i just know that Igbo, yoruba and Hausa will always want to associate with minority when they know they will benefit from this minor but when the worse is to be there will be a clear border diffn to tell these ppl are not ours,

Ikwere are not Igbos,

You know what? Owu is not Yoruba, Ijebu is not Yoruba, Egba,Oyo, Kwara, Ijesha, Ibadan are not all Yorubas. The last time i checked, my colleague from Lagos state can understand an Oyo man but have to strain his ear to understand what Ijebu man is saying. It is not even that different between within the Igbo because i know i can hear what Austin my friend from the heart of Rivers(Ikwerre) man says.

texazzpete:

This is an utterly brainless analogy. As long as you were born and stay in the African continent, you are an African.

'Igbo' is an Ethnic group. wikipedia's definition below

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or assumed- sharing cultural characteristics[1][2] This shared heritage may be based upon putative common ancestry, history, kinship, religion, language, shared territory, nationality or physical appearance. Members of an ethnic group are conscious of belonging to an ethnic group; moreover ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness.

So if these fellows do not identify with you, and they are officially recognised as a separate and distinct ethnic group, why make a fuss over it? It really matters not if you share history, it's what happens today that counts.

A good try but cant you see the weakness of your logic? If Igbo is an ethnic group from your wikipedia reference, then i expected you to prove that Ikweres are also a distinct ethnic group too, but you avoided that. And while you are at it,  i expected you to apply your knowledge of English to understand thatthe indentification is as important as the means which your article  say is  

through a common heritage that is real or assumed- sharing cultural characteristics[1][2] This shared heritage may be based upon putative common ancestry, history, kinship, religion, language, shared territory, nationality or physical appearance

Now look at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikwerre

The Ikwerre are considered by scholars a[b] subgroup of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria[/b],[2][3][4]

There are several theories over the origin, and the most strong one is the theory linking the Ikberre to an Igbo origin.[6] They would be descendents from a Igbo migration from Awka and Orlu areas towards South. Igbo scholars take Ikberre as part of the Southern Igbo. Amadi, an Ikwerre scholar, says that the Igbo origin theory has some support even inside Ikwerre themselves, with Ikwerre would be descendants of a migration of Arochukwu Igbo, with Ogpo Wagidi being the leader of the Ikwerre tribe. During the colonial period the Ikwerre named themselves as Igbo, although this could have been done just for convenience in the political climate of that time.[6] Even then, there were always dissident voices that claimed that Ikwerre could have come from lands outside of Igbo lands such as the Benin Kingdom.[6] Just as an example, when Port Harcourt was conquered by Nigeria during the Biafran War and most Igbos fled the territory, an UN report says that some Ikwerre decided to claim that Ikwerre were non-Igbo for convenience.[7]

The Ikwerre group has evolved over time, and can now be called an "ethnolinguistic in-group" that is differentiated from the Igbo group.[6] The Ikwerre are recognized officially as a separate group in the 1979 Nigerian Constitution.[6]

And by the way, i still wonder how an 'Olusegun' will reject Yoruba ancestry.

Texaspette u are clearly a dummy.

An African does not have to be born in Africa to be African fool. So if I was born in the USA does that make me non-African? Why do we use the term African-American then? An Igbo is African just like the Ikwerre is Igbo.


The Ikwerre have made it clear they are Igbo so any non Igbo still arguing is simply an idiot.

U don't decide who u are dumbass. So if some1 n some LGA within the Bini area decides he wants to be his village not Bini he is no longer Bini?

zebra:

Help me tell that daft that is trying to force another ethnic group to accept being same with his own. i wonder why some igobs will bother themselves about that. na wa o.
Formerly we use to look at minorities from the north like Plateau, southern kaduna, niger, bauchi, adamawa, nasarawa, etc. as hausas. But these groups today have come out to say they are not hausas and that is what is happening today, they are not hausas. But prior to the nigeria civil war they had that single identity, "hausa".

If you had been looking at a Plateau man as Hausa, it is either you are ignorant or something is wrong with you. Prior to Nigeria civil war, if you were alive then, there had always been a different between Plateau and Hausas or Fulani. Some of you will say anything, when you see any sign of Igbo, the same people that develop epilepsy whenever self determination is mentioned, is all of a sudden concious of right of a people for self identity. HYPOCRITES!!

edoyad:

@udeuze, larger groups cannot just wake up and impose their identities on smaller civilisations no matter the similarities between them. If there's a rejection of your claim by as much as 1 person(of which we know there're more than) then they have a case to be heard.

