The Ikwerre ethnic nationality under the aegis of Iwhnurohna Progressive Union (IPO), has provoked a fresh controversy about their affiliation with the South East geo-political zone in Nigeria, saying they are not Igbo.
The ethnic group based in Rivers State was reacting to comments by a former Secretary-General of the apex South East organisation, Uche Okwukwu that Ikwerre are Igbo.
Before his death, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had also said Ikwerre people are Igbo.
The President of IPO, Dr Okachikwu Dibia, who raised the objections during a press conference in Abuja, said they will send a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and other national and international security agencies on the threat of extermination of the Ikwerre by a former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Okwukwu.
“IPO will surely petition the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and all other national and international security agencies on the threat of extermination of the Ikwerre people issued by one Barrister Uche Okwukwu”, Dibia said.
He outlined eleven circumstances and actions by Ikwerre, including linguistic, historical and cultural differences why they should not be classified by Ohanaeze Ndigbo as Igbo.
Dibia said, “Let us make it clear here that while Ikwerre is our political name, Iwhnurohna is our native name, and both refer to the same people: Ikwerre ethnic nationality are found in Rivers State, Niger Delta, South South geopolitical region of Nigeria.
“When they say “Ikwerre is Igbo”, what do they mean? They mean that all the ancestral communities in Ikwerre originated from Igboland. This is not true; hence our reply to Iwuanyanwu, Okwukwu, Ohanaeze and all their tribe in that unholy business of Ikwerre is Igbo, is that Ikwerre is not Igbo.
“Iwuanyanwu, stressed that Iwhnurohna is Igbo because she speaks Igbo language. How did our people learn to speak Igbo language? It was basically through cultural, social, political and economic interactions before, during and after the slave trade, but deepened during Eastern Regional Government (1952-1967) when the Igbo dominated every strata of Ikwerre land.
“Uche Okwukwu alludes to a piece of history that tells him there were Igbos who settled in Ikwerre before other Ikwerre immigrants migrated into Ikwerre. He points to the year 1400 AD, quoting an English writer Talbot. That year was 15th century and from the Isiokpo and Oduoha Emohua stories, they have been established way back in the 10th and 11th centuries.
“The Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality strongly believes in one Nigeria. We also suggest that to realise this unity, the different composite ethnic groups should enjoy full self-determination and this is the meaning of unity in diversity which remains a runaway potential waiting to be optimised.”
Friday Olokor
Follow us on:
