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Maazị Ogbonnaya

25 May, 13 tweets, 2 min read

BRIEF HISTORY OF BIAFRA AND ITS HIERARCHY

Independence : May 30, 1967

Capital: Enugu (Ụmụahia from Oct. 1967)

Population: 15 million
Area: 30,000 sq. miles

Ethnic Groups: Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Ogoja, Ijaw, etc.

Resources: Palm produce, crude oil, coal, natural gas,

limestone, iron ore,
cocoa, timber, etc.

Human Resources: 500 doctors, 700 lawyers, 600 hundred, 300 economists, etc.

University: University of Biafra, Nsukka [projected University of Port
Harcourt]

Head of State:
General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, jssc.

Chief of General Staff:
Major-General Philip Effiong

Chief Secretary:
Mr. N. U. Akpan

GOC Biafran Army:
Major-General Alexander Madiebo [replaced Brigadier Hilary Njoku]

Commander, Biafran Air Force:
Wing Commander G. I. Ezeilo

Commander, Biafran Navy:
Captain. W. A. Anuku

Director of Military Intelligence:
Mr. Bernard Odogwu

Military Assistant to the C-in-C:
Colonel David Ogunewe

Principal Officer to the C-in-C:
Colonel Patrick Anwuna

Prominent Division GOCs:
Brigadier Tony Eze, Brigadier Pat Amadi, Colonel Joe ('Air Raid') Achịzie,
Colonel Nsudo, Colonel Iheanachọ, Colonel Archibong, etc.

GOC, 101 (ROB Liberation Army): Brigadier Victor Banjo.

Inspector-General of Police:
Mr. P. I. Okeke

Chief Justice:
Sir Louis Mbanefo

Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice:
Mr. J. I. Emembolu

Special Advisers to the Head of State:
Dr. Akanu Ibiam & Dr. M. I. Okpara [former Governor& Premier
of defunct Eastern Nigeria]

Biafra’s Roving Ambassadors: Dr. Nnamdi (Zik) Azikiwe (ex-President of
Nigeria, later left the breakaway republic); Dr. Kingsley Ozumba (K. O.)
Mbadiwe, Dr. Okechukwu. Ikejiani, Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike, Mr. Chukwuma
Azikiwe, etc.

Chairman , Consultative Assembly:
Dr. Alvan Ikoku

Chairman, Atrocities Commission:
Mr. G. C. M. Onyiuke

Chairman, Rehabilitation Commission:
Dr. S. E. Imoke

Chairman, Development Commission:
Professor A. Modebe

Chairman, Marketing Board:
Mr. C. C. Mordi

Relief Coordinator:
Dr. S. E. Cookey

Chairman, Food Directorate:
Mr. Bob Ogbuagu

Chairman, Housing Directorate:
Mr. P. O. Nwakoby

Commissioner of Home Affairs:
Mr. C. C. Mojekwu

Commissioner for Information:
Dr. Ifeagwu Eke

Commissioner for Health:
Mr. James Udo-Affiah

Commissioner for Transport & Communication:
Mr. Felix Iheanacho

Commissioner for Education:
Mr. M. T. Mbu.

Commissioner for Labor:
Mr. Emmanuel Aguma

Commissioner for Rural Development:
Chief Frank Opigo

Commissioner for Agriculture:
Professor Eyo Bassey Ndem

Commissioner for Forestry & Animal Husbandry:
Mr. U. O. Imo

Biafra Representative in London:
Mr. I. S. Kogbara

Biafra Representative in France:
Mr. Ralph Uwechue

Vice-Chancellor, University of Biafra:
Professor Eni Njoku
[ex-VC, University of Lagos]

Director, War Information Bureau
Dr. Michael C. J. Echeruo

Direct Military Aid:
Count Carl Gustav von Rosen (a Swede) of the "Biafran Babies" [Minicon
fighter planes] fame.

Relief Organizations:
Caritas International
World Council of Churches (WCC), International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC)

Nigeria Declaration of War:
July 6, 1967

Military Administrator of Republic of Benin (ROB):
Major (Dr.) Albert Okonkwo

There was indeed, a country!

