The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Igbo’

  • Igbo trader backs Lagos Special Status bill

    Lagos State has been forging ahead since the inception of the Fourth Republic because of the   developmental strides of its successive administrations.

    A businessman, Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, who expressed this opinion, said the state is second to none in the country.

    Umenzekwe, the president, Adem Industrial and Commercial Company in Coker-Aguda, Lagos also backed Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s quest for a Special Status for the state, saying the revenue realised from the state justified the status.

    He said projects such as  LAKE Rice, Atlantic City on Victoria Island, road construction and light rail transport system have boosted the state’s economy.

    He urged Igbo traders to support the government to establish a convenient business climate.

    He said: “The security situation around the business premises has been very impressive. The Ambode’s Mega City mantra has crept into Adem in form of orderliness and civil disobedience, especially in payment of necessary taxes. The light rail project which is very close to the trader’s premises and to be inaugurated next year (this year) will be historic. So, appreciate your host community and avoid confrontation as they are friendly and accommodating.”

    Umenzekwe lauded the initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari on increased local production and consumption, saying the ceramic sector and plumbing materials were well favoured by the policy.

    “A greater percentage of our goods is now sourced locally, as the foreign currencies are hard to acquire. Therefore, traders must desist from fake and substandard products and cooperate with the Federal Government to increase local industrialisation,” he said.

  • Women discuss Igbo unity, girl-child at summit

    Women discuss Igbo unity, girl-child at summit

    The Southeast has been lagging behind, especially in unity. The situation has been a source of worry to the men. Women are only bothered about issues concerning the women folk which they discuss at the famous August Meeting. But there is a new thinking among some women under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters who believe they can help the men to develop the Igbo nation. OKODILI NDIDI reports that the group held a summit at Owerri where it decided to complement the efforts of the men.

    In the yesteryear, Igbo women at home and in the Diaspora waited for one year before they come together to deliberate on issues affecting them. This was usually during the famous August Meeting.

    However, some prominent Igbo women reasoned that it was not right to wait for a year before they gather and discuss issues affecting them. They also reasoned that it was time Igbo women complemented the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward; not merely discussing matters that affect the women folk only.

    It was against this background that some Igbo women, under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters converged on Owerri, the Imo State capital, to deliberate on how to complement the efforts of the men to move the Igbo nation forward. The summit, they said, does not indicate that the annual August Meeting has come to a dead end.

    For instance, the cultural glamour and grandeur which usually were features of the annual August Meeting didn’t reduce by any inch; rather they became serious tools for social and political agenda-setting for the Igbo nation.

    This much came to the fore during the grand finale of the summit held at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) Owerri, the Imo State capital in November where a large number of successful and influential Igbo women both those in the country and in the Diaspora converged to brainstorm on the challenges confronting Ndigbo.

    Like their male counterpart, the women deliberated on how to rise above the challenges that had held the Igbo nation down and how to move forward as a people.

    Unlike what obtains in August Meeting which has been traditionally confined to villages and communities, and where a handful of women meet separately to discuss the peculiar challenges of their immediate environment, the summit by the Prominent Igbo Daughters comprised women from all walks of life who had the burning desire to help the men to develop the region. Women from the five states of the Southeast Zone came under one umbrella to discuss issues of common interest.

    Another significant feature of the summit, with the theme, “Looking at the Next Generation of Mothers”, was the leading role played by the wives of the Southeast Governors and the personalities that attended the summit.

    Among them were wife of Nigeria’s first Head of State, Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, Senator Joy Emordi, former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Senator Nkechi Wogu, Vivian Okadigbo, wives of Governors of Abia and Enugu states Nkechi Ikpeazu and Monica Ugwuanyi respectively, among others.

    Beginning with a courtesy call on the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha at the Government House, the women outlined their vision to complement the efforts of the men by contributing their quota in moving the Igbo nation forward.

    The women noted that having identified disunity among the Igbo leaders as the major impediment to the progress of Ndigbo, they have resolved to use their positions as wives and mothers to unite Ndigbo.

    Speaking on behalf of the women, wife of the Imo State Governor and chief host, Nneoma Okorocha, said they were compelled to initiate the venture by the love for Ndigbo in particular and the country in general.

    According to her, the resolve to tackle the challenges of the girl-child as the next generation mother as encapsulated in the theme of the summit, is as a result of the fact that “once you get it right with the girl-child, the society gets right”.

    Continuing, she said: “Most of the challenges the society is experiencing are as a result of the failure of mothers to inculcate the right moral values in their children. There is near-total failure of parenting. If you have children and they all grow up to be successful and responsible citizens, it as a result of the efforts of the mother. Also when you have children and they turn out to be robbers, kidnappers, terrorists and assassins, it is as a result of the failure of the mother.

    ”We are propelled by the love for the Igbo nation to converge and brainstorm on the way forward. We are here because as Igbo women, we have resolved to go back to the drawing board to get it right and if we must get it right, we must get the girl-child right.

    “We have decided to be pillars of support to our men and not sources of discouragement, so that we can contribute our quota to the development of the Igbo nation. As mothers, we should take responsibilities in building a better society by building our homes.

    “At present, Igbo women have decided to stand up and take the bull by the horn and the day has finally come when the Igbo nation will sing a new song.”

    Chairman of the occasion and former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, commended the women for taking steps to assist the men in making the Igbo nation better.

    He particularly commended the wives of the Southeast Governors for bringing Igbo women together under one umbrella to brainstorm on the challenges their region of origin is experiencing.

    Nwobodo also noted that the issue of the upbringing of the girl-child is critical to building a virile and successful nation.

    He said: “For Igbo women to gather to discuss the place of the girl-child is a confirmation of the fact that if there is any group that wants Nigeria to remain together, it is the Igbo.”

    Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, in her goodwill message, assured that the Igbo women will continue to complement the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward.

    She praised the idea of gathering to discuss the challenges confronting the girl-child, stating that the development of the girl-child is a sure way to a better future.

    In a similar manner, wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, emphasised the need for mothers to take responsibility in the upbringing of their children, especially the girl-child.

    She noted that as future mothers and society builders, priority should be given to the upbringing of the girl-child.

    Addressing the women earlier during a visit at the Government House, Governor Okorocha described the gathering of the women as what the Igbo nation has been waiting for to move forward.

    He said: “We the men have tried to balance the equation but this may be what we need to unite the Igbo nation. There is nothing a man can do without a good woman by his side and where we the men have failed as a result of ego, the women should fix it.

    “It is time that our men began to recognise the place and role of women in nation-building. Nigeria is waiting for the Igbo and we must start to get it right and I see this gathering of the women as a necessary thing to do.”

    The event was also a cultural renaissance of a sort as participating states used the event as a showcase for their different cultural dances which held the audience spellbound.

  • Buhari not excluding Igbo, Ngige tells kinsmen

    Buhari not excluding Igbo, Ngige tells kinsmen

    Minister of Labour Dr Chris Ngige at the weekend faulted Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s claim that President Muhammadu Buhari was excluding Ndigbo from his administration.

    Ngige disagreed with those asking the President to change his Economic Team because of their alleged inability to steer the country out of recession.

    The minister said those behind the calls for a change of the economic team were job seekers, who were not favoured in past ministerial appointments.

    Ngige addressed reporters at this year’s annual convention and graduation ceremony of skill acquisition students of Bina Foundation, funded by Sir Chris Atuegwu, and his wife, Lady Ifeoma Atuegwu.

    The minister noted that contrary to the statement purportedly made by Ohanaeze that the Ndigbo were being excluded, President Buhari’s antecedents showed he loved Ndigbo.

    He warned Ndigbo to stop what he called politics of alienation and embrace fellow Nigerians from any part of the country.

    Ngige said: “I am sure the statement did not emanate from Ohanaeze. It is the personal opinion of the Secretary General, Dr Joe Nwaorgu, my friend. Ohanaeze has a means of expressing its views in a statement by the president general. But such a statement must emanate from Imeobi (inner caucus).

    “When you go to President Buhari’s antecedents, you see his love for the Igbo. His brigade commander was an Igbo man. After the war, he did not kill prisoners of war (POWs). He brought back his classmates, J. C. Ojukwu, and the other man from Ojoto in Anambra State. He is a good man. He keeps to himself. He is disciplined in office.

    “He doesn’t drink; he doesn’t smoke. He is a man who does any work efficiently. He has Igbo friends. It is wrong to say that Igbo did not vote for him in 2015. There was no voting across Igbo land. It was vote allocation.

    “I don’t want to join issues with him (Nwaorgu). I have held various positions in Ohanaeze before him. I championed Aka Ikenga. His ‘Igboness’ is not stronger than mine. It is still early. We should stop crying over spilt milk.

    “We got 20 pounds after the war. We should leverage on our prosperity, industrial spirit, ingenuity and propensity for work to forge ahead. We need the political fitness and diplomacy; we will not be left behind.

    “Former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme has done a lot in successive constitutional conferences on zoning structure and regional cooperation. I have always espoused that at Aka Ikenga. We do it and the rest shall be added unto us.”

    The former Anambra State governor said there was an understanding that the Presidency would go round so that Ndigbo could get their turn by embracing other parts of the country with open arms.

    The minister noted that this will work if the Ndigbo avoided what he called politics of alienation.

    Ngige described those calling for a new national economic team because of the recession as job seekers, whose friends in the media echoed same for them to be heard.

    The minister argued that Nigeria entered recession long before the Buhari administration.

    He said nobody noticed cracks in the wall because of the huge foreign reserves accumulated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    According to him, the reserves shrunk to $21 billion, following the crash in oil prices.

    Ngige said: “Under the previous administration, the oil price was about $115 per barrel and the country exhausted its 2.2 million barrels daily quota of crude oil export. But when this government came, the price of oil dropped to  $30 per barrel. It later came to $50 per barrel. But because of activities of those blowing up oil pipelines in Niger Delta, we could not export our daily quota of 2.2 million barrels. We are now exporting about 1.2 million barrels.

    “Nigeria is a mono-cultural economy. Oil provides about 95 per cent of our revenue. So, you can see that under this administration, our revenue reduced drastically because of the slump in oil prices and activities of those blowing up pipeline. Now, you find a situation where supply of money cannot meet demand. This is elementary economics. When supply cannot meet demand, there is disequilibrium. You can see the slide.

    “So, nobody should blame the Economic Team. If you bring new people, they will see the same circumstances.

    “On the other hand, if you look at members of the economic team, Udo Udoma, minister of Budget, is eminently qualified. Being a former special adviser to a minister of Petroleum, he knows about the crude oil business that basically provides our earnings. He was Senate committee chairman on Appropriation.

    “The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, is a banker but she has a degree in Economics. What else are they looking for? Of course, the Vice-President heads the Economic Team. He is a lawyer, but he heads it by virtue of his office as Vice-President.

    “As Vice-President under President Goodluck Jonathan, Namadi Sambo headed the Economic Team. He is not an economist. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar headed an Economic Team; he is not an economist. It is those who lost out in ministerial appointments propelling this call to change the Economic Team and their friends in the media are echoing it.”

    The minister urged Nigerians to see the recession as an opportunity to curb the wastage arising from importation of food and other items that have local alternatives.

    Ngige said he had resorted to eating local rice.

    The minister wondered why Nigeria should squander billions of naira on importation of foreign rice from Indonesia, for instance.

    On Federal Government’s plan to borrow $30 billion, he said: “We are in a recession in Nigeria and unnatural happenings beget unnatural solutions.

    “China is embracing us economically. We need cheap loans. Investors from China are coming with projects, offering Nigeria projects that they can do with counterpart funding. We bring 20 per cent, they bring 80 per cent. Through this way, we will come out of recession.”

  • As Igbo, it’s amazing to be married to a Yoruba man —UK-based Nigerian gospel singer

    Nigerian-born UK-based gospel act, Shophie Godwin, recently dropped her sophomore single, entitled Come and see. Sophie, who is better known as Sophy-Yah in entertainment circles, has emerged as one of Nigerian wave-making artistes in the United Kingdom. Sophie, the daughter of a famous music producer, was first introduced to music at home, when she would listen to the music of great artistes like Felix Liberty and Sonny Okosun.

    “I grew up surrounded with all sorts of music. My father, Mr Godwin Obodozie, had a record store, Romantic Records, in Ikeja in the 80s. Aside from that, he also managed a couple of famous artistes like Felix Liberty, Sonny Okosun and several others. Of course, his job as a music producer really helped to shape my career in music, in the sense that I fell in love with music listening to different genres of music. Doing that also stirred up something in me as a child, something that has resulted in the artiste I have become today.”

    Interestingly, Imo State-born Sophie is married to a man from Ekiti State. The beautiful singer described the experience of being married to a man from outside her tribe, in a plural society like Nigeria, as amazing. She, however, said it was easy for her to integrate into her husband’s family because of her ability to speak Yoruba language fluently.

    “Being married to my husband has been very amazing and I am happy with it. But, it is important that you know that I am married into a strong Yoruba Christian family from Ekiti State. My father in-law, Rev. J.K. Omotosho, before he passed on was the head of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Great Britain and the whole of Europe.

    “Again, it was very easy for me to integrate with my Yoruba family since I grew up in Lagos and I speak the language fluently. I can also read and write the language perfectly, and I know and understand much Yoruba culture. With that, it was very easy for to blend into the family.”

