Pharoh:

If there was fairness, a bright future (for their language and culture ) and equity for them in Spain today then you will agree with me that they will not be clamoring for a separation today. There are Catalans in France today but they have to speak french in their official daily life and so many different ethnic groups that made up France before the french revolution that imposed the french language and consciousness on everyone.

The Catalans know better not to break up from spain and go join france because the language policy of france will kill their culture and language and hence the reason for clamoring for a separate identity. It is the same thing we are clamoring as ika, ndokwa etc and also trying to come under the anioma identity whereby we see each other as equals and at the same time preserving out cultural heritage while pursuing for a joint development. That is why in delta we all speak pidgin to interact with each other while preserving our cultural heritage, even our senatorial and local demarcation goes along that line.

To be frank with you if Nigeria breaks up today and there is to be any form of igbo nation then it has to be mirrored along the french or Spanish option. One igbo language (central igbo ) and consciousness or autonomous communities based on primary ethnicity and language with equity and fairness as the watchword. If you don't develop this now and continue this enugu vs abia, or omanbala vs this and that then please count the anioma people out. We are not cut out for this kind of dick measuring contest or need to dominate and shout down on us to be igbo whenever we mention our first language and primary ethnicity.

My primary ethnicity is ndokwa( ukwuani-aboh) and going further i can choose as a matter of choice to be regarded as igbo, anioma , bendel or whatever term that can be created. There must be something beneficial to the extra term and consciousness that i would further like to be identified with and that is by choice. It is that choice you guys are not recognizing and try to postulate all the time we create a thread to cherish our primary ethnicity that we are igbos.

If Nigeria is working today, no one will be clamoring for separation and that is the same for the igbo identity. It is a ruse to us now because of the prevalent ideology, way of life and evident relations that exist in igboland today. If the igbo identity and igbo and is moving in the right direction then you will related people begging to be part of it and not the other way round. You can look at my post in whatever way you want to but reality is waiting for us in some years to come. This is a list of the ethnic groups in Nigeria and their primary language, then if this list cannot be understood the same way we on the opposition side understands it then i don't wish to have this discussion anymore. We have gone beyond 100 pages and we will go beyond that with not tangible at the end of the day.

There is no animosity between us and we see those related around us as our first brothers before the benins, yorubas, isokos or whatever but if you guys continue like this then you are just creating the strife between the groups. We are related by culture and language but we are not the same people and we can be one people like the french eventually did if we see each other as equals and there is respect. Any other strategy is just coming together to eventually fail and that is what is happening in Nigeria today.

http://www.joshuaproject.net/countries.php?rog3=NI

Pharoh:
If Nigeria is working today, no one will be clamoring for separation and that is the same for the igbo identity. It is a ruse to us now because of the prevalent ideology, way of life and evident relations that exist in igboland today. If the igbo identity and igbo and is moving in the right direction then you will related people begging to be part of it and not the other way round. You can look at my post in whatever way you want to but reality is waiting for us in some years to come. This is a list of the ethnic groups in Nigeria and their primary language, then if this list cannot be understood the same way we on the opposition side understands it then i don't wish to have this discussion anymore. We have gone beyond 100 pages and we will go beyond that with not tangible at the end of the day.

agbotaen: 1, igbos are still troubled by the civil war , and ika did not suffer from civil disorder that the average igbo man suffers , ika is an independent tribe that will never be subdued by igbos or any body , we are just proudly ika , but while igbos continue to write their rubbish , ika has worked to get news read in ika and other ika programmes in delta and we will start teaching ika as a language in college of education in agbor .

Afam4eva:
I agree with this part of your post. I've always held this notion that the reason why some groups don't want to be associated with the Igbo umbrella is simply because there's really nothing to gain from it. Igbos have succeeded in all walks of life but have failed woefully at a cohesive development. This is why it doesn't mean anything to an Ikwerre man or an Ndokwa man that he's Igbo or not cos there's really nothing to gain from it apart from being part of one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Infact, it's easier for a non-Igbo minority to be accepted by other Nigerians than an Igbo, so why sweat it when you can just move out of the Igbo umbrella and when people question the non-Igboness that you profess soo much despite the fact that your name is Chibuike and you speak a dialect of Igbo, what you do is simply to say some hurtful things about the Igbos and you're one step away from being accepted as an Enemy of Igbo. Anyways, i can relate with you more based on the fact that you're more about your people finding a newer identity rather than denying the obvious.

Andre Uweh:
They do not need to gain anything from Ndigbo to be accepted as Igbo. Do we need to gain anything from Nigeria to be Nigerians?. Nigeria as a country does not afford us basic amenities required for human existence yet we do not deny that we are Nigerians. Nigeria does not provide us with electricity but we buy power generating plants, Nigeria does not supply us with tap water yet we drill boreholes. Nigeria doesn't provide us with security but we hire guards yet we are Nigerians and do not deny it.
I pity those of them who deny Igbo as it worsens their identity crisis. What a shame.

