Arts/Literary
Ikwerre: Matters Miscellaneous
Title: Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality And Political/Economic Developments In Nigeria
Author: Igwe Onyeche Wofurum
Publisher: Johnny Printing Press, Port Harcourt
Year of Publication: 2021
Reviewer: Boye Salau
It is an intriguing paradox that an ethnic group that has been in power for over 14 years is clothed in the garb of a marginalised. What a satanic joke? What metaphor does the author intend to invent and invoke? This is a riddle Igwe Onyeche Wofurum wants us to unravel in his book, Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality And Political/Economic Developments In Nigeria.
The book takes a cursory look at political and economic developments in Ikwerre land and comes to a debatable conclusion that the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, arguably the largest ethnic group in Rivers State, and currently the state’s beautiful bride, has not been given a fair share of the state cake.
As the author pleonastically puts it in the introductory part of his book, “Ikwerres have been compulsorily used and abused; systematically oppressed and suppressed; deliberately exploited and deprived; consciously marginalised and undeveloped and most of all, economically impoverished and destituted”. Wofurum, therefore, charges his fellow kinsmen to challenge and resist further marginalisation and oppression.
For any critical mind with a full grasp of the current infrastructure development in Ikwerre land, it is easy to dismiss the author’s claim as a mere ethnic rabble-rousing or a sarcastic joke from the pit of hell, more especially against the background that the three successive governors of the state from 2007 till date are from this ethnic enclave. But since Nigeria is a coliseum where the more you look, the less you see, we may as well give Wofurum the benefit of the doubt, or better still, consider his position as an intricate ploy to invoke sympathy and attract more political and economic development to his fatherland.
The book also takes a short excursion into an interminable debate about the origin of the Ikwerres. Relying on Professor Eric Amadi’s historical account, the author buys into the supposition that the Ikwerres, despite having strong cultural affinity with the Igbos in the old Benin Kingdom, have a distinct identity, and cannot be subsumed under the behemoth of the Igbos or any other tribe in Nigeria.
Given its intricate plot, Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality And Political/Economic Developments In Nigeria is, no doubt, an intriguing novel that should engender further interrogation if not debate by readers.
From its title, the book has two themes with the main theme centred around Ikwerre ethnic nationality, while Nigeria’s political evolution serves as an adjunct. Curiously, the adjunct triumphs the substance.
No doubt, the book gives a good account of Nigeria’s political evolution. But rather than concentrating and dwelling on its main theme which is the alleged marginalisation of the Ikwerres, it turns out to be an expository piece on Nigeria’s political dark past and other miscellanies. For lack of better words, the book can be described as matters miscellaneous.
Of the 107 pages, only nine pages are effectively devoted to the main theme, safe for the profiles of some Ikwerre heroes which occupy another 24 pages. The rest of the pages are consumed by the adjunct theme occupying four chapters that spread across 48 pages!
This is one of the major defects of the book, and of course, a major literary deficiency commonly associated with upcoming authors.
Wofurum is audacious and proficient in the use of words. However, his love for grandiloquent and highfalutin words diminishes the import of his message. The use of simple and clear diction which is the beauty of every good literature could have made the book much more appealing and appetising to readers, most especially to his primary audience which is the Ikwerres.
While a few proof reading errors diminish the continous flow of the text, the author’s long expedition into Nigeria’s political misadventure also detracts attention from the novel’s main plot.
Notwithstanding these deficiencies, the book succeeds in arousing the consciousness of its readers to the stark reality that one can be a major player in a polity and yet remains marginalised. A disturbing paradox of a sort!
More importantly, the book serves as a good research work for students of Political Science who may want to dig out the foundation of post-colonial coliseum that is contemporary Nigeria.
Editor’s Note: This review is being reproduced due to some errors contained in the first publication.
By: Boye Salau
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode