I noticed that many places in Rivers State, especially Port Harcourt have names like Rumu this, Rumu that e.g.
Rumuokoro
Rumueme,
Rumuji
My question: what is the meaning of 'Rumu '
and please can someone help translate some of those names?
Thanks.

Ups for Nairaland. I was already wondering how to get the meaning of the above until I remember the melting pot called Nairaland.

#waitingforanswers.

Rumu is a dialect modified form of the Igbo word Umu which means land or family of so and so.
For instance, Rumuokoro means Family/land of Okoro

Rumuigbo, Rumuola...

hmm
I guessed so, but was not sure.
Thanks a lot ITBomb

praises16:
I noticed that many places in Rivers State, especially Port Harcourt have names like Rumu this, Rumu that e.g.
Rumuokoro
Rumueme,
Rumuji
My question: what is the meaning of 'Rumu '
and please can someone help translate some of those names?
Thanks.

Ups for Nairaland. I was already wondering how to get the meaning of the above until I remember the melting pot called Nairaland.

#waitingforanswers.

Remove the prefix ''rumu'' and the rest is just an individual name.

Rumu means ''sons and daugthers'' or descendants.

Eg rumuokolo implies sons and daugthers of Okolo or descendants of Okolo.

That's Ikwerre for 'umu' i.e. children or descendants. Some Ikwerre dialects say 'omu' i.e. Omuokiri village in Aluu community.

nke001:



Remove the prefix ''rumu'' and the rest is just an individual name.

Rumu means ''sons and daugthers'' or descendants.

Eg rumuokolo implies sons and daugthers of Okolo or descendants of Okolo.

Correct

bigfrancis21:
That's Ikwerre for 'umu' i.e. children or descendants. Some Ikwerre dialects say 'omu' i.e. Omuokiri village in Aluu community.

for real?
Why then does it look like Port Harcourt people are not Ibo. Where. exactly do they belong to?
Or rather who are the people in Rivers?

praises16:


for real?
Why then does it look like Port Harcourt people are not Ibo. Where. exactly do they belong to?
Or rather who are the people in Rivers?

Rivers pipo r nt igbo, ikwerre dialect jus v som similarities wit igbo, umo n rumu rnt dsame,

derrick333:

Rivers pipo r nt igbo, ikwerre dialect jus v som similarities wit igbo, umo n rumu rnt dsame,

You are wrong. Ikwerre are descendants of Bini people who were ashamed of the Bini language and culture of their ancestors, that they dumped their original Bini language and tried to copy the Igbo language,but ended up with a badly corrupted version of the Igbo language,which they now call "Ikwerre language". This is the Ikwerre history, according to RElechi RAMADI and his co travellers.

*grins*

praises16:


for real?
Why then does it look like Port Harcourt people are not Ibo. Where. exactly do they belong to?
Or rather who are the people in Rivers?

Linguistically and technically, the Ikwerre people and Igbo-speaking people of Rivers state belong to the continuum of Igo dialect clusters. The anti-Igbo sentiments in Rivers state mostly started after the civil war. Before the civil war, they had no problem accepting they were Igbo. The history is a long one. And before the war, those places with 'rumu' were formerly 'umu'. i.e. umueme, umu igbo (this name alone is quite evident and proves that they are indeed an Igbo group, which was later changed to Rumuigbo. Even the pronunciation of RumuIgbo now is quite different.), Umuola, etc.

The solution to the Igbo identity crisis of Rivers state is quite an easy one. I have proferred this solution before. Tracing back to the beginning of the Igbo denial was the very creation of Rivers state. The creation of Rivers state, the exclusion of the respective Igbo groups from the southeast region (Imo and Abia) and the inclusion of these very groups in the newly-created state, and location of the state in Niger Delta - and not in South East served as a catalyst and a basis for the people who found themselves in that state and region to deny their Igboness. The funny thing is if you ask any of them, who speak fluent Igbo as you but claim they aren't Igbo, why they think they are not Igbo, their response most times is always is, 'I'm not from the south east'. They would hardly give you any reason other than that. These people equate geographical location to tribe. They latch on to 'Rivers state' for their identity. In other words, their very identity hinges on the geographical entity of Rivers state which they find themselves in. State borders are artificial things which don't define a tribe or language, and can be readjusted. Reverse the conditions that served as the perfect catalyst to the Igbo denial issue and you tackle the problem. Take out these borders and you break the very artifical identity they hang on to as their real identity. Border or state readjustment solves the problem. Meaning that if you give them new state identities, they are most likely to latch on to their new identity. Specifically, adjust Abia state borders to include Obigbo (Oyigbo), Ndoki areas etc., Imo state to include Egbema, Etche, Ikwerre areas, Anambra state to include the Ndoni area. This way, new identities are reformed, and everyone blends in to conform to their new state and identity.

