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Ibusa: Umuafene Clan Celebrates New Yam Festival in Grand Style as Prof. Emeritus Esogbue Sends Goodwill Message

 Ibusa: Umuafene Clan Celebrates New Yam Festival in Grand Style as Prof. Emeritus Esogbue Sends Goodwill Message By Emeka Esogbue Members of the Umuafene Clan in Umueakea Quarters, Ibusa, Delta State, gathered in the community on Thursday to celebrate the New Yam Festival, known locally as Iwa Ji. Joined by friends and well-wishers of the clan, the elated sons and daughters of Umuafene performed the traditional Iwa Ji rites in grand style. Members of the clan, including youths, were seen rejoicing, singing, dancing and exchanging felicitations as they celebrated the annual festival. The impressive turnout was commended by the Diokpa of the clan, Prof. Emeritus Augustine Onwuyali Esogbue, NNOM, who told Pen Master in a telephone conversation that he was deeply impressed by the celebration. Prof. Emeritus Esogbue, a retired long-serving NASA scientist and Safety Advisory Board Medal recipient, is also the first Black person to be promoted to full professor at the Georgia Institute o...
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5 Energetic Dances of the Nigerian People

 5 Energetic Dances of the Nigerian People By Emeka Esogbue Nigeria is a country richly blessed with diverse ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive cultural heritage, traditions, music, and dance forms. Across the country, traditional dances serve as powerful expressions of identity, communal life, history, celebration, and social values. Many of these dances are energetic, colourful, and captivating, combining rhythmic footwork, expressive body movements, coordinated gestures, traditional music, and elaborate costumes. Performed during festivals, weddings, traditional ceremonies, title-taking ceremonies, cultural gatherings, and other important occasions, these dances provide entertainment while also preserving cultural knowledge and strengthening community bonds. They offer a window into the character, creativity, and social life of the communities that perform them. This compilation highlights five energetic dances associated with different Nigerian ethnic communities, sho...
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Lost to Time: The Day Ibusa Celebrated Miss Ibusa

 Lost to Time: The Day Ibusa Celebrated Miss Ibusa By Emeka Esogbue On Friday, June 23, 2017, a youth event brought the people of Ibusa together in a remarkable way. It was the Miss Ibusa Pageant, organised by the National Association of Ibusa Students in conjunction with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Youth Development. Former Miss Kate Ifeyinwa Igbodo, CEO of Yinkee Entertainment and organiser of Miss Teen Anioma, served as the consultant for the event. Ibusa was rarely known to come together in such a manner for youth-oriented events, apart from the annual Ibusa Football Tournament. The pageant, however, appeared to break that jinx. The Nkata venue, also known as the Diokpa Palace, was filled to capacity, with prominent sons and daughters of the community in attendance. One after another, the contestants filed out, displaying beauty, poise and confidence as they faced the audience, their smiles betraying a mixture of excitement and anti...
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Meet Onome Ezeka, the Young Akwa-Ocha Fabric Weaver

 Meet Onome Ezeka, the Young Akwa-Ocha Fabric Weaver By Emeka Esogbue Locating Onocity City, her weaving mill around the Ite-Ego axis within the Ibusa community felt like finding a living home of Akwa-Ocha, the cherished cultural fabric of the Anioma people. Inside the modest weaving space, the rhythmic sounds of the looms filled the air. Young trainees, eager to master the craft, moved about with enthusiasm, smiling, welcoming customers and visitors, and attending to orders. It was more than a weaving mill; it was a place where culture was being preserved, one thread at a time. At the centre of it all is Onome Ezeka, a young, vibrant woman who has turned her passion for Akwa-Ocha into a growing enterprise and a platform for teaching others. I first met Onome in 2016 when she contested for Miss Teen Anioma, during my time as the Publicity Person. I celebrated with her when she emerged as the first runner-up. Years later, I would meet her again but this time, in a completely differe...
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PEN MASTER BELIEVES IN IBUSA PEOPLE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING: SEE PHOTOS OF MERYLN

