Emeka Esogbue

 Delta State Went to Bed as PDP and Woke Up as APC, Labour Party, Internally Divided; ADC Steadfast, Politician and Diaspora Leader, Hon Dr. Kenneth Gbandi - Part Two Pen Master: Let me return you to Nigerian politics. Gbandi, are you willing to go into the contest again?  Gbandi: (laughing) Public service has always been my true calling. If the people and my party base express confidence in my candidature and if together we can build an organized, issue-driven campaign that truly advances the interests of my Anioma region and people, I will give it thoughtful consideration. However, any campaign I associate with must be rooted in service, not ego. It must be guided by a clear development blueprint and supported by strong grassroots structures capable of transforming vision into tangible results. That said, it is now evident that elections without integrity and accountability have lasting consequences. Today, millions of young Nigerians who constitute nearly 70% of our populat...

 Delta State Went to Bed as PDP and Woke Up As APC, Labour Party Internally Divided; ADC Steadfast, Politician and Diaspora Leader, Hon Dr. Kenneth Gbandi - Part One Hon Dr. Kenneth Gbandi is a politician, businessman, Nigerian leader in the diaspora, and media in publisher. He is the founder of African Heritage Magazine and the Executive Producer of Radio/TV programs. Gbandi with long-standing diaspora leadership, has served Nigeria in different capacities and is also actively driven in several positions. In this interview with media influencer, PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE), Hon Dr. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi in this thought-provoking interview makes several startling revelations about Nigerian and international politics. He believes that the Anioma region needs long-term initiatives in skill development, job creation, housing and other tangible community-level results. Gbandi also bares his mind on the difficulty of returnee-Nigerians to win elections in the country, rising travel co...

 From Country to Confusion: The Colonial Conflation of Aboh from a Distinct Deltaic Identity to a Blurred Ethnic Classification  - Part One By Emeka Esogbue Introduction This article revisits the historical identity of the Aboh polity of the lower Niger once one of the foremost riverine kingdoms of precolonial West Africa. It examines how Aboh’s distinct political, cultural, and diplomatic traditions were gradually obscured by colonial ethnography, which subsumed the people under broader linguistic and administrative labels such as “Ukwuani” and “Igbo.” Through historical reconstruction and comparative analysis, the author argues that Aboh was not a mere dialectal cluster but a sovereign Delta kingdom whose unique identity was diluted through colonial simplification and postcolonial repetition, an outcome of the British mechanical process of ethnic classification. Aboh in the Delta Province By the fifteenth century, Aboh had emerged as an organized and powerful riverine kingdo...

 15 Memorable Enuani Proverbs from Prominent Ibusa Musicians Compiled by Emeka Esogbue Proverbs and sayings occupy a central place in Enuani music and dance, serving both artistic and social purposes. In Ibusa musical tradition, no performance is considered complete without the use of proverbs. They are the vessels through which the Ibusa musician conveys wisdom, moral instruction, and cultural philosophy. These proverbs are not merely decorative; they are oral archives preserved in the memory of listeners and transmitted across generations. Each saying carries didactic depth, enriching the beauty of Egwu Igbuzo (Ibusa music) while provoking reflection and moral consciousness. Ibusa musicians often use proverbs to praise virtue, warn against folly, or criticize societal injustice. One of the few who boldly used proverbial expressions as social criticism is Ogbogu Okonji, whose music challenges hypocrisy among ndi uka (churchgoers) and other social ills in Ibusa society. Below are f...

 Uche Nwalama: His Music Lives On By Emeka Esogbue The late Uche Nwalama remains a crowd-puller even in death. This is hardly surprising, for he was one of the finest traditional musicians the Enuani people ever produced. A few years ago, I attended a funeral ceremony in Issele-Uku, and his hit song “Uwa Zulu Onye” filled the air from every direction, its melody flowing through the speakers and into the hearts of those gathered. Born into a musical family from the Ogboli quarters of Ibusa, Uche was a gifted artist whose music appealed across generations. His songs, rich in proverbs and cultural wisdom, reflected the times and the temperament of his people. A master guitarist, he seamlessly fused guitar and keyboard sounds to create a rhythm both soulful and energetic. His voice, distinctive and expressive, combined with his deep understanding of Enuani culture and tradition to set him apart from his contemporaries. With Uche, a new and almost indescribable Enuani sound was born. Eq...

