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Don't underestimate BNW readers. They are capable to search out your pro-Ojukwu litanies by themselves.

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Liad Tella’s ignorant falsehood

Thursday, March 03, 2005 People and Politics
Ochereome Nnanna - Vanguard

AS the buildup to the 2003 political season was in full swing, there was a heightened agitation for the next president of Nigeria to be elected from among the Igbo people. There were also agitations for it to go to someone from the South-South. In some cases, it was a combined South East and South/South call. The Yoruba, whose son, President Olusegun Obasanjo was running for a second term, were naturally impelled to support their son’s ambition, though they openly expressed reservations about the quality of his leadership. Then some of them devised a plan to portray the Igbo as incapable of providing leadership, what with the many Senate Presidents within one term of office, the numerous presidential candidates when the race was on and also the Anambra crisis, which was already simmering.

However, later events have shown that that the assumption of the Igbo as incapable of leading has been proved to be unfounded. Obasanjo, in his second term, brought technocrats into his government, and many of them were Igbo. It has been observed in many quarters that it is mainly the Igbo elements that are moving the Obasanjo administration forward. FROM NAFDAC to the CBN, to "Due Process", to the Finance Ministry, to the Ministry of Information, to the Communication Commission, you just name it. The same cannot be said of NEPA (power in general) and the Petroleum, Police, Ministry of Justice, the Navy (with the missing ship saga) the ID Card Scheme and other areas.

The point has been proved that given a chance, a competent Igbo person, just like any other competent Nigerian, can lead this country out of its current socio-economic and political morass. We should always stand by the tested principle, which holds that excellence (as well as mediocrity) is not a preserve of any tribe or colour.

The other day, I was watching the Kaakaki AM discussion programme on the Africa Independent Television (AIT). In one of the segments, Alhaji Liad Tella, ex-Concord, ex-The Monitor newspapers chief and Islamic activist, entertained questions from the regular anchor man, Kunle. One of the questions he was asked was whether he thought the indices of tribe, state of origin and religion should form part of the questionnaire in the forth-coming population census. Remember that the Federal Government wants to remove these items (except for state of origin) from the forms because it believes they create political problems. On the other hand, many Nigerians, including the Igbo nation in particular, are pushing for the inclusion of all these and other indices that will give us the correct demographic information about our country to curb cheating and marginalisation. Tella, true to type, started tackling the question in his usual sound-minded way by saying that if we must remove tribe, religion and such other data, the government must first of all re-orientate Nigerians to accept other Nigerians for the fellow citizens they are. Otherwise, Tella continued, we will be wasting our time. I agreed with him until he started illustrating this point. He said that Yorubas and northerners are liberal. They accommodate settlers among them, thus enabling such settlers to grow their businesses and prosper. He did not mention the menace of Area Boys in the West (especially Lagos) and Al Majiri in the North, especially Kano and Kaduna, who regularly create riotous conditions in order to loot and kill for their own economic ends and the political gain of their sponsors (Area Fathers).

TELLA was not done. He gave the example of the East and South-South, where he said the liberal spirit towards settlers is lacking. He mentioned Port Harcourt in particular. My question is: when did Port Harcourt, which once had a Yoruba Mayor, become hostile to strangers? Was it not after the civil war, when Northern and Western military leaders agreed to permit the Abandoned Property policy against the Igbos to keep them out of the nation’s oil zone, even though Port Harcourt is the southernmost tip of Igboland? Before the war, every Nigerian and even other Africans settled freely anywhere in Nigeria and thrived either as professionals, politicians or businessmen. It was the post-war policies of the North and West military alliance that unsettled the unity of Nigeria for two reasons. First, they were sharing the spoils of the war they "won". Second, they were united in their phobia to keep the Igbo out of political contention.

