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 £10,000 and £15,000 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 £100,000 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 per |
