Shouldn't this be in the religion section? Not in the Politics section. . .

eku_bear:

Supplying guns for armed-robbers and kidnappers is a bit different (in both volume and quality requirements) than weapons to fight the Soviets, Taliban, Americans, in Kashmir, etc, no?

Not to mention. . . they've really found ways to reduce the costs there in Pakistan.

So in terms of money vs. quality, that'd probably be where I'd want to learn about gunsmithing (with all due respect to Aba.)

Having "sophisticated weapons" in war mean nothing when you have an entrenched enemy. Look at Vietnam. Americans had superior firepower, but they were up against an enemy who was fighting on behalf of their homeland. I rather choose valor than "weapon quality." A crude weapon can still provide terror for armies.

If people copy the design of the AK-47 which is not hard, this weapon is cheap to create and it is cost effective. The weapon has dealt damage to many armies who had superior firepower.

People must realize that this is not even an Igbo list. It is an Efik/Ibibio list.

eku_bear:

I wish when the British left, we'd also each had 3 separate armies too. This was the major mistake we made in the 50s and 60s. Awo tried to correct this, but failed. . . if we had not made this mistake, Nigeria would be a very, very different country today.

Your people did not pursue the military as vigorous as the Igbos and Yorubas. The Igbos found out early that whoever controlled the military would control Nigeria. Igbos had more officers in the military before the British told the Hausa to increase their numbers in the military.

Not only did we Igbos pursue military services, we also pursued education in which we realized that you Yorubas had a head start.

eku_bear:

There a cluster of villages in Pakistan that are renowned for their small-arms production. Check out this video for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDiwRFaJv-A

Dollars to donuts one of those villages produces more weapons than all of the East. Yet. . . somehow I don't think it'd be hard to take those villages, push come to shove.

Anyway, if you think you are ready. . . be my guest.

You do know small arms production is very common in Aba?  That is why the FG wanted to site a gun factory in Abia to tap into the gun making culture that is found in that area. You have whole communities dedicated to making guns.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200912110157.html

Aigbofa:

LOL

The result would have been more brutal than the civil war. This is because the ibos will now have two very powerful enemies on their back. Yorubas did not view the first coup as being directed at them. They just fought to keep Nigeria one, not toexact a revenge on ibos.

Yorubas were in the periphery during the 1st Republic. No one ever considered you all a threat. Sometimes I think you Yorubas can be your own enemies. Even though we Igbos do not have centralized leadership, you do not see us maiming each other in the names of politics. Political assignations is more common in the South-West than any other region in Nigeria.

Look at how easy it was for the North to use Akintola?

eku_bear:

^-- Toothless threats. W/o military strength, pretty much empty words. If you rise up, you'll face a war more devastated than that of the 1960s. But you are even less prepared now than before.

Do you know the East is more awashed in weapons than any region in Nigeria besides the North? Who do you think supplies the Ijaws and other militant groups with weapons? If you knew Nigeria, you would know that the weapon dealers coming primarily from one group. And we have the production capabilities. Aba and Onitsha are the manufacturing capitals of the region.

^^^

You of all people should know nothing remains static. Things change within a society. The populations of the East are restless again, with the Ogoni and Ijaws representing this new way of dealing with Nigeria.

The only people keeping the Igbos from rising up are my parent's generation. They know the effects of war and tell their children not to rise. It is the failure of the previous generation that continues to keep the Igbos in shackles of our making.

Let us take a look at Balewa's Administration:

Balewa's Ministers
OFFICE                                         NAME                           TERM
Prime Minister                    Abubakar Tafawa Balewa       1957–1966
Foreign Affairs                       Jaja Wachuku           1961–1965
Transportation                      Raymond Njoku        1957–1960
Education                              Aja Nwachukwu         1957–1960
Commerce                         K. O. Mbadiwe        1957–1960
Communications                 Samuel Ladoke Akintola     1957–1960
Finance                                   Festus Okotie-Eboh      1957–1960
Internal Affairs                            J. M. Johnson                     1957–1960
Information                         Kola Balogun                     1957–1960
Health                                      Ayo Rosiji                    1957–1960
Labor , ,
Mines                                    Muhammadu Ribadu     1957–1960

