Onye Igbo ka Nbu
Chukwurah
Filip Emeagwali
Ichoputaghari Ihe Banyere Umu Igbo Furu Efu
Ozi Nkwado Ndi Igbo nke Ma'zi Chukwurah Filip Emeagwali
degara Igbo Cultural Association of Calgary,
Ndi b'anyi ndeewo nu O!
Obi bu m so an~uli oge Ma'zi Kene Ufondu kpokurum ka m bia
buru onye obia puru iche na emume ncheta Ndi Igbo 2003 na
Iji kwado emume unu, ana m akpoku nwa Igbo obula ka ochee
echichi ma lotakwa ihe iriba ama puru iche Umu Igbo gara mba imilikiti afo gara
aga megasiri ikwado oganiru madu.
Ewerem ubochi Icheta Igbo were lota Ma'zi Jubo Jubogha nke
ana etu "Ja Ja," onye nke atoro na oru nafo iri na abua ma gbagide
mbo we buru Eze Igbo n'Opobo. Ndi ulo ikpe
Iji kwanyere ya ugwu ruru ya, ndi mba
Ozo, ewerem ubochi Icheta Igbo were kene Ma'zi Olaudah Equiano,
nwata ozo dikwa afo iri na abua erepulu n'oru onye nke jiri aka ya dere si:
"Abu m Igbo". Ewerem ukpa ekene bunye Ma'zi Equiano onye nke mere ka
anyi nwee akuko edere
Abu na esota bu abu nke ejiri were kwaa obere nwa anyi
Olaudah furu efu:
"Obu Onye ka anyi na acho? Obu
Onye ka anyi na acho?
Ikwuano ka anyi na acho.
Obu iyi ka ochulu? Biko nya nata.
Obu ugbo ka ojelu? Biko nya nata.
Ikwuano ka anyi na acho."
Ma'zi Ikwuano bu ichie, burukwa
nna-mmuo. Ndi ogu akwukwo dum, iji bobe ya ndu anwu anwu, nyere ya aha otutu:
"Nna akuko banyere ndi ojii."
Ewerem ubochi Ncheta Igbo were kponite mmuo Umu Igbo
nwoke, nwanyi na umuaka ndi Georgia's Sea Islands ndi nke miri rigbadoo oge ha
siri na ugbo oru manye na miri iji gbanari agbam oru. Akuko ndi anakpo n'oyibo
ndi
"Oshimiri butel'anyi, Oshimiri g'ebu anyi laa"
Omume dike nke Umu Igbo, makwa inupu isi ha nupuru banyere
agbam oru madu ewerela onodu anwu-anwu na akuko makwa abu ndi bi na ikpere miri
Ka mmuo Umu Igbo furu Efu soro unu n'akuku n'ije unu,
gbanyere unu izu okwu, makwa dube unu na ochucho amam ihe na ako n'uche unu.
Ma'zi Ikwuano kowara onwe ya sin a ya bu "obia na
obodo oghotaghi" Dika ndi obia na obodo
Ndi ba anyi si na njiko ka, mmadu ka e ji aba.
Igbo Kwenu!
[Chukwurah nwa Emeagwali bu onye
onicha. Ma'zi Emmanuel Chinyeaka Okoli de re nka na asusu
Igbo. Udo di ri gi, nwannem.]
AZIZA
GBASARA IHE IDERENA INTANET ...
Anwum
nwa igbo. Ama ighm ma ibu kwa onye igbo ? Na egbu yioge achor m ka m ken gi
maka ihe buru ibu i mere na ala
Onwere na ata ihe unu ga ekwu ka ata ka nkwere na otu ndi oca si eme ka otu ndi
igbo si eme ihe nma.
Ebi gom na obodo oybo aro ise kita.
Nsogbu anyi no nime ya tata ma obu na
O kwa anyi ka odiri ime ka otu ihe di gbanwe. O wu ihe siri ike. Mana nkuzi ri
ndi mmadu ya na iji
Ekele m gi nke ukwuu.
Emeka
Nwagbo
Czech Republic, nnaemeka@terminal.cz
------------------------------
nwanne
mmadu ejim ezigbo oge were na asigi ma jisie ike na olugi nke ukwuu imego ka
mba
----------------------------
Daniel
Ochonma
d.ochonma@web.de
Location:
3.
October 2003
Dike
eji aga mba k'ibu, obu ihe oma, burukwa ihe anuri na ibu nwafo Igbo.
Asim
oseburuwa gozie ma nyekwa gi n'ezinulogi ogologo ndu,amamihe n'ahu isike.
Cheta
na ndigbo si gidigidi bu ugwu eze.
Daniel
Ochonma
P.R.O,
Igbo Contact Forum
ndewo
okachamara filip nwa emegwali! aguo lam nno ihe gbasara gi nke ukwu. amagi ama
n'uwa ninie. aha gi n'eje n'abata abata. iwu okacha mara n'computa. ele nu otu
aga eji amamihe gia nyere alaigbo aka taa. onodu ebe ahu di njo ugbua. ugwu
onye igbo ara aja. ihe anyi choro wu ekwueme. owuru kwanu ma ighola onye ocha
hmm ekele dikwara chukwu. ya gazie ra gila ezinulogi.
owum
onyewuchi nwa obirieze nwafo igbo
Mazi
Emeagwali,
dike ka i bu. Great hardwork,
dedication along with a high degree of thinking have been yielding wonderfully in
Igboland. This is despite the fact that 'ndi-iro
gbara anyi gburu-gburu.'
