HISTORY OF UKWANNI

A prolific writer and researcher, Ozah Michael Ozah is a trained lawyer. His passion in the study of the history and culture of the Ukwuani speaking people of Delta State has resulted in the birth of seminal and referential books on the previously not well documented ethnic group.

The writer, Ozah, who works as the Legal Services Manager of Vanguard Media Limited is the author of Proudly Ukwuani: A  History and Culture, The Great Debate : Okpala-uku Clan-head vs Monarchy, My Ukwuaniness and Ukwuani Names & Meanings. In this interview, Ozah spoke to Arts on Sunday about the issues that spur his interest in cultural and scholarly research.

You have done quite well in the last couple of years writing about the history and culture of Ukwani people. What gave impetus to this adventure?

My impetus in writing about the history and culture of my people, the Ukwuani of Delta State, derives from a burning patriotism. I am proud of my colour, of who I am. I recall a poem I read in my secondary school days, I thank You Lord, for creating me black.

History was one of my favourite subjects – or is it course they call it now? – in secondary school and I always found it interesting learning about the great ancient empires and kingdoms in Africa – Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Ashante Oyo etc.

The account of migration of peoples always filled me with wonder and, coupled with my knowledge of geography, I always looked out for practical proofs of what I was taught wherever I went. But one thing was missing: in all that I was taught in school no mention was made of my Ukwuani people. This heightened my curiosity even after I left school.

Are the Ukwuani historyless? Why was there no literature on their history? Was it that I had not searched / read enough? I intensified my search, asking questions, prodding elders. Some of the responses I got tallied with folk stories I had heard as a teenager.

I also stumbled on some cursory mention of Ukwuani in some works such as Groundwork of Nigerian History, edited by Professor of Obaro Ikme. I am satisfied that my interest has yielded enduring fruits to guide future generations on Ukwuani people and history.

Incidentally, this engagement of yours became active at a time when the study of history is no longer taken seriously by formulators of the nation’s educational policy. What is your own attitude to history?

Yes, it is unfortunate,and so much so, that the study of history has been relegated by formulators of Nigerian education policy. It is a sad retrogressive development. The falling standard in education is not unconnected with this development.

I recall Professor Pat Utomi saying

TODAY IN DELTA STATE

ANIOMA ON IT: Going Higher and Higher With our Culture

Anioma people comprise of series of towns and communities currently inhabiting and located in Delta State, South-southern region of Nigeria. The people of this region are calm and wonderful, while the region has been described as one of the most peaceful in the Nigerian polity. The Anioma people are naturally blessed with beautiful culture and creative and enduring art performances which could hold anyone spell bound.

The Anioma culture over the time has become distinct and typical to the region, thus no ethnicity or group of people can justifiably lay claims to this culture because it is unique to the region. The uniqueness of this culture has ordinarily on its own tended to fend off arguments from quarters laying claims to the beautiful culture of this people. The Anioma culture they say speaks for itself. It has also beaten the imagination of several cultural observers on how speedily the culture and tradition of Anioma people have become homogenous in spite of the group not having common ancestral history as many historians mistakenly assume.

Although certain communities in this region can lay claim to Igbo ancestry as supported by oral history, many of these group have their histories obviously not

5 Reasons Why Influencers Are Replacing Traditional Celebrities

Everyone knows that the world is moving online, that social media is replacing TV, and that social media stars are gaining massive visibility. But few have analyzed the driving forces behind these developments. This post uncovers the 5 reasons why social media influencers are skyrocketing in popularity and becoming the new modern day celebrities.influencers-celebrities.

1. Influencers are relatableThe enormous popularity of influencers can be explained in one sentence: People listen to people they trust, and people trust relatable people. YouTube stars are more pop

CAPE TOWN - SOUTH AFRICA

Today our search light goes down to South Africa precisely cape town.

Cape Town, city and seaport, legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape province. The city lies at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula some 30 miles (50 kilometres), at its southernmost boundary, north of the Cape of Good Hope. Because it was the site of the first European settlement in South Africa, Cape Town is known as the country’s “mother city.”