In any case, the allegation of lack of liberalism of the Igbo towards settlers is a falsehood borne of ignorance. The Igbo cannot afford to be hostile to settlers among them because they themselves are travellers. It is simply alien to their cosmology. There is an Igbo saying that goes thus: Obiara nke m abiagbula m. Mgbe O na ala, ma mkpumkpu apula ya na azu". It translates roughly: "may my visitor never bring me harm, and when he is going home may he never grow a hunchback". Tella told of a students union presidential election at Nsukka which a Yoruba man won but was never allowed to serve his mandate. Perhaps, the students were trying to copy Awo’s 1952 carpet crossing that introduced tribalism in our politics. What is bad is bad. But I have a few things to say in order to prove that this incident must be an isolated one.

The first mayor of Enugu was a Fulani man called Malam Umaru Altine. Chief Margaret Ekpo and Sir Udoma Udo Udoma lived and thrived politically in Aba in the 1950’s. In my hometown, Abiriba, there is a man called Eleanya. He was born a Yoruba man, with Bola for a name. He hailed from today’s Ondo State, but settled in Abiriba in 1964 as a photographer. He quickly acclimatised and integrated himself into the community, taking up permanent residency in a section of the town called Amamba. Today, he is a member of the elite Egwuena Age Grade of Abiriba, married to an Abiriba woman and living his life happily as an Abiriba man. In fact, Eleanya (Bola) has become such a part of the system that he is often made a member of the royal emissaries of the Enachioken traditional institution.

It is an errand given only to trusted patriots of Abiriba. This story is true, and one day, I hope to bring Eleanya to Vanguard readers to tell his own story, as he now lives in Lagos and still regularly visits his hometown, Abiriba!
For the information of Tella and others who may be similarly ignorant of how the Igbo live their lives, there is a large population of Northerners in Igboland, especially Onitsha, Enugu, Umuahia, Aba, Port Harcourt and Okigwe. They live and thrive unmolested. It was not until the sharia riots that some angry youths decided to embark on retaliatory strikes, a trick they learned from the northerners. The Yorubas are in Aba, Enugu and Onitsha. They control the lace trade. Their numbers may not be so large, maybe because life is tougher in the East due to government systemic neglect. But those who brave the odds are thriving and at home. Lack of opportunities is responsible for large-scale Igbo migrations from the East to the North and West, where the federal presence and opportunities are abundant.

Furthermore, in Enugu and Umuahia, there are areas called Garki, a Hausa word. These are havens given the Hausas for the quartering of their cattle. Some of these Hausas have established generations of family links and forgotten their original hometowns.
ALLEGATIONS of clannishness are often made against the Igbo over their trading activities. The same thing applies in the Hausa currency and butchery trades. Go to taxi depots in Lagos where the Yoruba are in control. You can hardly see anyone of a different ethnic stock. Even among the Igbo, you can hardly see a Bende man in the spare parts trade, or the Anambra man in the Okirika (second hand clothing) or stockfish areas. Tribalism in trading is sometimes deliberate and sometimes not.

There are trade secrets that have to be kept. There is fear that outsiders could turn saboteurs or create political problems once they fail to get what they want. The apprenticeship system is largely responsible for the tribalisation of specific trades. Mutual suspicion among the groups makes it impossible for "outsiders" to be admitted into this trade caste system. These are realities, which need not, however, work against national integration.
Most people criticise the Igbo due to ignorance or lack of information, and I think Tella falls into this category. I am sure if he had his facts right, he is matured and learned enough to be fairer than he was on the AIT. He conceded to the North because he has some information about them. He does not fall into the category of oafish mischief makers who are unrepentantly not interested in being properly educated about matters of which they are crassly uninformed.

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Now is the time to identify and strut your stuff having received cues from two respected gentlemen in the house, Honorable Anaedo and Ukaobasi. The idea to do this occurred to me last night while I was still laughing my butt off over Anaedo's joke in Igbo on “nwoke obi ọjọ bụ Dik Cheni.” While I was recovering from his hilarious piece, here comes Uka with his thus prompting this idea to stroll in our vernacular.

