NewStats: 3,263,485 , 8,180,287 topics. Date: Friday, 06 June 2025 at 08:03 AM 385i7

I noticed that in the thread that was put on front page, where former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, is purported to have said he only claimed to be Igbo for political reasons, something was left out

I noticed that the person who posted the video carefully edited out the last one minute of the interview so people would not see what Ameachi said in its entirety. This is where the last words of Amaechi on the Igbo/Ikwerre issue:

Whether I'm an Igbo man or not is immaterial at this point in time. Again, I also argue with my brothers in the Ikwerre community, our cultures are similar, our language is also similar, the kind of food we eat is the same. So why would you deny being an Igbo man?



Scroll to the last minute of the interview below to see this part of the interview that agents of division cut off.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJTkWWDtGw

aribisala0:
That is not an argument is it?

Do you have anything to say that is actually a logical argument?

Egbema Ogba Ndoni are NOT Igbo speaking

THEY have their own Distinct languages

The only ones that speak Igbo are Etche

It is not an argument to just make an assertion because you like the idea and hope that makes it true

There is a classification of Igboid Languages Not dialects but Languages

Igbo which has several dialects just happens to have the largest number of speakers and that is the origin of the term Igboid

Now Ikwerre is another language in the family it has dialects in its own right but the PEOPLE do not Identify as Igbo

The Ezza people of Ebonyi have their own language NOT DALECT but language
They identify as Igbo

A banana is NOT a type of plantain
A plantain is NOT a type of banana

Plantain cannon say to Banana you are a small plantain


Now there is presumed Evidence that the Igboid languages and Languages like Edo Yoruba had some connection and then branched off about 8000 years ago but also evidence that There were people in Places like Okigwe for example long before There was an Igbo language. What did those people speak?
We have seen Hausa language wipe out smaller languages so it is nothing that is new

The simple reality is a language can take over an entire space for one reason or another as we see with Arabic in North Africa. That does not make them Arabs


So this appeal to language as evidence of anything is ignorance

It is just evidence of being in the same neighbourhood

Stop embrassing your self, you don't know anything about the language clusters that make up Rivers State. You won't know when Ikwerre is spoken or when Ogba or Ndoni or Etche is spoken. They will all sound the same to you outsiders


These are the people who have never been to Rivers State, know nothing about the linguistics of the place or culture, but want tell everyone that they know who is what in Rivers State

Funny characters online

aribisala0:
Ikwerre is not a dialect of Igbo

Ikwerre have more things in common with all their neighbours. not just Igbos

Having things in common with you does not make me you
The fundamental thing that differentiates them which you keep waffling about is THEY DO NOT SPEAK IGBO LANGUAGE

THEY EVEN HAVE THEIR OWN BIBLE

The way they dance is very different and more similar to their riverine neighbours

The Ikwerre have NO PROBLEM WITH KINGS

Igbos claimthey have no Kings
Ikwerre claim Edo ancestry

You see and hear all this and continue parroting they have never managed to point to one single thing

They have pointed to dozens but you are in denial

Then that means you don't know anything about the Ikwerre language as all other Igbo speaking in Rivers State such as the Eches, Ndoki, Egbema, Ogba, Ndoni all understand Ikwerre, and Ikwerres understand them

chrisxxx:

If you understand Ikwerre why can't see yourself as Ikwerre?
Meanwhile which Ikwerre dialect do you understand?
Ikwerres have over 12 dialects. Which one do you understand?

There over 20 different dialects spoken here in Enugu State. If someone from Imo State came here, he will understand most of them with carefully listening, but will not know the difference. Only someone like me who grew in Enugu State will know the difference between Nsukka, Amaechi, Nike, Owa, Eziagu dialects

But they are all Igbo people. Nothing stops any of them from claiming to be some 'distinct' ethnic group, but that will be laughable because there is no difference with them and others except small difference dialectical pronunciation

chrisxxx:

Will it be safe to say that all those group you mentioned are Ikwerre people? If they have a lot in common with the Ikwerre people then they are Ikwerres.

