Otu Odu of Onicha Ado N’Idu Historical Fact

 Shared by Nwafor Obinna Stanley

In Onitsha tradition and custom, there are four cardinal institutions; The Obi, Ndichie, Agbalanze and Otu Odu.

These four institutions work in their individual capacity to ensure progress, peace and development of Onitsha people with relevant supports from other subordinate groups. Otu Odu however is an exclusive prestigious society for Onitsha women who as either indigenes, direct relations (Nwadiani) or by marriage, have distinguished themselves in their respective capabilities in life and have been found worthy in character.

Odu literally means Elephant Tusk and in Onitsha tradition, Igbu Odu in clear terms mean wearing of Tusk, it is a rite of honouring a woman after creditable service in life. It used to be conferred as a form of appreciation on a mother by her children at a certain age, on a dutiful wife by her husband.

It is observed as a ceremonious adorning of a woman with Elephant Tusk which is won on both hands and legs. In other cases nevertheless, the ceremony is performed to be worn either on the hands or the legs respectively as a mark of status in the society.

Elephant Tusk significantly because it is rare in quality and possession, ornate and expensive. This calls for the historic importance attached to it in the whole of Africa, making it one of the most sought after ornaments even by the whites who visited Africa earlier in the days.

Till date Elephant Tusk is still precious, a symbol of wealth, regal and beauty. In most African cultures it is used to depict class and authority, especially in Onitsha.

PROJECT MAYROCK : A PROMISE FULFILLED.

....

In the days following the stroke which would eventually take his life, one issue weighed heavily on Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s mind. That ‘issue’ was the immortalization of Bruce Mayrock, the 20 year old who set himself ablaze in front of the UN Building in New York on this day (29th Of May) in 1969 to draw attention to the plight of the Biafran people (a people whom he had never met, and whom he believed were at the brink of extermination, engaged in a desperate war for survival), who died in the early hours of 30th May, on the anniversary of the declaration of Biafra.

‘There is still time’, I had assured my anxious spouse.. ‘You will get through this, and then you will do it, as you planned’.

His response destabilized me. ‘I am a soldier..’ he said, looking straight into my eyes with all the equanimity of a man whose fate already lay before him; 

‘the only modes of death  I am conditioned to anticipate, happen to be death at the battlefield or by execution...I never expected to get this far. If I don’t make it, Do what you can...our people must never forget....’

Sadly, he did not survive....And steadily I embarked, stage by stage, upon Project Mayrock which, to the Glory of God, is nearing completion and slated for commissioning by the end of the year. It is our hope that the surviving brothers of Bruce Mayrock will attend the ceremony. The Mayrock is a three story edifice including a conference hall with Projectors ,an exhibition floor that will house artistic depictions, iconic photos and historic scenes of our 30 month long heroic battle for survival. Sculptures of Bruce Mayrock will adorn the landscape and memorial hall. Pupils from various schools will have an opportunity to visit and learn more about our struggle. The buildings and some of the artworks as shown here are still in process, however since this particular anniversary marks 50 years of the end of the Biafra War - a momentous milestone- I thought it timely to share this initiative. The only input you are required to make into this project is to pass on the story of this selfless sacrifice, and that of so many others to our struggle, to your children. ‘A nation which forgets it’s defenders will itself be forgotten’(Calvin Coolidge).

Civil War: Why Nigerian Army wasn’t hard on Biafrans – Buhari

Written by Johnbosco Agbakwuru
~Vanguard Nigeria. Monday, June 4, 2018.

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Monday gave reasons why the Nigerian Army was not hard on the separatist agitation of Biafrans during the 30 months civil war.

President Buhari explained that they had strict and formal instructions to exercise restraint against Biafrans during the three-year civil war which took place between1967-1970.

The President recalled that every military commander was issued the instructions in dispatches handed to them from the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, that the Biafrans, were not enemies but brothers and sisters of the rest of Nigerians.

President Buhari stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja during his investiture as Grand Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS).

The President who promised to assist the organisation secure permanent office accommodation in Abuja, showered praises on the former Head of State, Gen. Gowon, retd, for that gesture and also the role of the Red Cross in bringing succour to victims of the war even in dangerous circumstances.


He went memory lane over the horrible consequence of the civil war, noting that the pathetic pictures of war-ravaged Biafrans were always heartrending.