    As a member of the choir of her church, it was easy for Sophie to become a professional later in life. “I have always wanted to do music professionally, but was waiting for the right time. I realised I could be a professional singer when I was a member of Daystar Christian Centre Church, the church of Reverend Sam Adeyemi.

    “During my years there, I was one of the praise worship leaders and also one of the soloists. Most times, after ministrations, people would ask me when I will produce an album. At some point, three of the Daystar pastors called me differently to ask what I was doing about my music career and when I will be going to the studio to record. I am really happy that that is a reality today and I give God all the glory.”

    Singing in the church, it was an easy decision for her to make when the time came for her to decide on which genre of music to explore. Explaining the reason behind her decision to choose gospel music to The Nation, she said: “The deciding factor to be a gospel act is the passion I have for music and the things of God. I wanted to reach out to different types of people. For me, it was also a way of encouraging people and letting the people know that all will be well and to remind them of God’s love and hope in the face of adversities. I am happy that I am able to do this through music, and not just any how music.”

    At a time when entertainers’ attention is focused on making lucrative songs that are woven together in lewd lyrics, Sophie said her decision to concentrate her efforts on gospel was because of her faith.

    “I will say gospel songs are okay. It is an open secret that gospel music is not as lucrative as secular, but I am trusting God that things will turn around soonest in the gospel circle by God’s grace. Moreover, my faith will not allow me to sing any other song, but gospel,” she said.

    The first of seven children, Sophie was born in Lagos where her parents live till date. “I was born in Lagos, Nigeria. I am the first of seven children. My parents are still alive and well. I am Igbo, originally from Imo State. My father is a clergy and supported by my mother.”

    She became a celebrity recently when she won an award in the UK. Describing the experience, she said, “Wow! What can I say? It was a great experience and I really thank God for it. An award like that is very encouraging, and it just goes to show that people appreciate my work and the effort I put into it. I am really grateful to God for the recognition.”

    With her stunning beauty, it is not surprising that Sophie constantly draws the attention of men who want to be her friend. Asked how she copes with the attention, Sophie said:  “Well, it has not been easy at all, but God is helping me.”

    Even while trying to put male admirers at arms’ length, the singer still ensures that she looks her best at all times. For her, a woman is supposed to look her absolute best at all times.

    “Fashion is something that allows a man or a woman to look their absolute best. And when you look your absolute best, you feel your absolute best. And when this occurs, you hold your head up higher and have pride in yourself!

    “To me, fashion also means not revealing too much, because you will be addressed the way you are dressed. I dress my best at all times, lest I attract the wrong people. In choosing my colours, sometimes the occasion/event determines that. But my number one determining factor in choosing a colour is my skin tone, it determines which colour looks best on me.

    “The colour must be a colour that creates a contrast in brightness with my skin and more flattering. I also use that to determine what accessories to wear as well.  I love the rich culture of Nigeria, I love the people and their diversities.”

    She confessed that growing up was tough for her. “I was born in Nigeria, but growing up was very difficult in the sense that I gave my life to Christ really early in life, when I was 13 years old. I was severely persecuted for my faith for eight years, but to God be the glory, all my persecutors are all now strong committed Christians.”

    Asked what she regards as her most-prized possession, Sophie said: “Hmmm, I can’t come up with a material object, I can’t live without God. So, I will say my salvation and faith in God are my most-prized possessions.”

    Despite living in the UK and being a Catering and Hotel Management graduate, Sophie remains very much in love with Nigerian foods. “I work in market research as a Research Project Manager. I also studied Catering and Hotel Management. I love Nigerian foods a lot, and I don’t joke with my ‘swallow’ (solid food) despite the fact that I live abroad.”

  • Buhari and the Igbo

    SIR: You can hardly go to any village in any part of this country without seeing an Igbo family already naturalized with the original inhabitants of that village. They build wherever they go to and they invest like they will never go home again. They intermarry; they learn the languages of their host communities and allow their children to acculturate without the slightest discrimination.

    At no time have the Igbos instigated any clash with members of other ethnic groups who do business or reside within Igboland. On rare occasions when some youths are provoked into retaliating the killing of their kith and kin in the northern part of the country or elsewhere, the elders would quickly wield in to stop the crisis from escalating.

    This does not sound like the story of those who are anxious to break away from Nigeria. The cry for secession by a good number of Igbos is in response to the mindless persecution and deliberate political marginalization being meted on them by successive administrations in this country, especially since 1966.