[img]http://www.aug.edu/~artpxh/Class%20files/HUMN2002/IgboArt/IgboWebImages/4IkengaNorthcentral.jpg[/img]

Ikenga, 76.1 cm

Men’s Art:  Images of Status and Power

An Ikenga figure usually belongs to an individual man, although a village could have an Ikenga, and in a few cases, a woman could have one.  Achebe’s protagonist Okonkwo has a “personal god”, and this is surely his ikenga.  An ikenga combines the concepts of the man’s chi (which is a combination of personal power and fate), his ancestors, and the power of his right hand.  Young men acquire Ikengas at various ages.  A man could start with a simple Ikenga and get a more complex and elaborate one later in life.  If a man takes a title, he may order a new (more expensive, more impressive) Ikenga for the occasion.

Many Ikengas take the form of a human figure with horns on its head (although there are other types, such as disc-shaped Ikengas). Here are examples of simple horned ikengas:

The horns are often thought of as rams’ horns.  Sometimes the two horns look more like the two eagle feathers sometimes worn on the heads of titled men.  The horns symbolize manly strength and respect.

This ikenga clearly represents the horns as rams’ horns:

The strength of the man’s right hand is also emphasized.

This is an elaborate ikenga:

The horns appear as rams’ horns, and the figure carries a weapon in the right hand. The left hand holds a curved trumpet. In real life, a titled man would hold a trumpet made from an elephant’s tusk. The figures in the headdress on top of the head of the ikenga contain small heads wearing pith helmets, which would represent an influence from the British.




Painted wooden figures (ikenga), Igbo People, Nigeria

[img]http://www.aug.edu/~artpxh/Class%20files/HUMN2002/IgboArt/IgboWebImages/36OgbodoEnyiLittleFigure70c.jpg[/img]

Mask, Ogbodo Enyi (elephant spirit), wood and pigment, 70.2 cm

Aigbofa:

Like ibos have ever done anything remotely similar to that in their entire history.

Can you substantiate your claim?

~Bluetooth:

compare the campaign of both countries and tell me who is more treacherous ? Iraqi,vietnamese,afghan and gulf wars by america are there for you to ponder on.

Three of the four conflicts that you mentioned were due to British imperialism. The U.S. appears to be helping the British clean up the mess that they left the world. All these regions except Vietnam, were all part of the British Colonial Empire. Maybe you should ponder that.

henry101:

I can seize power today and lock up all yoruba generals and have the Ooni of Ife saying is the will of God.

That was harsh my friend. Very harsh, but it is the truth.

Aigbofa:

Nzeribe supplying weapons to Nigeria to decimate Biafran forces.

I never come across any evidence that would support your accusation about Nzeribe selling arms to the Nigerian military. If you can provide this "evidence," then do so, but if you cannot, I will advise you to not talk about things you do not know.

Aigbofa:

I can seize power in Nigeria today, start harassing ibos and still get very prominent ibos to sing my praises.

Can you give us any examples in Nigerian history that would allow you to come to this conclusion?

Mask, Igbo; Nigeria
Wood, iron, pigments; H. 16 1/4"

This large and grotesque mask, displaying obvious aggressive attributes, fits within the category of masks referred to as Mgbedike. Masks such as this express concepts of strength, violence, and bravery. However, it cannot be ruled out that this mask may be of the type known as Ojionu (Cole & Aniakor, 1984.131). The impact of this mask would have been even greater were the traditional costume still intact–a large, shaggy tunic with numerous accoutrements. To the Igbo who created and danced with it, this mask represents the embodiment of bravery and potency.

texazzpete:

Unfortunate for you guys that they didn't 'tremble and fall' during the civil war, eh?

With your European masters support, how could you fall? But the remains it took over 2 years to defeat a "rebel" force. Even with the support of the West and superior equipment.

Keep in mind Biafra was not defeated in battle. It was starved. One of the oldest ploys used by armies if they cannot defeat an army in the field of battle.

However, people with a strong sense of integrity, will try to defeat their opponent in the field of battle. Not to use such a weak and cowardly tool.

The Igbo were truly defeated. In order to defeat the Igbo, you have to destroy us utterly. There is no middle way with my people. That is why we are here with our head's held high and just buying time.