bigfrancis21:


Linguistically and technically, the Ikwerre people and Igbo-speaking people of Rivers state belong to the continuum of Igo dialect clusters. The anti-Igbo sentiments in Rivers state mostly started after the civil war. Before the civil war, they had no problem accepting they were Igbo. The history is a long one. And before the war, those places with 'rumu' were formerly 'umu'. i.e. umueme, umu igbo (this name alone is quite evident and proves that they are indeed an Igbo group, which was later changed to Rumuigbo. Even the pronunciation of RumuIgbo now is quite different.), Umuola, etc.

The solution to the Igbo identity crisis of Rivers state is quite an easy one. I have proferred this solution before. Tracing back to the beginning of the Igbo denial was the very creation of Rivers state. The creation of Rivers state, the exclusion of the respective Igbo groups from the southeast region (Imo and Abia) and the inclusion of these very groups in the newly-created state, and location of the state in Niger Delta - and not in South East served as a catalyst and a basis for the people who found themselves in that state and region to deny their Igboness. The funny thing is if you ask any of them, who speak fluent Igbo as you but claim they aren't Igbo, why they think they are not Igbo, their response most times is always is, 'I'm not from the south east'. They would hardly give you any reason other than that. These people equate geographical location to tribe. They latch on to 'Rivers state' for their identity. In other words, their very identity hinges on the geographical entity of Rivers state which they find themselves in. State borders are artificial things which don't define a tribe or language, and can be readjusted. Reverse the conditions that served as the perfect catalyst to the Igbo denial issue and you tackle the problem. Take out these borders and you break the very artifical identity they hang on to as their real identity. Border or state readjustment solves the problem. Meaning that if you give them new state identities, they are most likely to latch on to their new identity. Specifically, adjust Abia state borders to include Obigbo (Oyigbo), Ndoki areas etc., Imo state to include Egbema, Etche, Ikwerre areas, Anambra state to include the Ndoni area. This way, new identities are reformed, and everyone blends in to conform to their new state and identity.

In simple summary, merge all Igbo communities into one region, and the identity crisis will stop.

Sho?

bigfrancis21:


Linguistically and technically, the Ikwerre people and Igbo-speaking people of Rivers state belong to the continuum of Igo dialect clusters. The anti-Igbo sentiments in Rivers state mostly started after the civil war. Before the civil war, they had no problem accepting they were Igbo. The history is a long one. And before the war, those places with 'rumu' were formerly 'umu'. i.e. umueme, umu igbo (this name alone is quite evident and proves that they are indeed an Igbo group, which was later changed to Rumuigbo. Even the pronunciation of RumuIgbo now is quite different.), Umuola, etc.

The solution to the Igbo identity crisis of Rivers state is quite an easy one. I have proferred this solution before. Tracing back to the beginning of the Igbo denial was the very creation of Rivers state. The creation of Rivers state, the exclusion of the respective Igbo groups from the southeast region (Imo and Abia) and the inclusion of these very groups in the newly-created state, and location of the state in Niger Delta - and not in South East served as a catalyst and a basis for the people who found themselves in that state and region to deny their Igboness. The funny thing is if you ask any of them, who speak fluent Igbo as you but claim they aren't Igbo, why they think they are not Igbo, their response most times is always is, 'I'm not from the south east'. They would hardly give you any reason other than that. These people equate geographical location to tribe. They latch on to 'Rivers state' for their identity. In other words, their very identity hinges on the geographical entity of Rivers state which they find themselves in. State borders are artificial things which don't define a tribe or language, and can be readjusted. Reverse the conditions that served as the perfect catalyst to the Igbo denial issue and you tackle the problem. Take out these borders and you break the very artifical identity they hang on to as their real identity. Border or state readjustment solves the problem. Meaning that if you give them new state identities, they are most likely to latch on to their new identity. Specifically, adjust Abia state borders to include Obigbo (Oyigbo), Ndoki areas etc., Imo state to include Egbema, Etche, Ikwerre areas, Anambra state to include the Ndoni area. This way, new identities are reformed, and everyone blends in to conform to their new state and identity.