    There is no doubt that the President like his predecessors does not want any discussion on the secession of any part of the country and he has repeatedly said that. However, the President’s speeches expressing his determination to see that Nigeria remains one, is more a wish than a determination, as he has severally got so many calls wrong, especially as they affect the most industrious, most patriotic but most marginalized group in the Union.

    One of the worst things the President has done to the Igbos of recent is his poor handling of the Nnamdi Kanu issue which has insultingly placed him as a leader of the Igbos in some way. And some people even insult the Igbo by comparing him with revered Ikemba Ojukwu and Azikiwe! Someone does not become an Igbo leader by merely grabbing a microphone to spew hate and gibberish against anybody who does not agree with his mostly inarticulate and unsewn ideologies. If the President had not made Nnamdi Kanu feel so important and so powerful by talking about him and trying to defend himself from the obvious lies the IPOB radio presenter spewed against him, very few people would have been talking about the Abia boy by now.

    No matter how much hate and bitterness Nnamdi Kanu may have spewed through his internet radio station, there is no evidence anywhere that any member of IPOB or its affiliates bear arms. The introduction of a military operation christened; “Operation Python Dance” in the Southeast further alienates the people of the area from Buhari’s Nigeria and more and more people are tilting towards the secession call by Kanu, as they feel unsafe and unwanted in Nigeria. This ill-advised military operation has instigated fear in the minds of our people, thereby converting them to the secessionist movement.

    Imo State gave the President the highest number of votes ever in the Southeast, the State also boasts of having delivered the first ever APC Senator from the Southeast and it is being governed by an APC governor who is also the chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, yet the President only gave the minister from this same state a junior ministerial position.

    Nnamdi Kanu may have made statements that are deemed treasonable and could be interpreted to mean that he wants to wage war against the Nigerian State, but evidences so far brought to light by the DSS have failed to show that the British-Nigerian citizen has access to even a kitchen knife, not to talk of stock-piling arms anywhere. If ‘repentant’ Boko Haram insurgents are being granted amnesty and released from prison custody and Niger-Delta militants who have done a lot to sabotage the economy of this nation are being begged by the President to surrender their arms, it may not be out of place to also seek for peaceful and out of court strategy to let Nnamdi Kanu and his co-accused out of the hook. That the President doesn’t seem to be disposed to such option, even with many representations to that effect, makes many Igbos feel that secession is the only option.

     

    • Onwuasoanya FCC Jones,

    frankcourt2007@yahoo.com

  • Obiano and Igbo radio

    Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State last week announced his intention to establish a radio station to transmit only in Igbo language. The move is part of his contributions to save the Igbo language from going into extinction.

    In addition, pupils in primary and secondary schools would wear Igbo traditional dresses to school on Wednesdays while folklore would be taught primary school children in the evenings of the same day. The governor harped on the capacity of folklore to build sound and good moral values with a promise to reinvigorate the law compelling everybody in the state to communicate in Igbo language every Wednesday.

    He also intends to liaise with the state House of Assembly to enact a law that would compel every resident of the state to wear Igbo traditional attire on Wednesdays. Before now, the UNESCO had listed Igbo as one of the languages that stood to go extinct unless concerted efforts are made to preserve it.

    Given these fears, the measures enunciated by Obiano especially the ones relating to the setting up of a radio station to broadcast only in Igbo language and the teaching of Igbo folklore in primary schools are right steps targeted at arresting the decline. There is no doubt Igbo language has been passing through serious challenges such that could lead to its abrupt death unless concerted and concrete action is taken to stem the decline.

    The UNESCO had identified a number of factors that could determine the vitality of a language which embodies the totality of a people’s culture, tradition and identity. Among the factors are intergenerational language transmission, absolute number of speakers, availability of materials for language education and literacy. The rest are government and institutional language attitudes and policies, community members’ attitudes to their language and the quantity of documentation available.

    Weighed along these vitality criteria, the intervention by Obiano represents positive action to address some of the factors that stand on the way to the survival of the Igbo language. The measures seek to change the negative attitude of the Igbo people to their language, avail them with materials for language education and literacy through the Igbo radio station. It is also targeted at changing community members’ attitudes such that will encourage them speak their language contrary to their current aversion to it.

    The governor seeks through the measures to reverse the dangerous trend whereby the Igbo people prefer to speak the English language to the detriment of their mother tongue. So Obiano is on the right path.

