Of Ethnicity and Origin!
Nubi Achebo
I have watched with amazement Alex Dan'Iyan's argument why he should be
regarded as a Bida man. This to me is quite new in determining origin - I
have no qualms with Alex even if he claims he from Aqua Ibom or Ogun state.
It's just the logic in trying to convince people that beats me. I find it
rather strange that in a single family ethnicity could be so varied - some
claiming Igara and other claiming Bida (Alex Dani'Iyan's line). I know
going by Iyi-Eweka's BINI nationalism thesis we should all look to BINI as
our ancestral home. I am trying to elevate this discussion to "what
determines ones origin and ethnicity?"
I would like to use my family or my entire village as an example. EBU is in
Abacha's newly created Oshimili North local government area of Delta State.
This village has 9 villages fashioned after Igala-mela and it is called
Ebu-mela. This is an IGALA speaking town that is surrounded by IBO speaking
neighbors. In spite of the odd, we survived political assimilation as an
enitity. It is not hard to see the influences of our neighbors in the
language and culture of the EBU people. The ancestors of of the town
migrated from Bida through the Niger river to the current settlement; so did
the ILLUSHI people who today are found among the Esan people. I am an IGALA
man and proud of it but I could never claim that I am from IDAH even though
my name, language and culture points to where I am from. I always regard
IDAH as the ancestral home of my ancestors and a place that I have great
admiration for. I am in touch with my IGALA brothers on the net and I
strive to know more of them.
If Alex or anyone in IGARRA has any affiliation to BIDA I think it might be
more appropriate to cliam they are NUPE rather than cliaming the town BIDA.
Having been removed generations from a place its really stretching it to
make such a claim. I ask: what is our ethnicity and origin knowing that our
ancestors migrated from one place or the other several decades ago? Should
the last place we remember be the anchor? Should we probe further and see
if we can determine our origin past where we know it to be today? Can the
descendants of ORANYAN claim Mecca (going by the myth) as home? I reproduce
below an ethnolgue of the IGALA and NUPE groups - you can identify my
village/language there under IGALA - EBU.
Nubi Achebo
===========
=============================================================================
ALTERNATE NAMES: Igala, Igara.
SIZE OF GROUP: 20,000.
LOCATION: Benue State, all of Ankpa and Idah divisions,
Dekina Division, districts of Dekina, Okuru
and Biraidu; Bendel State, Ishan Division
around Ilushi, Anoicha Division at Ebu,
Anambra State, Anambra Division.
DISTINCTIVES: nr.
SOCIAL CHANGE: nr.
LANGUAGES: Ibaji, a dialect of Igala.
=============================================================================
ALTERNATE NAMES: Nufawa, Nupeci, Nupenchi, Nupecidji, Nupencizi.
SIZE OF GROUP: 1,000,000.
LOCATION: Niger State, Bidda, Kontagora, and Minna
divisions; Kwara State, Lafia, Pategi,
Igbomena-Ekiti, Agaia-Lapai, Kogi and Dekina
divisions.
DISTINCTIVES: nr.
SOCIAL CHANGE: nr.
LANGUAGES: Nupe.
=============================================================================
Hakeem Johnson
Fellow netters:
Among other things, Nubi wrote:
" I am trying to elevate this discussion to "what determines ones origin and
ethnicity?"
I would like to use my family or my entire village as an example. EBU is in
Abacha's newly created Oshimili North local government area of Delta State.
This village has 9 villages fashioned after Igala-mela and it is called
Ebu-mela. This is an IGALA speaking town that is surrounded by IBO speaking
neighbors. In spite of the odd, we survived political assimilation as an
enitity. It is not hard to see the influences of our neighbors in the
language and culture of the EBU people. The ancestors of of the town
migrated from Bida through the Niger river to the current settlement; so did
the ILLUSHI people who today are found among the Esan people. I am an IGALA man
and proud of it but I could never claim that I am from IDAH even though my name,
language and culture points to where I am from. I always regard IDAH as the
ancestral home of my ancestors and a place that I have great admiration for. I
am in touch with my IGALA brothers on the net and I
strive to know more of them."
COMMENT:
Fellow netters, it would be very useful if we can support Nubi's suggestion
to elevate this discussion into what determines ones origin and ethnicity in
contemporary Nigeria.
There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the discussion will reveal the
linkages dating back several hundred years amongst the various peoples of
Nigeria. And it may eventually make it easy for us unite as one people.
Some of the linkages are sketched below.
The Nupes are linked to Yorubas (through Alafin Sango's mother; through the
Oshodis' in Lagos [Tsoede ? in Nupe]). For example, if the Oshodis' still kept
their links with their ancestral lands, is it not conceivable that one could be
a Lagosian and have brothers who are Nupes?
Old Oyo was said to be situated north of Ilorin, i.e. in the middlebelt area. Is
it not conceivable that there are people of Yoruba origins who are still living
in the middlebelt ? Madam Tinubu was Iyalode of Eko (Lagos) and Iyalode of
Abeokuta (later). Does that make her an Egba woman or a Lagosian ?