Mazi
Emeagwali,
your
name and wonderful performance continue to pierce spaces in Igboland, in
Obum
Ekeanyanwu,
biafraland.com,
I
read a lot about you in
Andy Ajukwu
aajukwu@primanet.com
[MSOffice8]
Emmanuel
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh
ogbunwezeh@yahoo.com
frankfurt
17.
November 2003
Dear
Dr.Emeagwali,
You
are the tallest African in the Pantheons of science. Your roots and ancestry is
an august one and I am proud to come from the same roots as you. I bu onye Igbo
and I am glad that the world can at least hold its collective breath whenever
you yawn, because you command a name which rings a bell in all circles. Those
who think that nothing good can come out of our Biafran 'Nazareth' can now bury
their thoughts in shame, for a star that is as constant as that that rises from
the East has arrived to illumine the world of science. The roll of the creators
of worlds would read names like that of
Ride
on Brother
I
am a Nigerian of igbo extraction presently working on my Ph.d in Social Ethics
at the Wolfgang Goethe Universitat,
I
am proud of trailblazers like you, who saw the world a palace of bricks and
left it an empire of marble.
Ethelbert
Akwuruaha
noblebrite@yahoo.com
20.
November 2003
Dear
Emeagwali,
You
are a role model to us Igbos, Nigerians, Africans, and the Black in Diaspora.
As Chinua Achebe would say: You have washed your hands, thus you can now dine
with the great minds and celebrities of our time.
If
Albert Einsten and Isaac Newton were alive today, they would have come to
"worship" at your scientific alter for more light and inspiration.
I
prophesy that one day - very soon, you will be honoured with the Nobel Prize
for Physics and for service to humanity.
Ride
on brother.
You
make Nigerians proud & more importantly all marginalised people around the
world. A Nobel Prize is simply not enough ... Do consider coming back to Africa
more often...imagine how many Emeagwalis can be inspired with just your
physical presence. You are truly, sincerely, & beautifully GREAT!!!
mathethe
sehume,
MAZI
ACHOLONU CHUKWUEMEKA
emekaacholonu@yahoo.com
11.
October 2003
Dear
Dr. Philip,
I
am very much in awe of your great inventions. I am very proud to be an Igbo man
I have this dream that one day I shall be free. Not only me but all the Ibos. I
hope you will contribute to getting us freed. The price we have been paying so
far is enormous. The burden is becoming unbearable. But as the Igbo adage says,
"the darkest part of the night is that closest to day break. Do not forget
how Albert Einstein used his talent to secure the Jews a state and a place in
both the geography and map of the world. You the Albert Einstein of the Jews
called "Ndi Igbo" in
I
also do hope that you have a plan to help the deprived Igbo children to grow
technology wise. I hope you have a plan to assist the down-trodden Igbo man
rediscover his destiny. Ihope you have plan to prevent future Igbo generation
from suffering and passin through the same hardship that you passed through in
life. You can help us, brother. You have beaten many odds. You can also beat
this. Please, do something to help.
I
will write you again before long.
Extend
my deepest homely greetings to your beloved family, especially your wife who
has stood by you all these years.
Thank
you, sir.
Your
in Igbo Spirit,
Emeka.
I
wish the media would let us know more about you, because you are on a higher level
compared to the likes of Bill Gates.
NNA,
IMELA, more grease to your elbow, between you and your wife, quite
impressive!!!! I wish God will give us youths the will power to achieve success
like you have.
You
are not even finished yet, you're still on your mission of conquering the odds.
I'll have to tell my father to check out your internet, because he can relate
to you, having accomplished so much at such a young age. I know we'll be
hearing more about you in the years to come.
NNA,
I BU NNO ONYE IGBO.
"nick k. ezewuru" <nezewuru@yahoo.com>
congratulation
my big brother
dear
phillip
i,m
very happy for your effort, and what you have
achieved
in computer, i read interview granted to you and in your interview you did not
forget igboland. you still show that you’re an igbo man. i,m happy because of
you. you have shown the world that igbo man can develop something. I,m not
educated. I,m a 30-year-old business man in
Please
may I ask you: are you from what town because t.but in all i will like you to
be
my
pal. I admire you because you have made me to be proud of what Igboman can achieve.
I pray that God will grant you more wisdom to achieve more things. Thanks and remain
blessed.
From
your Igbo brother and fan.
Regards
Kaycee.
Rediscovering
Our
Lost Igbo Brethren
by Chukwurah
Emeagwali
at Igbo Cultural Day
celebration
at Calgary , Canada August 23, 2003 .
Ozi nkwado
Ndi Igbo nke Ma'zi Chukwurah Emeagwali
degara Ndi Igbo bi na obodo Calgary,
Emeagwali
|
Ndi b'anyi
ndeewo nu O!
I felt honored
when Ma'zi Kene Ufondu invited me to say a few words to you. As part of your
celebration, I urge you to reflect and remember the contributions of tens of
millions of Diasporan Igbos (ndi bi n'Igbo Uzo, nwanne di na mba) that
left Ala Igbo a few centuries ago. On Igbo Day, I
remember Ma'zi Jubo Jubogha alias "Ja Ja," the 12-year-old
slave-boy that became King of Opobo (Eze n'Opobu Igbo). Ma'zi Jubogha
was summarily tried in a British court and found guilty of "treaty
breaking." For "blocking the highways of trade," Ma'zi Jubogha
was permanently exiled to On Igbo Day, I
salute Ma'zi Olaudah Equiano, another 12-year-old slave-boy, for proudly
writing: "I am Eboe" (Abu m Igbo). I thank Ma'zi Equiano for
providing us the earliest written account of the culture and customs of Ndi
Igbo. I thank Ma'zi Equiano for chronicling the horrific injustices of
slavery. The following
chant mourned the loss of young Olaudah: Who
are we looking for, who are we looking for? Ma'zi
Equiano is an ichie, nna-mmuo (revered ancestor, great spirit).
