Emeka Esogbue

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Evangelist Doris Aboh Named Special Guest of Honour for Anioma Watch Maternal Care Outreach in Amai

Evangelist Doris Aboh Named Special Guest of Honour for Anioma Watch Maternal Care Outreach in Amai By Emeka Esogbue Evangelist Doris Aboh, a prominent indigene of Amai Kingdom and Nigerian Christian evangelist, has been named Special Guest of Honour for the Anioma Watch Association’s maternal care and antenatal outreach programme in Amai, Delta State. The announcement was contained in a statement made available in Asaba by the President of Anioma Watch Association, Chief Abela Emuebie Ihienkaeghor, alongside other prominent community leaders involved in the initiative. The Anioma Watch Association, a registered socio-cultural organisation representing Anioma people at home and in the Diaspora, is currently implementing a maternal care programme aimed at supporting expectant mothers across selected Anioma communities. Aboh’s appointment adds a notable community dimension to the Amai leg of the programme, as she is expected to attend the outreach and support the Association’s effor...

Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Trustees Applaud Anioma Watch for Maternal Care Outreach in Issele-Uku

Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Trustees Applaud Anioma Watch for Maternal Care Outreach in Issele-Uku By Peter Oshagwu The Board of Trustees of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital, Issele-Uku, has commended the Anioma Watch Association for presenting mother-and-child starter packs to expectant women in the community as part of its ongoing antenatal outreach programme. The initiative, held on Tuesday at the hospital, provided essential new-life care items to expectant mothers and marked the second community to benefit from the organisation’s latest outreach programme. The Anioma Watch team, led by members of its Board of Trustees, had on Monday visited Ibusa, where expectant women from different ethnic and religious backgrounds also received similar support. The Issele-Uku event opened with a prayer led by the Moderator of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital, Rev. Gabriel Ojji Okpala. Rev. Samuel Ugbaja, who welcomed the Anioma Watch delegation, provided an overview of the institution and introduced members o...

The Rare Picture of HRH Justina Okuakeleke Ntorka, the Last Omu of Onicha-Olona

The Rare Picture of HRH Justina Okuakeleke Ntorka, the Last Omu of Onicha-Olona From the Pen Master Archives Here is a rare picture of HRH Justina Okuakeleke Ntorka, the last Omu of Onicha-Olona, a woman whose name remains etched in the history and memory of the community. Born Justina Monyei, she ceased to be known by that name following her coronation as the Omu of Onicha-Olona, assuming the royal identity and responsibilities that came with the revered stool. Historically, Omu Ntorka succeeded HRH Ada Ifesimehone Amambiwemdi-Okoh, one of the most remembered Omus in the modern history of Onicha-Olona. Born in 1906 at Idumugbe, Ogbe-Obi, Omu Amambiwemdi-Okoh occupies a special place in the community's history, particularly for the role attributed to her during the Nigerian Civil War, an episode preserved not only in historical accounts but also in the enduring oral traditions and legends of the people. With the planned installation of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, the recent history o...

Expectant Mothers in Ibusa Receive Essential Newborn Care Packs from Anioma Watch Association

Expectant Mothers in Ibusa Receive Essential Newborn Care Packs from Anioma Watch Association By Peter Oshagwu Nearly 100 expectant mothers at the Ibusa Primary Health Care Centre, opposite St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, on Monday received essential mother-and-baby care packs donated by the Anioma Watch Association as part of its antenatal outreach programme. The initiative, which brought excitement to the beneficiaries, was designed to support expectant mothers with basic supplies ahead of childbirth and promote responsible motherhood in the Ibusa community. The event, which commenced at 11:00 a.m. with an opening prayer led by Miss Joy Ozeh, featured the introduction of members of the Anioma Watch Association, led by its President, Engr. Abela Emuebie. Welcoming participants, the Chairman of the association’s Board of Trustees, Emeka Esogbue, explained that the New Life Care Pack was conceived to provide practical support to mothers preparing for childbirth. Esogbue expressed ...

