Di tori wey Ohaneze Ndigbo and dia oga patapata, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, bin yarn say Ikwerre na part of Igbo don make Ikwerre socio-cultural group wey dem dey call Iwhnurohna Progressive Organisation (IPO) vex well well.
Di members of IPO wey Dr. Okahchukwu Dibia dey lead, talk for weekend say wetin Iwuanyanwu yarn dey offensive, insulting, shameful, disgusting, insensitive, careless and e no show any home training at all. Dem say na lie-lie and tori wey no get head or tail to claim say Ikwerre pipo na Igbo.
As Dibia dey read wetin di members agree afta dia meeting for Port Harcourt, e say: “For us wey dey IPO, to say Ikwerre na Igbo mean say all di ancestral communities for Ikwerre come from Igbo. Dis one no be true and e no fit ever dey true, na why we dey reply am and Ohaneze sef.
“Make e dey clear, Ikwerre pipo na different ethnic nation wey dey recognized for Nigeria and United Nations. Ikwerre language na one of di languages wey dem recognize for Nigeria and United Nations (UN).
“Anybody wey dey doubt fit contact di ogbonge authorities for Nigeria and UN. Even though Ikwerre na our political name, Iwhnurohna na our native name, and di two of dem dey refer to di same pipo: Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality.
“We dey live and get Emohua, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City (as dem take spell am) local goment areas for Rivers State, Niger Delta, South South geo-political region of Nigeria.”
Dibia come use wetin some ogbonge scholars like Prof. Otonti Nduka write take explain say even though Ikwerre and Igbo language resemble, Ikwerre still dey different from Igbo for appearance, character and history.
E say: “Sake of dis one, IPO dey tell Iwuanyanwu say language, name, dance, song, and cloth no be wetin dem suppose take know who Ikwerre be. IPO wan remind Iwuanyanwu say na pesin true character and behaviour dey show who e be pass all dis tins wey eye dey see.
“For di mata of Ikwerre history, IPO dey tell Iwuanyanwu say Iwhnurohna na place wey get pipo wey don dey dia from start join oda pipo wey come later, wey all of dem don gree to dey under one political umbrella wey dem dey call Ikwerre Ethnic Nation. So e dey very yeye and pikin-like to claim say Ikwerre na Igbo just because say few Aro communities dey allowed to settle for Ikwerreland.”
Dibia talk say IPO believe say:
Na pesin history and character suppose show where e come from, no be how e take resemble.
E say: “Dem don write Ikwerre history well well for book. Ikwerre no be Igbo. For Igboland, sake of how dem take draw boundary anyhow between Rivers State and Imo State, some Ikwerre pipo dey inside Imo State, like Ohaji pipo.
“Ohaneze suppose know say na only small Aro pipo wey dem allow to settle for Ikwerre fit trace dia root go Igboland. So e dey very wrong and yeye to say Ikwerre na Igbo.
“From now on, dat kain yeye tori wey dey cause katakata no suppose comot from Ohaneze or any oda group or pipo mouth again at all at all. Iwhnurohna no go gree for am again.
“IPO dey suggest make Ohaneze maintain beta relationship wit dia neighbours. Ohaneze, Ijaw and all di ethnic groups for Nigeria suppose respect each oda as different pipo instead of to dey try to join pipo togeda by force sake of politics. Suspicion and domination no dey make better nation.
“Ohaneze suppose change dia attitude wey dey always dey fight Ikwerre. Make Igbo pipo stay for dia five states make dem develop am and leave Ikwerre alone. Ikwerre no be Igbo.”
Dibia still remind Ohaneze Ndigbo say Ogbakor Ikwerre Organisation WorldWide bin fine Late Chief Eguma (no be Aguma wey be Igbo version) one cow sake of say e join Ohaneze Ndigbo, and e pay am.
E say: “Di payment show say Eguma know say wetin e do no good and e correct am. IPO still note say our papa wey don die, Eguma, fit don make dat mistake without to know, just to secure im work for Enugu.
“IPO still wan remind Ohaneze say to dey live well wit neighbours beta pass money and any oda gain. Ohaneze suppose respect Ikwerre as dia own nation instead of to dey insult Ikwerre wit claim-claim wey dey cause wahala between Ikwerre and Igbo. Den, all of us fit live togeda as beta neighbours.”