You made a simplistic analysis and profered a simplistic solution. Do you know that many of those Igbo groups shared social affirnity with other non-Igbo Rivers groups long before politics of ethnicity cropped up. Europeans caused the whole ethnic crisis by using their own standard to measure and conclude our ethnic classifications. Many Africans cared little about collective large group as an identity even when they spoke similar languages but because Europeans already developed ethnic based countries like England, Deutshrland, Scotland etc. they felt they should do it in Africa.

I wish all Igbo speaking people could unite and form a country called Igboland but ethnic reality makes such country difficult.

Abagworo:


You made a simplistic analysis and profered a simplistic solution. Do you know that many of those Igbo groups shared social affirnity with other non-Igbo Rivers groups long before politics of ethnicity cropped up. Europeans caused the whole ethnic crisis by using their own standard to measure and conclude our ethnic classifications. Many Africans cared little about collective large group as an identity even when they spoke similar languages but because Europeans already developed ethnic based countries like England, Deutshrland, Scotland etc. they felt they should do it in Africa.

I wish all Igbo speaking people could unite and form a country called Igboland but ethnic reality makes such country difficult.

Taa! Parkia one side, didn't the Nsukka people share social affinity with the Igalas, didn't the Ezza/Izzi groups share the same with Idomas, didn't the Aros do the same with The Ibibios? What exactly are you driving at?


The only reason why peeps in Rivers are suffering from identity crisis is crude oil, once the crude oil dries up or loses it's value,they would come back to their senses.

Abagworo:


You made a simplistic analysis and profered a simplistic solution. Do you know that many of those Igbo groups shared social affirnity with other non-Igbo Rivers groups long before politics of ethnicity cropped up. Europeans caused the whole ethnic crisis by using their own standard to measure and conclude our ethnic classifications. Many Africans cared little about collective large group as an identity even when they spoke similar languages but because Europeans already developed ethnic based countries like England, Deutshrland, Scotland etc. they felt they should do it in Africa.

I wish all Igbo speaking people could unite and form a country called Igboland but ethnic reality makes such country difficult.

Abagworo, u made a good point.

That said, it would do so much good to educate your fellow Igbos that on the face value, it seems Ikwerre language is similar to the igbo language but its alot different as u speak.

You Igbos should give these arguements a break, its quite stale.

pazienza:


You are wrong. Ikwerre are descendants of Bini people who were ashamed of the Bini language and culture of their ancestors, that they dumped their original Bini language and tried to copy the Igbo language,but ended up with a badly corrupted version of the Igbo language,which they now call "Ikwerre language". This is the Ikwerre history, according to RElechi RAMADI and his co travellers.

*grins*

Very dry sarcasm..quite frankly, that was quite poor.

It would help ur pitiable life if you learn to respect the history of a people as told by them.

We dnt know your history and we also do not care to know.The reason is simple, you mean nothing to us, we dont care if you exist, we have better things to do with our time.

Trying desperately to wed Ikwerre with Igbo is a very futile mission..i suggest you channel your energies to issues that would be of greater benefit to ur life, cos this will be the cause of health failure via high BP.

Ikwerres will be drinking our Oil and developing our towns and cities while u rot away slowly.

HopeAtHand:


Very dry sarcasm..quite frankly, that was quite poor.

It would help ur pitiable life if you learn to respect the history of a people as told by them.

We dnt know your history and we also do not care to know.The reason is simple, you mean nothing to us, we dont care if you exist, we have better things to do with our time.

