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Maazị Ogbonnaya

6 Jun, 9 tweets, 2 min read

His name is Ebitu Ukiwe, the first Nigerian politician, Igbo& first Chief of General Staff to resign honourably because he couldn't give in to intimidation neither could he compromise his dignity. He was a Vice President under IBB regime, he resigned. Couldn't allow him box him

He served as Vice President from 1985—1986.

He served as Governor of Lagos State, July 1978—October 1979. He also served as Governor of Niger State December 1977—July 1978.

He joined the Nigerian Navy in 1960 as a cadet officer. He was commissioned sub-lieutenant in 1966.

In 1966, he defected into Nigerian Army. He fought on the Biafran side in 1967—1970. He was one of the few Igbo officers to be readmitted to Navy in 1972.

He was a member of the Supreme Military Council 1975—1977. Obasanjo appointed him military governor of Niger State.

He was later redeployed as the Military governor of Lagos State. Under Buhari's government of 1983—1985, he remained also in the Supreme Military Council while he served as Flag Officer, Western Naval Command. He was the director Naval Faculty, Jaji (1981—1984)

In 1985, after the military coup that brought Gen. Ibrahim Babangida to power as military head of state, he appointed Ebitu Ukiwe as Chief of General Staff and his second-in-command. He opposed Babangida's decision to join the country into the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He resigned instead of taking part to that Organization of Islamic Cooperation. E shock Babangida who thought he could beg for the position. He didn't. Till tomorrow, Babangida respects him because he's a highly principled man with dignity.

He supported Abiola. Abacha jailed him

It was in 1993 that Abacha jailed him.

Ebitu Ukiwe later became the chairman of companies such as Bitu Properties, Kobimat, Bitu Promar and Rudocons. He was adviser and consultant to Statoil, an offshore oil production company for 9 years.

He ran for presidency in 2006.

Ebitu Ukiwe street—one of the most famous streets in Jabi, Abuja is named after him. The place Zenith Bank is located, even the AKTC in Jabi is called Ebitu Ukiwe.

He hails from Abịrịba, Abịa State. Born in October 26, 1940. A commodore in Navy. Nigerian Army. Biafran Army.

Remember, he fought so that Nigeria wouldn't be included as Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He stood his ground. Instead of being part of that, he resigned his position honourably as second-in-command of a Military Head of State. What a firm man! Strong man...not a puppet!

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More from @maazi_ogbonnaya

Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

4 Jun

I have never seen a grown up man cry this way. A man in his 50s, crying like a baby. I can't also remember the last time tears rolled down my cheeks in the public, not even in the public transport. But it happened to me today.

He lost his two sons.

Two sons. One 16, the second one 13. Just today. Just this morning. Just in Kaduna. Just in Kaduna South. In Kafanchan...

In...

"They killed my two sons! My only hope. All I got in this world. I am finished. I am gone", he roared in the vehicle.

It was around Nicon Park Junction someone waved our vehicle on his behalf. He was going towards Bwari to connect Kaduna from there. I was to make a stop at Gwarinpa to tidy up few things for the day. The man first pleaded with the driver to remind this fellow his bag.

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

3 Jun

ASABA MASSACRE

This happened between 5-7 October 1967. The main name of Asaba is Ahaba.

The Federal troops entered Asaba and claimed to be Biafran sympathisers. They were ransacking houses and killing civilians.

RT this thread for another historical reach

Several hundred were killed individually and in groups at various locations in the town. Community leaders summoned the people to assemble on the morning of 7th October 1967, hoping to end the violence through a show of support for "One Nigeria."

Hundreds of men, women, and children, many wearing the ceremonial akwa ọcha dress paraded along the main street, singing, dancing, and chanting "One Nigeria."

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Maazị Ogbonnaya

@maazi_ogbonnaya

2 Jun

7th Oct. 1966 Time Magazine wrote:

"The massacre began at the airport near the Fifth Battalion’s home city of Kano. A Lagos-bound jet had just arrived from London, and as the Kano passengers were escorted into the customs shed a wild-eyed soldier stormed in,

brandishing a rifle and demanding ‘Ina Nyamiri?’ – the Hausa for ‘Where are the damned Ibos?’.

There were Ibos among the customs officers, and they dropped their chalk and fled, only to be shot down in the main terminal by other soldiers.

Screaming the blood curses of a Moslem Holy War, the Hausa troops turned the airport into a shambles, bayonetting Ibo workers in the bar, gunning them down in the corridors, and hauling Ibo passengers off the plane to be lined up and shot.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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