    But there are issues with his intention to reinvigorate the law to compel every resident in the state to speak Igbo language and wear Igbo attire on Wednesdays. Whereas it may not be out of order to compel employees of the state government to speak Igbo and wear Igbo attire every Wednesday, extending the same measures to every resident irrespective of their mother tongue will create serious problems of implementation.

    It is also bound to infringe on their personal rights. There will be crisis if every state toes the same line just to preserve their language. Before now, the same state government had passed a law on the same matter.

    Tagged “Igbo Language Usage Enforcement Law 2009”, it provided for the enforcement of the learning, teaching and speaking of Igbo language both at home and in the Diaspora and making the study of Igbo language one of the general studies courses in tertiary institutions in the state.

    If the 2009 law is given practical expression together with some of the new measures enunciated by Obiano, the state would have gone at lengths to redressing some of the factors at the root of the decline in the speaking, learning and teaching of the Igbo language. For, much of the problems we encounter in this direction relate to the attitudinal preference of owners of that language to what is foreign.

    This inclination is traceable to the cosmopolitan nature of the Igbo man who can be found in the remotest part of the world. For him to survive and do his business there, he quickly masters the language of his place of domicile. Such has been their experience with the English language bequeathed to us by our colonial masters. If this attitude could be tolerated outside Igbo land, the scandal of children in the remotest villages and urban centres in Igbo states shunning the speaking of the language cannot be pardoned. Parents and the schools are to be held liable for this mess.

    Besides the actions or inaction of the owners of the language that militate against its survival, there also exist external factors that work against the flourishing of the Igbo language. This has to do with the attitude of people of other ethnic groups. Following the events of the last civil war, some people for whatever reasons, have come to treat those identified with that language with some suspicion.

    That accounts for why even people from some Igbo speaking states who are by no means less Igbo than others are regularly seen denying their Igbo identity even when all their names are Igbo. Some have even gone to the extent of inventing English alternatives for their local names. That is what you find in the present Rivers State. That is why you find recent names like Godknows, Godspower etc. If you ask those who go by these names to give you their local alternatives, what you will get is Chukwuma, Ikechukwu etc. Yet, they claim they are not Igbo. And one is tempted to ask, what are they besides the names they, their fathers and grandfathers bear? What are they besides the language they speak, the local dialect notwithstanding?

    Even with this pervading situation, many are still of the view that Igbo language and culture are still very loud and need to be tailored down for its speakers to live harmoniously with their host communities. In an article published in this column at the heels of the last tension-soaked general elections titled “fleeing for their lives”, this writer had looked at the penchant for people to flee to their ancestral homes at the least perception of danger and what such portends for national integration and survival.

    A legal luminary, Adeniyi Akintola SAN had in reaction, proffered solutions to this tendency. For him, “when you assimilate and integrate into the local culture without looking back into your biological origin, you blend easily and become one of the locals. A Yoruba man living in Enugu who takes delight in celebrating the Oro festival is courting trouble. Ditto an Igbo resident who loves celebrating new yam or Ofala festival in Lagos has wittingly set himself apart as stranger for the day of trouble”.

    For him, the antidote is to assimilate with the locals. Eat their food, wear their clothes, imbibe their culture and possibly religion; assume the local names, shun tribal associations and affiliations of ancestral homes. It is difficult to fathom where these fit in within the campaign to save the Igbo language and culture. But they have been highlighted to expose other dimensions of the challenge confronting the survival of the Igbo language and culture.

    Be that as it may, the efforts to save Igbo language and culture must be sustained. The Igbo radio station coming at the heels of plans by the BBC Foreign Service to broadcast in Igbo is most welcome. The survival of the Igbo language and culture is in the hands of the governments and people of the area.

    Through the various sensitization programmes; the teaching and learning of the language in primary and secondary schools, the decline will definitely be arrested. Anambra State must be commended for taking the lead in the campaign to save Igbo language and culture.

  • Sumptuous culture at Igbo yam festival

    Sumptuous culture at Igbo yam festival

    Every year, the Nwachukwu Drive in Okota Isolo Local Council Development Area, witnesses cultural activities as the Igbo in Lagos gather to celebrate the new yam festival. This year, the ceremony held on Saturday at Lagos State Igbo Community Centre, Nwachukwu Drive, Okota Lagos.

    As early as 12  noon that day, guests had begun to throng the flamboyantly decorated and roomy Igbo centre.

    There were heavy drumming, singing, trumpeting and breath-taking dance steps by various cultural dancers who thrilled the guests who had seated before the arrival of important dignitaries invited for the occasion.