Umu Igbo, orule na omume nu oo! Ugbu a bụ ogee ana eji ama ndị wụ ndị. Ogee ndi ma ihe ana apkọ Igbology ga ezi owe ha bụ ugbu a! Ihe kpatara nkaa sitere na ihe Mazi Anaedo na nwa nne ya bụ odogwu nwoke ana akpụ Ụkaọbasị bidoro n’okwu nwoke ana akpọ Dik Cheni (Dick Cheney Shoots Harry Wittington ), ha jiri okwu ala anyị derie ala. Isi okwu bụ nwoke obi na adigi nma were obi ọjọọ gbariri agadi nwoke soro ya jee ịgba nta nụnụ nke mụ wa bụ onye n’ekwu okwu ma kwa n'alụ ọgụ Igbo ana akpọ MeBiafran ga ewetere unu na okpuru ebe a ka unu were anya unu gụa. Otu ụmụ nne anyi bụ Mazi Anaedo na Ụkaọbasị siri dee edele edele n’okwu ala anyi bụ Igbo gbara m harịị. Ma kwa ihe m jiri tiye nkpụrụ ihe n’okpuru (ọ, ị, ụ) ihe nke mụ dere bụ kaa m were meye ha egwu maka na haa na ederi ala na okwu Englis na kwa n’ede edele edele n’okwu anyi bụ Igbo. Ana m ewere kwa ohere a na akpọku ụmụ nne na ụmụ nna anyị ka ha were ohere a zi ihe ha jiri bụrụ ndi si n’ala Igbo/Biafra site na ịde nkpụrụ uka ole n’ole n’okwu ala anyi na ebe a. Ihe a bụ ọya anyi ga eji were mata ndi bụ ndi na ndi asi. Biko, ejim obi ọma na ariọ unu ka onye ga ide ya mee ya nkpụnpkụ maka na ịgụ Igbo na ide ya ede, n’egbu ezigbo oge. Ewerele m nka gbara isi owe m dika onye Igbo m bụ. Ndeewo nu!

Ihe ụmụ nne anyi dere:

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Maazi Ukaobasi,

Nnaa, kedu ka gi na ndi be gi mere? A ma m na ahu dicha unu ncha nile mma. Biko nnoo. I meela m "enenebe ejeghi oru" taa.

Kedu ka ndi bi na Texas si e were akuko a? LOL. Kai, mgbe m nuru na onye na-esote onye isi ala a ghara mmadu mgbo ka a na-agba nchi, ochi bia buru m. Ihe m gwara onwe m bu na nwa amadi a emeela nke aka ga-eji kpara ya.

Ihe a tokatara m ochi wee ruo mgbe m nuru na onye o gbara pieces enwela obere heart attack. Suddenly, ihe a kwusi ito m nnukwu ochi. Chukwu mere ya ebere ka nwoke ahu di afo iri asaa na asato ghara inwu n'ulo ogwu ahu. Maka na omekata emekata were nwupu n'ulo agwu ahu, nke bu mpiti ya ekwe n'isi agadi nwoke ahu a na-akpo Cheney. – Mazi Anaedo


Maazi Anaedo

Nwannem nwoke, odim uto n’obi ikwukwara gi ozo. Anyi no nno. Mu na ezi n’ulo m na e eme nke oma otito dili Jesu. Biko gunwa kwanu na ndi begi? ejikwem ohere a were na ekene, okwa ahu dicha ununcha nma? Ndeewonu O.

Gbasara okwu anyi kpu n’onu, nnaaa oyekweghim onu okwu. Obu ezie na nwa-amadi ana akpo Harri Whittintin tara obere ahuhu ana akpo heart attack.
N’anughi na heart attack mere nya bu nwoke, obi ebere ka metutaaram ya, kama obu ndi ocha si na “birds of the same feather flock together”.