Trying desperately to wed Ikwerre with Igbo is a very futile mission..i suggest you channel your energies to issues that would be of greater benefit to ur life, cos this will be the cause of health failure via high BP.

Ikwerres will be drinking our Oil and developing our towns and cities while u rot away slowly.

Ikwerre is not indispensable to the development of the rest of Igboland, no one is interested in wedding you *grins*, you bring nothing we don't already have to the table.
But we still recognize how pleasant and beautiful it would be, for brothers to dwell together in unity, hence why we won't give up on you lots.

Hope you saw how well Enugu is faring without oil, the greatest resource to mankind, is valuable human resources, and this is what Ndiigbo have in abundance. Human resources is what drives real sustainable development of a nation,and not mineral resources, for it would take human resources to discover mineral resources.


Your history as told by Relechi Ramadi, is a joke,and defies all known human logic and rational thinking, don't feel bad if i use it for fun.

Rational Ikwerre people like Uche Okwukwu know that Ikwerre post 1970 history as constructed by Relechi Ramadi and his co travellers is a joke.

www.google.com/m?q=Uche+Okwukwu+and+seikibo&client=ms-opera-mini&channel=new

Above is Uche Okwukwu a rational human being of Ikwerre extraction, making real fun of Relechi Ramadi post 1970 cooked up Ikwerre history. Read the ending part of that article.

It's because of people like him,that i try as much as possible not to denigrate the Ikwerres.www.thetidenewsonline.com/2011/09/14/‘i-gave-the-last-n4-4m-acn-fund-to-dr-sekibo’/

Abagworo:


You made a simplistic analysis and profered a simplistic solution. Do you know that many of those Igbo groups shared social affirnity with other non-Igbo Rivers groups long before politics of ethnicity cropped up. Europeans caused the whole ethnic crisis by using their own standard to measure and conclude our ethnic classifications. Many Africans cared little about collective large group as an identity even when they spoke similar languages but because Europeans already developed ethnic based countries like England, Deutshrland, Scotland etc. they felt they should do it in Africa.

I wish all Igbo speaking people could unite and form a country called Igboland but ethnic reality makes such country difficult.

It has nothing to do with the Europeans, Igbos created the discrepancies by attempting to force other similar group to identify themselves as Igbo and then turn around to classify them as lesser Igbo.

There are many groups in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo and Rivers State who would crave an independent status than be called second class Igbo.
Remember one of the reasons that led to the loss of Calabar during the Biafran war was the arrogant of Igbos in renaming the port town as New Onitsha and started renaming the streets and subjecting the locals to second class status (just months after claiming the town, imagine! ) . The Calabar people saw that they would be second class citizens in the Igbo's Biafra Republic and started to give intelligence to the Nigerian Army who quickly retook the town.

A typical Igbo man in power is considered by their southern kins as oppressive and manipulative and are held in high suspicion

pazienza:
www.google.com/m?q=Uche+Okwukwu+and+seikibo&client=ms-opera-mini&channel=new

Above is Uche Okwukwu a rational human being of Ikwerre extraction, making real fun of Relechi Ramadi post 1970 cooked up Ikwerre history. Read the ending part of that article.

It's because of people like him,that i try as much as possible not to denigrate the Ikwerres.www.thetidenewsonline.com/2011/09/14/‘i-gave-the-last-n4-4m-acn-fund-to-dr-sekibo’/

Uche Okwukwu can only talk for himself..his opinion is not regarded as final.

Igbos are making it in all spheres of life, good for them.Why cant they realise that Ikwerres arent a part of them..Normally, the Ikwerres should be the ones breaking their necks to be called Igbos due to the excellence and admiration of Igbos worldover as claimed by u.But the consistent decision by Igbos to tag Ikwerres along at any given opportunity is both abnormal and sinister.

We grew up knowing ourselves to be Ikwerres as told by our parents, and also knowing our neighbouring tribes by the names which they identify themselves.This is how it is.Igbos should learn to live with it.Living with it doesn't only portray Igbos as a people who have respect for their neighbours but also as a people who are confident, self-respecting and worthy of Admiration.I dnt want to get offended this sunday afternoon, i just came bck from Church.

