Onitsha, Igala and Benin: a reply to Yakubu Momoh.

[ebony...@my-dejanews.com]

With all due respect to you sir, you have written a load of nonesense! I still
cannot understand for the life of me why some little communities bordering on
Igboland persist in making all these fantastic claims. Perhaps, such claims
serve no purpose except to massage the egos of these self- proclaimed minority
neo-imperialists on our borders. Of course, there were intensive contacts
between the Igbo and these border communities before the creation of Nigeria
but it did't seem to have done them any good.

The real issues are:

1.When the Igbo nation came under collective genocidal threat from the rest of
Nigeria (1966-70), our estwhile brothers deserted us. The close cultural ties
between the Igbo and the Igala etc. notwithstanding, the latter donned the hat
of northerners and joined in the destruction of Igbo people and territory.
Indeed, the so-called revenge coup of July 29 1967 which not only destroyed
Igbo presence in the Nigerian army but also led to the calipatisation of
southern Nigeria was plotted and executed by these pseudo- northerners
including Joe Akhan, Yakubu Gowon etc. The few real northerners with them such
as Mohammed Shuwa showed more empathy to Igbo people than our next door
neighbours. With Murtala Mohammed, they assembled the greatest convoy of
military hardwhere ever seen in Africa with a view to destroying Onitsha and
wiping it from the face of the earth. They were determined to do so until they
were stopped at Abagana. When Murtala Mohammed could not access Igboland
through Onitsha, he went through Idah instead, destroying all Igbo towns and
villages along the way. So much for our Igala brothers.

2. On the Igbo/Benin axis, the claim of Benin origin provided no security
whatsover for Igbo people west of the Niger river when the chips were
down(1966- 70). The ethnic composition of Murtala Mohammeds's muderous second
division is well known. The ethnic identity of those who were with Murtala
Mohammed when he lined up and executed the entire Igbo male that could be
found in Asaba in 1967 is also well documented (cf Blood on the Niger by Emma
Okocha). Further, the ethnic composition of the division that massacred 300
members of the Christ Apolstolic Church in Onitsha and torched the Onitsha
market is also well known. One thing is clear: these people were not
Hausa-Fulani at all.

3. Onitsha today is the largest city east of the Niger river and it is growing
largely due to private initiative. The growth of Onitsha is due to the lesson
learned from the abandoned property saga and the determination of Ndiigbo not
to let it happen again. Onitsha has survived the wilful destruction and
prospered. And sugar! all gunmen from every corner of Nigeria (Bini, Idah,
Kaura Namoda, Bakassi etc.) are now laying claims to it. When will this
nonesense stop?

Where were these claimants of Onitsha when the city was unjustly deprived of
the Iron and Steel industry for which it was naturally endowed? If these
claimants of Onitsha are serious, can they now prevail on their kinsman Mr
Tayo Akpata of the PTF to stop delaying the already approved second bridge
across the river Niger at Onitsha and to expedite action on the completion of
the Onitsha Inland Port started since 1983. Will he now demonstrate the Bini
affinity for Onitsha by putting PTF money into the completion and
commissioning of Oba Airport where Fr. Tansi was beautified by the pope? Will
he step in and complete the Zik Masseloum with PTF money to improve the
tourist potential of Onitsha? So you see my friends, some people are bent on
scuttling projects that could transform the lives of ordinary people in
Onitsha while mouthing public rhetoric about the origins of Onitsha. Who is
fooling who?

It seems that these claims are linked to the success of Onitsha as a
commercial centre. Any Igbo area that achieves success is immediately
targeted by covetious historical revisionists. Yesterday it was Port
Harcourt, today it is Onitsha, tomorrow Nnnewi, Aba, Owerre, Enugu etc. My
piece of advice to those who covet Igbo cities is: go and build your own.
Igbo people taxed themselves mercilessly to build Owerre and its airport. We
are still struggling to install the necessary night navigational aids at the
airport. A friend of mine who toils day and night is one of the owners of the
structures you see in Onitsha. You can do the same in Idah, Ejure, Afuze,
Urhonigbe etc.

Finally the goal of altering the boundary of Igboland is an elusive one. It
had eluded our neighbours in their age of imperial ascendency. It won't happen
now just on the basis of mere cyber rhetoric.

Okwu agwu! Ani.

Message: 1 of 2
From: Momoh Yakubu <mya...@physio1.utmem.edu>
Topic: Onitsha, Igala, and Benin
Sent: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 17:03:57 +0200

A good number of Igbos especially those from around Nsukka and long the Niger
river, even some within the interior can trace their origins to some parts of
Igalaland. My clan (the Apkidi Iyama descendants of Ejule) have very strong
tie with a good number of Igbo communities. I am talking of a relationship
that we can not avoid going to bury their deads and they do the same for us
too. Remember, in our tradition, only relations bury one another. Also, our
people then were in the habit of paying long visits to one another (stay for
months). In those days, when traders (they are not just your ordinary
traders, they come to pay homage, visiting, and to attend to other clan
matters) from Igboland come to attend the Ejule market which normal span
almost 3-4 days. Sometimes, they stay around, attend other markets until the
next 9 day market comes. This is to show the relationship and kinship that
exists between our peoples.

As Sule has said, the Igala kingdom stretched down to Onitsha in those days.
As such, Igala influence, and migration of people from Idah or any other
parts of Igala (as Attah's representative, traders etc) can not be ruled out.
Another indication is that the origin of most of the masqurades in Igboland
are traced to Igala. One of the special features of most of these masqurades
(the important ones) is that on special occassions they use Igala language.

It is also not out of place for the claim that some of the people inhabiting
Ontisha today can claim to originate from Benin. As the geography of the place
depicts, the people of Benin are seperated from Onitsha by the river. The only
obstacle is to cross it. This claim is legitimate too. Moreover, the Igala
kingdom and the Benin kingdom have had very strong ties and used to help in
their various wars against invaders. Therefore, migration of subjects of both
kingdoms to a particular place, especiallyto a place like Ontisha was a common
occurence.

Nigerian histroy before the Europeans came is very interesting..

Regards, Momoh Yakubu.

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