Emeka Esogbue

 The Obuzo's Prophecy and the Shortness of Ibusa Organizations - Emeka Esogbue In 2008, Miss Florence Bob-Okonkwo of the Nkpanyala sector of Ibusa approached me and expressed her desire to start an Ibusa association, which we eventually dubbed the Ibusa Like-minds Association.  After careful consideration, I concluded that the proposed organization's goal was to contribute to our community's social development through seminars and lectures, and because it was an Ibusa project, I bought the idea and agreed to participate in the project. We immediately launched the Association's programming, including lectures and town hall meetings, some of which were well attended by our Ibusa people. The inaugural lecture program was held at the Federal Government Girls College in Ibusa, where speakers spoke thematically about the usage of hard drugs by Ibusa youngsters, which they claimed was growing more prevalent.  It was at this session that I first met Mr. Peter Egbuchue. While we...

 Egwu Onwa, the Moonlight Activity in Ibusa - Emeka Esogbue Before now, particularly, prior to the introduction of electricity to our communities, Egwu onwa was enjoyably common among the teenagers of our Enuani region but I will lay emphasis on Ibusa.  Geographically located in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Ibusa, the settlement of the Isu adventurers presently, in Anioma Region, West of the River Niger Basin is rich in human population, a greater population being children and teenagers. Situated atop a hill, Ibusa offers a view of the searing sun during the day but can look surprisingly pleasant at night with a reassuringly peaceful glow. The night, or the hour between dusk and dawn, is when the site faces away from the sun, allowing darkness to take control.  With its natural light reflection, the moon, a satellite of Earth, is now inviting teenagers who have been anxiously waiting for dusk to come up with a secret performance.  This nightti...

 Mourn with Others to Mourn Yourself: The Ibusa Proverb  - Emeka Esogbue "Mbosi nmadu kwa nmadu, ka okwa onwea" - A person mourned himself the day he mourned another person.  This Igbuzo proverb highlights the importance of respecting death as well as the idea that people should take some time to grieve the deceased since doing so gives one the chance to grieve for oneself as well, since one may not be around to do so when he passes away. This Ibusa saying had been widely accepted even before the first Christian missionaries brought the Bible to Africa. The ancient Igbuzo community showed compassion for those in mourning by submitting to death as a higher force. However, in today's environment, when it is frequently reported that death occurs, it appears insignificant. In spite of this, man need to always make an effort to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

 Interesting Discourses on Pre-colonial Hausa States and the Neglect by Students - Emeka Esogbue Historians in Nigeria rarely talk about the history of the people living in the northeast and northwest region around Lake Chad and the Hausa states, which are extremely near to Oyo and Benin, two kindred kingdoms in modern-day Southern Nigeria.  It is somewhat unexpected that the southern civilizations of Igbo, Yoruba, Anioma, Benin, and Igala are what typically conjure up images of historical figures on social media. Strangely, professional historians in Nigeria have not done much to direct their attention toward the pre-colonial Hausa cultures that existed before Nigeria was founded.  Students studying history in secondary schools also have a tendency to steer clear of Hausa history. This also extends to university history classes, where aspiring historians have a tendency to gently stray from historical narratives of the Hausa societies.  The tripartite Nigerian ethni...

A Justification for the National Anthem, "Nigeria, We Hail Thee." - Emeka Esogbue It is a positive milestone that the Nigerian House of Representatives has decided to reinstate "Nigeria, We Hail Thee" and eliminate "Arise O' Compatriots."  Although we hear that this Bill sponsored by Hon Julius Ihonvbere has successfully passed the first and second reading and now awaits the third reading of Thursday plenary, the lawmakers should never hesitate to return the anthem to the nation. Evidently, the version that the Obasanjo administration gave the country in 1978 is not quite as expressive of the passionate spirit of nationalism as the one that preceded it.  Reasonably, the nation's former anthem, "Nigeria, we hail thee," penned by Lilian Jean Williams, encourages love, harmony, peace, and patriotism.  In addition, it evokes feelings of aspirational Nigerianness, which permeates the multiplicity of tribes, as well as pride, dignity, happiness...

