Narratives on the Rise and Rise of Anioma Consciousness By Emeka Esogbue

Narratives on the Rise and Rise of Anioma Consciousness

By

Emeka Esogbue

Although the Anioma nation was once “scattered” amongst itself and completely laid in gloom and socio-cultural and political insignificance, it presents a different scene today. Within this period, people, especially those from outside that region had very little knowledge of what the Anioma nation was. In later stages of its development, Andrew Azukaego Moemeka, writing in what was titled “Communicating For Self-Determinism” noted that “even though the ‘body’ of Anioma may be in Asaba, Agbor, Obiaruku, Washington, London, and New York, her soul and spirit are in these villages”.

One of the ideas that suggested the way forward for the people was that theorized by Nwafejioku Okolie Uwadibie. Uwadibie, in an article titled, “Using Politics to Promote Economic Development” held that:

“There must be a concerted effort by all Aniomans who are financially and academically privileged, as well as those who are politically inclined, to support the political cause. To achieve this, the subgroups within the larger Anioma society should stop behaving as if they are islands. The Anioma people are all in the same boat and share one manifest destiny. If the political boat capsizes, all the passengers will drown; it makes no difference which part of the boat you are in”.

He further highlighted that:

 “The Anioma people have been in political limbo for too long. A pan-Anioma association that will unite the various subgroups of Anioma needs to be formed”.

According to him, “this association must be politically proactive in order to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the Anioma people; otherwise the association will remain mired in a political ‘no man’s land’. Indeed, he was right for as it is presently, majority of the Anioma people believe that the time is ripe to reform Izu Anioma, the apex socio-cultural group of the Anioma people. Worsened by the state of this group is that most Anioma people are unaware of its existence as their apex socio-cultural group. The group also suffers undue rivalry from other Anioma groups, majority of which do not yet recognize her in recent times as the apex organization of the Anioma people. 

The history of Anioma consciousness, nationalism and organizational advancement within the Nigerian nation was indeed tortuous, demeaning and oblique. It was also a journey that took many decades thus not an easy one.

The totality of this incident may be what Ehiedu Iweriebor pointedly illustrated as reported below:

 “On the balance then, Anioma experiences have been a mixed bag of hopes and frustrations” in his work titled “Renascent Anioma in Delta State Politics”.

This may have been so because of the divided interest accompanying the people over their identity. “Anioma” may not have meant much to them in the past but today, it conveys more importance as individuals now proudly identify themselves with Anioma.

To understand this topic under discussion, it is important to note what “nationalism” implies. One dictionary relevantly defines it as “patriotic feeling, principles, or efforts” or just “an extreme form of patriotism marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries”. Perhaps, in a more applicable approach, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia goes on to explicate it as “oriented towards developing and maintaining a national identity based on shared characteristics such as culture, language, race, religion, political goals or a belief in a common ancestry”.

In furtherance, the same source upholds that “nationalism therefore seeks to preserve the nation’s culture and often also involves a sense of pride in the nation’s achievements, and is closely linked to the concept of patriotism. Of greater importance is that nationalism is ethnosymbolism, which of course is the second paradigm. It is the perspective that explains nationalism by contextualizing it throughout history as a dynamic and evolutionary phenomenon”.        

Although the Anioma people lack a common ancestry, without a doubt, patriotic feeling, principles and generally, efforts of a few patriotic Anioma persons linked closely to eagerness to sustain the people’s identity, preservation of the people’s culture languages and race have stimulated the Anioma consciousness and raised the Anioma pride in no small way. It is clear that the upsurge of Anioma nationalism, organization and activism is fast revolutionizing the people and afar. Since the Anioma area has always been the land of contiguity with several other peoples and also the land of peaceful co-existence, the Anioma consciousness became foreseeable.

However, other factors come to play; and they include:

(i)            Political marginalization which they continually suffered

(ii)          Lack of development in their various communities

(iii)         Neglect by government and political representatives of the area

(iv)         Identity crisis

Nothing can explain away the political marginalization the Anioma people suffered in the country. Once in the Western Region as situated by the colonial administration, the people did not count. Added to this was lack of development which they wholly experienced. For instance, in the defunct Western Region, despite the richness of the Anioma region in cocoa and other resources, it could not attract the first stadium, the first television station and other forms of developments hence, the neglect the region suffered. It was not until 1979 that many of its communities began to be electrified. One of these communities was Ibusa. In the Midwestern Region and Bendel State that followed, there was no presence of a single university in the region. In the defunct Bendel State, the administrators of that state did not deem it fit to situate the federal or state university in that region neither did they situate federal or state polytechnic within the region. It was simply an era of no single higher viable higher education in that region.    

The spates of identity crisis that accompanied the people were inexplicable as the people were according to Kunirum Osia in what he titled “Anioma Ethnic Identity”, buffeted back and forth by people attempting to impose a persona on them. It was for this reason that they were consequently described as being neither here nor there. This situation became exacerbated by nearly inability to define themselves.     

The development above led to their association to the regions they incidentally found themselves. Hence, identifiable names such as “Western Ibo”, “Midwestern Ibo” “Bendel Ibo” and “Delta Ibo” were birthed to identify them at one time or the other. But something happened: The Anioma consciousness revolutionarily sprang up, causing all of these tags to also revolutionarily give way. Beyond the reasons stated above, other factors have accounted for this. To this end, Iweriobor already quoted somewhere above emphatically believes that “Anioma nationalism is a response to hope aroused and promises unfulfilled, the unprovoked and concentrated anti-Anioma hostility, as well as the comparative underdevelopment of the Anioma area”.