Amaghim ka mmadu ga esi nechaa Deek Chanee anaya odi ya ka onye ana eso buru egbe were ba n’ime ohia.
Nke tozirim ochi bu na echeterem okwu a na ekwu n’asusu Igbo si na: “Mmadu kporo nwankuta oku nni, were okpiri chere ya”
Nke bu na Deek Chanee kporo Harri Whittintin Oku nni, were double barrel (orefere, a.k.a rifle) were cherekwazie ya, wuo ya pieces.

Tupu nkpotu nile a emeputa, oge obula mcheere maka Maazi a anakpko Deek Chanee nime obim, odim ka ajo ochinti-ekwe-ekwe isi gbakara agbaka, udi akaa di ready iji AK47 gaa postal ma asi na ndu politics abiaghi bia zoputaya bugoo ya elu na ndi so a chi obodo. Nwokem’ahu na a di isi na anya ka ajo radical.

Amaghim ma obu maka na osoghi okorobia ibeya je ogu Vietnam ka oji were taa arusi na obulu na ojighi egbe gbara mmadu dobe na ndu ya, na ogaghi ezu ike.
Harri Whittintin were zuzurunu were soroya baa n’ime ohia. Chanee were degbuo ya, tukwasaya double barrell, inu GBOOOAAA!!.

Nwannem onweghi ndi nkpotua atoghi ochi na Texas ebeaa, ahubeghim ihe dika ya. Oghorogo udi ndi Comedians n’akpo “the gift that keeps on giving”.


Maazi Ochiwar na Maazi MeBiafran,

Ndeewonu, biko jisinu ike O. – Mazi ụkaọbasị

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Hip Hip Hurray!: Igbo Language Now Compulsory in Igbo Schools! by Engr. Odo Akaji


Chukwu gọzie asụsụ Igbo
Mee k'ọ na-agawanye n’iru
Wepụta ndi ga-ede akwụkwọ
Ndi g'ede ihe gat'ụtọ
Mee k' anyị si otu a mụta

Ihụ asụsụ anyị n'anya

~~ Mazi F.C. Ogbalu July 20, 1949

I would like to sincerely thank the Igbo governors for the apt decision reached at their August 12006 conference to make the Igbo Language compulsory from primary to Junior Secondary level in all the educational institutions in ala Igbo. According to Daily Champion of August 3 2006, chairman of the conference and governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said in a briefing with reporters that the


Igbo Language is critical and we have agreed to make Igbo Language compulsory in all the elementary and junior secondary schools in the South East zone. We think that Igbo is not being practised enough and our younger ones are not learning that language enough, so we want to make it compulsory. It is compulsory in other zones and we are saying that is how it should be

In my presentation at the 2004 Odenigbo Lecture entitled “Ọkpụrụka Gbata Ọsụkwụ Gbata (All Hands on Deck!),” I challenged the political leaders in ala Igbo to “enact laws that make the Igbo Language mandatory along side the English Language to senior secondary level.” It is true that Mr Peter Obi’s statement on behalf of the Igbo governors only made the study of Igbo Language compulsory to Junior Secondary, yet it is a great start and for that, I am thankful. In Igbo we say “etoo dike n’nke omere, ya emee ọzọ” (meaning appreciation often spurs the noble to greater accomplishments). Nd’Igbo in the Diaspora can now send their children to schools in Ala Igbo secure in the knowledge that they will graduate with a decent mastery of the Igbo Language.

