Emeka Esogbue

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...

IN MEMORY OF ROGANA OTTAH, THE LEGENDARY NDOKWA MUSICIAN At the early stage of his musicianship, they called him a rascal and a drunk for choosing music, but in the advanced stage of his musicianship, the wealthy, the educated, small and big, started to pursue him to perform for them. The beginning was difficult for him. Anyone may claim that it was so for most musicians of his period but his case was different. Reacting to Pen Master, his music enthusiast, Fada Enweji wrote: "Yeah! I remember Rogana (Ottah). It was not easy initially for him to gather instruments to fulfil his ambition. The Ndokwa people never believed in him until he came to Lagos almost in tattered cloths. He came straight to me in our office at off Allen Avenue and demanded seeing Emma Nwose alias Emma Galaxy or showcase. After spending three days in Lagos, Galaxy eventually raised N400,000.00 for him and Chief Jude Okonmah alias Omeogor gave him N150,000.00. I was able to make a small contribution for his tra...