicine) in Igala. 9. Ogun (war) in Yoruba is Ogu in Igala. 10. Egungun in Yoruba is Egwugwu (masquerade) in Igala.
And there's lots more which can be gleaned online and offline. Mind-blowing.
So, these explain the presence of a few words of Yoruboid/Igaloid origin in Ibo such as Okwute (Okuta in Yoruba), Ewu (Ewure in Yoruba) etc. Other regions, parts of Iboland have different names to describe things. So Ibo is not a uniform language because of regional and dialectic variations.
YourNemesis: Ogbono is Apon in Yoruba. That Onugbu is Ewuro, if I am right about Onugbu meaning bitter leaf. We still Have Efinrin, Orunla, Ayamashe, Different types of veggies (Rorowo, Efolo, Gbure, Tete) Etc.. so you see. Most popular soups are eastern due to popular culture of course, especially the names. But know that Yorubas also have names for most of these things... especially if you go to the villages. Most times when igbos are mentioning Oha, Onugbu etc before... I used to think they were different things found only in igboland, until I was told their English names, then I realized Yorubas also had them. A word like "Okporoko", the igbo word for stock fish for example has become popular with other nigerians prolly due to nollywood and stuff, but in Yoruba it is Panla. Only Yorubas and close tribes might know what Kpanla/Panla is... but Okporoko will be more recognizable across nigeria at the moment. Hope u get the drift.
darklooks: Not Akara (fried bean cakes) or Moin Moin ( steamed bean cakes). These are actual flour, eggs,sugar, butter and beautifully iced cakes.
Yoruba Cakes is based in Mexico and like any other bakery it serves cupcakes, decorated cakes, desserts and pastries in all flavours- Chocolate, Vanilla, Nutella, Mocha, Oreo, Mango, Lemon etc
But with a difference – every single cake, pastry or dessert is dedicated to a Yoruba deity, complete with Orisha colours and motifs. With 5 star reviews and lots of happy customers. Imagine a cake shop like that on Awolowo Road? Lol….
Sango, Yemoja, Osun no deity left out. Stunning sugar craft too. Have a look yourself…
teetee123: Abeokuta was a sovereign nation for 20 years and 11 months before the British almagamated her with the rest of Nigeria. She had her own laws, Police Force, Civil Service and was well organized. The Alake was the head of the defunct government known as the Egba United Government (1 February 1893- 1 January 1914). The almagamation with the rest of Nigeria did not go down well with the Egba people and this resulted in the Adubi War (1918). I have compiled some facts about this ancient and paramount city that seats as the capital of Ogun State and also the pride of Egbaland.
Abeokuta was founded in 1830, with Sodeke as her leader. The initial name of Abeokuta was “Oko Adagba” meaning “Adagba’s farmstead”-Adagba was an Itoko farmer. Sodeke who led the Egbas met him there.
Abeokuta means ‘under a rock’, signifying the protection which the Olumo Rock offered the Egbas during attacks.
Since the discovery of Olumo Rock, no one has fallen from it. Not even once.
Eastern side of the Olumo Rock in Ikija, Abeokuta
The first church in Nigeria, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, is in Abeokuta.
The first Baptist Church in West Africa and the first local government in Nigeria (Abeokuta South) are in Abeokuta.
The first University in Nigeria should have been located in Abeokuta but due to infighting, it was established at Ibadan as the University of Ibadan in 1948.
The first secondary school in Nigeria was sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos as CMS Grammar School due to unknown reasons.
The first hospital in Nigeria, Sacred Heart Hospital, is in Abeokuta. It is still functioning.
The first bridge in Nigeria (Sokori Bridge-1903) built by a Nigerian (Mr. John Adenekan) without European supervision is in Abeokuta.
The first Newspaper in Nigeria (Iwe Iroyin) was founded in Abeokuta in 1859.
The first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the first woman to drive a car was from Abeokuta. They both married each other. They were also the first male and female admitted to Abeokuta Grammar School.
The first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria (Justice Adetokunbo Ademola) was from Abeokuta. He was the son of the longest reigning monarch (Alake) in Egbaland.
Okukenu Sagbua I, was the first Alake of Egbaland. He was enthroned on August 8, 1854. His descendant, Okukenu Sagbua IV is the current Alake of Egbaland.
Alake Gbadebo I, was the first monarch in Nigeyou to visit England on a state visit. He spent 20 days at sea-May 5-25, 1904.