PERSONAL DECORATION IN AFRICA

 Adornment of the human body involves all aspects of the arts as practiced in Africa. The body may be altered in ways that are permanent, especially by scarification, or the cutting of scars. Among the Yoruba, scarification indicates lineage affiliation. Among Nuba women in The Sudan, it is sometimes a mark of physiological status: patterns indicate such stages as the onset of menstruation and the birth of the first child. Sometimes the body is scarified for the aesthetic value of the patterns, as among the Tiv of Nigeria.

BRITANNICA LISTS & QUIZZES

A 1912 poster shows Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft, all working at desks, superimposed on a map of the United States. The three were candidates in the 1912 election.

HISTORY QUIZ

U.S. Presidential Elections

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellín

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Tecumseh and his troops (on the right) fought American forces during the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813.

HISTORY QUIZ

Military History Buff Quiz

Shooting star (Dodecatheon pauciflorum).

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Botanical Sex: 9 Alluring Adaptations

The body may be altered in ways that are semipermanent, in the sense that a person is not normally seen in public without certain effects, although they can be removed or adjusted in private. Royal regalia are an example, as are the heavily beaded ornaments worn by Maasai women.

FLAG OF NIGERIA

From the late 17th century in what is today Nigeria, the British carried on slave trade with native states and eventually acquired protectorates over many of them. These states did not have national flags

, and the diversity of ethnic groups and religions meant that there were no common symbols for the area. When the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was established in 1914, its first governor-general, F.D. Lugard, chose an emblem to appear on various colonial flags. On a red disk he placed a green six-pointed star, which he referred to as the Seal of Solomon. The royal crown and the name “Nigeria” appeared within the star.

Work toward independence led to the establishment of a national planning committee, which in 1958 called for a competition to select a national flag. Almost 3,000 designs were submitted, many of great complexity. The winning design was by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, a Nigerian student in London. In his flag of equal green-white-green vertical stripes, green stood for agriculture and white for unity and peace. The original design also included a red quarter sun on the white stripe as a symbol of divine protection and guidance, but this was omitted by the committee. The new national flag became official on independence day, October 1, 1960. It is typical that Nigeria, like many other culturally diverse countries, chose a simple flag design. A more complex design might have explicitly honoured some ethnic and religious groups while excluding others.

AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN TRINIDAD CARNIVAL

OUR AFRICAN HERITAGE

As a means of maintaining absolute control, the slave masters tried to destroy every aspect of African cultural, social and religious traditions, and impose a Eurocentric value system on the slaves. Everything African was perceived as being heathen, backward and evil. In spite of these attempts to destroy an entire culture, some aspects of African culture have survived. Today the African influence is still present in music, dance,

 food, religion, language, handicraft and place names in Trinidad and Tobago.

AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN TRINIDAD CARNIVAL

While it is generally known that the French brought Carnival celebrations to Trinidad when they came in the 18th century, there are certain aspects of Carnival that can be traced to Africa and some of its festivals there. For example, the Egungun festival of Nigeria is reminiscent of the revelry, pantomime, street parades, music and masking that are seen in Trinidad and Rio de Janeiro carnival. Africans portray masks in their ceremonies, dances and festivals. The moko jumbie (stilt walker) and devil portrayal, and even the hat worn by the midnight robber are similar to characters played during the Nigerian festival of Egungun.

"I am a muslim but i love jesus"

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II shared this picture via his official Instagram page today According to him:

"I am a Muslim and I love Jesus", Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II
"Many people
are unaware of the fact that one can’t be a Muslim without loving Jesus (Peace be upon him) known in as Arabic Isa (Alayhis Salam)." how possible could this be?

AFRICAN CULTURE

The culture of Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of tribes that each have their own unique characteristics. It is a product of the diverse populations that today inhabit the continent ofAfrica and the African Diaspora.

African culture includes but is not limited to: The centrality of spirituality, the placement of music, aesthetic, family formations, marriage rites, both the tangible and intangibles intellectual paradigms. The agents affecting culture are climate, geography, technology, cross-cultural interaction and unfortunately a history of oppression. Long ago some wise people realized that certain habits bore bad fruit, while other habits, such as marriage bore success in the group setting. It was also realized that at some stage children became adults when they had been fully institutionalized to the ethics of the group's culture. At this stage a ritual demarked this transition to full group membership. These "rites of passage" became critical in nation building.