Scholars immortalized this nwa'afo Igbo (true son of the soil) with
the title: "father of black literature." On Igbo Day, I
invoke the spirits of the ten heroic "Eboe" men, women, and
children of "The
water brought us; the water will take us away." The act of
courage and fierce resistance of the "Eboes" to the condition of
bondage is immortalized in the folklore and song of the Gullah people of
coastal May the spirits
of those "Lost Igbos" walk beside you, whisper to you, and guide
you in your quest for knowledge and wisdom. Ma'zi Equiano
described himself as a "stranger in a strange land." As strangers
in Igbo Kwenu!
Chukwurah
Emeagwali dropped out of school at the age of 12, served in the Biafran army
at the age of 14 and came to the
Ja Ja of
Opobo
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
JaJa of Opobo (ca. 1820-1891) was a
political and military strategist, brought to the The story of Ja Ja recounts a man of
servile status hurdling intimidating odds to attain wealth and power, and
founding in the latter half of the 19th century the most prosperous
city-state in the Delta area of To follow the Ja Ja story or, indeed, revolution, an
explanatory note is necessary. Until the end of the 19th century, the Delta
communities played a crucial role in European and American trade with The Delta society was organized in
Canoe Houses. A Canoe House was the pivot of social organization and also,
notes K.O. Dike, "a cooperative trading unit and a local government
institution." It was usually composed of a wealthy merchant (its
founder), his family, and numerous slaves owned by him. A prosperous house
could comprise several thousand members, both free and bonded, owning
hundreds of trade canoes. In this inte nsely competitive society, leadership
by merit--not by birth or ascriptions--was necessary if a house was to make
headway in the turbulent, cut-throat competition that existed between houses.
Any person with the charisma and proven ability, even if of servile birth,
could rise to the leadership of a house, but could never become king. Ja Ja
would achieve this, and much more. Finding young Ja Ja too headstrong
for his liking, Chief Allison made a gift of him to his friend, Madu, a chief
of the Anna Pepple House, one of the two houses of the royal family (the
other being the Manilla Pepple House). Ja Ja was slotted into the lowest rung
of the Bonny slave society ladder, that of an imported slave, distinct from
that of someone who was of slave parentage but born in the Delta. As a youth, he worked as a paddler on
his owner's great trade canoes, traveling to and from the inland markets.
Quite early, he demonstrated exceptional abilities and business acumen,
quickly identified with the Ijo custom of the Delta, and won the hearts of
the local people as well as those of the European supercargoes. It was unusual
for a slave of his status to make the transition from canoe paddling to
trading, but Ja Ja--through his honesty, business sense, and amiability--soon
became prosperous. For a long while, Ja Ja turned his
back on Bonny politics, concentrating his immense energies on accumulating
wealth through trade, the single most important criterion to power in the
Delta. At the time, Bonny politics were volatile as a result of the
irreconcilable and acrimonious contest for supremacy between the Manilla
Pepple House and the Anna Pepple House to which Ja Ja belonged.
Coincidentally, both houses were led by remarkable characters of Igbo slave
origins--Oko Jumbo of the Manilla House and Madu (after him Alali his son) of
the Anna House. Ja Ja Rescues Debt-Ridden House
In 1863, Alali died, bequeathing to
his house a frightening debt of between Ł10,000 and Ł15,000 owed to European
supercargoes. Fearing bankruptcy, all of the eligible chiefs of the house
declined nomination to head it. It was therefore a great relief when Ja Ja
accepted to fill the void. With characteristic energy, he proceeded to put
his house in order by reorganizing its finances. Conscious that the palm-oil
markets in the hinterland and the wealth of the European trading community on
the coast constituted the pivot of the Delta economy, he ingratiated himself
with both sides. In a matter of two years, he had liquidated the debt left
behind by his predecessor and launched his house on the path of prosperity.
When less prosperous and insolvent houses sought incorporation into the Anna
House, Ja Ja gradually absorbed one house after another. By 1867, his remarkable success had
become common knowledge throughout Bonny. The British consul to the area, Sir
Richard Burton, had cause to remark that although Ja Ja was the "son of
an unknown bush man," he had become "the most influential man and
greatest trader in the [Imo] River." Predicted Meanwhile, two developments occurred
in Bonny, serving to harden existing jealousies. First, in 1864, Christianity
was introduced into the city-state, further polarizing the society. While the
Manilla House welcomed the Christians with a warm embrace, the Anna House was
opposed to the exotic religion. Not surprisingly, the missionaries sided with
the Manilla House against the Anna House. Second, in 1865, King William
Pepple died and, with this, the contest for the throne between the two royal
houses took on a monstrous posture. Three years later, in 1868, Bonny was
ravaged by fire, and the Anna House was the worst hit. In the discomfiture of
his opponent, Oko Jumbo saw his opportunity. Knowing that the fire had all
but critically crippled Ja Ja's house, he sought every means to provoke an
open conflict. On the other side, Ja Ja did everything to avoid such a
conflict, but, as Dike states, "Oko Jumbo's eagerness to catch his
powerful enemy unprepared prevailed." On Ja Ja had sued for peace in order to gain time to retreat
from Bonny with his supporters with little or no loss in men and armament. A
master strategist, he relocated in the Andoni country away from the seaboard
at a strategic point at the mouth of the Imo river, the highway of trade
between the coastal communities and the palm-oil rich Kwa Iboe and Igbo
country. There, he survived the initial problems of a virgin settlement as
well as incessant attacks of his Bonny enemies. He Proclaims Independent Settlement Of Opobo
In 1870, feeling reasonably secure, Ja Ja proclaimed the
independence of his settlement which he named Opobo, after Opubu the Great,
the illustrious king of Bonny and founder of Anna House who had died in 1830.