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

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25 May

Abụ Nwa: A Cultural and Linguistic Implications of Lullaby on Igbo Children

Olunne is an Igbo word for Mother's tongue. There are many reasons it is called Mother's tongue. The mother carries her baby in her womb. The baby stays with its mother for 9 months.

Scientists believe that a baby in the womb understands language. Ndị ọcha sing to the babies in the womb; they read to them. Some fathers would put their mouth on the pregnant woman's stomach and speak to the baby inside the womb.

Igbo mothers in the past might not have carried out the same research as foreign linguists or language scientists did, but they had such mindset that a child in the womb understands a certain behavioural pattern. In most cases, while washing,

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

24 May

Ịnyịnyaigwe= bicycle

I want to talk about the etymology of this word. How does ịnyịnyaigwe mean bicycle?

Let's break the compound noun.

Ịnyịnya= horse

Igwe= iron

What's the connection with bicycle? You ask

Horse was once a means of transportation from place to place.

The Igbo bought horse, they rode on horse. Horse was so significant in Igbo land, but I don't want to deviate from this topic. I will make a separate post on that.

There was no other means of transportation except horse. It was only what we had. There was donkey too.

Donkey is called ịnyịnyaibu.

ịnyịnya= horse

ibu= load or luggage.

It's a specie of horse that carries load from one place to another. It wasn't ridden as normal horse.

When the whiteman brought bicycle, it was strange to our ancestors. They only knew horse, then this.

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

24 May

This was me many years ago, going from schools to schools donating my Igbo books as a way to promote the language.

I had to give back to the community. I started from Nsụka, the community I studied. It was in my dream I got the inspiration to go to schools and donate books.

But, it was going to cost me. I used my money to publish the books. Donating them means I was going to lose.

I didn't mind.

I had to.

I started with schools closed to where I lived. Each school I went to, 10, 10 copies would be donated. I wanted them in school libraries.

I should be 23 years old that period. Then I had already 15 published books in Igbo.

Some schools were shocked. Why would I be dashing books around? Is there any government sponsoring me? Who was behind it? Many questions begging for an answer.

The books are mine. Akwụkwọ m.

Read 7 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

24 May

I had a friend back in Nsụka reading Pharmacy. He's from a well-to-do family in Anambra. We always discussed about life. Let me say we inspired ourselves. He often read my Igbo books. He is so passionate about Igbo Language.

He did something that struck my brains.

During each holiday, he would never go home but Ogige market became his home. Ọgbọ ọgwụ. Those chemist lines in the market, he would humbly go and meet those who undergone apprenticeship to learn different drugs and prescriptions.

During ASUU strike of 6 months in 2013, his parents had called for him to return, he refused. He was with these guys, learning many practical and business aspect of pharmacy.

"Guy, school dey different from wetin dey outside", he told me.

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

23 May

It was around 1960s, he told his friend, Ụgbana that he saw a woman he wanted to marry. Ụgbana had followed Ngwoke to see his new girlfriend and about to be married wife. She looked exactly what he wanted for a wife. But he was already married. Second wife isn't bad.

As the bride price payment day drew closer, Ụgbana wasn't happy at all. He never believed such a beautiful woman could accept his friend, Ngwoke.

Something must be done about it. His head roaming up and down like a mad man in the street. Deep in thought. Hand on the jaw.

It was the D-day. The bride was preparing. Cooking was ongoing in her father's house.

Ụgbana was the right man of his friend, Ngwoke—the groom. He took him to a place and began to give him drink. Kaịkaị, ogogoro, wụkụwụkụ. Ngwoke was drinking. He drank until he got drunk.

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

23 May

The Igbo are highly competitive people.

It's in our nature to be competitive just as everyone else. But our competition is embedded on the concept of Ọkwụrụ mịịrị m, mịara nwunyedi m. We want others to also gain what we have gained. Monopoly is not in our culture.

Have you wondered why you go to a market, Igbo people in the same line are selling the same thing; communicating in Igbo, belonging to the same union?

They are in competition. When a customer surfaces, they try wooing the person to buy from them. Customer finally follow one.

When what he/she needs is not there, the Igbo man will go to the the same guy they dragged the customer together, take the goods from his shop, run out and sell. It keeps going.

There is competition. But healthy competition. It makes one to work harder. It gingers one.

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