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Showing posts from October, 2025

Overlooking Osadebay: A Historical Slip in Nigeria's 65th Independence Tribute

 Overlooking Osadebay: A Historical Slip in Nigeria's 65th Independence Tribute By Emeka Esogbue A prominent Chartered Accountant (ICAN) and Economist from Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Anonyai Augustine Ojei, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s maiden Independence Day broadcast for omitting a key figure in Nigeria’s history — Chief Dennis Chukwudebe Osadebay. In his national address on Wednesday, President Tinubu reeled out names of Nigerians he described as the nation’s founding heroes and heroines: Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Dr. Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. But conspicuously missing from the roll call was Osadebay, the one-time Acting Governor-General of Nigeria. Writing on Anioma Watch, a socio-cultural platform of the Anioma people, Anonyai described the omission as a “historical slip,” though he conceded it ...

Col. Sylvanus Nwajei (Retd): His Life, Legacy, and Language of War – Part Three

 Col. Sylvanus Nwajei (Retd): His Life, Legacy, and Language of War – Part Three By Emeka Esogbue Every war leaves behind not only stories of battles fought but also lessons etched in memory, culture, and the voices of those who survived. For Col. Sylvanus Benedict Amaechi Nwajei, the journey from the barracks of Warri to the command fields of Biafra was not just about strategy and survival; it was about the enduring imprint of a people’s resilience and the language with which they interpreted their tragedy. In Ibusa and across Anioma, elders recall that war was not fought only with rifles and bayonets but also with words, songs, and coded expressions that carried both warning and hope. For Nwajei, a disciplined soldier trained to British standards, this cultural backdrop remained inseparable from his military career. His story does not end with the gunfire of January 1970; it extends into how his generation narrated their loss, preserved their dignity, and transmitted the language...