As Dike writes: [I]t is characteristic of the man
that he had not only a sense of the occasion but of history. . . . Kingship
was impossible of attainment for anyone of slave origins in Bonny. Instead he
sought another land where he could give full scope to his boundless energies. Long before the war of 1869, Ja Ja had been carefully
planning to found his own state. The war merely provided him with the
occasion to implement his design. In naming his new territory Opobo, Ja Ja was appealing to
the nostalgia and historical consciousness of his followers while giving them
the impression that he was truly the heir of the celebrated king. That this
impression was widespread and accepted by most Bonny citizens may be judged
from the fact that of the 18 houses in Bonny, 14 followed Ja Ja to Opobo. To no avail, the British consul tried to coerce Ja Ja to
come back to Bonny. Against the admonition of the consul, and in the face of
Bonny's displeasure, many British firms began to trade openly with Opobo
while others transferred their depots there. By May of 1870, the Ja Ja
revolution had driven the death-knell on Bonny's economy. British firms
anchoring there are said to have lost an estimated Ł100,000 of trade by
mid-1870. The city-state fell from grace to grass as Opobo, flourishing on
its ashes, became in Ofonagoro's words, "the most important trade center
in the For 18 years, Ja Ja ruled his kingdom with firmness and
remarkable sagacity. He strengthened his relations with the hinterland
palm-oil producers through judicious marriages and blood covenants which
bound the parties into ritual kingship. He armed his traders with modern
weapons for their own defense and that of the state. He thus monopolized
trade with the palm-oil producers and punished severely any community that
tried to trade directly with the European supercargoes. Queen Victoria Awards Ja Ja Sword Of Honor
In 1873, the British recognized him as king of independent
Opobo, and Ja Ja reciprocated by sending a contingent of his soldiers to help
the British in their war against the Ja Ja's reign has been described as a striking instance of
selective modernization. He retained most of the sociopolitical and cultural
institutions of Bonny, such as the house system, and stuck steadfastly to the
religion of his fathers, arguing that Christianity was a serious ferment of
societal destabilization. While recognizing the value of Western education
and literacy, he objected to its religious component. Thus, he sent his two
sons to school in The honeymoon between Ja Ja and the
British turned out to be meteoric: the ultimate ambitions of the two ran at
cross-purposes. Ja Ja guarded his independence jealously, had a tight grip on
the interior markets and confined British traders to Opobo, away from these
markets. He made sure that the traders paid their comeys (customs and
trade duties) as and when due. But in the 1880s, the clouds of
British imperialism were closing in menacingly on Opobo, the overthrow of
indigenous sovereignties having been initiated by John Beecroft, the first
British consul to In July 1884, fearing German intrusion in the Delta, the
British consul, Edward Hewett, rushed to the area, foisting treaties of
protection on the indigenous sovereignties. With a veiled threat from a
man-of-war, Ja Ja too was stampeded into placing his kingdom under British
protection. But unlike the other African monarchs, this was not before he had
sought explanation for the word "protectorate," and had been
assured by the consul that his independence would not be compromised. Hewett
wrote to Ja Ja informing him, inter alia (among other things), that: the queen does not want to take your
country or your markets, but at the same time she is anxious that no other
nation should take them. She undertakes . . . [to] leave your country still
under your government; she has no wish to disturb your rule. At Ja Ja's insistence, a clause providing for free trade
in his kingdom was struck off before he agreed to sign the treaty. European Powers Sign Treaty Of
The following year, European powers
entered into the Treaty of Berlin which set the stage for the scramble and
partition of Worse times were yet to come as
political problems were compounded by economic dispute. The 1880s witnessed a
severe trade depression that ruined some of the European firms trading in the
Delta and threatened the survival of others. The surviving firms responded to
the situation in two ways. First, they reached an agreement among themselves,
though not with complete unanimity, to offer low prices for produce. Second,
they claimed the right to go directly to the interior markets in order to
sidestep the coastal middlemen and reduce the handling cost of produce. As would be expected, Ja Ja objected
to these maneuvers and proceeded to ship his own produce directly to Under a threat of naval bombardment, Ja Ja signed an
agreement with the British consul in July 1887 to allow free trade in his
territory. By now, he knew that British Official Reneges On Promises
Harry Johnston, acting vice-consul, a
young hothead anxious to advance his colonial career, imagined that Ja Ja
would be a perfect stepping-stone to attain his ambition. Arriving at Opobo
on a man-of-war, I hereby assure you that whether you
accept or reject my proposals tomorrow, no restrictions will be put on
you--you will be free to go as soon as you have heard my message. But again the British reneged on their pledge: Ja Ja would
not return to his kingdom alive. Once on board the warship Goshawk, With the exit of Ja Ja, the most formidable obstacle to In exile, Ja Ja is said to have borne himself with kingly
dignity. He made repeated appeals to Today, an imposing statue of Ja Ja
stands in the center of Opobo with the inscription: A king in title and in deed. Always
just and generous. FURTHER
Ja Ja of Opobo
"Several of the
Igbos who were brought to the [ Political
and military strategist, brought to the BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
The story of Ja Ja
recounts a man of servile status hurdling intimidating odds to attain wealth
and power, and founding in the latter half of the 19th century the most
prosperous city-state in the Delta area of To follow the Ja Ja story or, indeed, revolution, an
explanatory note is necessary. Until the end of the 19th century, the Delta
communities played a crucial role in European and American trade with The Delta society was
organized in Canoe Houses. A Canoe House was the pivot of social organization
and also, notes K.O. Dike, "a cooperative trading unit and a local
government institution." It was usually composed of a wealthy merchant
(its founder), his family, and numerous slaves owned by him. A prosperous
house could comprise several thousand members, both free and bonded, owning
hundreds of trade canoes. In this intensely competitive society, leadership
by merit--not by birth or ascriptions--was necessary if a house was to make
headway in the turbulent, cut-throat competition that existed between houses.