Kano was once part of the Bornu empire (the Bornu of the Mai's). Should a
Kanuri person whose family has lived in Kano for several generations continue to
point to Maiduguri as his hometown ?
Jaja of Opobo was an Igbo man. This did not stop the people from making him
(Jaja, a slave at the time) from being made a King after the passing of King
Pepple (?). Now where should his descendants claim as origin ? Igboland or
Opobo ?
Fellow netters, it is my view that these linkages should serve to unite us as a
group, rather than being used to divide us. Our inter-connections should serve
to reinforce a sort of fellow-feeling amongst us. And, if explored properly, it
may ease the way for us to implement a place-of-residence requirement as the
basis for our geographical classification, rather than the present
state-of-origin.
My understanding of the history of our peoples, is that a place-of-residence
requirement is also more in line with the traditions of our fore-fathers.
Peace to All,
Hakeem K. Johnson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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P.S:
Although I have read several books on our history, I am NOT a historian.
And I would really like to learn from all you experts out there.
Odum Sunny K
Achebo/Netters,
Compliments of the season!
I found the logic in your arguments on how the origin of one's
ethnicity ought to be taken very sound. It seems to me that
the common reason for the denial to acknowledge ones ethnic
origin is either ignorance or bias. The bias may be linked to
the insignificance of one's family liniage in the shaping of the
history of such clan or cultural area.
I think that the knowledge of one's history or origin is wealth
that can not be quantified. It adds to the values of one's
existence.
I have been very worried of the dying African oral tradition and
culture at the face of modren western materialism. My fear is
compounded when I realize that our history are being burried,
undocumented, daily. Our cultures are daily swept away and dis-
carded by the wayside. And I am afraid that at the end of the
day, after the material chase and madness, we like the chicken
shall return home to roost and would find out that we have no
concrete roots to identify with. I am optimistic that the day is
not very far away when the African shall be willing to pay any-
thing for knowledge of his/her culture that is quickly varnishing
out of sight undocumented.
May I inform you that Asaba has a varied cultural and ancestral
heritage. One is at Nteje, across the river Niger in the broad plains
of Anambra (Anambara), the core of the Igbo hinterland. The other is
far beyond the river Niger, and down across the river Benue into the
Ancestral Igala land. Here we share the 'Egwugwu' (ancestral spirit)
tradition and culture with the Igalas, the Olus, Ebu, Idah and the
indigenous Onitsha people of 'Ogbe Ikporo', and many other Igbo
culture in Anambara and beyond, even in many Yoruba ethnic groups.
It is not uncommon that the language of communication of the ancestral
spirit (Egwugwu) in Asaba is in its original dialect of Igala. The
commonest phrase with the 'Egwugwu' is: ata ji ba, ata lo wa, etc
(spelling may be wrong).
I look forward to a good logical documentation of our history that
stretches beyond language and boundry. Such cultural-history will go
a long way in bringing out the roots of the common ancestry of the
various people of Nigeria.
Mazi/Dianyi Odum.
On 27 Dec 96 at 9:41, Nubi Achebo wrote:
> I have watched with amazement Alex Dan'Iyan's argument why he should be
> regarded as a Bida man. This to me is quite new in determining origin - I
> have no qualms with Alex even if he claims he from Aqua Ibom or Ogun state.
> It's just the logic in trying to convince people that beats me. I find it
> rather strange that in a single family ethnicity could be so varied - some
> claiming Igara and other claiming Bida (Alex Dani'Iyan's line). I know
> going by Iyi-Eweka's BINI nationalism thesis we should all look to BINI as
> our ancestral home. I am trying to elevate this discussion to "what
> determines ones origin and ethnicity?"
>
> I would like to use my family or my entire village as an example. EBU is in
> Abacha's newly created Oshimili North local government area of Delta State.
> This village has 9 villages fashioned after Igala-mela and it is called
> Ebu-mela. This is an IGALA speaking town that is surrounded by IBO speaking
> neighbors. In spite of the odd, we survived political assimilation as an
> enitity. It is not hard to see the influences of our neighbors in the
> language and culture of the EBU people. The ancestors of of the town
> migrated from Bida through the Niger river to the current settlement; so did
> the ILLUSHI people who today are found among the Esan people. I am an IGALA
> man and proud of it but I could never claim that I am from IDAH even though
> my name, language and culture points to where I am from. I always regard
> IDAH as the ancestral home of my ancestors and a place that I have great
> admiration for. I am in touch with my IGALA brothers on the net and I
> strive to know more of them.
>
Momoh Yakubu
In message <1.5.4.32.1996122...@radiks.net> Nubi Achebo writes:
A point of correction, the statistics quoted below is wrong. The population of
the Igalas could not be just 20,000. By 1963 census the Igalas were about
1,500,000 that was those that agreed to be counted then (remember fear of
taxation). They Igalas constituted 54% of the then Kabba province and the
present Kogi State. So this figure is not correct. However, we have been
grossly under represented and estimated. Please ask the source of this
information to have it corrected.
Thanks and best wishes for the New Year.
Momoh Yakubu.