The Ikwerre people of Rivers State yesterday rejected their classification as Igbo by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and its President, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The Ikwerre socio-cultural group, Iwhnurohna Progressive Organisation (IPO), dismissed the Ohanaeze claim as not only offensive and insulting but also shameful, disgusting, insensitive, careless, uncivilized and unfounded.
Speaking on behalf of IPO in Port Harcourt, Dr. Okahchukwu Dibia, said it was “not true and can never be true” that all the ancestral communities in Ikwerre originated from Igbo.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Ikwerre people are a distinct ethnic nation recognised in Nigeria and the United Nations. Ikwerre language is one of the recognised languages in Nigeria and the United Nations (UN).”
Dibia challenged those in doubt about the history of the Ikwerre to “contact the appropriate government authorities in Nigeria and the UN.”
His words: “Consequently, IPO’s reply to Iwuanyanwu is that language, name, dances, songs, dressing cannot be and should not be used as determinants of who Ikwerre is. IPO wish to reply Iwuanyanwu that who a man truly is, is more about his core, innate character and behaviour than the physicals he sees.
“IPO’s reply to Iwuanyanwu on the history of Ikwerre is that Iwhnurohna is a Federation of Aborigines and Migrants who have come together under one political roof called Ikwerre Ethnic Nation. It is therefore very unthinkable and childish to claim that Ikwerre is Igbo because of the existence of few Aro communities allowed to settle in Ikwerreland”.
Dibia argued that features of appearance should not be used to determine someone’s identity but that verifiable piece of history and the innate character of an individual should speak for his ancestral affinity.
He said: “Ikwerre history has been well written and documented. Ikwerre is not Igbo. In Igboland, due to reckless boundaries delineation between Rivers State and Imo State, Ikwerre people are carved into Imo State. Example is the Ohaji people in Imo state.
“Ohanaeze should know that it is only a handful of Aro people who were allowed to settle in Ikwerre that can trace their origin to Igboland. Therefore, it is very wrong, preposterous and unacceptable for anyone to say that Ikwerre is Igbo.
Credit- Nation