Any person with the charisma and proven ability, even if of servile birth,
could rise to the leadership of a house, but could never become king. Ja Ja
would achieve this, and much more. Finding young Ja Ja
too headstrong for his liking, Chief Allison made a gift of him to his
friend, Madu, a chief of the Anna Pepple House, one of the two houses of the
royal family (the other being the Manilla Pepple House). Ja Ja was slotted
into the lowest rung of the Bonny slave society ladder, that of an imported slave,
distinct from that of someone who was of slave parentage but born in the
Delta. As a youth, he worked
as a paddler on his owner's great trade canoes, traveling to and from the
inland markets. Quite early, he demonstrated exceptional abilities and business
acumen, quickly identified with the Ijo custom of the Delta, and won the
hearts of the local people as well as those of the European supercargoes. It
was unusual for a slave of his status to make the transition from canoe
paddling to trading, but Ja Ja--through his honesty, business sense, and
amiability--soon became prosperous. For a long while, Ja
Ja turned his back on Bonny politics, concentrating his immense energies on
accumulating wealth through trade, the single most important criterion to power
in the Delta. At the time, Bonny politics were volatile as a result of the
irreconcilable and acrimonious contest for supremacy between the Manilla
Pepple House and the Anna Pepple House to which Ja Ja belonged.
Coincidentally, both houses were led by remarkable characters of Igbo slave
origins--Oko Jumbo of the Manilla House and Madu (after him Alali his son) of
the Anna House. Ja Ja Rescues
Debt-Ridden House
In 1863, Alali died,
bequeathing to his house a frightening debt of between Ł10,000 and Ł15,000
owed to European supercargoes. Fearing bankruptcy, all of the eligible chiefs
of the house declined nomination to head it. It was therefore a great relief
when Ja Ja accepted to fill the void. With characteristic energy, he
proceeded to put his house in order by reorganizing its finances. Conscious
that the palm-oil markets in the hinterland and the wealth of the European
trading community on the coast constituted the pivot of the Delta economy, he
ingratiated himself with both sides. In a matter of two years, he had
liquidated the debt left behind by his predecessor and launched his house on
the path of prosperity. When less prosperous and insolvent houses sought
incorporation into the Anna House, Ja Ja gradually absorbed one house after
another. By 1867, his
remarkable success had become common knowledge throughout Bonny. The British
consul to the area, Sir Richard Burton, had cause to remark that although Ja
Ja was the "son of an unknown bush man," he had become "the
most influential man and greatest trader in the [Imo] River." Predicted Meanwhile, two
developments occurred in Bonny, serving to harden existing jealousies. First,
in 1864, Christianity was introduced into the city-state, further polarizing
the society. While the Manilla House welcomed the Christians with a warm
embrace, the Anna House was opposed to the exotic religion. Not surprisingly,
the missionaries sided with the Manilla House against the Anna House. Second,
in 1865, King William Pepple died and, with this, the contest for the throne
between the two royal houses took on a monstrous posture. Three years later, in
1868, Bonny was ravaged by fire, and the Anna House was the worst hit. In the
discomfiture of his opponent, Oko Jumbo saw his opportunity. Knowing that the
fire had all but critically crippled Ja Ja's house, he sought every means to
provoke an open conflict. On the other side, Ja Ja did everything to avoid
such a conflict, but, as Dike states, "Oko Jumbo's eagerness to catch
his powerful enemy unprepared prevailed." On Ja Ja had sued for peace in order to gain time to retreat
from Bonny with his supporters with little or no loss in men and armament. A
master strategist, he relocated in the Andoni country away from the seaboard
at a strategic point at the mouth of the Imo river, the highway of trade
between the coastal communities and the palm-oil rich Kwa Iboe and Igbo
country. There, he survived the initial problems of a virgin settlement as
well as incessant attacks of his Bonny enemies. He Proclaims Independent Settlement Of Opobo
In 1870, feeling reasonably secure, Ja Ja proclaimed the
independence of his settlement which he named Opobo, after Opubu the Great,
the illustrious king of Bonny and founder of Anna House who had died in 1830.
