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The Story Behind "Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia": Uncovering the Legacy of an Ibusa Woman

The Story Behind "Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia": Uncovering the Legacy of an Ibusa Woman


By Emeka Esogbue


Did you ever listen to your parents make the sarcastic phrase of "Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia as some of us did while growing up?"


I grew up fo become familiar with the phrase "Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia," a sarcastic expression that conveyed irony or mocking humour. My mother and other Ibusa parents would often use this phrase, followed by a stern reprimand or even a beating because it was a common reaction to misbehaviour, like disobeying rules and other offences.


As a little boy, the phrase piqued my curiosity, and I recently had a conversation with a lady from Ibusa who mentioned "Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia." To my surprise, she revealed that it was the name of a real person, an Ibusa woman who lived in the past. Although I was familiar with the Okoasia family of Ogboli, the prefixed Ezigbonmadu often puzzled me.


Researching further into the lady's submission, I discovered that Ezigbonmadu Nwa Okoasia was born Ezigbonmadu Beatrice Okoasia in 1920 and passed away in 1998 at the age of 78. Her father, Chishi Okoasia, was a respected judge who worked closely with the British and had a court in front of his house in Ogboli. Like several other loan words, Chishi is an Ibusa dialectical translation of "Chief," a word that never existed in the African dictionary until the British imported it.


According to oral sources, Madam Ezigbonmadu was a tall, slim, and dark-complexioned woman known for her beauty, strength, and resilience. As a successful trader, Madam Ezigbonmadu lived in various parts of Nigeria, including Zaria, Minna, and Benin, where she built a reputation for her business acumen. Incidentally, it was not all about business for her as she was also a member of the Egwu Uloko, an Ibusa group in Benin which also made her more famous. Additionally, she was known for her involvement in "itu afa," a burial rite in the culture of the people in which the deceased and her family members are eulogized.


Despite never meeting Madam Ezigbonmadu, I am grateful to have uncovered her story and legacy; the legacy of a woman whose nickname has become synonymous with irony and sarcasm in the Ibusa dialect, and I am humbled to learn more about the woman behind the phrase. 


May her soul rest in peace.

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