According to him, “Earlier in my profession, during the civil war, I know how much sacrifice members of the Nigerian Red Cross and their international counterparts did both in the real front of operations and at the rear, on both sides. I think it is a lot of sacrifices because anything can happen to you in the operational areas.

“The risks they faced were real and I admire their courage and commitment to helping people who were in distress and were virtually in millions. Those photographs of people from the Biafra enclave spoke a lot.

“I remember with nostalgia the performance of the Commander-in-Chief, General Gowon. Every commander was given a copy of the Commander-in-Chief’s instructions that we were not fighting enemies but that we were fighting our brothers. And thus, people were constrained to show a lot of restraint.

“The international observer teams were allowed to go as far as possible within and outside the front and I think this was generous and very considerate of General Gowon. He is a highly committed Nigerian.”

On his promise to assist the organisation secure permanent office accommodation in Abuja, Buhari said, "I have taken note of your logistics especially your(request for) office here.

"I assure you that the government will do its best when you decide to build such facilities in terms of securing an area here within the Federal Capital Territory and we hope you will not do the Nigerian ways of doing things.


"To use the words of famous Nigerian Minister `I hope you will not build an elephantine headquarters' which is going to be functional because we have seen your activities throughout the country," he said.

In his remarks, the head of delegation and National President of the NRCS, Chief Bolaji Anani, said the organization has over 800,000 trained volunteers based in communities across the 774 local government areas of the federation.


Anani pleaded with the President to assent to the Bill amending the Red Cross Act of 1960, whenever the National Assembly, which was currently debating on it, eventually passes it, noting that the Act has not been reviewed since it was passe in 1960.

Queen Elizabeth II honours Nigerian nurse

~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, March 8, 2017. 

Queen Elizabeth II has honoured a Nigerian nurse for her contributions to the United Kingdom's health sector.

Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu, a British-born nurse, health expert, tutor, lecturer and medical professor, was honoured with the Commander of Order of British Empire.

She is of Irish and Nigerian descents.

Her citation states that Anionwu contributed to the opening of the first sickle cell and thalassemia counselling centre in the UK.

She also helped to create the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice at the University of West London.

She retired from her careers in 2007.

She was born on July 2, 1947 in Birmingham, United Kingdom, to a 20-year-old Irish mother, Mary Furlong; and a Nigerian father of Igbo descent who was a law student, Lawrence Odiatu Victor Anionwu.

Her mother was in the second year as a student of Classics in Cambridge University when she became pregnant.

As a single mother with no support from the father of her baby, Furlong decided to leave Cambridge and took up a job in order to provide for her daughter Elizabeth and herself.

Her biography reveals that the young Elizabeth's upbringing was heavily affected by moving between institutions and family.

She reportedly spent just over two years living with her mother, as she was given up to be cared for by non-relations when her stepfather refused to accept her.

For much of her childhood, Elizabeth was cared for by nuns, while she also spent several years in the Nazareth House Convent in Birmingham.

In her biography, she recalls sobbing her heart out on the bus when she had to leave the convent to go and live with her mother again.


"Every period of relative stability in childhood ended in sudden collapse," she wrote.

Much later in life, she visited Nigeria, and her trip influenced her to take up her father's name. Anionwu has credited her father, a barrister and diplomat, as her career inspiration.

Elizabeth Anionwu has one daughter, Azuka Oforka, who is an actress in the BBC TV series Casualty.

Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu has a PhD, a DBE, and an FRCN.

She began her nursing career at a very young age after being inspired by a nun who cared for her eczema. At the age of 16, she started to work as a school nurse assistant in Wolverhampton.

Later on, she continued with her education to become a nurse, health visitor, and tutor. She is ultimately thankful that her father pushed her to pursue her career.

She also travelled to the US to study counselling for sickle cell and thalassemia, as such centres and courses were not available in the UK.

In 1979, she worked with Dr. Brozovic to create the first UK Sickle Cell and Thalassemia counselling centre in Brent.

The opening of this counselling centre pioneered the opening of over 30 centres in the UK, using the Brent location as a basis.

And even though she had retired in 2007, Anionwu remains active in the nursing community and supervises many projects, including, "The development of caring for people with sickle cell disease and thalassemia syndromes: A framework for nursing staff;" and "Understanding the contribution of sickle cell and thalassemia specialist nurses."

Uzokwe's Searchlight: NIGERIA - THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY - OBSERVATIONS FROM MY 2016 DECEMBER VISIT TO NIGERIA

Written by Alfred Obiora Uzokwe, P.E
Email: obiuzokwe@comcast.net
Author of the books:
1. Nigeria: Contemporary Commentaries and Essays
2. Surviving in Biafra: The Story of the Nigerian Civil War


n May of 2016, after a four-year hiatus from Nigeria, my wife and I decided to visit again. The last time I visited was for something painful – to bury my beloved mother. I left Nigeria then with many painful memories that dampened the prospects of future visits by me. This time, though, after overcoming my skepticism about visiting, we were determined to make the visit an enjoyable one.

Our departure date was set for December 13, 2016 and preparations began. On the appointed day, we drove to Washington DC Dulles airport. After checking in and boarding, by the time the 7:00PM hour came around, the wide-bodied Lufthansa 747 jumbo jet was already “kissing” the evening skies headed to Frankfurt Germany. Except for a few moments of air turbulence, when my wife would grab and tightly hold onto my hands as if that would ease the turbulence, the flight was smooth. I later teased her that she was acting in consonance with the biblical admonition that a woman must leave her family, join together with her husband and they shall be one and not even aircraft turbulence would put them asunder judging from the way she held onto me. We laughed about it.

After our layover in Germany, we boarded a Lufthansa airbus and the flight to Lagos Nigeria commenced. The flight was also smooth but just when the aircraft was roughly about 90 minutes to landing, two young men, each with a glass of red wine in his hand, appeared in front of our cabin. One was burly and of average height. He had a series of gold jewelry around his neck and a few tattoos adorned his arms. I had earlier seen him sitting in the business class cabin fully clothed but now he was wearing just a black tank top. I thought to myself that someone who could afford the business class should at least have the decency of not wearing tank tops in an airplane. He seemed to have removed his shirt on purpose to “show off” his tattoos and I wondered if he was aware that not everyone is enamored by tattoos.

The second man was very thin, in fact he looked malnourished. His pants were pulled down below his waist, fully exposing the boxer shorts he was wearing. Both men began a conversation, at first in low tones, but as the minutes passed, they became louder and louder. I must have been sitting about 10 rows away from them but I could hear some of what they were saying. Passengers trying to use the rest rooms located next to them were having hard time going past because they were partially blocking the right isle. With every minute that passed, they grew louder. They must have been there for about 35 minutes when one passenger, sitting closer to them, stood up angrily and addressed them: “Go to your seats,”, he said, “you are disturbing the rest of the passengers”. It was as if he spoke for the rest of the passengers in the cabin because many nodded their heads in agreement and started looking to see what the men would do. The burly man simply said they would lower their voices but the slim one erupted. He claimed to have been insulted by the passenger. 

Dashing toward the passenger, he boasted: “When the plane lands in Lagos, I will deal with you, you don’t know who I am”. I took one look at a guy who was telling someone that he would deal with him and he looked so malnourished and did not seem as if he could withstand a slight shove. I wondered where he was going to get the strength to “deal with “someone. It would have been laughable if not for the seriousness of what was unfolding.

Tears as Ladipo traders fault midnight demolition

~Guardian. Tuesday 15 March 2016

Traders in last minute rush to pick their wares after the demolition by unknown persons

Year 2016 seems not to be good for traders in Lagos State. While many market men and women are grappling with the dire times precipitated by the scarcity of dollars, fear of the state’s demolition squad battle-ready with their efficient bulldozers have caused many sleepless nights since the turn of the year.

It began with the leveling at Oshodi Market, then the taskforce team moved to Daleko Market in Mushin and razed it down. Nearly 24 hours after government announced its intention to relocate the troubled Mile 12 Market, the taskforce visited Ladipo auto spare-parts market yesterday at Toyota Bus-Stop on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and demolished a section of the multi-billion naira market.

BIAFRA: NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION ON MURDER OF ND'IGBO

Written by Zubbie Ekwueme

Email:zekwueme@wi.rr.com

My heart goes out to the mothers, the wives
Who bear when the hawk snatches its game at dawn.