Afam4eva:
It's not about what they are, but want they accept that they are. We can clearly see that they are as Igbo as any one of us but politics has made their link to other Igbos severed and as such don't see the big deal in wanting to be called Igbo. Even the ones among them that accept the Igbo tag are very passive in their Igboness. You won't see the kind of Igbo consciousness that you see in an Anambra man for example in them. It will only take some kind of Igbo revolution, be it in politics, culture, economics or social for them to come back to the fold. Once there's something to be be proud of as an Igbo man that is glaring, you don't need to convince or force anyone to be Igbo. So you know that when i grew up in Ikwerreland in the 90s, there were more pro-Igbo Ikwerre people than now? The reason being that compared to now, then there were more artifacts in terms of Music, movies etc for someone to want to be identified as Igbo. Then almost every Ikwerre man had the music of Olive de Coque, Osadebe and watched Igbo movies like no tomorrow. But things have changed now because all these Igbo artifacts have gone away and there's really nothing to hold onto. Not politics, economics, culture. We don't own, Lagos, Abuja. Infact, it seems to me that those people that are constant living in denial are better off than the people who are convincing them of their Igboness. My personal opinion

Andre Uweh:
I still maintain that Igbo doesn't have to do anything for them to accept Igbo as Nigeria doesn't have to do anything for us to be Nigerians.
The day they will succeed in being anything they want is the day Ndigbo will come together to dissolve the Igbo nation so that we will Have Nnewi, Udi, Arochukwu, Mbaise, Afikpo, Asaba, Elele etc. Since Ndigbo are not prepared for that, those groups still remain Igbo. Those who deny it will still suffer in identity crisis.

Afam4eva:
I'm not disputing that fact. I'm just highlighting the reason why i think they're disclaiming what the obviously are and the truth is that, this is not the first time in history that this is happening. We've seen children who have denied their parents but that doesn't stop them from being their parent's children. But it's the job of the parent to put into measures to bring back their prodigal children. I think your analogy of the Igbo and Nigerian nation does not fall through because being a Nigeria is a legal and constitutional status as opposed to being Igbo. I may deny being a Nigerian all i want but as far as i have a Nigerian passport, i'm a Nigerian except i denounce my citizenship but being Igbo is more ambivalent than being a Nigeria.

Andre Uweh:
I still maintain that Igbo doesn't have to do anything for them to accept Igbo as Nigeria doesn't have to do anything for us to be Nigerians.
The day they will succeed in being anything they want is the day Ndigbo will come together to dissolve the Igbo nation so that we will Have Nnewi, Udi, Arochukwu, Mbaise, Afikpo, Asaba, Elele etc. Since Ndigbo are not prepared for that, those groups still remain Igbo. Those who deny it will still suffer in identity crisis.

rozzay: Hello
Am actually viewin dis thread 4 d first time and I must confess dat its a nice one which is educative and supposed to add value. I have learnt a thin or two by glancin thru but sincerely speakin like someone said here its not wat we fite abt or lose slp over
As for me as long as I can rem and note I was neva told any by my folks. Wen asked were am from I have always replied delta. Aniocha south. Ogwashi Ukwu. And finally delta igbo. I bliv it has always been in my subconscious. And no amt of arguin will change anythn. Its just d way thns turned out to b. So we don't nid to insult or wateva we r one Nigeria. Ok. I love all my igbo and delta pips. One Love. @ chinenye(its act cos of u I commented pm me)

Wulfruna: You actually ARE losing sleep over this, Tony. If you ain't, why is it eating you up so much how Agbontaen and Sony and some other people choose to identify themselves? Why all the bitterness and insults laced in your comments? One would think you stand to gain something personally if you manage to convince them they are Igbos. Give it an effing break already! This is like the oldest debate on Nairaland.

No Igbos in Sierra Leone either (except maybe recent settlers); just people of Igbo descent. Different things Their ethnic identity is now Krio. And they are actually a very mixed people.

Wulfruna: You actually ARE losing sleep over this, Tony. If you ain't, why is it eating you up so much how Agbontaen and Sony and some other people choose to identify themselves? Why all the bitterness and insults laced in your comments? One would think you stand to gain something personally if you manage to convince them they are Igbos. Give it an effing break already! This is like the oldest debate on Nairaland.

No Igbos in Sierra Leone either (except maybe recent settlers); just people of Igbo descent. Different things Their ethnic identity is now Krio. And they are actually a very mixed people.

pazienza: This doesn't make sense in any form at all. Flavour still sings in igbo and his music still sell all over Africa,before that Psquare always had the habit of singing in 'Engliigbo', songs like 'ifunnanya' 'beautiful onyinye' 'I love you' 'bunie ya enu',etc are heavily mixed with igbo. Culture wise, our Igbo culture is the most known throughout Africa,courtsey of our success with Nollywood. Economics, igbos are doing ok in that aspect,wealth in igboland is relatively evenly distributed. Lagos/Abuja was/is Nigerian capital, no part of igboland had ever been the capital of nigeria, so i don't understand how that could become an issue now.

