Tweet

More from @maazi_ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

1 Jun

This man is Okoko Ndem. The second most wanted person by Nigerian government after Ojukwu.

Who was Okoko Ndem?

Okoko Ndem was from Ikoneto in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. He was in charge of media— Radio Biafra between 1967—1970.

The manner and how he reported cases got the federal troops and outsiders more confused. He was a strength to the Biafrans during the war. After speaking for length he would say: "onye ndị iro gbara gburugburu na-eche ndụ ya nche mgbe niile". He who is surrounded by his enemies

watch after his life all the time.

Nobody knew where he was broadcasting from. But the frequency of Radio Biafra was everywhere. Radio Biafra then was located at the Bunker, now called Ojukwu Bunker in Ụmụahịa. Okoko Ndem was a fluent Igbo speaker. He switched anytime too.

Read 8 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

1 Jun

Headtie or headgear in Igbo is called ịchafu, right?

Yes.

But do you know that ịchafu is okwumbite? It is a loan word or borrowed word from French language.

Let's look at the etymology of ịchafụ. It is derived from the French word "chiffon" or "couvre-chef"

which means headgear or scarf. The "couvre-chef" or "chiffon" from the French word gave our people the domestication of the word "ịchafu". To show more emphasis on this, some regard it as "ịchafu isi".

Do you know what our forebears called such? It is not gele.

Gele is a Yoruba word, not Igbo word. It is not ịchafu— a domestication from French.

Now the original and old names for it is:

Ụnarị

or

Ụnalị

or

Ụlarị

I am sure this might be the first time you are hearing this.

Read 6 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

1 Jun

Infinitive Verbs in Igbo Language: a Grammatical Perspective

In this article, we are going to discuss infinitive in Igbo language. What is infinitive?

Infinitive is the basic form of a verb, without an inflection binding it to a particular subject or tense.

In Igbo language, infinitive comes in form of prefix attached before a verb root. The letters used to represent infinitive in Igbo language are:

* i and

* ị

These two letters are attached as a prefix before a verb root (isingwaa) and vowel harmony known as ndakọrịta ụdaume must be observed. So, "i" or "ị" must follow vowel harmony thereby corresponding with the same class as any vowel making up the verb root. Example.

Read 10 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

31 May

"Do you want normal process or you want me to help you?"

The question roared into my ears this morning as I rushed into this office for some documentation.

I smiled when the man on a senator dress and yellow nose-mask hanging on his jaw asked me that.

I was stopped by the security guys who cornered me into the security room. They tried everything possible to extort money from me, I told them I wasn't in a hurry. I allowed them to give me all the information I needed unbeknownst to them.

Once I got it, I told them I hate cutting corners.

Now I was at the right office, the man who was paid to do the job also wanted me to pay bribe of 10k before he could submit my documents for signatory. Remember, I have done everything I was expected to do.

Read 7 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

30 May

"In Aburi, We Stand".

Aburi Accord: From Jaw-Jaw to War War.

What is Aburi Accord?

Aburi Accord was an agreement reached in 1967 at a meeting attended by delegates of both the Federal Government of Nigeria (the Supreme Military Council) and the Eastern delegates,

led by the Eastern Region's leader Colonel Ojukwu. The meeting was billed to be the last chance of preventing all out war.

It was held between 4 and 5 January 1967. The Aburi conference lasted for two days. Ojukwu wanted it to held outside Nigeria for the sake of his life.

He put out things he wanted which will be beneficial for the people. Almost all the proposals he presented were adopted. It was a time for Council of Nigeria to reconcile with Ojukwu.

The Aburi was between Ojukwu and Gowon. They ate in the same plate as a reconciliation factor.

Read 17 tweets

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

30 May

This is for those who said Ojukwu declared a war. This is for those who said the Igbo fought Nigerians. This is a report by Paul Anber, a whiteman.

The hostility the Igbo faced in the north not just about the Kano Pogrom of 1966 where over 30k Igbo were killed but previous ones

It was becoming too much that Eastern Region Consultative Committee gave Ojukwu, who was a military governor of Eastern Region madate to secede. Ojukwu was mandated by the Igbo to leave

The pogrom in Kano made the matter worse.The East seceded and of course the war against them.

When I hear people calling Ojukwu war monger who thought he could fight Nigeria and win I start laughing.

The Igbo never prepared for war. But just as the sheep says. She doesn't know how to dance. But if you beat drum to her father's place, if she cannot dance, she'll jump up.

Read 4 tweets

Share this page!

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

More from @maazi_ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Like this author's thread?