 Family of Major (Dr.) Albert Onweazu Okonkwo Releases Rare Photographs By Emeka Esogbue Following Pen Master’s request for the photographs of Major (Dr.) Albert Onweazu Okonkwo, the family of the Nigerian Civil War figure has graciously released a collection of rare family pictures to the public. This release offers researchers and the global community a unique opportunity to view the post-war images of Major (Dr.) Albert Onweazu Okonkwo (Retd.)—the man who captured worldwide attention in 1967 during the Biafran invasion of Nigeria’s Midwestern Region, when he was appointed Military Administrator under the Biafran command. See the Photographs Below: Picture 1: Major (Dr.) Albert Onweazu Okonkwo in traditional attire. Picture 2: Albert Onweazu Okonkwo with his American wife, Elaine. Picture 3: Daniel Okonkwo, son of Albert and Elaine, with his mother. Picture 4: Professor Patrick Okonkwo (Albert’s brother) flanked by Daniel Chukwuka Okonkwo (son), Nancy Obiageli Okonkwo (daughter),...

 Delta State Went to Bed as PDP and Woke Up As APC, Labour Party Internally Divided; ADC Steadfast, Politician and Diaspora Leader, Hon Dr. Kenneth Gbandi - Part One Hon Dr. Kenneth Gbandi is a politician, businessman, Nigerian leader in the diaspora, and media in publisher. He is the founder of African Heritage Magazine and the Executive Producer of Radio/TV programs. Gbandi with long-standing diaspora leadership, has served Nigeria in different capacities and is also actively driven in several positions. In this interview with media influencer, PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE), Hon Dr. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi in this thought-provoking interview makes several startling revelations about Nigerian and international politics. He believes that the Anioma region needs long-term initiatives in skill development, job creation, housing and other tangible community-level results. Gbandi also bares his mind on the difficulty of returnee-Nigerians to win elections in the country, rising travel co...

 Joy as Anioma-Born Nigerian Businessman, Chinedu Odiaka, Shines at Purdue University Graduation By Emeka Esogbue It was a moment of joy and pride as Anioma-born Nigerian businessman, Chinedu Odiaka, from Asaba in Delta State, graduated with Honours, a grade equivalent to First Class in the Nigerian educational system from Purdue University, Indiana, United States of America, on October 11, 2025. The colourful ceremony, held at the renowned Elliot Hall of Music, attracted friends, family, and colleagues who celebrated the Real Estate mogul’s remarkable academic achievement. The institution's academic record shows that Odiaka was particularly among the top-performing students in the Department of Business Administration, with Project Management as his area of concentration. He was visibly elated as he received his degree, surrounded by loved ones and some of his American classmates. Before pursuing his studies in the United States, Odiaka graduated from the University of Lagos, wher...

 What Do You Know About May Agbamuche-Mbu, the Anioma Woman Recently Appointed Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)? By Emeka Esogbue (Pen Master) To begin with, the Anioma people of Nigeria have long been recognized for their exceptional human capital across diverse fields and their women are no exception. Think of illustrious names like Mrs. Maryam Ndidiamaka Babangida, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Joy Ogwu, Omu Martha Dunkwu, Queen Azaka, Pastor Evelyne Joshua, Prof Buchi Emecheta, and Mrs. Winifred Akpani. Now, May Agbamuche-Mbu joins this distinguished list. May Agbamuche-Mbu hails from Akwukwu-Igbo, an Anioma community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. She is the daughter of Michael Ashikodi Agbamuche, SAN, the eminent jurist who served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1994 to 1997. She is also a first cousin to Mr. Godfrey Chukwudifu Osakwe, the Chairman of the Niger...

 Hold Fast to Your Dreams, Pastor Augustina Joseph Tells Nsukka Worshippers By Emeka Esogbue Young outreach minister, Pastor Augustina Anwulila Joseph, has urged her congregation to hold firmly to their dreams and never allow them to fade. “Hold fast to your dreams, for if your dreams die, it is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly,” Pastor Augustina told the worshippers. She gave the advice on Sunday while addressing youths mainly students at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), House of Glory Parish, Hilltop, Nsukka, Enugu State. In her sermon titled “You Are Not Hopeless,” the evangelist encouraged the congregation not to lose faith, stressing that “where there is hope, the invisible becomes visible, the intangible becomes real, and the impossible becomes achievable.” She reminded the worshippers that “Christ in you remains the glory of your glory,” urging them to persevere and trust in God’s timing. Born to Ogwashi-Ukwu father, her mother hails from Umuozoma in Ogb...