How are the efulefus doing better than the real igbos that uphold their identity? Before the fall of the east, Osadebey through the help of Igbos of the East reigned over Edo and Delta state, some years down the line, these efulefus haven denied themselves can't even rule over delta, the urhrobos are lording it over them, what have they been able to achieve as a group since their denial of themselves began?
Aniomas had become perpetual failures in Delta politics, what right do they have to talk about the failure of the igbos of the east in the national politics since after the war

If they are wise, they would have known the whole igbo race suffered a fatal political injury when biafra fell in 1970, just like the igbos of the east suffered under the northern and yoruba gang up in the national set up, so did the igbos of the midwest suffer under the gang up of otherwise powerless minorities of the midwest, they had ganged up against them, their denial of themselves never saved them. The igbos of rivers started having their way when the ijaws were made a minority in rivers by carving them into bayelsa, a moved orchestrated by the igbos of the east,in Azikiwe and Ukiwe.

Afam4eva:
So, if you're asked to list Igbo songs, you'll list Flavour and Psquare's music. How low have our standards fallen. These songs are usually not more than 30% Igbo yhet you classify them as Igbo music. How much English did the likes of Osadebey and Oliver De Coque use in their songs? Our standards about what Igbo should be have taken a nose dive that any song that has "Bia" or "Chineke" in it is classified as an Igbo song.

agbotaen: 1. i am very happy i am not igbo but ika , and my ancestors never came under any igbo union , and that is how it will be for majority of ika people.
2. i am also happy that my ancestral or family names are bini names and not igbo names , and if you see any igbo names in our lineage it is a recent development , if you go way back it will land you in a benin name , however i am proudly ika and not bini or igbo.
3. igbos can continue to deceive themselves that ikas are part of igbo , but the fact is that ika people are not part of ohaneze ndigbo or any igbo ethnic organisation , and i think most igbos dont know the different between ika and aniocha or oshimili, .
4. ika intelligesia , kings and chiefs and population in their majority belong to ogua /onu ika , and that is our ethnic socio-cultural organisation .
5. this was quite evident during the civil war when ika in their majority declared they are not igbos and worked with the federal troops to expell biafrans from ika land.
6. although we still see some ika people in their minority around igbodo and ekwuoma who believe they are igbos and that is what formed their support for biafra in civil war period and they suffered lot of problems , but this two communities even totally make up a very small portion of ika people and they are not able to sway majority of ika people who believe they are ika and not igbo.
7. ika is ika and we make bold to say there is nothing like ika-ibo as many ignorant nigerians always say , especially amongst the igbos , as you are either ika or igbo , and there is nothing like hausa -fulani as you are either fulani or hausa .
8. closeness of language can show brotherliness or close relationship but it does not mean two ethnic groups that share close language are thesame such as -----------
1. bini and ishan have close language but they are different ethnic groups.
2. isoko and uhrobo share close language but they are different ethnic group.
3. itsekiri shares language with both yoruba and some aspect being benin , and they are a different ethnic group from yoruba or bini.
so that dismisses any body that want to talk about language similarity .
4. in 1930 isoko was submerged into uhrobo ethnic group and they later pulled away to reclaim their ethnicity as being isoko .
8. ika nation has never been subdued by any ethnicity for long as our fore fathers were always mindful of our unique nature and ethnicity as ika people.
9. coming to language our language is properly called ika , it is a hybrid between benin and igbo and so it is a unique language , although many people today speak incorrect ika and have come under the influence of some of our neighbours , but that is changing as ogua/onu ika has started writing books on ika language and they will start a department of ika language in college of education , agbor in 2016.but right now in delta radio and edo radio , ika news is being read , and they are now writing dictionary in ika language and our culture is being promoted .
10 , ika also has a language called ozara language spoken by some communities in ika land around agbor /ika south local govt. and they are bonafied ika people.
11. igbo is not the name created from heaven , it was a tribe name created with the influence of europeans , and ika has never been part of igbo nation in history , unless the one created by persons who do not know the history of ika people .
13. our language contains igbo words , just as it contains benin and ishan words too and that is what makes ika unique, our culture is heavily from edo , while we have other aspects from igbo , and ika has been descrtibed by historians as the land where west meets the east , that is where edo and igbo cultures meet .and we are proud of our tribe ika.
14. in this world there is freedom of association and the ikas have taken a critical look at nigeria , and we have seen that it is only the ika ethnicity that guarantess our continued existence and not being or joining igbo or benin or any other ethnicity .
15. since 1930 - our fathers declared to the british that ika is not part of any ethnic group in nigeria and on that great declaration , majority of ikas still stand and will continue to keep . our fathers were not foolish when they made such declaration , and for those who choose to be igbo , good luck to them , but for majority of ika people on ika ethnicity we stand