Please, you can kindly pass the message across at the next Ohaneze Ndigbo meeting..Tanx

ITbomb:

It has nothing to do with the Europeans, Igbos created the discrepancies by attempting to force other similar group to identify themselves as Igbo and then turn around to classify them as lesser Igbo.

There are many groups in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo and Rivers State who would crave an independent status than be called second class Igbo.
Remember one of the reasons that led to the loss of Calabar during the Biafran war was the arrogant of Igbos in renaming the port town as New Onitsha and started renaming the streets and subjecting the locals to second class status (just months after claiming the town, imagine! ) . The Calabar people saw that they would be second class citizens in the Igbo's Biafra Republic and started to give intelligence to the Nigerian Army who quickly retook the town.

A typical Igbo man in power is considered by their southern kins as oppressive and manipulative and are held in high suspicion

Excellent post.

You dnt want to hear the atrocities (both physical and mental) committed against the Ikwerres by Igbos during that very brief period.

Igbos should count themselves lucky that those Ikwerres that hate them with passion are yet to enter govt house in Port Harcourt..

They are now brothers and Angels to Ikwerres in the larger Nigerian house but devils in Republic of Biafra.

Like 50Cents versed, 'forget your enemies and think of what your friends will do'

ITbomb:

.
Remember one of the reasons that led to the loss of Calabar during the Biafran war was the arrogant of Igbos in renaming the port town as New Onitsha and started renaming the streets and subjecting the locals to second class status (just months after claiming the town, imagine! ) .

Interesting bit of information. Source, perhaps?

HopeAtHand:


Uche Okwukwu can only talk for himself..his opinion is not regarded as final.

Igbos are making it in all spheres of life, good for them.Why cant they realise that Ikwerres arent a part of them..Normally, the Ikwerres should be the ones breaking their necks to be called Igbos due to the excellence and admiration of Igbos worldover as claimed by u.But the consistent decision by Igbos to tag Ikwerres along at any given opportunity is both abnormal and sinister.

We grew up knowing ourselves to be Ikwerres as told by our parents, and also knowing our neighbouring tribes by the names which they identify themselves.This is how it is.Igbos should learn to live with it.Living with it doesn't only portray Igbos as a people who have respect for their neighbours but also as a people who are confident, self-respecting and worthy of Admiration.I dnt want to get offended this sunday afternoon, i just came bck from Church.

Please, you can kindly pass the message across at the next Ohaneze Ndigbo meeting..Tanx

You speak for yourself and not for all Ikwerres. No Igbo person is forcing you to be Igbo, the average Igbo man is too busy to even notice.

It's Uche Okwukwu and other proud Igbo people like Emmanuel Aguma that willingly identify with Ndiigbo, you are not wiser or more Ikwerre than them.

You are entitled to being whatever you want,but you have no right to speak for the rest of Ikwerre people by using pronouns like 'we', you would do well to learn to use 'i' when you go on your identity crisis trip.


Thank you.

ITbomb:

It has nothing to do with the Europeans, Igbos created the discrepancies by attempting to force other similar group to identify themselves as Igbo and then turn around to classify them as lesser Igbo.

There are many groups in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo and Rivers State who would crave an independent status than be called second class Igbo.
Remember one of the reasons that led to the loss of Calabar during the Biafran war was the arrogant of Igbos in renaming the port town as New Onitsha and started renaming the streets and subjecting the locals to second class status (just months after claiming the town, imagine! ) . The Calabar people saw that they would be second class citizens in the Igbo's Biafra Republic and started to give intelligence to the Nigerian Army who quickly retook the town.

A typical Igbo man in power is considered by their southern kins as oppressive and manipulative and are held in high suspicion

Who are these "Igbos" that created the so called discrepancies you speak of? The Nkanus, the Idemilis,the Ezza? The Izzi,the Ikwo,the Ngwa, the Aros? the Ogutas? The Enuani? Who exactly.

I hate when people bump into what they do not know,if not because i knew you well here,i would have gone rough on you.

No group goes by the name Igbo in Igboland,Igbo is a conglomerate of tribes that speak mutually intelligible dialects.


