It amuses me when indigenes of Igbo- speaking communities outside the South- East deny their Igbo identity. The Ikwerres, represented by the likes of Okachikwu Dibia, are the fiercest and most strident in this act of playing the ostrich. The renowned writer Elechi Amadi, an Ikwerre man, restated this renunciation before the Oputa Panel in 2004 but was reminded of his Igbo name. Ironically, he is quoted to have upheld the Igbo origin of Ikwerres in one of his writings. Howbeit, Igbos in South-East Nigeria justifiably regard the Igbo-speaking areas of Rivers State (Ikwerre, Etche, Ogba, Ekpeye, Opobo, Ahaoda, Ndoni, Egbema, etc) as their kith and kin. On the other hand, the Ijaws and other non-Igbos of Rivers State also rightly refer to these communities as Igbos, and even claim that Rivers State has been under Igbo rule since 1999! Generally, a person native name, mother- tongue, pedigree and ancestral geographical location define his race. But this may not be so in cases where an individual bears a name and speaks a language unrelated to the one associated with his ancestors. However, when the indigenes of an entire community speak as their mother tongue a language associated with a particular race, bear names borne only by persons of that race, share boundaries with communities within that race and have traditions similar to theirs, then the inescapable conclusion is that they belong to that race. This is the place of Ikwerres and other Igbo-speaking communities in Rivers, Delta, Edo and Cross River States vis-Ã -vis the Igbos of the South-East. Furthermore, was Ikwerre ruled by the 19th century King Jaja of Opobo, an ex-slave from Amaigbo in Imo State who transformed to king of Opobo (Igwe Nga) in present-day Rivers State? Even so, that is not tantamount to colonization by NdI Igbo. However, the case of Jaja shows that some of the present-day non-Igbo indigenes of Rivers and Bayelsa States may be descendants of Igbo slaves who escaped exportation overseas and settled in the midst of Ijaws, gradually acquiring a semblance of the latter. For instance, a friend of mine from a community in Yenagoa told me that Igbo words and expressions constitute about seventy percent of their vocabulary. Best Answer As an Igbo, I feel so sad for the so called little Ikwere kingdom. Some of their leaders are messing their minds up as far as Identity is concerned. The Civil war did not make the situation better as some (Not all) the Ikwere people went into this biblical Peter scenario. By the way, the Igbos in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi,Enugu, Delta have better objectives and things to pursue than comming after a group of some lost souls who think that changing their original names will give them another identity. No, it makes them look very funny and ridiculous and that,s why the Ijaws and Kalabari,s can,t stand them and succed in putting elements of maginalization to their causes. We have to understand that the abandoned property issue of the 1970,s were mainly superheaded by the Ikweres out of jealousy and hatred of the mainland Igbos who earned those properties by hardwork. If they cite grieviences against the Igbos for the role they played on the seizure their properties, which group in the world do not have problems. The difference is that they make up , unite and move on. Instead the Ikwerre people decided to teach the Igbos a lesson. Where has it left issues and relationships today" ? No where". The Igbos bounced back immedietly after the civil war with the 2 pounds that Awolowo and the Hausas gave them with seizure of all their properties including those in Porthacourt with the help of the IKWERRE people . My take is this to the Ikwerres" It is up to you to make amends and come back to the greater Igbo nation. If they decide to disappear from the radar, it is their perogative but there unborn generations will suffer the consequences and not the current selfish people with no long term vision parading themselves as leaders.

Everyone is entitled to claim whatsoever he/she so desires. Anyone is free to wake up one morning and begin to doctor and distort their history, names, heritage and culture to suit their whims. It is all about freedom of expression and association!
Greedy politicians have used such claims to collude with outsiders to short-change and trade off their people's birthright.

But while they are at it and choose to live such aberration they should refrain from dragging Igbos into their misery and inferiority complex by falsely accusing Igbos of trying to claim them or using the Eastern Regional government (of 1963 - 1966) to impose Igbo language and culture on them.

Nobody is forcing anybody. Even if they reject Igbo,most of their mothers are from Igbo. Will they reject their maternal home too?

A situation where I hear your language,eat your kind of food, have the same kind of festival,dress alike,bear similar names,etc. You can live in self denial for all I care but do not stand on my way to freedom.

BIAFRA is "come and join" not 'you must join'

IPOB Youth

There is freedom of association!!!

i don't know toto Dike(an Ikwerre) is my sister,her maternal home is same with mine(amaimo ikeduru)i can't even marry her.upto half of their mothers are from Igbos in SE

xtrorse:
Everyone is entitled to claim whatsoever he/she so desires. Anyone is free to wake up one morning and begin to doctor and distort their history, names, heritage and culture to suit their whims. It is all about freedom of expression and association!
Greedy politicians have used such claims to collude with outsiders to short-change and trade off their people's birthright.

But while they are at it and choose to live such aberration they should refrain from dragging Igbos into their misery and inferiority complex by falsely accusing Igbos of trying to claim them or using the Eastern Regional government (of 1963 - 1966) to impose Igbo language and culture on them.

You're very right. I can decide to change my name any day, it's legal. Some Nigerians gain foreign citizenship and deny their origins(eg Chiwetei Ejiofor claiming British, instead of saying he British of Nigerian origin or that he may have a dual citizenship) It's a free world. Some denounce their origin because of a number of reasons like oppression, inferiority complex, achieve political/diplomatic status. Ikwerres claim that they are not Igbos, and technically they are not irrespective of wether they are Igbos culturally or genetically. It's similar to transgenders in US, Bruce Jenner is now a Kathlyn, and a female despite the fact his genetic makeup is XY (male) as against XX (female). Legally, he is now a female.

Identity crisis impacts on your final behavior. Catlyn will now be playing the role of a woman. Ikwerres claiming non-igbos impacts on them based on the fact that they are not as industrious and travelled as their estranged eastern kin. My advice is to leave Ikwerre out of any Igbo discussion unless they elect to join. I have not seen this identity crisis among Etche and Egbema peoples of Rivers State.