Emeka Esogbue

  Our Anioma People Hardly Support What Is Our Own   -        Vivian Isioma Gbunnor, Bridge Radio Broadcaster     Vivian Isioma Gbunnor is one of Anioma people’s finest radio presenters and broadcasters plying her trade with Bridge FM, Asaba. Miss Vivian Isioma Gbunnor, the Uwa Anioma Presenter popularly called “Adadiohanma”, in this interview, speaks with PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE) of the Ibusa Community Development Union (ICDU) Online News Editor. She speaks about her background, career, her recent Enuani Achievers Award honour, corporate social responsibilities of Bridge Radio and why the Ibusa and Anioma people hardly patronize the Enuani program as much as expected. Excerpts:     Pen Master: (Laughing aloud) Finally, you are here. Isioma, you know for me, it feels exciting that you who interview others is being interviewed today. What few things can you tell our teeming readers about yourself?   Gbunno...

My People Are Behind My Omu Ibusa Ambition And My Age Is My Advantage   -        Josephine Nwannabuogwu   PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE) went in search of Josephine Nwannabuogwu, the Mazone Foundation and much publicized or reported hopeful of the revered Omuship of the Ibusa people to hear from the Umuodafe-born former music performer. In this interview, the music producer, philanthropist and Head of Mazone Stitches speaks about her career in the entertainment industry, the intention and interest in the Omuship of the Ibusa people, foundation, welfare of the youths of the community and the Igbuzo Singles Meet experience. Excerpts:      Pen Master: Who's Josephine Nwannabuogwu? Please permit our readers to meet you.   Nwannabuogwu: Thank you very much sir, Pen Master. I am Josephine Isioma Nwannabuogwu and I hail from the quarter of Umuodafe in Ibusa, Delta State. Happily, I am a product of Enugu State University of...

 10 THINGS THE IBUSA COMMUNITY MISSED IN LEGENDARY WILLY IKOLODO - Emeka Esogbue At exactly 3:45 pm of Saturday, August 7, 2010, he gave up the ghost inside the hospital at the age of 74 but he had been his community's traditional Warlord being the Uwolo of Ibusa. Hon Chief William Ukadike Ikolodo who hailed from Umuisagba, Ibusa was one of the greatest Ibusa personalities of his time. He was certainly one man that his community benefitted immensely and selflessly from as an illustrious son and political representative.  The huge gap that Willy Ikolodo left in Ibusa resonated with the ceremony organized in his memory by his family to mark his ten years of demise in Lagos. This article serves as a reminder of the life and times of the legend and all that the Ibusa community lost in him. 1. He was perhaps the most popular Ibusa figure of his time and he utilised it to the latter. The name, "Ikolodo" was like the name of a Roman god, feared by some, loved, respected and vene...

Ezechime and Ezemu of Ubulu-Uku Rebelled Against Benin Felix Ifeanyi Nwabuokei He had helped Benin historical researchers to explain the missing link in their history regarding an Onicha-Olona personality who was taken from Onicha-Olona by Prince Orhogbua (later Oba Orhogbua) to become the Iyase of Benin and Benin historians had wondered why and how a non-indigene became an Iyase until he was able to supply answers to their puzzle. Once this development unfolded, Pen Master continually chased him until he was caught. In this interview with EMEKA ESOGBUE (Pen Master), Felix Ifeanyi Nwabuokei renders account touching on Onicha-Olona history. He speaks on the rarity of finding Onicha-Olona historical documentations, the journey to the foundation of Onicha-Olona, the over two-decade kingship tussle that the community had to face and many other subjects that are of interest to watchers of the Onicha-Olona history. However, it would seem that the biggest of them all the revelation that Onich...

CHIEF WILLY IKOLODO LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR GOOD WORKS IN IBUSA COMMUNITY Chief Willy Ikolodo in Uwolo regalia FAMILY PLANS POST-HUMUS HONOUR FOR THE LEGENDARY PHILANTHROPIST AND LATE UW Chief Willy Ikolodo with his wives OLO OF IBUSA By Emeka Esogbue "The kernel of truth is in Chief Willy Ikolodo, a leading protagonist in the social history of Ibusa". - Pen Master Many would agree that the history of philanthropism in Ibusa started with the foundation laid by him. Hence, the legend was Igbuzo and Igbuzo was him.  In 2010, the Ibusa community in Delta State lost one of her greatest legendary  assets in history, the man who goes beyond the traits to establish true character of passion and honour; an enigma and an Igbuzo name that cannot be wished away and the first among equals in selfless service to Ibusa. Hon High Chief Willy Ukadikebunazua Ikolodo was a man who believed in Ibusa and Ibusa people, a commander and exerciser of control over the community's affairs, one who...

