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Showing posts from March, 2021

A CALL FOR THE HONOUR OF IBUSA HEROES AND HEROINES

 A CALL FOR THE HONOUR OF IBUSA HEROES AND HEROINES * NAME A MONUMENT AFTER IKPO -        Emeka Esogbue Although Ibusa, a community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State is rich in human resources, the same community suffers languorous attempts to initiate honours or immortalize her heroes and heroines. For this reason, the greatness of notable men and women of Ibusa extraction are known to have lived and died unrecognized. As the Ibusa people say it, “Agwu bulu onye obulu onyuyue na anaa”. In Ibusa, the almighty death has a serious way of ending the life of man and obliterating permanently his deeds. Since existence, the Government whether colonial or indigenous; Federal or State has never named any monument after any son or daughter of the community. This is strange but true but admittedly, it is consistent with reality. It is undesirable to believe that until March 2021, the Ibusa people have never made any formal attempt or presentation to the any Government to

James Ibori: Who Owns the Loot: Nigeria or Delta State Government?

  James Ibori: Who Owns the Loot: Nigeria or Delta State Government? By Emeka Esogbue There have been disputes of ownership in Nigeria between Federal Government and the Delta State Government over the recovered Ibori loot from the United Kingdom and as Chukwudi Enebeli rightly noted in his report of the hotly contested loot: “the news of the eventual repatriation of part of the public funds looted by former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, while serving as the Governor of Delta State, received overwhelming acceptance and celebration among the Nigerian populace. However, the issue of who is entitled to the repatriated funds has generated heated arguments in several quarters of the polity”. The question is simply, who should keep the recovered Ibori loot? In his additional supply of information over the repatriated loot, Enebeli took his readers through some important background evidence thus: “On the 9th of March 2021, the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Unders

Prince Umejei: Origin of the Ibusa Founder Deepens in Controversy

  Prince Umejei: Origin of the Ibusa Founder Deepens in Controversy By Emeka Esogbue The historians of Ibusa, a clan now located in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State have been in historical struggle to ascertain the original homestead of Umejei, the major founder of the community. Although the legend of the settlement clearly indicated that the progenitor of the community is Umejei Nwa Eze Isu (Prince Umejei) who hailed from Isu of South East Nigeria, that particular Isu in Igboland is not retained by the legendary account. The attempt of the community’s historians to ascertain this part of Isu has been frustrated by this oral tradition and further hampered by lack of documented sources by early writers to unravel the historical challenge confronting the people. the Europeans who also visited the community did not take interest in digging into the history of the people despite the relations shared with them. For the reason presented above, researchers working on

The Ibusa Quarters and the Community’s Organized Military Strategy

  The Ibusa Quarters and the Community’s Organized Military Strategy       By Emeka Esogbue Modern Ibusa, a community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has grown from the union of Ogboli and Igbuzo settlements to a community of ten quarters natively referred to as “Igbuzo Ebe Ili” (meaning the ten quarters of Ibusa). the community, in his social transformation, moved from ‘Igbuzo Ebe Ite neni” (without the Ogboli Quarters) to “Igbuzo Ebe Ili” without the addition of the Ogboli. Prof Onwuejeogwu, a renowned Anioma Historian from the community submitted that a ‘friendship of alliance developed into a complicated political union. The union he refers to, is the Igbuzo and Ogboli settlements. Ogboli was founded by Edi while Igbuzo was founded by Umejei. However, the Igbuzo and Ezukwu, also founded by Ishite were closely related, coming from Isu while Edini journeyed from Nri. Umejei and Edini were biological brothers. This political union has undergone many proc

ALOR: NEAR ANNIHILATION, REBIRTH AND SPREAD IN MODERN IBUSA

  ALOR: NEAR ANNIHILATION, REBIRTH AND SPREAD IN MODERN IBUSA By Emeka Esogbue INTRODUCTION Alor is a general practice in various Anioma especially among the Enuani communities although the origin remains largely unknown. It bears several significances where practiced. Alor is largely practiced in other Anioma communities with the name either retained or known as “Ichi-nmor” depending on the particular society. In places like Asaba, an Mkpalor is known as “Ogbueshi” or “Ogbueyin” in Onicha-Olona. The Ogbueshi, only a dialectical version of Ogbuenyi involves a traditional practice in which a particular male has metaphorically killed a cow. It has been emphasized that cow in the traditional sense symbolizes the mother earth. The Ogbueshi process is complex yet, necessary in man’s society where practiced. However, it is called “Mkpalor” in communities like Ibusa, Akwukwu-Igbo and others. This is not to rule out the recognized practice in Ibusa elevates an Alor initiate to Ogbueshi

The Role of Nigeria in the Formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

  The Role of Nigeria in the Formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) By Emeka Esogbue INTRODUCTION Nigeria has since 1960 when it gained independence from the British with Jaja Wachukwu as its First Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commons later called Foreign Affairs, played roles in the formation and development of international organizations though the focus of the country’s foreign policy has always been on Africa 1 Although African unity and independence, peaceful settlement of disputes, non-alignment and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, regional economic integration, cooperation and development have been the focal points in its relations with other nations, Nigeria has played role that guarantee the effectiveness of international organizations to which she is a member. As a state, Nigeria has participated in the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which later evolved into the African Union (AU), the N