As Dike writes: [I]t is
characteristic of the man that he had not only a sense of the occasion but of
history. . . . Kingship was impossible of attainment for anyone of slave
origins in Bonny. Instead he sought another land where he could give full
scope to his boundless energies. Long before the war of 1869, Ja Ja had been carefully
planning to found his own state. The war merely provided him with the
occasion to implement his design. In naming his new territory Opobo, Ja Ja was appealing to
the nostalgia and historical consciousness of his followers while giving them
the impression that he was truly the heir of the celebrated king. That this
impression was widespread and accepted by most Bonny citizens may be judged
from the fact that of the 18 houses in Bonny, 14 followed Ja Ja to Opobo. To no avail, the British consul tried to coerce Ja Ja to
come back to Bonny. Against the admonition of the consul, and in the face of
Bonny's displeasure, many British firms began to trade openly with Opobo
while others transferred their depots there. By May of 1870, the Ja Ja
revolution had driven the death-knell on Bonny's economy. British firms
anchoring there are said to have lost an estimated Ł100,000 of trade by
mid-1870. The city-state fell from grace to grass as Opobo, flourishing on
its ashes, became in Ofonagoro's words, "the most important trade center
in the For 18 years, Ja Ja ruled his kingdom with firmness and
remarkable sagacity. He strengthened his relations with the hinterland
palm-oil producers through judicious marriages and blood covenants which
bound the parties into ritual kingship. He armed his traders with modern
weapons for their own defense and that of the state. He thus monopolized
trade with the palm-oil producers and punished severely any community that
tried to trade directly with the European supercargoes. Queen Victoria Awards Ja Ja Sword Of Honor
In 1873, the British recognized him as king of independent
Opobo, and Ja Ja reciprocated by sending a contingent of his soldiers to help
the British in their war against the Ja Ja's reign has been described as a striking instance of
selective modernization. He retained most of the sociopolitical and cultural
institutions of Bonny, such as the house system, and stuck steadfastly to the
religion of his fathers, arguing that Christianity was a serious ferment of
societal destabilization. While recognizing the value of Western education
and literacy, he objected to its religious component. Thus, he sent his two
sons to school in The honeymoon between
Ja Ja and the British turned out to be meteoric: the ultimate ambitions of
the two ran at cross-purposes. Ja Ja guarded his independence jealously, had
a tight grip on the interior markets and confined British traders to Opobo,
away from these markets. He made sure that the traders paid their comeys
(customs and trade duties) as and when due. But in the 1880s, the
clouds of British imperialism were closing in menacingly on Opobo, the
overthrow of indigenous sovereignties having been initiated by John Beecroft,
the first British consul to In July 1884, fearing German intrusion in the Delta, the
British consul, Edward Hewett, rushed to the area, foisting treaties of
protection on the indigenous sovereignties. With a veiled threat from a
man-of-war, Ja Ja too was stampeded into placing his kingdom under British
protection. But unlike the other African monarchs, this was not before he had
sought explanation for the word "protectorate," and had been
assured by the consul that his independence would not be compromised. Hewett
wrote to Ja Ja informing him, inter alia (among other things), that: the queen
does not want to take your country or your markets, but at the same time she
is anxious that no other nation should take them. She undertakes . . . [to]
leave your country still under your government; she has no wish to disturb
your rule. At Ja Ja's insistence, a clause providing for free trade
in his kingdom was struck off before he agreed to sign the treaty. European Powers Sign Treaty Of
The following year,
European powers entered into the Treaty of Berlin which set the stage for the
scramble and partition of Worse times were yet
to come as political problems were compounded by economic dispute. The 1880s
witnessed a severe trade depression that ruined some of the European firms
trading in the Delta and threatened the survival of others. The surviving
firms responded to the situation in two ways. First, they reached an
agreement among themselves, though not with complete unanimity, to offer low
prices for produce. Second, they claimed the right to go directly to the
interior markets in order to sidestep the coastal middlemen and reduce the
handling cost of produce. As would be expected,
Ja Ja objected to these maneuvers and proceeded to ship his own produce
directly to Under a threat of naval bombardment, Ja Ja signed an
agreement with the British consul in July 1887 to allow free trade in his
territory. By now, he knew that British Official
Reneges On Promises
Harry Johnston,
acting vice-consul, a young hothead anxious to advance his colonial career, imagined
that Ja Ja would be a perfect stepping-stone to attain his ambition. Arriving
at Opobo on a man-of-war, I hereby
assure you that whether you accept or reject my proposals tomorrow, no
restrictions will be put on you--you will be free to go as soon as you have
heard my message. But again the British reneged on their pledge: Ja Ja would
not return to his kingdom alive. Once on board the warship Goshawk, With the exit of Ja Ja, the most formidable obstacle to In exile, Ja Ja is said to have borne himself with kingly
dignity. He made repeated appeals to Today, an imposing
statue of Ja Ja stands in the center of Opobo with the inscription: A king in title and
in deed. Always just and generous. PERSONAL
INFORMATION
Name variations: original Igbo name, Mbanaso; named Jubo
Jubogha in Bonny (shortened to Jo Jo but popularized in European historical
literature as Ja Ja). Born around 1820/1821 in Amaigbo village group in the
heart of Igboland; died in exile in 1891 at CHRONOLOGY
FURTHER
Olaudah
Equiano Also
known as: Gustavus Vassa
“The shrieks of the
women and the groans of the dying rendered the whole a scene [on the slave
ship] of horror almost inconceivable.” BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
When Olaudah Equiano
(pronounced ek-wee-AHN-o) was 10 or 11 years old, kidnappers came into his
Ibo village in what is now eastern In 1789 Equiano published a two-volume book, The
Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the
African. It is an account of his life, from his childhood in Taken captive
Equiano recalls in
his narrative how kidnappers stole him and his sister from their family's
village when the elders were out working in the fields. He says they traveled
about six or seven months before he reached the coast. Some time during the
trip, he and his sister were separated from each other. Equiano went from one
master to another on the way to the coast; once a master sold him for cowrie
shells (small hard white shells from the "The stench of the hold while we were on the coast
was so intolerably loathsome that it was dangerous to remain there for any
time.... The closeness of the place and the heat of the climate, added to the
number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn
himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that
the air soon became unfit for respiration from a variety of loathsome smells,
and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died.... This
wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, now
become insupportable, and the filth of the necessary tubs, into which the
children often fell and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women and
the groans of the dying rendered the whole a scene of horror almost
inconceivable." After several months at sea, the ship landed at Education at sea and in England
In 1754 When they returned to
Later that year,
Pascal set sail again, this time aboard the Cheated of his freedom
Toward the end of 1761 the ship returned to Under instruction from Pascal, the captain sold Equiano
when they got to Equiano soon found,
however, that the life of a freed man in the islands was fraught with danger.