No one is imposing anyone on anybody, unless you are. The generality of Igbos use to hear this argumement immdeidatly after the war with amusement, because we considered it a survival measures by our brothers, but doing so in this 21st centry makes the person looks stupid and ignorant. Our ancestors said that the unclothedness of a mad man is not a problem for him but a problem for his relatives.  That is how an average Igbo mna feel when he hear his own brother from one of our lineage of Ikwerre saying he is not one of you. Not that we wake up every morning worrying about that.

texazzpete:

This is an utterly brainless analogy. As long as you were born and stay in the African continent, you are an African.

'Igbo' is an Ethnic group. wikipedia's definition below

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or assumed- sharing cultural characteristics[1][2] This shared heritage may be based upon putative common ancestry, history, kinship, religion, language, shared territory, nationality or physical appearance. Members of an ethnic group are conscious of belonging to an ethnic group; moreover ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness.

So if these fellows do not identify with you, and they are officially recognised as a separate and distinct ethnic group, why make a fuss over it? It really matters not if you share history, it's what happens today that counts.

Like I said, some of you will say anything to justify their total glaring hate. Now Wikipedia is the one telling you who is an Igbo man and who isn't?  I am sure Egba man will come up tomorrow and say to Nigeria that he is Egba but not Yoruba? And you will tell him well done my son!
What about the Ijebus?, they are Ijebu and they are not Yorubas too. I don't give a damn what any Igbo from Anioma-Onitsha-Owerri-Arochukwu-Ngwa -Ikwerre think he is now, it just that it is embarrassing hearing that, because no one is happy seeing his brother making a fool of himself.  That is the issue and for the writer to by quoting Nwokedi Nwanodi, a person I knew so well to justify his idiocy is madness.

Oh Lord again?

When will people leave us alone? The Ikwerre ppl are Igbo group just like Anioma. Just because we are not in the SE geopolitical zone does not erase the fact that we are Igbo. I wonder how I am not Igbo yet can understand Ikwerre dialect and other Igbo dialects out there?

I think 3 Ikwerre have already spoken the truth and I am joining them to say that WE ARE IGBO.

Ude is right.
Ikwerre is Igbo just Igbo is African.

texazzpete:

This is an utterly brainless analogy. As long as you were born and stay in the African continent, you are an African.

It was Marcus Garvey that told black Americans bleaching their skin and relaxing their hair that- "Anywhere you come from, as long as you are a black man you are an African!".  He went on to say that no matter your nationality, no matter the passport you carry or the even the language you speak, you got the identity of an African-your skin.

Igbo is Igbo, whether you are born in American or Sardinia or in Ikwerre. You have a Yoruba name, live in Yoruba, speaks Yoruba and your brothers around the corner is the same as you but you turned around a say to them that they are not your brothers and your reason is that your dialect is different from another Yoruba man.  Just because Emmanuel Adebayor is from Togo and wear Togolese national colour, how does that diminish him from being a Yoruba man?
Some make some blind arguement to support anything that concern Igbo people.

I am sure a Yorkshire man is not English too because he speaks differently from a London cockney man or English people wants to dominate, poor Yorkshire people. Some of you are unbelievable. Really!!

zebra:

and who told you your igbo language is not different from that of ikwerre? do you speak exactly the same thing with ikwerre? you are dumb too.

So you really don't know the difference between a language and a dialect? If you don't, really this thread out of you league to partake. Surely!!

A situation where some people in an ethnic group think they are Igbo and others think they are not.
Reflects a crisis of identity.
Especially as it concerns a whole tribe.

A very sorry situation  

lol, Its like parrots saying they are not birds,

Lots of nairalanders are just like the politicians we have in naija.

During an argument, we choose a side that identifies with our agenda and throw principles into the air.

I see a lot of people talking 2 different things from both sides of their mouth.

Who is even begging them to be Igbo's a minority will always be a minority.