 Obaseki: How a Nsukwa Family of Anioma Ruled Benin Empire as an Oba - Emeka Esogbue The Obaseki family of Benin is indeed of Anioma ancestry from Nsukwa Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. Other communities lying close to Nsukwa are Umute, Aba Ukwu, Adonte, and Ejeme Aniogor. According to J. P. Nkem Onyekpe, "Nsukwa" is an Anglicization of Nchukwa. Since its foundation, Benin and Anioma communities have enjoyed relations in the form of trade, marriage, diplomacy, and wars but these particular Benin-Nsukwa relations are a relationship that defines cultural association. As was the cultural practice within the period under discussion, Agho who was the Crown Prince to the throne of Nsukwa Kingdom was sent to Benin for training on administration and he struck a friendship with Overamwen Nogbaisi, the other Crown Prince to Benin Kingdom. With time, Overamwen ascended the throne as the Oba of Benin and conferred the title of Obaseki of Beni...

 Emeka Esogbue in Brief Dr. Emeka Esogbue is a historian and writer from Ibusa, a cultural community of Anioma in Delta State, Nigeria. His parents were Onowu Patrick Chukwudumebi Esogbue and Theresa Nwasiwe Esogbue (nee Okolie).  In addition to his book publications, Dr. Esogbue is widely recognized for his ethnohistorical studies of the Anioma people. Dr. Emeka Esogbue enjoys popularity among his Anioma people and is fondly called "Pen Master" by his readers. He is also known to have teeming fans and followers on his social media pages.  He is the author of the following books: 1. A Study of the Origins and Migrations of Anioma Settlements  2. Essentials of Anioma History 3. A Short History of Omu 4. A History of Ibusa 5. The Ekumeku Movement and its Resostance to Colonial Rule 6. Book of Records: A Compendium of Ibusa Firsts and Achievers His books offer practical insight into the origin and development of the Anioma people of Nigeria. Esogbue is known to utilize ...

 Artwork: "Strength of the Anioma Man," Gathering Fame Among Artwork Lovers - Emeka Esogbue Recently, the painting "Strength of the Anioma Man" is becoming well-known, and PEN MASTER had the chance to see the paint job. The artist of Strength of the Anioma Man, Enyi Echezona Jr., is an Anioma man from Idumuje Unor in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. The painting was completed in oil on canvas.  The artwork shows a manly, forceful, and energetic Anioma "ogbu akpele," a native flute player, playing Enuani melodies on a trumpet, to which another Anioma man and an unidentified woman are depicted dancing.  Images within are ornamented with the rarely worn red cap, a mark of royalty, and Akwa-Ocha, the native cloth of the Anioma people.   Echezona Jr., the Painter, described the piece to the Pen Master, saying that it was motivated by the willpower a man has to achieve any goal.  "Be it blowing a trumpet to answering the call of a bat...

Music Development in Ibusa: A Personal Account - Part Two By Emeka Esogbue "Egwu ka anyi bia li, ndi bia li ogu wa naa ana." - Dana 'Agility' Okonji One day, my father returned from work with an album, and in his usual hurried move to his turntable, he opened the cover and at a fast pace, dropped the album on the music device. The song was slightly odd as it came with a strange account of the Nigerian Civil War. The artists were young Ibusa men from the Ogboli axis of the community. After the civil war of 1967 to 1970, a group of Ibusa young men under the auspices of Otu Ofu Ndu visited the studio to record an album. Disposed to warfare but mourning the losses and destructions that came with the war, they invoked the people's sympathy with the 'cry.' The group of singers was mostly members of an irregular armed force who defended the Ibusa community from invasion during the war and living through the afflictions of the war, they made the song to ...