Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Umaro Sissoco Embaló has said that actions taken so far by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, barely a month in the saddle, have given hope to the rapid development of Nigeria and Africa.
“Everyone in the international community has been commending the giant strides of the Nigerian leader,” Embaló, who is the President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau, was quoted as having said when he paid a private visit on Tinubu at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence today, July 1.
According to Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, while speaking to newsmen, the ECOWAS leader acknowledged that President Tinubu is fully in the know that Nigeria is being looked upon for leadership for the continent.
He said that the visiting leader expressed his solidarity and willingness to cooperate with Nigeria.
“President Embalo commended the laudable policy initiatives of President Tinubu in the last one month
“He came to pay his solidarity and bond with a brother African Head of State, in the first instance, and in particular as a brother Head of State in West Africa.
“This is a very commendable sign of things to come in the entire West African region in terms of the atmosphere being generated by Nigeria’s giant steps in the last one month, and the need for Nigeria to take its rightful place in African affairs.
“Everybody is looking up to Nigeria, especially in Africa and the ECOWAS region and President Tinubu is ready to take up the gauntlet.”
The Bissau-Guinean leader was accompanied by his Special Adviser Caramo Camara, Chief of Staff, Califa Soares and Diplomatic Advisor, Ambassador Alfredo Cabral as well as his Image Operator, Bonifacio Correia.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who had earlier received the visiting President at the Presidential Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and Dele Alake were also present during the visit.
Has anyone any notion that God, Almighty, commits mistake in creating anything? In other words, has it ever crossed the mind of anyone as to the fact that God, Almighty, made mistake in creating you as a male or as a female or as black or as white, or as tall or as short, and above all, as an Egbira man or woman? The extent to which humanity has confused God’s meaning of creating us the way we should be, through changing the colour of our skins, adding to our height artificially and so on, would be treated in a separate forum another day soon, but the trend where we are abandoning our language in preference to the so-called major languages, is disturbing and absolutely unfortunate. Yes, you can hide under an excuse that the early educational system of our land was dominated by teachers from the neighbouring Yoruba speaking West through the colonial masters then, and therefore, many Yoruba words infiltrated the original Egbira words. But, there’s no excuse for Egbira people to continue to sink deeper into other so-called major languages such as Hausa, Yoruba and so on, with such avid interest to the point of viewing our own Egbira language as inferior and a shameful venture for us to speak outside. WHY THERE ARE TRIBES If we agree that God Almighty never makes mistake in whatever he does, we can then come to the conclusion that He, God Almighty, did not make mistake in creating us into different tribes. Holy scriptures tell us that God Almighty created us, human beings into different nations, tribes and with different colours so that we would, first, appreciate His ingenuity and second, for us to cherish and love where (the particular tribe) He places us. Not appreciating or avoiding where God Almighty places you is obviously a way of inviting confusion into your life and the life of your generations ahead. EGBIRA AS A TRIBE And, fortunately, we find ourselves as belonging to that unique tribe as Egbira. A researcher just came up with the fact that Egbira is the ninth oldest tribe in Nigeria (meaning that the tribe is among the top ten oldest in the country). Egbira is not just a tribe, but a process, a culture, a tradition and a way of beautiful life; life of fulfilment. Egbira, which descended from Egypt, belongs to the Kwa group of Niger-Kongo family, according to Professor Greenberg. Nupe, Gbari, Gade, Jukun are within the Kwa subgroup. However, Hoffman and Bendor in 1976, separated Egbira from Nupe and Gade and set it up as subgroup on its own. Places where Egbira or a semblance of it is spoken locally are Okene/Okehi, Koton Karfe, Toto Umaisha, Keffi, Igara (etuno), Abaji, Mozum and reverine areas of Benue State as well as Wukari in Taraba State and other spotted towns and villages across Nigeria. Anebira or Egbira (both plural and singular) are people from Bira, a Hamlet in the Northern Gongola valley. The tradition had it that Egbira adopted this name after their migration to the lower Benue valley as a mark of identity. The migration started in Gongola valley and ended in lower Benue valley. They formed part of the Apa group (the Jukun) who founded Kwararafa