That is why all those many people are grouped as Igbos. It's nothing unusual. In the Yoruba Nation, there are Oyo's, Ijebu's, Egba's, Ekitis and many others. If an Ijebu man speaks his dialect of Yoruba, an Oyo man will be struggle to follow. If an Ondo man speaks his brand of Yoruba, the Ekiti man will have to listen carefully or he will be lost. But they are all called Yorubas because they are connected linguistically, culturally and traditionally. It is no different with Igbos. Ikwerre are free to claim whatever identity they wish, but beyond claiming, they have never managed to point at one single thing that differentiates them with those they call Igbo

aribisala0:
Portuguese people understand Spanish that does not make them Spanish
That does not also make Portuguese a dialect of Spanish
Quit talking like an Illiterate

YOU claim to understand 80% of what they are speaking. Without any exposure to Ikwerre that is a lie
HOW MANY IGBOS UNDERSTAND EZZA FROM EBONYI
There is an Ikwerre Bible for a very good reason

Now let me burst your bubble

The EZZA people are a group that actually Identify as Igbo

But they do not speak Igbo they speak an Igboid language. It is NOT a dialect of Igbo but a language in its own right
Most Igbo speakers do not understand it

Just like Ikwerrre is an Igboid language

What that simply means is that both languages have an ancient root but they are so different from each other as bo be classified not as dialects of each other but languages

Why are they called Igboid because when the classification was done. The Igbo language had the largest number of speakers. in the language family That is the only reason . Nothing else

So back to the Spanish and Portuguese example they belong to a family called Romance Languages which includes Italian and French ~You can check this on Google
E,g
French: "tout" (singular) or "tous" (plural)
Spanish: "todo" (singular) or "todos" (plural)
Italian: "tutto" (singular) or "tutti" (plural)
Portuguese: "todo" (singular) or "todos" (plural)


That does not make them the same people

I understand Ikwerre more than I do Ezza, everyone has their own dialect in Igbo land. Any of them could have chosen to translate the bible to their dialect. Some dialects I have to listen to more attentively, some areas I have to put two and two together, but I will still understand majority of it enough to communicate

But this goes beyond just language. What do Ikwerres call their kings? Eze, just like all Igbos do

What do Ikwerres call their tradition and customs? They call it Omeneli, while Igbo call it Omenala. In my dialect of Anambra, were call it Omenana

What do Ikwerres call their trading main house where elders decide matters, they call it Obiri, while Igbos call it Obi

What is the Ikwerre marriage rights called? Okuakanuro, while Igbo call it Ikuakanulo.

What do Ikwerres call their new yam festival? Iri-ji, same as Igbos

What is the Ikwerre traditional wrestling called? Egelege, while Igbos call it Ekereke or Ekereke-Mgba

Most Igbo communities start with the name 'Umu', while most Ikwerre communities start with 'Rumu'

In all these things, the difference is only small dialectical difference, the meaning remains the same in both Ikwerre and Igbo

As I said before, Ikwerres can identify as Chinese if they want, it is their right, but nobody has managed to show any difference between those called Igbo, and those called Ikwerre, both in language, culture and tradition

kettykin:
I saw the Sudan situation play out in Nigeria, God help Nigeria.

It's already playing out if the daily killings in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa and Zamfara are anything to go by

Chucks13:
Ok, good since you are ready to loose your seat why not then be man enough and resign from your position or tell your constituency to choose someone to replace and you go to truly show your solidarity?

Where are you when your so called childhood friend Kanu was being stupid acting God?

Resign if you truly love him.

Everybody shouting injustice over someone that committed treasonable offense and still remain arrogant about it as if he owned Nigeria, sorry let him remain in custody for some more time. That is it.

So you don't think his constituency fully what he is doing? You guys still don't understand how popular Nnamdi Kanu is amongst his people

DomPerignon:



Its un important now after they have rejected you guys again.

Let me go and dig up your posts celebrating the emergence of that opportunistic Ikwere man born of an IBO woman who was made PG of Ohaneze.

While you are at it, dig up any difference you see between those called Igbos and those called Ikwerre, there is none except for denial


Ikwerre are just or three local government and will make little difference either way if they are part of the Igbo nation

Anioma with 9 local governments are not even making noise

aribisala0:
Their language is not 70% Igbo That is not true

Ikwerre is a distinct language

Your logic about Benin is upside down

Ikwerre people do not identify as Igbos
They NEVER did
They used to sell Igbos whom they call Isuoma as slaves


There are many languages that are close or similar that does not make them dialects
Good examples are French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. They belong to the family of languages called the Romance family

Spanish people cannot say Portuguese people are Spanish because they bear names like Roberto, Eduardo, Maria, Anna, Ronaldo or Antonio

If Ikwerre was speaking a distinct dialect, nobody would understand except Ikwerre. But in a situation where me from Anambra will understand 80% of it, then what they are speaking is a not distinct, but a dialect. I even understand Ikwerre more than some Igbo dialects in Enugu Ebonyi and Abia.

