Emeka Esogbue

 A Call for Eyewitness Testimonies: The Ibusa Wartime Oral History Research Project As preparations for the systematic collection of oral testimonies from Ibusa men and women who witnessed the Nigerian Civil War and its impact on our community gather momentum, Pen Master will continue to identify and engage additional eyewitnesses whose lived experiences illuminate one of the darkest periods in Ibusa's history. The forthcoming book, "The Nigerian Civil War: An Ibusa Perspective," seeks to document the community's wartime experiences through the voices of those who lived them. Time has become our most critical operational constraint. With each passing year, the number of surviving eyewitnesses diminishes, taking with them invaluable first-hand accounts that cannot be reconstructed from official records alone. An undocumented testimony is, in many respects, a permanent loss to history. The Ibusa community cannot afford such losses. One elder recently recounted that he a...

 Seasoned Nigerian historian, Emeka Esogbue wrote on his wall: Nigerian Civil War: Ibusa Survivors Are Responding to Intellectual Call Although it has come as a pleasant surprise, I am delighted by the enthusiastic response from my people to the intellectual call to share their knowledge and personal experiences of the Nigerian Civil War as it affected Ibusa. The research, titled "The Nigerian Civil War: An Ibusa Perspective," has inspired several eyewitnesses and survivors of the war to volunteer their stories and reflections. The major findings of the fieldwork will focus on Nigeria before the war, Ibusa before the war, the humanitarian crisis, voices from Ibusa, Ibusa's contributions during the war, and other significant themes that emerge from the oral testimonies. I have never witnessed this level of interest among the people of Ibusa in documenting the history of our community, and I am hopeful that these invaluable oral accounts will make a lasting contribution to ...

 One Work on Preservation of Ibusa History and Heritage Completed; Another Work Begins I have now completed work on my book, *Ibusa Iwu Festival: Dancing Through Time,* and I eagerly await its unveiling. The journey of researching and documenting this important aspect of our cultural heritage has been both rewarding and enlightening. The book explores the history of the Iwu Festival, a festival believed to have been introduced into Ibusa from Ogwashi-Uku and one that is also celebrated in Ubulu-Uku, Ubulu-Uno, and Illah. The Iwu Festival appears to be a shared cultural heritage among the communities of Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubulu-Uku, Ubulu-Uno, and Illah, just as the Ikenga Festival is widely celebrated across Amai, Akoku-Uno, Umuebu, Ebedei, Umutu, and other neighbouring Ukwuani communities. It is my hope that this work will contribute to preserving and promoting this rich cultural tradition for present and future generations. I sincerely appreciate the support and encouragement I ...