Confederacy, consisting of Pindiga, Kona and Kwararafa. The Jukuns were said to have migrated from Egypt in about the year 500 A.D. The Jukuns and Beriberi people of Kanem-Borno empire, who were neighbours, had cause to engage each other in a series of intertribal wars in the 17th Century. Jukun empire collapsed in 1700 A.D after losing the wars, and couple with famine and political unrest, various subnational interest groups (clan groups) dispersed. Among them were the Egbira, Igala, Tiv, Idoma, Nupe and Kaje. Egbira, in particular, took off from Wukari and went through Ibi, Lunga, Lafia, Toto, Koton Karfe, Lokoja, Itobe, Idah, and Ajaokuta, Opete and settled at Eganyi, Okengwe and Igara. The leader of the group (confirmed progenitor of modern Egbira) which migrated from Idah to Opete is called Itaazi, believed to be blessed with five children’ named Ugah, Ododo, Obaji, Ohizi and Ochuga who individually spread across the four corners of Opete and beyond, with many offsprings. The main neighbouring languages of Egbira are Yoruba to the West, Igala to the East, Edo to the South and Nupe to the North. Of all these, Yoruba had more influence than others because, for one, Western education and missionary activities spread from the Yoruba people to Egbira. For example, the first set of schools – Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) and Church Missionary Society (CMS) spread from Yoruba areas. Most teachers in these schools were Yoruba and the medium of instructions for the first three years was Yoruba language, which explains why many words of Yoruba origin infiltrated into Egbira language. The Yoruba even corrupted the original nomenclature of EBIRA with IGBIRA, whereas there’s no G and B forming a word together. In 1974, Ebira People’s Association (EPA) corrected the nomenclature to be EBIRA which means both GOOD CHARACTER and the tribal identity. However, a couple of years ago, other groups within the group from Ebira, Koton Karfe in Kogi State, from Igara in Edo State, Toto and Umaisha in Nasarawa, Wukari and Ibi in Taraba, from Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory (through the migrations) came together to form a block and named it EGBIRA. In doing the forming and renaming, the interests and rights of the congregating parts were taken into consideration and so represented, and had since been Gazetted. UNIQUE WORDS AND NAMES OF EGBIRA It is interesting to know that Egbira language is richer and more original than even English language. While English language is full of borrowed words from Latin, Swahili, Swedish Teutonic and other tribes across the world, Egbira language is 85 percent original, natural coinages from the beginning, however, with different accent amongst the confederating group (etuno, Igara, Koton Karfe, etc). In compiling the Standard Ebira English Dictionary (which is now in the market), I discovered that the only language in the world that is as original and comprehensive as Egbira is Arabic. Even the native Egbira names are very original and triple the number of English or Arabic names. In all, no fewer than 3,000 original Egbira words and 663 names native to Egbira are captured in the Dictionary, which I call “the book of the future.” Some of the unique words and names in the Dictionary, with appropriate tone marks and dots, are as follows: 1 Si – love Si – search for Si – take/lift Si – quietness 2 Ipaki – fresh cassava echuka – dry cassava 3 ose – wife (singular) ose – alligator pepper ose – boxing 4 aare – farm aare – sand 5 ahe – song ahe – sorry (greeting) ahe – is that so? (question) 6 Ogu – surrounding Ogu – profit/gain Ogu – hamattern Ogu – possession, wealth Ogu – blockage SOME EGBIRA NAMES: Oovavi Ootuhwo Eneyamire Onozare Omeneke Otinawu Ocheere Ogegere Okeeku Temtem Uhuwache Iregu Isasheyiwu Ipemida Apetewa Apokiti Asayihi Ataba Atuwaka Avamiku CONCLUSION Successful literacy agencies have shown that a person will learn English or any other language much more quickly and more thoroughly if he has learned to read and write his mother tongue and express himself in it. The process of thinking in a second language is greatly helped through an adequate insight into one’s tongue. As a matter of fact, why would a child born in London by British parents still has to go to school to learn English, and may fail to pass the subject at examination level? In other words, every language requires more than passive efforts to comprehend. For instance, a Frenchman, though may be perfect in his tongue, cannot automatically read English properly unless he is introduced to the English way of writing and pronunciation. It is therefore a wrong notion for an Egbira person to assume or argue that because he speaks the language well and so, he has mastered it, especially when it comes to the nitty gritty of fluency in reading and writing. We must therefore take it that the ability to read English does not necessarily imply that we can immediately read and understand written Egbira without going through some formal ways of learning it. In any case, if, according to history, Egbira was not conquered by the Jihad