HRH Omu Onyebuchi Okonkwo, the Omu of Obio Kingdom, Aniocha North in Delta, has attributed the state’s Anioma identity dilemma to the civil war that raged from 1967 to 1970.
According to Okonkwo, one of the worst things that has ever occurred to the people of Anioma, also known as “Enuani”-speaking Anioma, is the civil war.
In a statement released Friday in Abuja, she made this claim.
She claims that the identity problem they are currently experiencing is solely rooted in that one period of history.
It is the root cause of our societal issues. What better term would you use to describe the flagrant lies being spread by people who associate us with a country other than the Igbo?
Okonkwo, who is a traditional queen and cultural leader, said: “What baffles me is how anyone can say that because his people conquered others in wars years ago, those people are now their descendants.
Would they have felt the need to subjugate their own offspring if we were their descendants? How would I be greeted if I went to Lagos or Kano and introduced myself as Onyebuchi?
The Hausa would refer to me as “nyammiri,” while the Yorùbá would call me “ọmọ Igbo.” So how come I’m from somewhere else? Our people lie and hide their nationality when they come here, even though they claim Igbo benefits and even lead Igbo unions outside.
“One thing about life is that your name, culture, traditions, and spirituality would always be a marker, regardless of how you lie and deny who you are,” she remarked.
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