Blacks had no protection under the law and might easily be kidnapped and
taken away on a ship as a slave. To protect himself, Equiano signed on as a
sailor for 36 shillings a month on a ship going to Life as a freed slave
Equiano continued as
a sailor for several more voyages. Once he had to command the ship himself as
the captain and first mate took ill. The captain died on board the ship and
Equiano successfully sailed the sloop safely into harbor. He also survived a
shipwreck in the In 1766 Equiano went to Not long after their return to Joins the antislavery
crusade
The final phase of
Equiano's life was much more predictable and serene than the years leading up
to it. He became involved in the antislavery movement and began work on his
autobiography. Because of his activities in the abolitionist movement, the
naval authorities in Equiano never made
the trip back to After his dismissal from the expedition, Equiano completed
his book. When it was published in 1789 he traveled throughout FURTHER
A copy of Equiano's marriage certificate. On Olaudah Equiano Also known as: Gustavus Vassa
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
Olaudah Equiano
(1745-ca. 1801) was an African slave, freedman, and author who wrote the
first outstanding autobiography in slave narrative literature. Olaudah Equiano was
born at Essaka, an Ibo village (not now known) in the Thus spared the fate
of plantation laborer, Equiano spent the next 30 years as servant, barber,
seaman, and trader, traveling widely to such varied places as After service in the Seven Years War, including the siege
of Equiano had been baptized as a youth in 1759, but
Christian religion did not deeply influence his life until during or just
after participating in an Arctic expedition in search of the Subsequently Equiano rose to prominence in Equiano's famous
autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of O. Equiano, or G.
Vassa, the African was then written in 1787-1788 partly to vindicate his
role in the Sierra Leone affair, as well as to recount his exemplary rise
from slavery to freedom and to argue the case for abolition of the slave
trade. Although one critic (G. I. Jones, 1967) has doubted Equiano's sole
authorship because of its stylistic felicities, there is little doubt that
the work was essentially his own. Unlike Ottobah Cugoano's sophisticated
Bible-based discourse, Equiano's is an account of action in which the
realities and iniquities of slavery and the trade emerge eloquently in the
telling of his own story. Besides its importance as "the first truly
notable book in the genre" of slave narratives (Arna Bontemps, 1969) and
its value as one of the few genuine personal recollections of the slave trade
as seen by the victims themselves (Philip Curtin, 1967), Equiano's account is
especially interesting in two respects: first, for its extensive
recollections of the author's African childhood and his retention of an
African point of view in judging experience and, second, for its rational
economic argument against the slave trade. Not only did he argue the moral
transgressions of the trade but also its economic insanity. On the basis of
demographic projections he urged the potential of legitimate commerce for
British manufactures in Despite his sense of mission, Equiano was destined never
to return to FURTHER
Researcher has new version of legend By JACQUELINE BERLIN The A Hal Sieber, commentary editor of Carolina Peacemaker, said
his research convinces him that Africans brought to the island to be sold as
slaves drowned, but not the way local legend says they did. The legend goes that all of the slaves from The incident has been recorded in numerous books about the
island and told to tourists and schoolchildren. But that version is inaccurate, Sieber said. The corrected version goes like this, Sieber said: The
Igbo were being brought to Thomas Spalding of When the Igbo reached
land, they went on what Sieber calls the first freedom march in this country.
They walked into the marsh, where 10 to 12 drowned, according to a letter
describing the event written by William Mein, a slave dealer from Mein,
Mackay and Co. of The rest were salvaged by bounty hunters who received $10
a head from Spalding and Couper. Sieber said he also heard the story from elderly
descendants of the survivors of the Igbo mutiny when he visited Those agreeing with
his version include the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition, which
hosted Sieber this weekend at the Sea Island Festival, and the Coastal
Georgia Historical Society. "(Sieber) has
made it his life work to prove or disprove the story of Ibo Landing,"
said Joan Shinnick, curator of St. Simons Lighthouse Museum, run by Coastal
Georgia Historical Society. "The story is
true. I think what differs a little bit from general legend is not all the
slaves committed suicide." She added that
tourist brochures will have to be rewritten. Ms. Shinnick said the
historical society has a record of the bounty hunters getting paid for
rounding up the remaining Igbo. "They had kept
the tradition alive with singing songs and retelling the story," Ms.
Shinnick said. "[Sieber] was able to talk to these people and they told
the same story the same way over and over. It came from enough people that he
really believed what he was hearing is the truth. He went into old historic
documents that corroborated story." Some researchers
believe the reason the Igbo rushed into the marsh was because of a rumor that
white people were cannibals and they were scared for their lives, Sieber
said. Others call it an
accidental drowning. There had been a storm that day and the incoming tide
may have taken them by surprise. To Sieber, it was
suicide brought on by desperate circumstances. "I think they
were thinking they'd be dead in a few minutes, but death was better than
slavery," he said.