Ikwerre are free to identify as Japanese if they want to, but the truth is that nobody has managed to identify any difference between those called Igbo and those called Ikwerre, except denial

When denial is the only thing you can show as what makes you "distinct", then you fool no one but your self

The speed FFK and Reno Omokri changed changed their negative perception of Tinubu as soon as he won the Presidency needs to be studied because it was faster than the speed of light

aribisala0:
There is a world of difference you just refuse to listen because you are in denial
First they are called Ikwerre. They have NEVER BEEN CALLED Igbo and resent being called Igbo a group they sold as slaves historically

Ikwerre people very clearly say they are not Igbo. That is enough
They do not speak Igbo language a basic difference among others

Oh they are called Ikwerre?

There are Nsukka people

There Ngwa people

There are Abakaliki people

There are Onitsha people

There are Ohawfia people

So why do you group all these people together and call them Igbo?

Are you aware there's no difference between these people and those you call Ikwerre, in culture and language, except small difference in dialect?

I don't know if he said this, but in a civilised country, if a Police officer threatens an activist not found wanting by the law, he could lose his job

aribisala0:
Ikwerre are not a subgroup of Igbo

That is false

The Ikwerre went to the Willinks Commission before independence in 1960 to canvass for delineation along other minorities in the Eastern Region
The Ikwerre founded Ogbakor Ikwerre long before Ohanaeze
Which other Igbo subgroup did so

The Ikwerre commissioned their own bible rejecting the Igbo bible

And yet nobody can point out any difference between those called Igbos and those called Ikwerre?

When you consider the number of bridges that have to be built across many tributaries and waterways, it's safe to say that it will take decades and a miracle to complete this road

How an unimportant thing like this got to 5 pages is just incredible. Wether Amaechi is Japanese pr French is not going to add any value to anyone

The Igbo nation already has more than enough population than it needs

Anything that belongs to Nigeria will eventually be overrun by bandits, the country has no capacity to give anyone peace

SusanOpeyemi:
Maybe they meant south east of Oyo state.

And Singapore is only half the size of the smallest state in Nigeria, Lagos State, but Singapore has a bigger GDP than the entire Nigeria. The Singaporean port is the most powerful in the world

I dont know why you people believe it is size of land that matters. Go check the size of Japan, it's the third richest country on earth

Spandau:


The country needs not be dissolved before you ask your governors to perform their duties. One Nigeria doesn't mean there are no boundaries to respect or that you have the rights to infringe on ancestral spaces or other people's politics. If that's what you want, then let your charity begin at home. You people want to eat your cake and have it but you will get hurt in the process.

That is the lie called 'one Nigeria' that they told all of us, that every part of Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian and that you can infringe on the ancestral part of anywhere in Nigeria and participate in the politics of anywhere in Nigeria

We all know this is not true, and we shouldn't continue with this lie. That's why we must denounce the age old like called one Nigeria, shake hands, go our seperate ways and everyone stay in their lane

sreamsense:
Thanks to the millitary. More than half of these will have been used by ipob to kill innocent ndigbo under guise of enforcing sit-at-home. One importer and exporter has landed in jail. LP vote in 2027 is minus 1

Bulley catriges any hunter can buy is what IPOB is going to use to fight Nigerian government?

There's is just another fake propaganda by the Nigerian authorities. Anyone can buy these bullets from a licensed dealer

People make me laugh. Hunters bullets people who have licence can buy and sell?

Anyone who believes this story is dense

Sofistcatdmoron:

yorubas and igbos do live together in harmony in real life, its only in nairaland u see them fight, but in real live the stay peaceful together

And Nigerians are living in harmony with Chinese, Lebanese and Indians. But there is still China, Lebanon and India

Enugurangers:

That should be a call to the SE governors, HOR, Senators, House of Assembly e.t.c.

