I cannot pretend not to have read all sorts on this subject. My response to one of such posts on Oliseh, was a response to my friend, Zion Ose. I hope my comment below clarifies the controversy for some of us:
No, no, no. You have mixed up too many things here.
That some Southeast Igbos are condescending to Delta/Western Igbos and some Delta/Western Igbos feel insulted enough by it to no longer identify as Igbos, does not alter the true historical fact of their shared linguistic and cultural heritage.
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“A whole Zik of Africa” who hails from Onitsha was called “Yoruba Igbo”, which is what the core Igbo-speaking areas call Anioma/Delta Igbos, but did you ever hear Zik saying he is not Igbo?
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I am from Ogwashi-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha South LG,Delta State,I speak a dialect of Igbo language: I AM IGBO.
The same applies to all these other places you have mentioned: Ika, the Agbor area where Abavo is located; the Kwale/Ukwuani people of Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local governments…
History, not personal sentiment or preference, is a discipline that requires rigorous study and deep reflection, and it is what must guide any discussion of this sort that wishes to be taken seriously by serious-minded people.
I was born in Yorubaland and I speak and read and write the language. I can tell you that Oyo Yoruba is drastically different from Ekiti or Owo or Ijebu Yoruba dialects enough for them not to even understand themselves, but none of the latter has ever disclaimed their shared Yoruba historical, linguistic and cultural heritage.
A while ago,the infamous bungler called Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who comes from the same Ika LG as Oliseh, wanted everyone to believe that he is Igbo as he flirted with the Southeast Igbos for their votes.
Sunday Oliseh’s case is purely an aberration and he’s entitled to his preference of self-identification, but his preference, whimsical or legitimate, cannot eraze shared communal/historical/and linguistic heritage with the fiat of a personal disclaimer.
He is just a single man out of a community of millions of people that share same bond culturally and historically in a fairly contiguous geographical location.
No one is forcing anyone to belong to any group. Such coercive mantra that you must identify with us by force is not even enforceable.
So, it’s the loony talk by the ignorant.
Even when that is conceded, there is no single individual who can out of personal preference suddenly stand up and wish away or eraze a shared cultural heritage.
It’s not only hubris. It’s stupid!
~ Chiedu Ezeanah writes from Delta State