 Voices of Ibusa : The Evolution of Traditional Musicians and Their Vocal Craft By Emeka Esogbue Ibusa, an Anioma community in Delta State , enjoys a rich reputation for producing numerous traditional musicians. What began as Otu (musical groups) eventually evolved into solo performances, defining musicality in the community. Ibusa’s fame in music was such that when Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe visited during his electoral campaign, he remarked, “Igbuzo bu Congo,” aptly comparing the people of Ibusa with Congo, a nation renowned for its musical excellence at the time. Among the most remarkable of these musicians are the legendary John Nwanze Nwabuwa , popularly known as Nwanze Nwagbodi, leader of the Otu Ifechukwude Dancing Group of Ibusa and believed to be the first man from the community to record an album in 1970 after the civil war; Dana “Agility” Okonji, leader of the famous Otu Mbonsi Onyenwu Obulunjoa Dancing Group ; Ogbogu Okonji , Etiti Okonji (his cousin), Onyeoma Diyoyo Okafor, ...

 Correcting the Misrecording of Major Albert Okonkwo’s Name as “Nwazu” By Emeka Esogbue Many secondary and online sources, including Wikipedia and several foreign war reports from 1967–1970, have incorrectly recorded Major Albert Okonkwo’s middle name as “Nwazu.” However, verified family accounts, local Ibusa oral sources, and post-war references confirm that his correct name is Albert Onweazu Okonkwo. His middle name, Onweazu, is a popular masculine Ibusa name rooted in Anioma cultural lexicon. Etymologically, it denotes “one who eventually had siblings after his birth.” The variant “Nwazu,” which does not exist in the Anioma naming system, likely originated from early Western newspaper misprints and subsequent transcription errors that were later replicated in retellings of the Nigerian Civil War. During the Midwest campaign of 1967, Okonkwo’s name appeared in international wire dispatches filed by correspondents unfamiliar with Anioma names. It is believed that they phonetically...

 From Benin to History: A Post-War Story of Nigeria’s Civil War Figure, Major (Dr.) Albert Okonkwo – Part Two By Emeka Esogbue When the guns of the Nigerian Civil War finally fell silent in January 1970, Major (Dr.) Albert Onweazu Okonkwo was no longer the Military Administrator of a vanquished republic but a man compelled to confront the harsh aftermath of a lost cause. The Midwest campaign, which had begun with conviction and strategic intent, ended in retreat, recrimination, and a lingering sense of betrayal. Many had fled. Col. Henry Igboba, an Ibusa kinsman who was abandoned and later detained by Col. Banjo, was publicly executed in Benin, a grim reminder of how swiftly fortunes changed during the war. In the typical fashion of military order, Okonkwo was arrested at the end of the war and detained for seven years in various Nigerian facilities being Owerri, Port Harcourt, Lagos (Broad Street), and Kano (Gorron Dutse) before finally regaining his freedom in 1977. While in Gorr...

 Overlooking Osadebay: A Historical Slip in Nigeria's 65th Independence Tribute By Emeka Esogbue A prominent Chartered Accountant (ICAN) and Economist from Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Anonyai Augustine Ojei, has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s maiden Independence Day broadcast for omitting a key figure in Nigeria’s history — Chief Dennis Chukwudebe Osadebay. In his national address on Wednesday, President Tinubu reeled out names of Nigerians he described as the nation’s founding heroes and heroines: Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Dr. Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. But conspicuously missing from the roll call was Osadebay, the one-time Acting Governor-General of Nigeria. Writing on Anioma Watch, a socio-cultural platform of the Anioma people, Anonyai described the omission as a “historical slip,” though he conceded it ...

 Col. Sylvanus Nwajei (Retd): His Life, Legacy, and Language of War – Part Three By Emeka Esogbue Every war leaves behind not only stories of battles fought but also lessons etched in memory, culture, and the voices of those who survived. For Col. Sylvanus Benedict Amaechi Nwajei, the journey from the barracks of Warri to the command fields of Biafra was not just about strategy and survival; it was about the enduring imprint of a people’s resilience and the language with which they interpreted their tragedy. In Ibusa and across Anioma, elders recall that war was not fought only with rifles and bayonets but also with words, songs, and coded expressions that carried both warning and hope. For Nwajei, a disciplined soldier trained to British standards, this cultural backdrop remained inseparable from his military career. His story does not end with the gunfire of January 1970; it extends into how his generation narrated their loss, preserved their dignity, and transmitted the language...