Emeka Esogbue

 Two Years After Omu Martha Dunkwu's Death: The Anioma Omu Institution Faces Extinction By Emeka Esogbue Monday, February 15, 2026, marked exactly two years since the terrible hand of death snatched away from the Anioma people, Omu Martha Dunkwu, the iconic Omu of Anioma. While anniversaries are typically times for reflection and the honouring of legacy, for the Enuani region, this milestone serves as a grim alarm. Since the passing of the woman who single-handedly modernized and popularized the Omu office, the 500-year-old female traditional institution has spiraled into a state of marginalization and near-total collapse. ​ From Oshimili to Aniocha, a chorus of neglect is apparent; ​ across the Enuani cultural landscape, the story is tragically consistent. The vibrant presence that Omu Dunkwu commanded has been replaced by systemic erasure. In communities where the Omuship is still practiced, the institution is being strangled by a variety of modern pressures.  In fact, finan...

 One Year Without Omu Anioma: Obi Martha Dunkwu Lived and Died for the Anioma Cause By Emeka Esogbue Today marks the one-year anniversary of Omu Martha Dunkwu's passing, a legendary figure who left an indelible mark on the Anioma people. As the Omu of Anioma, she was a trailblazer, breaking cultural barriers and paving the way for women's leadership in Anioma society. Since the days of modern Anioma, there was no female figure in history who enjoyed cultural and global fame as did Obi Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Anioma; since the days of modern Anioma, there was no female traditional leader from Anioma who cut cultural influence as seen in Obi Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Anioma. By January 26, 2002, when she was installed as the Omu of Okpanam, an Anioma female leader had been born in her. By January 15, 2019, when she became crowned as the Omu of Anioma, the people were becoming conversant with the female cultural leader, the like of which was never seen in the history of the peop...

 OMU JOSEPHINE NWANNABUOGWU VISITS OMU ANIOMA ON HER BIRTHDAY  - Emeka Esogbue The socio-cultural relationship between the people of Ibusa and Okpanam, two sisterly communities in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State was boosted with the historic visit of HRH Obi Josephine Nwannabuogwu, the Omu of Ibusa to HRM Obi Dr. Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma on Wednesday.  It was the 67th birthday anniversary of HRM Obi Dr. Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma in what was widely celebrated and Obi Nwannabuogwu's beautiful gesture was the historic visit to her Okpanam Palace which added glamour to the celebration of the Nne Oha on a day that the social media was also awash with felicitations for the Anioma Queen Mother.  Dressed in her usual Akwa-Ocha attire, supported with beads and a red cap to traditionally harmonize her attire, Omu Nwannabuogwu in the company of her Nzele Omu entourage was seen making her way to the Palace of the Omu of Anioma, ...

 OMU MAGIC: GOV OKOWA EMERGED ATIKU'S RUNNING MATE 72 HOURS AFTER THE ANIOMA COUNCIL OF OMUS DECLARED THEIR DUTY TO PRAY FOR THEIR ANIOMA CHILDREN IN POLITICS - Emeka Esogbue As they say, "there is power in the tongue." However, for the Omus in Anioma Nation, occupants of the ancient female traditional institution, it is beyond the mere tongue. The Omus are powerful and their words are not known to fall on rocky grounds. Surely, they survive to germinate.  The Council of Omus had in a communique signed on their behalf by HRH Obi Josephine Nwannabuogwu, the Omu of Ibusa who also doubles as the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Council with HRM Obi Dr. Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Anioma as the Chairman, stated that it was the declaration of the Anioma Council of Omus to pray for the sons and daughters of Anioma Nation, emphasizing their desire for them as progress in politics and not disintegration along the line of hate and acrimony.  "Praying for Anioma children in ...

 Obiship: An Amazing Status of Omuship in the Three Communities of Asaba, Ibusa and Okpanam - Emeka Esogbue Have you ever wondered why the Omu in Okpanam and Asaba often sit beside the Anioma traditional rulers at social functions even when other Omu are seated separately but you never found anyone to ask this question? Did you know that in the communities of Asaba, Ibusa, and Okpanam, Obiship is a requisition for ascending Omuship?  Well, here are answers to your questions. The Omu in these communities are indeed Obi (or Eze). In fact, no one can become an Omu without first assuming Obiship before completing the Omu rites. In this way, an Omu in Asaba, Ibusa, and Okpanam, three neighbouring Enuani communities with similar cultures is an Obi, something that slightly differentiates these Omu from their counterparts in other Anioma communities. Ike elili ukwu is one of the rites of Omuship in their lands and is compulsory. What makes it a possibility is the multiple obi system i...