The first time a white man came to Abeokuta on January 4, 1843, everybody (both young and old) left their homes and market places to catch a glimpse of Henry Townsend, the white man.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865) which interrupted the U.S cotton trade to Europe, Abeokuta exported cotton to England.
The most influential woman in the history of Egbaland and the first Iyalode of Egbaland was Madam Tinubu. Tinubu square in Lagos and Ita Iyalode in Abeokuta are named after her. She died in 1887.
In 1893, the Egba United Government was recognized as an independent nation by Britain. She had her own laws. Many developments were made until 1914, when she was amalgamated to form Nigeria. The Sokori Bridge was constructed in 1903 and Abeokuta Grammar School was founded on July 16, 1908.
Abeokuta has produced many outstanding persons in the nation: In Academics (Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, Professor Saburi Biobaku), In Accountancy (Akintola Williams, Folorunso Oke, Bola Kuforiji-Olubi), In Law (Justice Adetokunbo Ademola – first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olumuyiwa Jibowu, George Sodehinde Sowemimo, S. O. Lambo, Chief F.R.A. Williams, Prince Bola Ajibola), In Medicine (Moses Majekodunmi, Professor Thomas Lambo, Koye Ransome – Kuti)), In Military (Olusegun Obasanjo, Oluwole Rotimi, Enitan Ransome-Kuti), In Civil Service (Simeon Adebo), In Literature (Ajisafe, J.F Odunjo, Amos Tutuola, Wole Soyinka – of Egba mother), In Music (Josiah J. Ransome-Kuti, Fela Ransome-Kuti, Femi Ransome-Kuti, Fela Sowande, Ebenezer Obey, Sina Peters, Adeola Akinsanya, Prince Adekunle, Ayinla Omowura), In Journalism (Olusegun Osoba, Reuben Abati), In Women Rights and Entrepreneur (Iyalode Tinubu, Eniola Soyinka, Elizabeth Adekogbe, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Iyalode Bisi Tejuoso), In Politics (Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Adegunle Sonekan, M.K.O. Abiola, Moses Majekodunmi, Dimeji Bankole, Ayotunde Rosiji, Olusegun Osoba, Ibikunle Amosun) and others countless to mention.
In 1925, Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti (1855-1930) Fela’s grandfather, became the first Nigerian to release a record album after he recorded several Yoruba language hymns in gramophone through Zonophone Records.
The most enlightened clan among the Yoruba tribe are the Egbas. Her chiefs had been interacting with the Queen of England as far back as 1868 which continued till a century later. English and Egba monarchs did exchange gifts.
The only South Westerners ever to rule Nigeria are from Abeokuta (Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan).
It is widely believed that Egba women are more independent than any other Yoruba tribe in the country e.g Eniola Soyinka, Elizabeth Adekogbe and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Popular Egba Song: Egba ile, ibe ni 'gbagbo ti bere; Egba ile, ibe l'olaju ti bere; Omo Egba won m'aye je.; Baba mi se die loro mi emi l'omo Lakesin. Bo ni male ma wi ni mosalasi, won a ni ka ma ro'ko; Bo ni 'gbagbo ma wi ni Soosi, won a ni ka ma s'agbe. Eni yo s'ore agbe, a jinyan koko, a senu kabata; Ewele wekun ewele, A ko ma f'oju sunkun ara wa; E e wele wekun e wele. Awa omo Olumo, awa Egba a ho yaya, awa omo Olumo (2ce).
Modified: Akindele D.W.
That's awesome. The Egba-Yorubas raised strong and independent men and women. They are indeed a Yoruba subgroup with many firsts.
Desmond Majekodunmi (The well-known Lagos-based environmentalist and owner of the Lufasi Park) is the son of one of the great 1960s Nigerian politicians of Abeokuta descent, Dr. Moses Majekodunmi who is listed in the article above. Desmond's mother was originally from Ireland and she worked in Nigeria as a diplomatic employee or Colonial administrator before she met and got married to Dr. Majekodunmi.
Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, the iconic NUPENG boss and fearless pro-democrat during the June 12 struggles against the brutal military dictatorship of the 1990s passed on today at 80 years... The iroko tree has indeed fallen.
This here is one of the TRUE legends of democracy and freedom. I'll never forgot those years of struggles.
Dailyhappenings: The renowned professor and Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka in a speech which he gave in the past said how president elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Remi Tinubu helped him when he came back.
Literature › Re: The Journal Of A Nymphomaniac by XAUBulls: 11:55am On Dec 08, 2023
igration officer's in other countries were begging for money. Shame on Nigerian Police. 