Emeka Esogbue

Earliest Churches and How Christmas Was First Celebrated in Anioma By Emeka Esogbue There is no single recorded moment that can be described as the first Christmas in Anioma. Rather, what exists is a gradual historical process shaped by missionary encounters, local resistance and acceptance, and the slow indigenisation of Christianity across the Lower Niger region. Drawing from missionary records, oral traditions, and broader patterns of Christian expansion, this article reconstructs a reliable historical picture of how Christianity and by extension Christmas first arrived and took root in Anioma. Missionary Arrival and the Birth of Christmas in Anioma The celebration of Christmas in Anioma is inseparably tied to the arrival of Christian missionaries in the late nineteenth century. The first seeds of Christianity were planted through two major missionary streams: the Church Missionary Society (CMS) of the Anglican Church, operating from Onitsha, and the Roman Catholic Mission, later re...

 Season of Love and Giving: Igbuzo Singles Meet Embarks on Charity in Ibusa Community By Emeka Esogbue The Igbuzo Singles Meet (ISM) Worldwide on Saturday carried out a charity outreach in the Ibusa community, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, as part of its commitment to love, compassion, and community service. Led by the Vice-President of the group, Ms. Naomi Dada Okoisor, members of ISM went round the community to carry out the philanthropic exercise, reaching out to carefully identified families in need. Items distributed included bags of rice, tinned tomatoes, cooking oil, Knorr cubes, salt, and other essential food items. The outreach was carried out with warmth and humility, as the items were presented with words of encouragement and prayers for the beneficiaries. Many of the recipients, most of whom were elderly, were taken by surprise, having not anticipated the visit or the gifts. The distribution covered the ten quarters that make up the Ibusa communit...

 At the Crossroads of History: A Visit to the Okpanam–Ibusa Intersectional Path By Emeka Esogbue On the night of December 18, 2025, I embarked on a brief sightseeing journey to behold the newly completed Okpanam Road by the Ibusa Bypass. Boarding a commercial tricycle, I alighted at the Ibusa end of the road, the final bus stop. The trip lasted no more than five minutes, yet it delivered me into a space rich in scenery, movement, and meaning. Upon dismounting, curiosity compelled me to ask the tricycle rider what the place was called. The driver who instantly transformed into my impromptu tour guide was eager to explain. Judging by his accent, I sensed he was Hausa, a fact that soon proved useful. He informed me that the spot lay close to the Hausa Quarters and promptly pointed in their direction. Turning to my right, I was greeted by a lively, crowded area bustling with activity, a market-like setting alive with commerce and human interaction. Yet, beyond this vibrancy, there was ...

 Final Farewell: Onowu Leonard Esogbue Goes Home Amid Tears By Emeka Esogbue The ancient town of Ibusa was enveloped in deep grief as family members, friends, well-wishers, and sympathizers converged on the Isieke axis of the community to bid a final farewell to Onowu Leonard Onuohaegbunem Esogbue. His passage to glory was marked by an outpouring of tears, solemn reflections, and heartfelt tributes that spoke to the impact of a life well lived. Amid prayers, age-long funeral rites, and moments of quiet remembrance, the respected patriarch was laid to rest, leaving behind enduring memories of service, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to family and community. Activities marking his farewell journey commenced on Thursday, December 18, 2025, with a moving Service of Songs held at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, Ibusa. The service drew a large gathering of family members, friends, associates, and sympathizers who came together in hymns, prayers, and reflections to celebrate his life a...

 The Political Facts and Era You Might Never Have Known About Senator Peter Nwaoboshi By Emeka Esogbue Senator Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi hailed from Isieke clan of Umuekea Quarters , Ibusa , in Delta State . Isieke is a kindred umbrella of closely related families and is widely renowned for its remarkable human resource capacity within Ibusa. The clan has produced distinguished personalities across professions, including Prof. Augustine Esogbue , the renowned physicist with NASA (now emeritus); Chief Chike Chigbue , one of Nigeria’s youngest Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN); members of the Justice Chigbue family ; notable accounting professionals , among many others. Despite his prominence in modern partisan politics, Senator Nwaoboshi emerged from a family deeply rooted in Ibusa culture and tradition. His father was an Obi-titled man, and Senator Nwaoboshi himself was not only an Alor title holder but also a member of Ogbuu, a respected traditional institution reserved for Ibusa ...

 Goodbye to an Anioma Political Powerhouse: Ibusa Bleeds as Senator Peter Nwaoboshi Passes On By Emeka Esogbue The Ibusa community was on Friday evening thrown into deep mourning following the reported death of Senator Peter Onyelukachukwu Nwaoboshi, a prominent Nigerian politician and illustrious son of the community. According to a family source, the senator passed away after a period of illness during which he had been battling health challenges. Senator Nwaoboshi, who hailed from Isieke, Umuekea quarters in Ibusa, served as the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023. A towering figure in Anioma and Delta State politics, he began his political journey in the late 1970s as an aide to the then Governor of the old Bendel State, a role that marked the foundation of a long and influential political career. He later served as Chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, among other strategic national appointments. Beyond this, Nwaoboshi was a political...