Chyz*:

Not good enough by whose terms,lol? You people are always trying to compete with us Igbos.Funny. What I stated was facts not nonsense like your brother typed up there.

Igbos and the hen comparison is quite foolish. For the most part, Igbos after the defeat of Biafra have looked to the economy and not politics. Our region is not being exploited like other regions in Nigeria are. Our oil has not been tapped into, the coal minds of Enugu has been left dormant. The list is endless.

As most people have commented, it would be quite foolish to use such a simplistic analogy of George Orwell's Animal Farm to compare it with Nigeria.

~Bluetooth:

Compare the british hegemony with American imperialism and you would see what I mean.
The british used christainity as part of their campaign and that shows the influence of religion over the so called liberal campaign of the Americans;many people had to succumb and resist confrontation with the british because of religion.

The British annihilated countless peoples and cultures. American imperialism which is a recent phenomenon has not done such. You really need to study history. Sometimes the British used religion to conquer other lands, sometimes they used treachery like they did in the Indian subcontinent, and sometimes they used brute force as they dealt with the Zulus, Asante Confederacy, Aro Confederacy etc.

Ceramic altar for the new yam harvest festival


Igbo, probably late 19th century AD
From Nigeria

Around the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the Igbo people of southern Nigeria made clay altars or shrines with a number of figures. The main crop of the Igbo was yam, and these altars were used at the new yam harvest festival to help produce good harvests and to emphasize the importance of the family in Igbo society.

This example consists of a central male chief holding a drinking-horn in his left hand and a fan in his right, both signs of his status. Either side of him are two pregnant women, probably his wives, with elaborate hairstyles and scarification, and holding fans. Seated in front is a servant or child with a fowl, possibly a sacrifice for the yam deity, Ifejioku.

In this region, as in most of sub-Saharan Africa, the potters are women. Normally only men are permitted to make representational and naturalistic figures. However, the creator of this piece was probably a post-menopausal woman who was perceived by society as having relinquished her female status.

T. Phillips (ed.), Africa, the art of a continent (London, Royal Academy, 1995)

Wooden complex

Igbo, 20th century AD
From Nigeria

This carved, wooden complex consists of many images of power, such as horsemen, imported goods, military insignia, Europeans, rifles, wild beasts and masqueraders painted in white with black markings on the face. Such structures act as rallying points for public displays of dancing by different social groups. The images are carved separately and then pieced together on a central wooden armature.

The Igbo people also produce community shrines to honour and respect spirits which are represented by carved, standing figures of up to five feet high. Frequent offerings are made to ensure goodwill and the figures are decorated for annual festivals. The figures are placed in a public place with a roof to protect them.

The Igbo peoples are the largest ethnic group in south-eastern Nigeria. They set great store by personal success and achievement. Their villages and towns are headed by chiefs whose authority is organised via clans, local councils, men's societies, age-grades and associations who confer titles to designate social prestige and status. One institution, Ozo, utilise various objects to symbolize wealth, generosity, strength, intellect and moral integrity. The compound of a member of the Ozo institution has decorated doorways to indicate his membership and an obi, a shrine devoted to the ancestors of the head of the compound. Images carved into the portals include the Ozo staff, kola nut tray, knife and python and abstract motifs such as a lozenge and star. The lozenge represents the kola nut bowl, a symbol of hospitality and the star represents the head of the kola nut, a symbol of the ritual and social value of the kola.

H.M. Cole, Icons: ideals and power in the (Washington, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989)

J. Perani and F.T. Smith, The visual arts of Africa: gen (Prentic Hall, New Jersey, 1998)

[img]http://2.bp..com/--h5KMP2WqMQ/TWAwQGUzw3I/AAAAAAAAAPw/3UQt8De5ha0/s400/Igbo%2Bukwu.jpg[/img]

Ritual Calabash

Bronze, Brass/copper attachments, 9th century AD, Dia. 30.5 cm., National Museum, Lagos.