Call is to mark
site Thu, By JACQUELINE BERLIN The Growing up in It was while she was
in college in If Hal Sieber has his
way, there will be less chance of a black-history buff who lives in Two hundred years
after the drownings, the There, 10 to 12 Africans drowned after revolting on the
schooner "It's the
Plymouth Rock for African Americans," Sieber said. Sieber said there
should be a monument or at least a marker on the site where slaves entered
the water in what he calls the first freedom march in this country. He would like to see
a sculpture – part on land and part in the water – mark the spot where the
Ibo entered the water singing what Sieber believes included the words:
"The water spirit brought; the water spirit will take us home." "They believed
they would go back to Ibo the same way we believe when you die you go to
heaven," he said. "They knew they would die going into the
water." Ten to 12 of the
Africans died according to a letter written by a slave trader that year. The
rest were rounded up by bounty hunters and returned to their original
purchasers, according to records kept by the Coastal Georgia Historical
Society. Ms. Collins, who
attended a lecture given by Sieber in "There should be a marker there. If we can have a
marker for Lovers' Oak and Sydney Lanier, there needs to be a marker for Ibo
Landing," she said. That may not be easy to do, however. The pointed land,
with the However, Darlin Thrower, speaking for her elderly mother,
said the family would not want a marker or monument at the site. "We live here," she said. -------------------------------- LEST WE FORGET Onye igbo, you are the keeper of Igbo culture. Reading these
books will help expand your mind. James Africanus Beale Horton, West African Countries
and Peoples and A Vindication of the African Race, James Africanus
Beale Horton,, Physical and Medical Climate and Meteorology of the West Coast
of James Africanus Beale Horton, Letters on the Political
Condition of the Gold Coast, (W.J. Johnson, London, 1870) Edward Wilmot Blyden, The Vindication of the Negro
Race [1857] Edward Wilmot Blyden, Christianity, Islam, and the
Negro Race (W.B. Whittingham, London, 1887) Edward Wilmot Blyden, The African Problem, and other
discourses: delivered in Edward Wilmot Blyden, The origin and purposes of
African colonization, being the annual discourse delivered at the 66th
anniversary of the American Colonization Soc., (Colonization Building,
Washington, 1892) Edward Wilmot Blyden , The Jewish Question (1898)
Edward Wilmot Blyden, African Life and Customs
(C.M. Phillips, London, 1908) Edward L. Cox, Rekindling the Ancestral Memory: King
Ja Ja of Opobo in Ebiegberi Joe
Alagoa, Jaja of Opobo: The Slave Who Became a King Sylvanus John
Sodienye Cookey, King Jaja of the Karen Kennerly, The Slave Who Bought His Freedom:
Equiano's Story Rick Andrew, Equiano : the slave who fought to be
free Jean-Jacques Vayssieres, Amazing Adventures of
Equiano John R. Milsome, Olaudah Equiano: The Slave Who
Helped to End the Slave Trade Elizabeth Isichei, The Igbo Roots of Olaudah Equiano,
Journal of African History 33.1 (Jan 1992): 164(2). Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, The Igbo roots of
Olaudah Equiano: an anthropological research Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, The Home of Olaudah
Equiano -- A Linguistic and Anthropological Search, The Journal of
Commonwealth Literature. 22 (1987). Igwebuike Romeo Okeke, The Osu concept in Igboland: a
study of the types of slavery in Igbo-speaking areas of Jude C. Mgbobukwa, Alusi,
Osu, and Ohu in Igbo religion and social life Alex Haley, Roots
Marquetta
L.Goodwine, The Legacy of Ibo Landing: Gullah Roots of African American
Culture Julie Dash, Daughters
of the Dust (a compelling novel on Gullah women)
Do you consider
yourself nwa afor Igbo? If yes, the following quiz will determine your
knowledge of Ndi Igbo. 1.
When did Ndi Igbo
emigrate to their present location in 2. Which is the darkest holocaust of Ndi Igbo? The Atlantic
slave trade or 3. How many Ndi Igbo were stolen during the slave trade
era? How many were converted to osu and oru caste? 4. Which small Central American nation has a place named
"Eboe quarters"? 5. Can you name the 6. What is the meaning of the Haitian saying: “Ibos pend
cor a yo”? (i.e. Igbos hang themselves) 7. Can you name the ancestral 8. What percentage of the slaves in the 9. What is the full name of Dr. Baikie or the first white
man to travel into Igbo heartland? The Igbo expressions Ala Bekee, Ndi
Bekee translates to " 10.
Who is James
Africanus Horton? Why is he called the father of Igbo self-determination? 11.
Why is Edward
Wilmot Blyden called the "father of West African nationalism? Where did
he refer to himself as "a true son of the Eboe tribe"? 12.
What document
contains the first recorded misspelling of "Igbo?" Hint: Igbo was
previously misspelled as "Heebo," "Eboe,"
"Ebo," and "Ibo." Is the Igbo language endangered? Email us your
answers and suggestions. Edward Wilmot Blyden
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912) was a Liberian educator and
statesman. More than any other figure, he laid the foundation of West African
nationalism and of pan-Africanism. Edward Blyden was born in He continued his formal education at From 1871 to 1873 Blyden lived in After 1885 Blyden divided his time
between While in Writings, Ideas, and Hopes
Although Blyden held many important positions, it is more
as a man of ideas than as a man of action that he is historically
significant. He saw himself as a champion and defender of his race and in
this role produced more than two dozen pamphlets and books, the most
important of which are A Voice from Bleeding Africa (1856); Liberia's
Offering (1862); The Negro in Ancient History (1869); The West
African University (1872); From West Africa to Palestine (1873); Christianity,
Islam and the Negro Race (1887), his major work; The Jewish Question
(1898); West Africa before Europe (1905); and Africa Life and
Customs (1908). His writings displayed conversancy with the main current
of ideas as well as originality, and he was often controversial. Blyden sought to prove that Blyden's political goals were the
establishment of a major modern West African state which would protect and
promote the interests of peoples of African descent everywhere. He initially
saw FURTHER
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