When they, the SE politicians show their , then the likes of Nnamdi Kanu won't be seen as a lone wolf and as someone fighting the state (Nigeria).

This is not about just the SE, but for all Nigerians to realise that the union of Nigeria is baseless, acrimonious, unproductive and will take nobody no where, and agree that it's time for everyone to go their way

favouritecandy:
My question to Mr Obi is this: If President Tinubu has destroyed the economy, how come a bank in which you have substantial shares (about 10%) and were its former Chairman of the Board?


Omo this is thought provoking

There is nothing thought provoking here. The economy is not measured on if a business Obi has shares in did well. The economy is based on overall output, GDP, strength of Naira to Dollar, exports etc

For Reno Omokri to base the Nigerian economy on if a bank did well is one of the most daft things I have heard in my life

Wizardslayer:
They still call it a united Nigeria when in actual sense it's disunited Nigeria.

Nigeria were never meant or suppose to be a country.

And we have been telling them that the best thing is dissolve the country let everyone go their way because it's glaring to even a blind man that 'one Nigeria' is a big fraud

ChybuzzDD:


Those yoruba boys are just busy ranting and constituting nuisance
If they're serious, they should demand for their own secession as IPOB is doing.
Ironically, the same ranting, hate-filled tribalists are still the same people who don't want to hear about IPOB or secession.

And they will come up with a funny story from 70 years ago that Zik was against secession, as if Zik controls their destiny. People who should be talking about controlling their destiny in their own seperate country are still waiting for Zik to rise from the dead and agree to secession clause

helinues:


Why was Adaka Boro arrested? What was his sin? Who arrested him?

Same reason Nigeria arrested people like Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and Boy Loaf, they were all armed Militants of the creeks

DomPerignon:



And in your deluded state it is others in the SS that must be yoked to you and your Biafra .

One thing is obvious and that is that no nationality deserves to be plagued with your constant attacks on their land ownership and patrimony over it.

Only you have declared the most important Yoruba region as no man's land and are dragging ownership of it with them.

Only you have decided on the fate of the SS people who you arrogantly claim their territory and land belongs to your Biafra.

Have you considered that maybe Nigerians of other nationality are not in any way deserving to be insulted on their heritage and land patrimony ?

It's people like you that are deluded, this is not the 60's. Igbos and Yorubas are large enough to be on.their own. The minorities should choose their own path, nobody has time to drag another ethnic group to follow it. This why those who agitate for both Oduduwa Republic and Biafra want referendum, where everyone chooses their destination. It's not a must that an Ibibio or an Ogoni man must be in Biafra or Oduduwa Republic, he can remain in Nigeria, while those who wish to exit will go. Referendum is about allowing those who want to go, to go, and those wish to stay, to do just that.

The only people dragging the minorities are you Nigerians that wants everyone to remain your long failed British colonial contraption called Nigeria, that has never worked since 1960

Yorubas and Igbos have no business being together in one country. Both ethnic groups should have their own separate countries. It's actually an embarrassment that Yorubas and Igbos are in one country

How can Gambia be a separate sovereign country of just two million people, yet Igbo and Yorubas, each over 40 million strong, are in one country doing what?

It's a recipe for disaster for two ethnic groups of that size to be in one country together because it will only lead to eternal political fight

Yorubas and Igbos have absolutely no business being together in one country, it will never work.

KnowAll:
Don’t forget guys there was a guy called Isaac Boro who declared Niger delta Republic if the fear of the Igbo’s is not a threat what could be further from the truth. Boro seeing Southern Cameroon exit Nigeria made move to do similar but unfortunately to no avail.

Nobody knows till today what area Boro was declaring Niger Delta Republic. If he was that scared of Igbos, one wonders why he now fought for the Northern backed Government of Gowon that put his Ijaw tribe in bigger slavery than he ever was in the Eastern Region

DomPerignon:



A coup carried out mainly by a particular ethnic group that targeted every other ethnicity for elimination that saw to someone from the same ethnic group seizing power after the political elite from same ethnic group arbitrarily handed power to themselves to which the populace of same ethnic group gloated and openly celebrated the coup and its outcome.


How ethnically biased can a coup be?

Thats how all 7 coups that's occured in Nigeria went

Dopeboy8701:
Why fight a war u can't win

Because it's better to fight and lose than become a willing slave