[img]http://www.diomedia.com/fpx-war/img/Illustration-of-fully-dressed-corpse-seated-on-stool-wearing-copper-crown-with-elephant-tusks-on-ground-in-Igbo-Ukwu-burial-chamber?s=01ABNN2G&w=4431&h=3785&ds=400&q=0.8&t=www.diomedia.com-t01ABNN2G-n26+Jan+2011-n-cIndigo+Blue&tp=b&tf=Arial&f=j&b=0.25&as=maskaold.tif&a=0.5&at=p[/img]

Illustration of fully dressed corpse seated on stool wearing copper crown with elephant tusks on ground in Igbo-Ukwu burial chamber

Nri Kingdom (Igbo)

The city of Nri is considered to be the foundation of Igbo culture. Nri and Aguleri, where the Igbo creation myth originates, are in the territory of the Umueri clan, who trace their lineages back to the patriarchal king-figure, Eri. Eri's origins are unclear, though he has been described as a "sky being" sent by Chukwu (God). He has been characterized as having first given societal order to the people of Anambra.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Nri hegemony in Igboland may go back as far as the 9th century, and royal burials have been unearthed dating to at least the 10th century. Eri, the god-like founder of Nri, is believed to have settled in the region around 948 with other related Igbo cultures following after in the 13th century. The first Eze Nri (King of Nri), Ìfikuánim, followed directly after him. According to Igbo oral tradition, his reign started in 1043. At least one historian puts Ìfikuánim's reign much later, around 1225 AD.

“Each king traces his origin back to the founding ancestor, Eri. Each king is a ritual reproduction of Eri. The initiation rite of a new king shows that the ritual process of becoming Ezenri (Nri priest-king) follows closely the path traced by the hero in establishing the Nri kingdom."
- E. Elochukwu Uzukwu[

“Nri and Aguleri and part of the Umueri clan, a cluster of Igbo village groups which traces its origins to a sky being called Eri, and, significantly, includes (from the viewpoint of its Igbo members) the neighbouring kingdom of Igala."
- Elizabeth Allo Isichei

The Kingdom of Nri was a religio-polity, a sort of theocratic state, that developed in the central heartland of the Igbo region.The Nri had a taboo symbolic code with six types. These included human (such as the birth of twins), animal (such as killing or eating of pythons), object, temporal, behavioral, speech and place taboos. The rules regarding these taboos were used to educate and govern Nri's subjects. This meant that, while certain Igbos may have lived under different formal administration, all followers of the Igbo religion had to abide by the rules of the faith and obey its representative on earth, the Eze Nri.

Leaded bronze ceremonial object from Igbo Ukwu

Bowl on a Stand; 9–10th century
Presumed from Igbo Isaiah, Igbo-Ukwu
Leaded bronze; H. 8 in. (20.3 cm)

Source: Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century) | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Roped Pot on a Stand; 9–10th century
From Igbo Isaiah, Igbo-Ukwu
Leaded bronze; H.12 11/16 in. (32.3 cm)

Source: Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century) | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century)

It is possible that the inhabitants of Igbo-Ukwu had a metalworking art that flourished as early as the ninth century. Three sites have been excavated, revealing hundreds of ritual vessels and regalia castings of bronze or leaded bronze that are among the most inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made. The people of Igbo-Ukwu, ancestors of present-day Igbo, were the earliest smithers of copper and its alloys in West Africa, working the metal through hammering, bending, twisting, and incising. They are likely among the earliest groups of West Africans to employ the lost-wax casting techniques in the production of bronze sculptures. Oddly, evidence suggests that their metalworking repertory was limited and Igbo smiths were not familiar with techniques such as raising, soldering, riveting, and wire making, though these techniques were used elsewhere on the continent.

Regardless, the talent of these casters was truly astonishing. Many of the castings were made in stages. For instance, in one bronze bowl set on a flat stand found at Igbo-Ukwu, small decorative items including insects and spirals were cast first and placed in the wax model before the main parts of the bowl were made. The vessel itself was then cast in two parts and fitted together by casting a middle band. In addition to a variety of ritual vessels (whose designs appear to reproduce the form of gourd vessels to which metal handles have been attached), many other bronze items have been found at Igbo-Ukwu, including pendants, crowns and breastplates, staff ornaments, swords, and fly-whisk handles. These works were also found with tens of thousands of beads, attained through trade for slaves, ivory, or spices. Igbo-Ukwu bronzeworking was an isolated phenomenon at the time, but bronze casting developed several centuries later in other parts of Nigeria.


Source: Igbo-Ukwu (ca. 9th century) | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

It would be nice to bring this thread back due to recent events.