Abeg make we hear word jare

Igbo people and their nonsense!  Bunch of silly buffoons


What's the big deal here? My name is Uchenna Nwaobiaeri, I am not Igbo, I am Ekwulu. The word for "no" in my language is "eene" while the Igbo say "mba". The word ''here'' means ''ebea" in Igbo while my people say ''kana'', So what gives? Igbo people should leave us alone, na by force? Ah ah!

It is very frustrating explaining to people that I am not Igbo, my name Uchenna Nwaobiaeri is definitely not Igbo, my ethnic group is not Igbo. Igbos should really stop this madness.

Like we say in my language; Unu wu ndu Igbo ejehu ekwe nwa mmadu nuo mmiri togbo iko. Nkene owu ifwe emere eme? Agwa nwata ya wele nwayoo ka ofwhe lolo alo zuo onye owuna, okpoo ekwo nku.

phantom:

lol, Its like parrots saying they are not birds,

Nothing man no go hear for this part of the world!

Imagine

Its just like a 40 yrs old OBI- still saying he is a boy not a MAN.

Ewu congo! what language is UCHENNA? yoruba? ijaw? hausa? U are lost and mentally derailed! i know a true born ikwerre man will not deny his ancestry not minding the slight difference in dialect.

i can see some silly igbo haters changing their name to igbo names only to come here and write rubbish to cause dissaffection amongst igbos, U guys make me laff in igbo cos we are the wise men of naija and any fool trying to divide the igbos is just fooling himself and his ethnic group.

Some ignorant ikwerre people who don't know their ancestry are claiming non igbos bc of the abandoned property saga after the civil war, but when they have issues with the ijaws and other minority tribes in rivers they speak fom their other side of their mouths.

Gov Odili, Gov Chibuike Amechi are yoruba names and not igbos Igbos haters at work!

Arysexy:

Ewu congo! what language is UCHENNA? yoruba? ijaw? hausa? U are lost and mentally derailed! i know a true born ikwerre man will not deny his ancestry not minding the slight difference in dialect.

i can see some silly igbo haters changing their name to igbo names only to come here and write rubbish to cause dissaffection amongst igbos, U guys make me laff in igbo cos we are the wise men of naija and any fool trying to divide the igbos is just fooling himself and his ethnic group.

Some ignorant ikwerre people who don't know their ancestry are claiming non igbos bc of the abandoned property saga after the civil war, but when they have issues with the ijaws and other minority tribes in rivers they speak fom their other side of their mouths.

Gov Odili, Gov Chibuike Amechi are yoruba names and not igbos Igbos haters at work!

Young man, watch it! Nwata bunie nna ya enu, ogodu ayochie ye anya. Eji m ogu n'eji m ofo, maka anahu ama ama nke Onicha gwala Obosi 

Uchenna is my name, I don't know what it means in Igbo and I don't really care what it means in Igbo since I am not Igbo, but in my language, it means "the will of the father/God".  My elder sister's name is Chika, does that make her Japanese considering Chika is also a Japanese name? What about the youngest who is Azuka, is she now Japanese because some Japanese bear the same name?

Igbo people sef. Ndi ofeke. Sheesh

hi all my name is uyoma merunini.i'm an owerri girl not igbo.my friend oroma merukini is ikwerre not igbo.my igbo friends name is uloma meregini.i also have an orlu friend oulo-oma nmerengee.

So it is wrong for an Ikwerre man to claim he is not ibo, but Ok for an ibo man to claim he is not Nigerian? ROFLMAO!!

aleruchi-rivers,lewechi -abia,nebolisa-anambra are three examples of different igbo dialects that seem unconnected to a non-igbo but every igbo can tell their meaning.ijaw is the only other language with such diversity.that is the beauty of igbo language.igbo kwenu!

Na waoo, non-Igbos will always jump at any topic that has Igbo in it. Does it now mean we have more professors of Igbo matters that are not igbos? Like it or not Ikwerre is Igbo. Why is it that Many Ikwerre men marry from Abia and Imo state. Why not Bayelsa or Edo.

Pls if you're not Igbo, then shut up when it comes to Igbo matters.

afam4eva:

Na waoo, non-Igbos will always jump at any topic that has Igbo in it. Does it now mean we have more professors of Igbo matters that are not igbos? Like it or not Ikwerre is Igbo. Why is it that Many Ikwerre men marry from Abia and Imo state. Why not Bayelsa or Edo.