 THE ANIOMA PICTURE OF THE MONTH OMU OF ANIOMA PRESENTS THE OMU BOOK TO HON GBANDI The Omu of Okpanam/Anioma is pictured here presenting the book, "A Short History of Omu," authored by Pen Master to Hon Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi, the MD/CEO of African German Information Centre and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of African Heritage Magazine, recently, in Okpanam, Delta State. The Omu who recently celebrated her 20th year in traditional office as the Omu has presented a good number of the same books to other personalities within and outside the state.

Omus Display Emeka Esogbue Book on Omuship By John Chukwuka Morha Rising from their meeting of yesterday, supervised by HRM Obi Dr Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma, the various Omus in Anioma happily displayed the book, "A Short History of Omu", authored by foremost Nigerian Historian, Elder Emeka Esogbue.  The Omus who had in the meeting commended Anioma monarchs for their support to the Omus of the region have in recent times been receiving commendations from the Region for globalizing the female traditional institution and selling the people's culture to the world. However, after the important meeting, the Omus displayed the book which commentators on the region say has contributed to raising consciousness about the institution, promoting it beyond their boundary.  The book, "A History of Omu" is noted to have reawakened a number of communities to enthrone the institution in their communities. Esogbue hails from Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Governmen...

 OMUSHIP: CHICAGO PROFESSORS TRAVELED ALL THE WAY FROM AMERICA JUST TO LISTEN TO OMU ANIOMA LECTURE By Emeka Esogbue * How the Omu Gathered other Anioma Omu for the Americans * How the Omu of Anioma Got the Professors to Speak with Pen Master In what is becoming examples to other custodians of the Anioma culture, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma, HRM Obi Martha Dunkwu is effortlessly and in true Anioma spirit, staying and remaining in the forefront of the promotion and preservation of the Anioma culture especially on Omuship, which is unique to the people. Yesterday, in what looked unprecedented, amazing, and interesting, two distinguished professors from the University of Chicago who have heard of the Omuship with its uniqueness, traveled down to Okpanam Palace of the Omu Anioma to listen to the Omu Okpanam/Anioma lectures on Omuship.  Interested in this aspect of Anioma culture and being long-time admirers of Obi Dr. Martha Dunkwu, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma even from afar, the two ...

 ANIOCHA-OSHIMILI CHAIRMEN: APPROVE MONTHLY TOKEN FOR YOUR OMU  - Emeka Esogbue The time is here and now for the Aniocha North and South and Oshimili North and South Councils to pay the Omu token on monthly basis. With the campaign for votes, they move to Omu Anioma palace because they understand the role and influence of Omuship within the Enuani society but when elections have come and gone, they soon forget where they started.  Times have since changed and the government should recognize that the Omu should be catered for. We have a tradition, a woman leaves her husband and occupation because Omuship has called, a palace is built for her, with a retinue of domestic staff to cater for, and she takes up societal responsibility for her people's over all wellbeing.  She was formally in charge of markets within her vicinity but with foreign invasion by colonialists, she became stripped of this headship with the local government put in charge. The same council collects ...

 Omuship in Ibusa: The Crisis and End of a Beautiful Traditional Phase - Emeka Esogbue Since foundation, Omuship has always been the beauty of the Anioma people. The institution reigned in several parts of Anioma particularly the Enuani and Igbodo, a community of the Ika people. The presence of the institution also extended to Onitsha and Ogbaru, two other Anioma communities outside the present Delta State where it was also in place. In Onitsha, Omu Nwagboka Egwuata, the Onye Isi Ikporo of Onitsha who died in 1886 was the last known Omu of the community. For some unclear reasons, the Onitsha traditional leadership could not get a successor to the once viable throne which ended the institution. Omu Okwei was a well-known Omu of Osomari, another settlement of Anioma lineage.  The Anioma historians described her as a powerful female merchant of her time which though was not strange considering that the Omu stayed in charge of markets and were spiritually held as the 'goddess of t...

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...