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By Olukayode Oyeleye
I have just read a piece posted on FB by Uduma Kalu whom I fondly call by his name UDUMA. Although the piece which he credited to someone else was obviously truncated, it is probably the most apt and logical response among the whirlwind of responses to the recent comments of Sunday Oliseh about his ethnic identity. It was rather disappointing and shocking to read the comments of two broad categories of commentators on this subject. While some reasoned that it was his choice and it should be accepted as such, some others argued that he was mistaken. Overall, I am of the opinion that Sunday Oliseh has only inadvertently sparked off a cultural and linguistic reawakening that should make a people conscious of their shared history. The last may not have been heard of this statement that has proved controversial, judging from the responses that have trailed it.
I had expected to read more engaging, cerebral and informative comments on this controversial topic, but none until I came across this one Uduma Kalu credited to Chiedu Ezeana from Delta State. In trying to challenge Oliseh’s logic or premise, Chiedu’s analogy of the Yoruba tribe was succinct and spot-on. I felt the urge to write something after reading his piece, especially based on his emphasis on history, preference of self-identification, sentiment, shared linguistic and cultural heritage.
I had to quickly rummage through my library in search of help, which came readily in the book titled IGBO LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, edited by F. Chidozie Ọgbalụ and E. Nọlue Emenanjọ, two leading authorities on Igbo language. I am not too sure there are yet others in contemporary times that tower above them.
I understand that Nọlue Emenanjọ, the first Professor of Igbo language, was from Ụmụeze Igboụzọ (Ibuza), Delta State and Frederick Chidozie Ọgbalụ was from Abagana, Njikoka, Anambra State.
In my own contribution to the comments by Sunday Oliseh, I will simply lift some comments of Chiedu verbatim and do the same thing from some pages of the book co-authored by Ọgbalụ and Emenanjo for emphasis and effect, then rest my case. First, here are Chiedu’s comments, as I quote.
“That some Southeast Igbos are condescending to Delta/Western Igbos and some Delta/Western Igbos feel insulted enough by it to no longer identify as Igbos, does not alter the true historical fact of their shared linguistic and cultural heritage.”
“I am from Ogwashi-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha South LG,Delta State,I speak a dialect of Igbo language: I AM IGBO.
The same applies to all these other places you have mentioned: Ika, the Agbor area where Abavo is located; the Kwale/Ukwuani people of Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local governments…”
“History, not personal sentiment or preference, is a discipline that requires rigorous study and deep reflection, and it is what must guide any discussion of this sort that wishes to be taken seriously by serious-minded people.”
“I was born in Yorubaland and I speak and read and write the language. I can tell you that Oyo Yoruba is drastically different from Ekiti or Owo or Ijebu Yoruba dialects enough for them not to even understand themselves, but none of the latter has ever disclaimed their shared Yoruba historical, linguistic and cultural heritage.”
And now, I turn to Ọgbalụ and Emenanjọ, paraphrasing some of their written comments: “A civilization will always re-examine itself, eliminate what is bad in itself, and embellish what is good. This process goes on endlessly in all aspects of any living civilization; if a civilization rests from this constant self-examination and self-improvement, it stops growing. It rots, or it decays.”
Furthermore, the duo averred that: “A race whose language cannot be used for literary and serious purposes has no real identity; the race is decadent. The most conclusive conquest of a people is the conquest through language… A culture area is therefore defined as a geographical delimitation of areas that have the same dominant and significant culture traits, complexes and patterns.”
“The people living within the Igbo culture area speak the same Igbo language and so constitute what linguists call a speech community. Within the speech community there are scores of regional dialects — the number is still unknown since there is still no dialect survey available. Impressionistically, however, we know that among the West Niger Igbo, there are three broad dialect clusters: the Ịka (dialect) cluster, the Ụkwụanị cluster and the Enuanị cluster, while among the East Niger Igbo there are many clusters like the Onitsha cluster, the Orlu cluster, the Owerri cluster, the Etche-Ikwerre cluster, the Nsukka cluster, the Umuahia cluster, etc.”
Here is where it gets very interesting. According to them: “Because of the solid common core between all Igbo dialects the people of Agbor and Umunede of the Ịka district of West Niger Igbo can communicate after some adjustment with the people of Owerri or Nsukka or Ikwerre or Awka of the East Niger Igbo. It is significant to note that while the Ịka can communicate with other Igbo people with some of whom they are separated by as much as two hundred and fifty miles, the Ịka can never communicate with the Ishan, their nearest neighbours — a few miles apart — except through Ishan. While the Ịka has to learn Ishan to communicate with Ishan, the Ịka does not have to learn the other dialect of Igbo to communicate with the other Igbo man. All he does — and this is usually mutual — is to adjust. No amount of adjustment short of learning Ishan, can make an Ịka communicate with the Ishan, without using Ishan.”
I am neither here to convince Oliseh to accept that he is Igbo, nor am I trying to persuade those who think his acceptance of being Igbo is inconsequential. I am, however, of the opinion that both sides of the argument missed the essence. The more worrisome applies to those subject to delusion and illusion of the times, who simply dismiss the whole issue, claiming that he is entitled to his choice, preference or self-identity. They are playing into the new-age evolution of identity crisis that is now plaguing the Western world where a man is now struggling to convince himself that he is a woman and some people say they are entitled to the identity they choose to claim, not the one they biologically belong to. As pointed out by Chiedu from the same area with Oliseh, the matter is self-evident. It is not hard to tell who is right.
Dr. Oyeleye is from Ekiti State
