Fred Ajudua Online Quiz: Helping Ibusa Youths to Regard their Heroes and Heroines

 Fred Ajudua Online Quiz: Helping Ibusa Youths to Regard their Heroes and Heroines 

- Emeka Esogbue 

In the dying days of December 2023, Chief Fred Ajudua, the Onwanetili Oha of Ibusa instituted a daily quiz, an online quiz competition with star prizes which is currently running on Ibusa-related WhatsApp platforms which now enthuses the Ibusa online users.

The essence and impact of the quiz with a considerable number of respondents, mostly the youths of the community, cannot be overemphasized. The Ibusa community in Delta State, rich in human resources, has been one in which accomplished individuals are rarely recognized for their accomplishments. Legends of the community often pass unsung. As rich as the community's population of indigenes appear, with great and extensive deeds, they often remain unsung heroes in their Ibusa ancestral home. Hence, they are more respected outside than their hometown.  

The traditional talk among the indigenes has always been "Igbuzo di olu," the Igbuzo people are difficult and respect is rarely accorded to deserving persons. However, with the ongoing Fred Ajudua Quiz, the first of its kind in the community, the people hope for a change in orientation perhaps. 

The quiz presided over by the Board often tasks respondents with questions concerning the human achievements of the indigenes, past and present, and individual contributions to the development of the community. The respondents then go into research, digging up heroes and heroines with their accomplishments to illustrate their submissions. 

Recently, the Organizers and respondents have been dealing with the enumeration of heroes and heroines from the ten ogbe (quarters) of the community, and several legends, past and present have been dug up with interest by the respondents.

Initially, the quiz was marred with plagiarism but with the Board's struggle to stay on top of the situation, such plagiarism has been minimally curtailed to the point of non-existence. 

The particular question on the heroes from the respondents produced threw up names of excellent achievers, quarter by quarter, some of whom if the youths follow their exemplary traits would ensure improvement in the mentorship state of the community. One can only hope that the quiz achieves its desired purpose apart from the monetary value enjoyed by participants as values. 

For one, if the youths learn from some of the heroic names already dropped by them such as Prof Buchi Emecheta, novelist, Dr. Collins Nweke, Belgian politician, Prof Vincent Icheku, retired UK Professor, Obi Chigbue Ajie, colonial leader, Philip Kwusike, late novelist, Ogadinma Chukwura, Nollywood actor, Ngozi Okwusi, employer of labour, Dr. Nosike Agokei, lawyer and community Chief, Onowu Edwin Nnabuife Odita, teacher, Ike Ofuokwu, lawyer and Boardroom player, Prof Pat Utomi, political economist, Admiral Ezeoba, former Chief of Naval Staff, Sir Onyeluka Igbonoba, Justice V. J. O. Chigbue Chief Anthony Azuya and others, the future of the community is bound to experience brightness again. 

One good effect the quiz may additionally have on the community is the regard for legends in the community, something that matters less to the people due to their republican nature. 

PEN MASTER once pointed out that the people of Asaba would almost agree on the late Chief Dennis Osadebay as their collective hero. The Okpanam people might collectively accept Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu as the community's heroic flagbearer but the Ibusa may almost agreeably find none despite being a single community known for the highest number of accomplished men and women produced by them. The birth of any such argument will surely spark a violent argument among the people in which a collective decision may never be attained. 

According to Scott LarBarge, the term "hero" comes from the ancient Greeks. For them, a hero was a mortal who had done something so far beyond the normal scope of human experience that he left an immortal memory behind him when he died, and thus received worship like that due the gods. 

It has also been said that heroes are more likely to make the society a better place. Heroes exemplify or display qualities that are admired by people and inspire them people to overcome challenges. Essentially, heroes solve problems.

A prominent indigene of the community from Umueze, Mr. Peter Uwajeh once suggested, that if the quiz responses are compiled for preservation, worthy documentation will be left for the people including the coming generation.