That's the way the cookie crumbles. Trust the usual suspects and Honorable Professors of Igbology to jump in and bore us with their repulsive and disjointed drivel.

Na real wa.

Well, my name is Jideofor and that is definitely an Anambra name, not a Igbo name. I dont know and i dont care what it means in Igbo. But in Anambra, it means that i should  make sure that i am justified or on the side of right or something close to that.  Go figure out the rest but hey, never call me an Igbo man but an Anambra man!!!

Arysexy:


Some ignorant ikwerre people who don't know their ancestry are claiming non igbos bc of the abandoned property saga after the civil war, but when they have issues with the ijaws and other minority tribes in rivers they speak ffom their other side of their mouths.

You forgot to mention that when they try their hands in the presidential election, the same Nigerians (Including those from Rivers) screaming at the Igbos to stop forcing their ethnic identity on another ethnic group will remind them they are actually Igbo. . .

Igbo bu Igbo. 

However, if they want to deny their Igbo roots, then so be it. It is all about 'oil' with them as well. However, I have come across some Ikwerre who laugh at their kin who deny their Igbo roots. This confusion stems from the Civil War, and it has not been corrected.

Let our Ikwerre neighbors consider themselves a separate group, with their prize city, Port Harcourt also known as Igwe Ocha (Igbo name).

Kobojunkie:

So it is wrong for an Ikwerre man to claim he is not ibo, but Ok for an ibo man to claim he is not Nigerian? ROFLMAO!!

Kai, Ignorance or should i say stupidity is not far fetched. Nigeria was created unlike Igbo and Nigeria started existing in 1960. MUMU !

Lol, Igbo people and their constant Identity wars. Abegi, let the Ikwerre people be the deciders, it is not by force. I don't see the Yorubas forcing the Itsekiris to call themselves Yoruba. Abeg, I am member of a sub group and I retain the right to identify myself how I please.

AfroCynic:

Lol, Igbo people and their constant Identity wars. Abegi, let the Ikwerre people be the deciders, it is not by force. I don't see the Yorubas forcing the Itsekiris to call themselves Yoruba. Abeg, I am member of a sub group and I retain the right to identify myself how I please.

The tribalist is back.

lol @ kobo

major tribes have issues with trying to claim everyone.
depends on the person as well

Delta Itsekiris are NOT yoruba, tho they even speak a yoruba dialect who some say is the REAL yoruba- they see themselves as related to yoruba but not yoruba thats their own P. why force them to be yoruba? lol
There are many mixed people with yoruba and fulani who deny yoruba or deny fulani- thats their own P.
Urhobos dont call themselves Edos even though they migrated from edos.

Just as in America you have people who say theyre not white or black but biracial.

Infact Im no longer yoruba im Nigerian simple. lol

afam4eva:

The tribalist is back.

afam4eva:

The tribalist is back.

Afam, you're still obsessing over me? Kai, dis one na strong ting o,

Goodluck to him, some of us are proud of our identity.

Here's a post i curled from a Nigerianvillagesquare.



My people,

First of all, let me say that I am Ikwerre-Igbo. I have had to ask my dad to clarify all these confusion among the Ikwerre about who they really are. He was really enraged about that question. He said to me; "son, you are Igbo of Ikwerre extraction." He said any Ikwerre man who says he is not Igbo is a bastard, and that it's civil war politics.

I have read all the articles posted on this site, and believe me, I do not understand why the hatred on Igbo by other Nigerians. The Igbo has never ruled Nigeria since after the civil war, so why this animousity toward them. Nigerians should direct their anger towards the North and the West, and not the East. What have the Igbo done wrong?

One Pukpabi was attacked for using statistics to show Nigerians that truly, the Igbo are the most educated Nigerians. But why? His was in response to the insinuation that Ndi-Igbo are all traders. Remember, a female Yoruba Nigeria federal minister made the most stupid statement about Igbo going back to do what they know how to do: trading, instead of aspiring to be President.

Just in case you guys have forgotten, Nigeria's "leader" since 1970 has been Gowon (North), Murtala Mohammed (North), Buhari (North), Obasanjo (West), Shagari (North), Buhari (North), Babangida (North) Shonekan? (West) Abacha (North), Abubakar (North), obasanjo (West).

My question to these hate mongers is, "which of these 'miracle workers' is an Igbo man?"

Chinda Amadi, MBA
Illinois, USA