    It was all glamour and show of opulence, as an estimated crowd of 7,000 that included Ndigbo in Lagos, representative of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, representative of wife of Lagos State Governor, representatives of the Oba of Lagos, members of Lagos State House of Assembly, several traditional rulers, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts, captains of industry, transport associations, friends and well-wishers participated in the celebration of the pristine and long-standing cultural carnival for which the Igbo are known.

    The weather was clement as the sun shone brightly out of the azure sky. The spacious centre was largely suffused with beautifully coloured masquerades and traditional dancers who entertained the people. Gaily dressed Igbo women known for their panache and active social lifestyle were a marvel to behold. The men equally in their beautiful Isiagu attire swirled to the suiting rhythm of drums and other musical instruments in that somewhat balmy afternoon. It was a gathering of who is who in Igbo land and Lagos State.

    The fiesta was also a platform for the recognition of some Igbo who had distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour and others who are not indigenous to Igbo such as Governor Ambode and his wife Bolanle, who the Igbo Community in Lagos unanimously recognised as good father and mother of Ndigbo resident in Lagos and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly who was recognised as friend of Ndigbo in Lagos State, among others.

    In his speech, Eze Nwachukwu explained that Ndigbo in Lagos celebrate the new yam festival to enable those who could not travel to the East to participate in the fiesta at home, even as he added that the aim was to encourage the young ones to be abreast of some of the cultural heritages of the Igbo.

    He noted that yam is regarded as the king of crops in Igbo land and used to serve as status symbol for men who had attained success.

    He praised Ambode for the good works he is doing for the masses, even as he urged him to listen to the cries of Ndigbo for inclusion in governance. He pleaded with him to fix the road that transverse his palace, the Nwachukwu Drive

    “It is not only yam that is harvested; any profession one is in and is progressing, such a one is harvesting the blessings of God,” he said.

    In his message to the Igbo community, Governor Ambode praised Ndigbo for recognising culture as one of the factors that keep the society intact. He said any society without culture is dead.

    “I congratulate Ndigbo on the celebration of their new yam festival which is one of the most significant cultural events in Igbo land. The event provides the Igbo man the opportunity to thank God for bumper harvest in yam and other farm varieties. I also praise you for being peace-loving people,” he said.

    Represented by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Idimogu, Ambode said he was happy with the Igbo for being supportive in his administration’s strive to make life better for residents. He promised to build a pedestrian bridge at Ladipo to save lives of traders. He also promised that Nwachukwu Drive in Okota will be among the next 114 roads to be constructed.

    Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode who was represented by Chief (Mrs.) Roseline Idimogu congratulated Ndigbo on the celebration of this year’s yam festival.

    She said: “The new yam festival remains one of the most popular and best celebrated annual socio-cultural events of the Igbo. The festival is deeply rooted in Igbo tradition which has since metamorphosed into political, social and cultural festivals where issues concerning the well-being of the people are discussed. The event is a unifying factor for all Igbo in Lagos State.

    “I very much congratulate the Igbo Community in Lagos on the success of this year’s new yam festival.”

    The leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike urged Ndigbo to be peace-loving and to respect the laws of the host state.

    “I salute all Igbo in Lagos for being at peace with the host communities. With the current economic situation in Nigeria, Ndigbo must be conscious of developing their homeland. Time has gone when Ndigbo invest all they had outside Igbo land. If you build one house in Lagos, build two at home. Be law-abiding as nobody can seize your investment from you,” he said.

    He praised Governor Ambode for his people-oriented policies and programmes and his accommodating spirit for Ndigbo, adding that Ndigbo in Lagos are behind him. He pleaded with him to fix Nwachukwu Drive which is in bad shape.

    While praising the Igbo for the success of this year’s yam festival, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu who was represented by the Ojon of Lagos, High Chief Oloye Nurudeen Olobiyi Agoro and Chief Suene of Lagos said: “We know that the Igbo are decent and hardworking people. The people of Lagos State have mutual respect for each of them. Lagos is a peaceful place. We should also have mutual respect for the owners of the land. We love you and cannot do without one another. I assure you that before the end of next year, Nwachukwu Drive will be constructed.”

    In his remark, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos, Mr. Joe Igbokwe thanked Eze Nwachukwu for bringing Ndigbo in Lagos together every year to celebrate the new yam festival. He promised that by next edition of the festival, the road will be fixed.

  • Igbo group petitions Senate over ‘appointment imbalance’

    An arm of the Ohaneze Youth Vanguard, Ndigbo Bu-Otu Union (NBOU), has petitioned the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki over alleged exclusion of the Southeast in key national appointments.