My heart goes out to those whose sorrow mops the pavements of the blood of their own, those whose tears wet the streets
daily, whose souls sorrow weighs down like stone on a mule,
whose tears must now mingle with mine;

A prodigal sings your pain, mothers. - Oguibe, A Song from Exile, 1990

This is a narrative of a forgotten war and its most vulnerable victims - the children. This is a story of the most vicious, most savage crime of black people on black children. This is the forgotten story of the unfortunate children of Biafra.

A few days ago, the world demanded that truck loads of relief be shipped to the embattled people of Gaza. Israel made sure that food and medicines were being delivered for three hours every day to the besieged and embattled people. The effect is to some how protect vulnerable civilians from the more of the most horrendous, most damaging consequences of any war - hunger. Bombs could still be falling, rockets flying and buildings exploding, but at least the civilian non combatants - children, mothers and elderly could eat even a little - to stand a chance to fight or die another day.

But the Biafran children had no such luck. In their thousands, bloated, kwashiorkored and starved to death, they died horrendous, agonizing miserable deaths. They died at the feet of Nigeria, at the hands of fellow black people, fellow Nigerians. Death by hunger as everybody knows is the most inhuman, most savage, most beastly act of war ever meted out to children anywhere. Nigerian soldiers and politicians planned and carried out these dastardly massacres of little innocent children. And why did the children have to die? Your guess is as good as mine. Nigerian soldiers and politicians made sure that the Biafran children paid the price, the blood price for the oil the elitist Nigerians now enjoy. Click on the first link below to watch a video of the horrifying spectacle as a few Biafran children were airlifted out of Biafra by Caritas to San Antonio.http://www.newsplayer.com/plight-of-biafran-children-video

Also, do not forget to read what New York Times had to say about the starved children of Biafra on August 1, 1987 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DD103DF932A3575BC0A961948260 - New York Times August 1, 1987

"This is misleading: American doctors found 480,000 children in serious condition as a result of inadequate relief weeks after Biafra was conquered. ''It is necessary to keep in mind,'' I write, ''that the 31.4 percent of the children under 5 found suffering edema, marasmus or kwashiorkor in early February 1970 were not the same children as the 42.2 percent under 4 in that condition the previous October. Many of the latter had died, their statistical numbers being replaced by those who slipped from moderate to severe malnutrition, then into death, and so on.'' There is no mystery about the generation of Biafran children born between 1963 and 1970. Most died. Representatives of the Red Cross and the World Council of Churches kept a careful count, which leads to the conclusion that some 2 million starved, three-quarters of them small children. As a result, shortly after the war, an official consensus emerged that only ''1 million had died, rather than the 2 million once feared.'' You repeat this ''official'' figure. It should be challenged whenever it appears as a continuation of the cynicism with which governments dealt with one of the most brutal man-made tragedies of our time." - DAN JACOBS New York, July 15, 1987.

Gov. Obi crowned Okwute Ndigbo

Written by GEOFFREY ANYANWU, ALOYSIUS ATTAH AND DOM EKPUNOBI, AWKA ON MARCH 15, 2014 (the SUN)·

Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi finally bowed to pressure yesterday and accepted a chieftaincy title as the Okwute of Igbo land in Awka amidst pomp and pageantry.

The traditional ruler of Onitsha Kingdom, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe decorated him assisted by other prominent monarchs in Anambra like Igwe K. O Orizu of Nnewi, Igwe P. C. Ezenwa of Oba and Igwe Onwuneme of Ikenga.

Obi Achebe in a remark said that the traditional rulers in the south east unanimously agreed to bestow on Obi the prestigious title of Okwute (the rock) of  Igbo land  in recognition of his numerous development strides he carried out in Anambra state and his prominent leadership roles in the entire Igbo land.

Ojukwu buried with gun salute

From CHIDI NNADI, GEOFFREY ANYANWU and IJEOMA ONUORAH. 

Nnewi - Nigeria
Saturday, March 3, 2012

• Thousands, dignitaries bid ex-warlord bye in Nnewi
• Bianca breaks down in tears
• I’ve never seen burial like this – President Jonathan

The remains of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu were yesterday interred in the marble mausoleum at his ancestral Umudim Nnewi home, in Anambra State at exactly 2:18 p.m, which overwhelmed his widow, Bianca and she broke down in tears.

 

The burial ceremony witnessed an unprecedented turn- out of people from all walks of life, with many of them extolling the virtues of the departed Igbo leader as his body was carried out of the church.