Throughout the history of Igbo nation, there is yet to be a colossal political figure of Igbo nation of Idemili extraction. Nzemiro was an Oguta man that reigned over PH,instead of the Ikwerres to talk about Oguta domination, seeing as Oguta is linguistically and culturally closer to Ikwerre than Idemili, they chose to speak of "Igbo" domination, thereby conviniently linking a far away Idemili man with the sins of an Oguta man, and created an Us vs they scenario,where everyother Igbo speaking tribe bar Ikwerre automatically becomes guilty of the sins of any Igbo man that is not exactly close to him culturally and geographically, does that seem fair to you?

Igbos renamed Calabar to New Onitsha? Brother,you are an educated man, it would be a shame to see you peddling market women, Agbero park people, and beer parlour gossips, you are better than that.

I hope you know that Biafra was officially divided into provinces, with Calabar province being the official name of one of them? Apart from beer parlour and market women gossips in Calabar,where exactly is the evidence of renaming of Calabar to new Onitsha? Does that even make sense to you,that Ndiigbo would seek to rename Calabar, nawa for you o!

www.kwenu.com/biafra/biafra.htm

Above is the list of the provinces of Biafra and their administrators.

Prof. Eyo Bassey Ndem was the administrator of Calabar province. Where exactly is the New Onitsha province there, gosh! You must think that prof Eyo Bassey was a fool that he would accept the renaming of Calabar!


The lies against Ndiigbo in this country is just too much, but i would never get tired of debunking them.

Radoillo:


Interesting bit of information. Source, perhaps?

"quote "
During the war, Biafran Troops began a systematic arrest, detention and sometimes elimination of prominent people in what is today Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. the Igbo stated that they will deal with us after the war as a husband deals with his wife. Many a wise person gave them the benefit of the doubt because war time propaganda was rampant at the time. We heard that our cities had been given new names to take effect at successful conclusion of the war. For example, Calabar was to become New Onitsha. Are these the type of utterances that would endear a population to a cause?

Rumor confirmed as truth

Thirty-one years after the war, none other than the former leader of Biafra, the Ikemba Nnewi, repeated the husband/wife statement in an interview regarding the relationship between the Igbo and Akwa Ibom people. It was then that those who had believed the original "rumor" turned around to tell those of us who were skeptical during the war, "we told you so". It was then easy to believe that had Biafra succeeded, there would be no Calabar today but New Onitsha. Will any Igbo person tell me that if the situation was reversed and Onitsha was to be renamed New Calabar after the war, they would have given 100% support to the effort to eradicate their culture? Be honest to yourself!

I can state with 98% certainty that there are no "abandoned property" issues in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The Igbo came back and reclaimed their properties or sold such after the war. Yet, today as can be gleaned from the Message Boards of several web sites, you will find Igbo people who wish the Atlantic Ocean to claim the land of the minorities so they would be forced to seek shelter in Igbo land. You will find Igbo people who plan to march into the Delta and drive the inhabitants to the sea because they believe we will not fight for our land. if they succeeded to push us into the ocean, we would become Mammywaters.

"unquote "

More
http://messageboard.biafranigeriaworld.com/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/1/t/000028/p/2.html

"A typical Igbo man in power is considered by their southern kins as oppressive and manipulative and are help in high suspicion".


Yea, it was the oppressive Igbo man named Obj that massacred them Ijaw people in Odi, the same Manipulative Igbo man named Obj, held in high regard by the Efiks, gave away Bakassi to Cameroun without firing a single shot.

It was the oppressive Igbo man named Abacha that killed Saro wiwa, the oppressive Igbo leaders shared the oil blocs of Niger delta amongst themselves after the war.


Okpara and Zik are the hausa and Yoruba men that brought development to all parts of the defunct Eastern region.


Guy, i just lost all the respect i use to have for you, you have proved by this your comment to be even more Igbophobic than Awolowo.

pazienza:

Guy, i just lost all the respect i use to have for you, you have proved by this your comment to be even more Igbophobic than Awolowo.