    The group specifically noted that the non-appointment of a Deputy Comptroller General of Customs of Southeast extraction is a breach of the Federal Character Commission.

    It said that its checks revealed that the Southeast has many qualified Customs personnel that could be appointed into the position of DCC.

    The petition dated October 17, 2016 was signed by the Director-General and Secretary of the group, Igwekala Leo Ugomaduefule and Chief Samuel Eze.

    The petition read in part: “By the Customs Act, every geo-political zone of the country must have a one serving Deputy Comptroller General (DCC). Presently, the entire South East zone has no Assistant Comptroller General who is supposed to be elevated to the position of a Deputy Comptroller General when such a vacancy exists.

    “Reliable information at our disposal and our investigation reveal that the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) who is purporting to represent the South East zone is indeed from Delta State in the South- South geo- political zone.

    The only officer from the South -East with the rank of Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) Mr. Ukaigwe , has already proceeded on retirement leave.”

    The group said, it frown at a situation where other geo-political zones have two or three Assistant Comptroller Generals while the South East have none.

    “We advise the Customs authority to take note and ensure that only a Customs officer of South -East extraction should be appointed to replace DCC Ukaigwe after his retirement,” the group said.

    While urging authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service to immediately address the imbalance, the group asked the Federal government and its agencies to uphold the principle of Federal Character in its appointments as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “We reject a situation where appointments are one sided and biased. Appointments must be based on merit and Federal Character principles. The South East has qualified, suitable and intelligent personnel for any position and we wonder why the zone is sidelined.”

  • Igbo community backs Agunloye

    Igbo community backs Agunloye

    The Igbo community in Ondo State has expressed its support for the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr Olu Agunloye.

    They described the former Minister of Defence as a reliable politician who had occupied sensitive public offices in the past without any blemish.

    Speaking at the Igbo Community Hall, Gbogi-Akure, while welcoming a team of the Akoko Consultative Forum (ACF) led by Elder Festus Ayaki, who represented the Chairman of the Forum, Chief Festus Obaude, the Coordinator of Igbo group, Uzor Nweze said having Agunloye at the helm of affairs in the state would aid development.

    He noted that the former Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is a de-tribalised Nigerian who will not discriminate against Igbo or other tribes.

    According to Nweze, “the good virtues of ‘Omoluabi’ in the SDP flag bearer will ginger my people to vote massively for him to win the November 26 election.

    “We have no choice than to work for the success of the SDP and its candidate, because he has everything required to rule the state and bring rapid development to the citizenry.”

    It was gathered that the community had recorded radio jingles in Igbo to win more supporters for Agunloye.

    Ayaki appreciated the love shown to the SDP’s candidate.

    He urged all Igbo to rally round Agunloye in his aspiration, stressing that as a lover of all tribes,he would give special attention to all the tribes, particularly the Igbo, if elected.

  • Minister courts Igbo support for Buhari

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has urged the Igbo people resident in Abuja to continue to support the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Minister made the call when a delegation of the Igbo community resident in the Federal Capital Territory paid him a visit.

    Bello emphasised that the continued support from all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, political or religious inclinations is necessary to enable the President take Nigeria to greater heights.

    He also urged them to extend that same support to all his appointees in the Federal Capital Territory to enable them deliver quality services to the residents as encapsulated in the Change Agenda of the Federal Government.

    The Minister reiterated that his administration was working assiduously to make the Abuja light rail project operational by December 2017, adding that all the rail corridors would be developed to boost trade and commercial activities in the Territory.

    According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary,  Muhammad Sule, said that the history of Abuja cannot be complete without the mention of the contributions of the Igbo traders.

    He assured that his administration would continue to run an open door policy and all-inclusive government with all the strata of the society carried along to give every sector of the country a sense of belonging.

    The Minister called for peaceful co-existence amongst all ethnic groups resident in the Federal Capital Territory, stressing, “We should maintain the tempo of the peace we are enjoying in Abuja”.

    Bello used the occasion to admonish the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to always report any suspicious movement to the law enforcement agents, in order to nip in the bud any security breach.

    Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Eze Ndigbo of Abuja, Eze Ibe Nwosu promised to maintain high degree of peace wherever they found themselves in the Territory and would continue to contribute to the economic development of Abuja.

    Eze Nwosu asked the FCT Administration to carve out new layouts to develop new markets, in order to decongest the existing ones.

    Eze Ndigbo appealed to the Minister to include the Igbo people resident in Abuja in Board appointments and other political appointments to give them a sense of belonging.