Omu Josephine Urges Ibusa Expectant Mothers to Raise Responsible Children

Omu Josephine Urges Ibusa Expectant Mothers to Raise Responsible Children By Emeka Esogbue The Omu of Ibusa, HRH Obi Josephine Isioma Nwannabuogwu, has urged expectant mothers in the community to embrace the responsibility of raising children who will grow into responsible, productive and valuable members of Ibusa society. Obi Josephine made the call while serving as Special Guest of Honour at an antenatal outreach programme organised by the Anioma Watch Association, a registered socio-cultural organisation of Anioma people, in Ibusa. Speaking to the expectant mothers, the Omu acknowledged the biological and physical challenges that accompany pregnancy, noting that such changes are normal aspects of the journey to motherhood. She, however, stressed the importance of proper upbringing, training and guidance in shaping children into responsible members of society. She encouraged the women to see motherhood as a major responsibility and to prepare themselves for the task of nurturing...

Pen Master Unveils Photos of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, Set to Emerge as New Omu of Onicha-Olona

Pen Master Unveils Photos of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, Set to Emerge as New Omu of Onicha-Olona For the first time, Pen Master is unveiling photographs of Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, the woman widely favoured to succeed the late Omu Ntoka, the former Omu of Onicha-Olona, and assume the revered traditional leadership position of the community’s female institution. The development follows recent efforts by the Onicha-Olona community to revive its female traditional institution after a six-year interregnum. In the course of the process, Cynthia Nwamaka Jibunoh, an indigene of Idumu-Ozolumuna in the Ogbe-Obi axis of Onicha-Olona, has emerged as the leading candidate for the prestigious position. Her anticipated emergence is significant, as the installation will restore continuity to an institution that has remained without an Omu for six years. If installed as expected, Jibunoh will become the latest Omu in the Anioma region, further underscoring the cultural importance of the occasion. P...

When the Living Must Not Dance: The Sacred Dance of Ibusa's Ulor

When the Living Must Not Dance: The Sacred Dance of Ibusa's Ulor By Emeka Esogbue During the Ulor Festival celebrated by the Umueze Quarters of the Ibusa community, there comes a solemn and mysterious moment when a particular dance is performed, one to which the living, even those gathered within the festival arena, must never surrender their bodies. At this sacred hour, the drummers sit or stand with their drums firmly secured between their legs, beating the resonant instruments with their bare hands. Elderly men and other ritual characters summon from the drums a deep, solemn rhythm, while sonorous male voices carry a hauntingly beautiful chant into the air. Yet, beautiful as the music may be, the living must not dance to it. This is a sacred dance offered to the ancestors, many of whom, while they walked the earth, once participated in the very festival now being celebrated in their honour. The music seems to belong to another realm: its melody is soulful, its rhythm hypnotic, ...

Onicha-Olona to Install Nwamaka Jibunoh as the New Omu of the Community

Onicha-Olona to Install Nwamaka Jibunoh as the New Omu of the Community By Emeka Esogbue All is set for the people of Onicha-Olona, an ancient Anioma community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, to install Nwamaka Cynthia Jibunoh as the new Omu of the community. The installation ceremony is scheduled to take place on August 28, 2026, at Umuozolumuna, Ogbe-Obi Quarters, Onicha-Olona. In a message to the Ogbe-Obi family and the general public, the community called for collective prayers for the new Omu and expressed hope that her reign would usher in blessings, peace and greater development for Onicha-Olona. The message also charged the incoming female traditional leader to deploy her leadership to advance the fortunes of the community and take Onicha-Olona to greater heights. The installation will mark a new beginning since the passing of Omu Ntoka, the last Omu of the community. Before Omu Ntoka was Her Royal Highness Omu Ada Ifesimehone Amambiwemdi-Okoh. Onich...

The Local Meaning Behind Ibusa’s “High Street”

The Local Meaning Behind Ibusa’s “High Street” By Emeka Esogbue Pen Master "Pen Master explains the English origin; Onowu Chuks Esogbue explains the local resonance." After Pen Master (Emeka Esogbue) wrote his article on Ibusa’s Isieke High Street, titled “Isieke High Street, Ibusa: How an English Urban Concept Was Naturalized Within an Indigenous Settlement,” Onowu Chuks Esogbue followed up with a complementary contribution that enriches and deepens the account. While Pen Master’s article establishes the linguistic and historical thesis that Isieke High Street represents an example of an English urban concept being absorbed, adapted, and naturalized within an indigenous Nigerian setting, Onowu Chuks Esogbue’s response takes the discussion further by offering local reasons why the appellation “High” may have been particularly apt for Isieke, beyond the conventional British meaning of High Street. Onowu Chuks proposes that Isieke was “high” in several locally intelligible sen...