 Christmas Gifts: Fred Chijindu Ajudua Media Team Spreads Love to Over 500 Community Indigenes Story by Emeka Esogbue The Fred Chijindu Ajudua Media Team, popularly known as FCA Media, on Friday carried out a kind-spirited humanitarian outreach in Ibusa, reaching no fewer than five hundred indigenes across different quarters of the community. Pen Master gathered that the beneficiaries cut across age groups, kindreds, and social strata, underscoring the inclusive nature of the initiative. Among those who benefited from the Christmas goodwill were notable community elders, including Onowu Egbune, the Diokpa of Umuodafe, and Diokpa Noble Okolie, alongside several widows, elderly persons, and other families. The outreach saw lucky households receive essential food items such as rice, cooking oil, noodles, and other household commodities, aimed at easing the burden of the season and enabling families to celebrate Christmas with dignity and joy. Speaking on behalf of the team, Miss Mimi ...

 You Carry University of Ibadan Greatness, Philip Elueme Celebrates Hon. Paschal Adigwe on His Award Conferment By Emeka Esogbue Ace Anioma advocate and former political aide to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Mr. Philip Elueme, has congratulated Hon. Paschal Adigwe on the prestigious award recently conferred on him. In a tribute published in Anioma Watch and also made available to the Pen Master, Elueme described Hon. Adigwe as a “great product” of the University of Ibadan, eminently deserving of the Award of Excellence bestowed upon him by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association. Elueme lauded the University of Ibadan for maintaining its global standard in producing exceptional scholars and leaders. He highlighted distinguished names such as Prof. Kenneth Dike, Prof. Alele Williams, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Prof. J.P. Clark to Christopher Okigbo, among many others, whom he credited with elevating the university’s global stature. The foremost Izu Anioma activist c...

 Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA) Gathers Lagos Ibusa Residents for a Grand End-of-Year Celebration By Emeka Esogbue Ibusa residents living in Lagos converged on Saturday in what became one of the largest gatherings of Ibusa indigenes outside the homeland. The occasion was the 2025 End-of-Year Celebration organised by the Ibusa Lagos Island Association (ILIA). Held at the prestigious Empresa Hotel in Ajah, Lagos, the event drew a large crowd of Ibusa sons and daughters, along with friends of the community. Guests began arriving as early as 11:00 a.m. for the much-anticipated celebration. Pen Master understands that some indigenes flew in from different parts of the country to reconnect with their kinsmen and were warmly received. In his opening remarks, Mr. Greg Enurah, President of ILIA, highlighted the remarkable progress made by the Association since its establishment in January 2023. According to him, these achievements were possible due to the unwavering resilience and co...

 Festac ICDU Holds First End-of-Year Party, Members Task ICDU Worldwide on Comprehensive Reforms Story By Emeka Esogbue The newly established Festac Branch of the Ibusa Community Development Union (ICDU) held its maiden end-of-year get-together on Sunday in Festac Town, Lagos. The well-attended event brought together members who used the occasion to call on ICDU Worldwide to initiate urgent and comprehensive reforms at the National Executive Council level. The programme opened with a prayer offered by Pastor (Barr.) Emmanuel Nwaezeapu, followed by the traditional breaking of the kola nut performed by Diokpa Ikedinma Okafor. Members thereafter introduced themselves. In his welcome address, the Acting President, Apostle Pat Nwanze, thanked members for their presence and urged greater unity within the branch. He recalled the efforts that led to the re-establishment of the Festac Branch and encouraged members to remain committed, assuring them that the branch was on course to become on...

 Anioma, No Longer a Minority Group in Delta State By Emeka Esogbue For decades, the Anioma people in Delta State were viewed through the lens of marginalisation, even long after the circumstances that shaped that perception had shifted. Recent debates surrounding the agitation for an Anioma State and the suggestion of aligning the region politically with the Southeast have revived old assumptions. Yet, a critical examination of Delta State’s demographic makeup, administrative framework, political participation, cultural cohesion, and historical relevance clearly reveals that Anioma stands today as one of the major ethnic blocs in the state—not a minority. To be considered a minority in a Nigerian state means belonging to a group that is numerically smaller or politically less influential than others within that same state. In Nigeria’s sociopolitical environment, where geography, ethnicity, and history heavily influence identity and access, being a minority often implies limited r...

 Analysing the Long-Debated Question: Who Was the Leader of the Jan 15, 1966 Coup – Major Nzeogwu or Major Ifeajuna? By Emeka Esogbue The question of who truly led the January 15, 1966 coup between Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Major Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna remains one of the most contested subjects in Nigeria’s political history. More than half a century later, historians, eyewitnesses, and surviving conspirators continue to offer conflicting narratives, each shaped by personal memory, regional loyalties, or ideological interpretation. This article revisits the long-debated issue by examining primary testimonies, the strategic design of the coup, and the divergent events in Lagos and Kaduna, in order to provide a nuanced and evidence-based understanding of a question that has resisted easy resolution. It is apt to begin with brief biographical notes on the two principal actors. Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born on 26 February 1937 in Kaduna to Anioma parents from Umuomake vill...