Sorry to hear that but I can afford to live without it as long as no land of the South South communities is annexed by the Biafrans cos we will fight to defend it with our blood

ITbomb:


"quote "
During the war, Biafran Troops began a systematic arrest, detention and sometimes elimination of prominent people in what is today Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. the Igbo stated that they will deal with us after the war as a husband deals with his wife. Many a wise person gave them the benefit of the doubt because war time propaganda was rampant at the time. We heard that our cities had been given new names to take effect at successful conclusion of the war. For example, Calabar was to become New Onitsha. Are these the type of utterances that would endear a population to a cause?

Rumor confirmed as truth

Thirty-one years after the war, none other than the former leader of Biafra, the Ikemba Nnewi, repeated the husband/wife statement in an interview regarding the relationship between the Igbo and Akwa Ibom people. It was then that those who had believed the original "rumor" turned around to tell those of us who were skeptical during the war, "we told you so". It was then easy to believe that had Biafra succeeded, there would be no Calabar today but New Onitsha. Will any Igbo person tell me that if the situation was reversed and Onitsha was to be renamed New Calabar after the war, they would have given 100% support to the effort to eradicate their culture? Be honest to yourself!

I can state with 98% certainty that there are no "abandoned property" issues in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The Igbo came back and reclaimed their properties or sold such after the war. Yet, today as can be gleaned from the Message Boards of several web sites, you will find Igbo people who wish the Atlantic Ocean to claim the land of the minorities so they would be forced to seek shelter in Igbo land. You will find Igbo people who plan to march into the Delta and drive the inhabitants to the sea because they believe we will not fight for our land. if they succeeded to push us into the ocean, we would become Mammywaters.

"unquote "

More
http://messageboard.biafranigeriaworld.com/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/1/t/000028/p/2.html

I fail to see how this lives up to a credible evidence of Ndiigbo renaming Calabar, what i see is Ibanga H. Ibanga's lies presented as truth, which of course he claims to be his personal eye witness account, quite similar to Omoigui Mid western Biafran invasion that he has so far failed to provide any credible evidence to support, but that fact never stopped his Igbophobic co travellers from quoting his lies as the sacrosanct truth.

ITbomb:


"quote "
During the war, Biafran Troops began a systematic arrest, detention and sometimes elimination of prominent people in what is today Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. the Igbo stated that they will deal with us after the war as a husband deals with his wife. Many a wise person gave them the benefit of the doubt because war time propaganda was rampant at the time. We heard that our cities had been given new names to take effect at successful conclusion of the war. For example, Calabar was to become New Onitsha. Are these the type of utterances that would endear a population to a cause?

Rumor confirmed as truth

Thirty-one years after the war, none other than the former leader of Biafra, the Ikemba Nnewi, repeated the husband/wife statement in an interview regarding the relationship between the Igbo and Akwa Ibom people. It was then that those who had believed the original "rumor" turned around to tell those of us who were skeptical during the war, "we told you so". It was then easy to believe that had Biafra succeeded, there would be no Calabar today but New Onitsha. Will any Igbo person tell me that if the situation was reversed and Onitsha was to be renamed New Calabar after the war, they would have given 100% support to the effort to eradicate their culture? Be honest to yourself!

I can state with 98% certainty that there are no "abandoned property" issues in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The Igbo came back and reclaimed their properties or sold such after the war. Yet, today as can be gleaned from the Message Boards of several web sites, you will find Igbo people who wish the Atlantic Ocean to claim the land of the minorities so they would be forced to seek shelter in Igbo land. You will find Igbo people who plan to march into the Delta and drive the inhabitants to the sea because they believe we will not fight for our land. if they succeeded to push us into the ocean, we would become Mammywaters.

"unquote "

More
http://messageboard.biafranigeriaworld.com/ultimatebb.cgi/ubb/get_topic/f/1/t/000028/p/2.html

OK...the link leads to a forum (like this one) where people are saying stuff that aren't backed up. The claim sounds quite ludicrous, and one would need more than what a random guy said on a website to accept it as definitely true. There are many books that have been written about the Biafra conflict (some of them from a very anti-Biafra stand) and none of them makes any reference to this claim.

I also wonder how such an 'Igbonizing' move could have been conceived at all, given that Effiong who was second in power only to Ojukwu himself was Efik-Ibibio.