THE OKPANAM JUDGMENT DID NOT ENCOURAGE THE USE OF RED CAP BY EVERY CHIEF IN THE COMMUNITY. Emeka Esogbue To the people of Okpanam who have started to peddle the rumour that the recent High Court judgment favours the use of Red Cap by every Chief in Okpanam. At no time did the judge mention red cap in this judgment.  What transpired was that an Obi who has the Asagba of Okpanam as his title wanted the court to restore him as the traditional ruler of Okpanam. It is understandable that the case is dead on arrival. Judge ruled that it was not possible due to the gazette establishing the Ugoani position.  No mention was made of red cap. The people of Okpanam are yet to hear the last on the red cap issue which Okpanam citizens are still protesting. Bastardization of our cherished tradition is unwelcome. This is to set the record straight.  In 1920, every Chief in Okpanam was not known to wear the Red cap. Why must westernization bend that rule now? Those seeking to basterdize w...

AN ORAL ACCOUNT OF AKWUKWU-IGBO FOUNDATION AS TOLD EMEKA ESOGBUE BY GABRIEL N. OSAKWE The version I was told my  my late uncle, Mordi Osakwe, which I find more authentic is as follows: Akwukwu-Igbo came from Nri, the origin of the Igbo tribe. Adaigbo (Odaigbo), a Prince of Nri kingdom committed an abomination, the penalty on which was death. His father, Agu, the King, loved him so much that he could not bear to see him beheaded. He therefore prepared him to leave the town surreptitiously by night. His junior brother, Okolie Agu who loved him so much, decided to go with him.  A half brother was asked to carry a medicine pot on his head with the instruction that wherever the pot fell, there they should settle. They left and the pot fell in the present day Ogwashi-Ukwu, and there they settled. Okolie Agu was a great Hunter, and hunted in the jungle after Umu Opu, a small town with their own king.  When he came back from his hunting, he rested at Umu Opu before going back to ...

IKELI IFE RITE IN ANIOMA NATION Emeka Esogbue Here is the age-long tradition of the Anioma peopl e on focus.  It is the "Ikeli Ife" rite in which beneficiaries, mostly old men, titled men, clan representatives or youths depending on the nature of Ikeli Ife usually gather within an agreed location that could be Ogwa or home of the Diokpa to receive their portion of a given item.  Usually, a communal goat or cow is slaughtered, and once slaughtered, shared pieces of meat are natively put on plantain leaves from which individuals pick their portion by seniority.  On a lighter side, this is where you hear the biggest forms of grammar from our Diokpas. Some make it a mixture of English and Igbo, which we lightly call 'Engili-Igbo' while others especially the 'Oluoyibo' returnees demonstrate the biggest forms of 'adjectivial grammar' to talk their 'opponents' to submission.  Lest I forget, it does not take long for disputes to break out in which argu...

ANIOMA IS NIGERIA'S CULTURAL MELTING POT Emeka Esogbue Anioma is a cultural and ancestral spot where many Nigerian ethnic groups met. But little did our docile forebears realise this. It is indeed the cultural melting pot of Nigeria.  From ancient Nri Kingdom were migrations that led to the foundations of Igbuzo, Ogwashi-Uku, Akwukwu-Igbo and many more. These movements were followed with the migrations from Isu of the Igbos. The Isu migration became the more important in terms of number in Igbuzo, Ewulu etc. But there were the Ikelike of Benin origin who were the original settlers in Ogwashi-Uku. The earliest waves of migrations were of the Ife and Akure of the Yoruba race led to the foundation of a number of Yoruba communities in the Enuani region of the Anioma area and it gave rise to the foundation of Olukwumi communities that are Ugbodu, Eko Efun (Ukwunzu), Ogodor and many more. Surprisingly, little did early Yoruba historians record the Yoruba communities in Enuani enclave unt...