He went further to observe that “their response has been organizational, political and cultural”. For as he added, “the response of the Anioma people embodies one of the most significant developments in the contemporary history of the Anioma nationality: That is, the emergence and upsurge of pan-Anioma nationalism as a distinct politico-cultural phenomenon”.  

Again, according to Steve Nwabuzor, in “Anioma: The Way Forward”, “Anioma is constantly going through self-reflection and dusting up written and oral histories”.

This is where this Author (Emeka Esogbue) among a few other authors in the name of Anioma exactly counts. So far, it has been a clear departure from the past in which Anioma authors concentrated on the history of their communities. Now researchers probe into the collective histories of the people as a unit. In this way, they preserve, promote and raise consciousness of Anioma. In the works of history by this Author being “A Study of the Origins and Migrations of Anioma Settlements”, “A Short History of Omu” and “Essentials of Anioma History”, the origins, development, culture and resources of the Anioma people were well recounted. These books which broadly and historically recount the past Anioma also acted as catalysts for Anioma patriotism. The work on Omuship conveyed the continued relevance of Omuship to Anioma communities.

It is purely an act of cultural reawakening that in recent times contributed to the reemergence of Omuship in Akwukwu-Igbo, Onicha Olona and Issele-Uku while a community like Ugbodu and a few others are seriously considering the re-enthronement of the institution. However, it is ironical that the author, Emeka Esogbue does not yet have this institution reemerge in Ibusa, his hometown.

There was the authorship of “Anioma in Contemporary Nigeria: Issues of Identity and Development” edited by Kunirum Osia. This book also helped to raise Anioma consciousness. In 2011, Chris O. O. Biose published the book, “Anioma: Path to Political Emancipation”.  The book covered a wide range on Anioma ranging from the state of affairs in Anioma society, which included developments and marginalization of the people by other ethnic groups in the state.

The presentation of the book particularly edited by Kunirum Osia which took place inside the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs was a gathering of those that mattered within the Anioma society as illustrious Anioma sons and daughters which included Prof Pat Utomi, Chief Peter Okocha, Chief Nosike Agokei, Prince Charles Anyasi, the now Obi of Idumuje Unor and many more were in attendance. Several of Anioma groups including Umu Anioma Foundation Worldwide, Igbanke Nationals Progressive Association, Organization For the Advancement of Anioma Culture were represented at the occasion. It thus set the pace for Anioma patriotism.  

The media also forms a major tool through which the Anioma people stayed tuned to Anioma activities. The Organization For the Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC) is the publishers of the quarterly Anioma Essence Magazine which enlightens showcases and disseminates cultural news and information pertaining to the Anioma people. There are also a number of other Anioma-based newspapers in the magnitude of Anioma Trust published by Wikinson Publishers, Anioma News, Ndokwa News and Onu Ika, among others. A lot of Anioma indigenes are also engaged online where online Associations spring up. Many of these associations also act as means of information dissemination regarding the Anioma area. The biggest of these online organizations is the Anioma Voice.

It is now customary to find Anioma young men and women dress in Akwa Ocha attires for their traditional marriages. That appears to be the vogue. Akwa Ocha is now the trend to identify Anioma gatherings. Closely associated with this is the beauty pageants which now promote the cultural fabric. It must not also be neglected that several other beauty shows have sprung up in the name of Anioma, with the more notable being the Umu Anioma Beauty pageant and Miss Teen Anioma organized by Yinki Entertainment. Earlier, there was Nwada Anioma Cultural show which was a huge success thus laying the foundation of all other beauty pageants in the name of Anioma.

The peak of Anioma patriotism may be said to be in 1991 when the present Delta State was created. It was the creation of this state which consciously grouped the people together within the district called “Delta North Senatorial District” that starred the people in the face as now completely sharing same socio-political and economic fate. It suddenly dawned on them that   

Special thanks should go to Anioma indigenes overseas. As many have argued, these people have perhaps contributed more than those at home as they work out ideas, formation of Anioma groups and finance towards the development of the region so that there has been link between Anioma at home and in the Diaspora. One such group is Anioma Association USA Inc. The group with several chapters has in recent times championed the development of the Anioma region through fostering of unity among the people, sponsorship of scholarships among indigent Anioma sons and daughters and provision of medical facilities through different identifiable platforms. There is also the facilitation of economic summits by the group which prepares economic pathway for the region.

This is not to say that silence is maintained back home considering the degree of unfairness that this will mete out to the Organization For the Advancement of Anioma Culture, the culture umbrella of the Anioma people that principally contributes to the preservation and promotion of the people’s culture. It is factual that this group commonly called OFAAC is Anioma’s biggest culture organization with the biggest contributions in ensuring that the good aspect of the people’s culture like music and dance, and traditional wrestling remain. It is also the group that has been able to gather the highest number of Anioma indigenes including monarchs in that area in a single event on yearly basis thus raising Anioma consciousness among the people.  

Today, Anioma can be said to have made headway with its indigenes feeling as patriotic as ever. Such is the wind of nationalism blowing across the Anioma region, something the Anioma forebears never really experienced in their lifetime.

Originally published in Anioma Essence Magazine by the Author