Emeka Esogbue

 The Ibusa Obiship Controversy: Tradition vs. the Right to Associate ​By Emeka Esogbue As an ardent follower of Ibusa culture, I was mortified to read several published opinions disregarding the right of the Obis to form an association for their common purpose. The current state of the Ibusa Obiship summarizes the declining state of our culture, a decline that has persisted due to the apparent indifference of the community’s traditional class.  Until recently, Ibusa was one of the most culturally vibrant  Anioma communities; today, the totality of our way of life faces a steady erosion. ​A Golden Era of Tradition ​By the early 1990s, Ibusa’s cultural richness was nearing its peak. During this period, the warlords being the Odogwu, Uwolo, and Iyase gained renewed popularity and respect with the fame of the holders spreading far and wide. Alongside the Ikwele, the Chief Priest, the community council-in-chief was complete and deeply enriched thus, a traditionally thriving an...

 Ibusa Multiple Obiship Explored: A Look Through Obi Ajudua’s One-Year Milestone – Part One By Emeka Esogbue First and foremost, I congratulate you, Obi Dr. Henry Chukwuma Ajudua with your dear wife, Obi Okpoho Vivian Henry-Ajudua on your one-year anniversary of assumption of Obi title in Ibusa, land of the Isus. Happily, today marks the Ifejioku of Ndi Eze (Obis) in Ibusa, as traditionally announced by the Senior Diokpa of the community and this is the confluence where cultural practice, enthusiasm and service meet; a sweet cultural coincidence indeed. The festival, usually held before the New Yam Festival, is heralded by the Obis of the town. The Ifejioku festival has been observed across the ten ogbe (quarters) of Ibusa since pre-colonial times. As in other Anioma communities, it is an agricultural and yam-centered celebration deeply rooted in the Igbo cultural belief system. Ibusa families host feasts, inviting friends and kin, thereby strengthening communal unity and kinship b...