This is just the beginning. Ma ejerubeghi, aga n’eje! (Meaning Nd’Igbo will keep pressing forward until we attain the lofty objective. The Igbo governors must continue to meet and rub minds, sharing best practices in the process. At least two days within the working week should be set aside when all the transactions in the house of assembly in Ala Igbo must be conducted in the Igbo Language. This is in line with my earlier reasoning at the Odenigbo Lecture that creating the need and forum for the use of the language will definitely engender passion for learning the language. Seeking to promote Igbo Language by the exclusive use of a foreign language is akin to advertising Igbo costumes by wearing a smart Armani suit. Having Igbo words in road signs and public places will arouse a healthy curiosity in learners and non-speakers of the Igbo language. It is because we believe that part of the potency of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was in his copious use of Igbo Language albeit italicised, we of the Igbo Heritage Foundation have deliberately sprinkled every intellectual article with Igbo Language regardless of the topic. It may be well worth considering by Igbo journalists especially those in the print media.

In order to encourage the Igbo governors and as our widow’s mite towards the promotion of the learning of Igbo Language, the Igbo Heritage Foundation is currently consulting with the various Igbo state governments with a view to establishing an annual award for the best JSIII student in Igbo Language in each state. The Igbo Language project will require intuition and dogged determination until the Igbo Language becomes the indisputable language of choice among Nd’Igbo.

Fortunately, the Igbo governors have a shining example in creativity, commitment and tenacity in the person of Bishop AJV Obinna, founder of the Odenigbo Lecture Series. Igbo Heritage Foundation has continued to invest and raise the profile among the Diaspora Igbo in support of that laudable programme. The head of Igbo Heritage Foundation’s Technology Committee, Dr. Sampson C. Enwere, will travel from Europe to this year’s lecture in Owere, where he will renew the Heritage’s commitment to sponsor both the hardcopy and online publishing of the Odenigbo Lectures.

When I travelled for the Odenigbo 2004, I had only the deputy governor of Enugwu state for distinguished company. But, in 2005, three more deputy governors had graced the event. In the intervening years, the Igbo Heritage Foundation has funded the printing and publishing of the Odenigbo Lectures, so the Catholic Archdiocese of Owere could channel its meagre resources to other areas of need.

However, the increasing participation of governments in Igboland in the Odenigbo Lectures ceremonies leads to the question whether the time is not ripe for a more meaningful involvement by Igbo governments in the Odenigbo project, including in the area of funding.

Igbo Heritage Foundation is pleased to have spurred a growing number of projects and outlets for the teaching and advancement of the Igbo Language. Indeed, we are proud to have inspired the formation of Igbo studies associations and various Igbo-focused organizations. From our acclaimed online Igbo Language Course, through our sponsorship of the Odenigbo Lecture Series, to our ongoing web publishing of both the Ahiajoku Lecture Series and the Odenigbo Lecture Series, Igbo Heritage Foundation has brought the Igbo centre-stage among world civilizations and cultures.

The Heritage has in the past identified several broad areas in which Igbo Diaspora could assist in the advancement of Igbo Language, culture, and traditions. Potentially, the greatest obstacle to progress is the obvious inability of the leaders of groups such as WIC, the so-called “World Igbo Congress,” to correctly grasp and apply the teaching contained in the various materials that the Heritage has placed in the public information stream. Instead, what has become rampant among many Igbo Diaspora groups, including WIC, is the unauthorized copying, recording, republishing or retransmission of materials, including copyrighted or otherwise protected materials found at the various Igbo Heritage Foundation outlets. As we in the Heritage strive to create an enabling environment for Igbo traditions, we are aware that a counter-culture of plagiarism, dishonesty, and illegality poses a threat to the creative process.

Making the Igbo Language compulsory from primary to Junior Secondary level is an important first step. In the next stages, our consultations with the various Igbo state governments will focus on ways in which the interests generated through compulsory Igbo Language learning to the JSIII level could be translated into interest in more advanced studies of the Language at tertiary institutions. Ultimately, the production of serious materials for studies in the Igbo Language in the future will depend on successful studies and academic work at levels beyond the Junior Secondary. That is a goal that we as Nd’Igbo must set for ourselves.

Chukwu gọzie asụsụ Igbo (May God bless the Igbo Language)!

Iseee!

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