 PEN MASTER BELIEVES IN IBUSA PEOPLE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING: SEE PHOTOS OF MERYLN Pen Master has a way of believing in Ibusa people and their capacity from the very beginning—not only when they have made it and are already at the top of the ladder. Encouragement, motivation, and support matter greatly in helping people climb that ladder. The eyes of the Ibusa community are always watching, cheering, and supporting every son and daughter who dares to break new ground. Take a look at these beautiful photos of Marilyn Ifesinachi Ajidua, the proud Anioma daughter from Ibusa, at the pageant camp of Miss Earth Nigeria. Beautiful Marilyn Ajidua is once again proving that Anioma people are never missing in action. We show up, we stand tall, and we make our presence felt wherever excellence calls. Ibusa is watching. Anioma is proud. Keep shining, Marilyn!
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A Son of Anioma Answers the Call: Rev. Morris Chukwunonso Mordi to Be Ordained

 A Son of Anioma Answers the Call: Rev. Morris Chukwunonso Mordi to Be Ordained Here, in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, priestly and diaconate ordinations are taking place, and I trust you know that Anioma can never be missing—not with the abundance of human capital and vocations God has blessed us with. Yes, there must always be an Anioma! Among those to be ordained is Rev. Morris Chukwunonso Mordi, a proud son of our Issele-Uku community. Born on April 7, 1998, into the devout Catholic family of Mr. and Mrs. George Mordi, Morris initially planned to study Banking and Finance at Delta State University, Abraka. He sat for and passed the university’s Post-UTME examination and was subsequently offered admission. However, as the date of resumption drew near, Morris received another admission letter, this time from the seminary through the Lagos Archdiocese. As he contemplated which path to follow, something remarkable happened: the admission letter from Abraka mysteriously disappe...
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Anioma Watch Association Inaugurates Executive Officers as BoT Chairman, Emeka Esogbue, Urges Them to Lead with Integrity and Remain Accessible

 Anioma Watch Association Inaugurates Executive Officers as BoT Chairman, Emeka Esogbue, Urges Them to Lead with Integrity and Remain Accessible By Peter Oshagwu Anioma Watch Association on Tuesday inaugurated its newly appointed executive officers, formally presenting them to members of the Anioma nation at a ceremony held on Ezenei Avenue, Asaba, Delta State. The event, which was described as historic by some attendees, marked a significant milestone in the development of the association, which was founded in 2022. In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Emeka Esogbue, said the association had grown from a modest beginning into a vibrant platform united by a shared aspiration for a more cohesive Anioma. Esogbue, who described Anioma Watch Association as more than an organisation of words and aspirations, said the group was committed to action, service and the advancement of the Anioma people. He charged the newly inaugurated officers to lead with integr...
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WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ANIOMA WATCH ASSOCIATION, DR. EMEKA ESOGBUE, AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

 WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ANIOMA WATCH ASSOCIATION, DR. EMEKA ESOGBUE, AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION   Date: September 1, 2026  Venue: Asaba, Delta State   Protocols duly observed.   Distinguished guests, members of the Board of Trustees, esteemed leaders and stakeholders of Anioma, our newly inaugurated Executive Officers, members of the Anioma Watch Association at home and in the diaspora, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great joy, humility and a deep sense of responsibility that I welcome you all to this historic occasion. Today, September 1, 2026, marks another significant milestone in the journey of Anioma Watch Association, an organisation founded in 2022 with a clear commitment to projecting the interests of Anioma people, promoting our rich culture and heritage, and fostering unity among our people.  Over the years, the Association has grown from its modest beginnings into a vib...
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Anioma Watch Association Commends Onicha-Olona on the Successful Enthronement of the Omu Institution

 August 31, 2026  *PRESS RELEASE*  Anioma Watch Association Commends Onicha-Olona on the  Successful Enthronement of the Omu Institution  The Anioma Watch Association, a socio-cultural organisation of the Anioma people at home and in the Diaspora, warmly congratulates the people of Onicha-Olona on the  successful enthronement of the Omu institution in the community. The Association considers this significant development a welcome reaffirmation of Onicha-Olona’s rich cultural heritage, traditional values, and enduring commitment to preserving institutions that promote unity, identity, and continuity for present and future generations. We are particularly delighted that Onicha-Olona, one of Anioma’s foremost communities renowned for its rich cultural practices and one of the earliest Enuani communities in which the Omu institution was traditionally practised, has collectively chosen to revive this important cultural institution. This remarkable development un...
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Anioma Watch Association's Antenatal Giveaway

  Pen Master was in Ibusa, Issele-Uku, Onicha-Olona, Agbor and Amai to present new-life starter packs to expectant women in the communities. It was nice staying close to them and listening to them
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