of Othman Dan Fodio of Sokoto because of formidable unity of purpose amongst the natives, why would the same Egbira subjugate themselves, willy-nilly, to enslavement of their language by other major tribes, i.e, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani and so on. Why would the Egbira willingly and or unwillingly sell their birthright and that of their children and future generations? Why do Egbira take pleasure in embracing English language wholesale, and make their children to feel proud at being good in spoken and written English, while making them (children) to feel ashamed of reading and writing native Egbira, their language? More questions begging for answers or actions, for the reversal of the frightening trend. However, it is a thing of fresh hope to begin to witness this type of competition in the name of Egbira language, especially amongst the very young upcoming ones. And, therefore, to you the young ones sprouting out, fall, the great challenges of getting down to the basics for the revival and sustenance of Egbira, the beautiful, cherished language of the world, for the generations coming after you to benefit from. It gladdens my heart therefore, to, as I crawl into old age, see you, the budding young ones, positively agitating to lighten Egbira language. I pray that God Almighty will give you the strength, the courage, the zeal and all the wherewithal to bring Egbira language into the world reckoning; into the world stages in all ramifications (Amen). Thank you profusely, my young ones and the oldies, for your attention.
Above is a five-page lecture delivered by YUSUF OZI-USMAN, Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, at the Egbira Children Quiz competition, titled ASI-EGBIRA-VU, organized by the Abuja chapter of the Egbira Peoples Association (EPA), held at the Gwagwalada palace of the Odeyani of Egbira in FCT, on June 29, 2023 NB: e-copy of the Standard Ebira-English Dictionary can be obtained by downloading its app, via playstore.
Other books by the same author can also be obtained on Amazon thus:
ECHO FROM THE FOREST https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSV88JRB
PEOPLE AROUND NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT BUHARI https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZ58SXX9
NOT BECAUSE IT’S ME https://greenbreporters.com/downloads
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the “hard” policies, especially on economy, which his government has so far taken.
The Sultan, who received Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sallah homage to him in his palace, said that the bold steps taken so far by the government will address challenges confronting the nation
“It is better to take certain decisions now, no matter the hardship. The gains of the future is more important.”
He pledged the support of the Sultanate for the Federal Government’s policies and programmes.
“We support you 100 percent, all of the time and we give you our word on this.
“We will do whatever it takes to maintain peace and stability in our country Nigeria.”
Sultan Sa’ad prayed God to grant Vice President Shettima wisdom and strength to discharge tasks assigned to him as the nation’s number two citizen.
The Vice President called on leaders in the northwest region of the county to unite and support the present administration’s efforts in addressing challenges confronting the people.
“President Tinubu is aware of the challenges facing our people – the insecurity that has pervaded the northwest region and he is taking far reaching measures to address the situation.
“I urge our political leaders to unite in order to confront the common challenges of insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment in the region.”
He conveyed President Tinubu’s felicitations to the Sultanate, even as he stressed the importance of peace and unity.
“There can never be development without peace.”
He said that the Tinubu administration, in acknowledgment of the role of the traditional institution, remains committed to giving it the necessary support to contribute to the nation’s progress.
Vice President Shettima tasked the State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto on providing purposeful leadership, dressing the need for him to maintain cordial relationship with leaders across the State.
Speaking earlier at a brief reception for the Vice President at the Government House, Governor Aliyu Sokoto expressed gratitude for the visit, describing the gesture by the Vice President as a show of “deep love for Sokoto State and its people”.
He described Vice President Shettima as a man of patience, tolerance and courage, assuring him of the State’s support for the success of the Tinubu administration.
Other dignitaries at the Sallah homage were Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State; Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Gobir; the Senator representing Sokoto North senatorial District, Senator Aliyu Wamakko; the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari and Speaker of Sokoto State House of Assembly, Tukur Bodinga, among others.
Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, popularly called Davido, has finally but subtly reacted to the claim by two foreign ladies of having been impregnated by him. One of the ladies, an American Anita, and another, a French lady, Ivanna Bay, claimed he impregnated them. Davido, instead of addressing the issue, preferred to share the poster of his “Unavailable” song on his Instastory as he continued to promote it. “Unavailable” is a hit song on the DMW label boss’ new Timeless album, which he dropped shortly after mourning the death of his son, Ifeanyi, and returning to social life.
The first Nigerian female boxer to be crowned African Super Bantamweight Champion, Adijat Gbadamosi, is hoping for a shot at the World title in U.S. later in the year.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos today, June 29, she said that her target is to become the first female Nigerian to be crowned WBC champion.
“The WBC title fight is coming up later in the year, maybe in November, so, I need a lot of support and training.”
Gbadamosi called on the Osun, Lagos and the Federal Governments to come to her aid in achieving her lofty dream.
“It is not a bad dream to put Nigeria in the face of the world again if I become the world champion; so, right now I need the support of these governments.
“I want recognition from my State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to help me in whatever way he could.
“I want to make Nigeria proud and I want Nigeria to be proud of me.”
The Osun State-born boxer entered the history books as the first female Nigerian boxer to win the African Boxing Union (ABU) title.
The 2018 Youth Olympic Silver medalist scored a technical knockout (TKO) in five rounds over Zimbabwean Soldier, Patience Mastara, in a scheduled 10 rounder to win the ABU Super Bantamweight title.
Gbadamosi confessed that it was not a mean feat achieving such a historic win over an active soldier whom many thought would knock her out.
“It was such a great moment when I won the bout and entered the history books as the first female Nigerian boxer to win an ABU title.
“I saw the bout as a challenge for me and I prepared well, knowing the pedigree of my opponent.”
She claimed to have started her boxing career when she was eight years old, and that boxing has been her passion from the start.
“I grew up to love boxing and I have been training as a boxer since the age of eight years.
“I had no opposition from my family because for me it is a passion and I have long decided to go into boxing as a career and I have no regrets.”
The Promoter of the ABU title fight and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Monarch Events and Promotions, Prince Stanley Williams, described Gbadamosi as a fantastic boxer, who who will make waves in the boxing circle.
“She is already doing that by becoming the first female Nigerian to hold an ABU title,” he said
A notorious bandit leader in Zamfara State, Dogo Gudali, has been killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by members of his terrorist group.
The IED, according to a military source in the North West, was planted by terrorists to eliminate troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, who were on a clearance operation at the fringes of Gando Forest in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the State.
The military source confirmed the incident, saying: “the explosive was intended for troops, but detonated prematurely and killed the daredevil bandit leader, Dogo Gudali, and some of his fighters.”
“Dogo Gudali and his gang members have been terrorizing Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, and some parts of Sokoto and Kebbi State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has narrated the obstacles he went through to win the November 23 Presidential election, including the cashless policy that was introduced at the eve of the election.
Speaking yesterday, June 29, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, President Tinubu said that despite all the obstacles, he remained hopeful and optimistic about achieving victory in the last presidential election.
In a separate remarks at the palaces of the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta , during a thank-you visit to the Royal Fathers, the President reflected on the challenges in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.
He recounted his concerns about the confiscation of funds and the failure of the cashless policy, and how he had previously sought wisdom and guidance from Oba Adetona during his visit to the palace.
According to the President, he invoked the spirits of freedom and determination, symbolised by “Baba Emilokan,” to overcome the obstacles in the election.
“Our monies were confiscated. The cashless policy didn’t work, it was terrible then. “I realised that I came to Ogun State to invoke the spirit of freedom which we are noted for.
“I invoked that spirit twice. The spirit of Baba Emilokan. That’s Baba. Being blunt, being decisive, that’s him, he will tell you. The second spirit is that money or no money (we will do the election and we will win).”
President Tinubu acknowledged that these spirits had been the driving force behind his service and expressed his gratitude to Oba Adetona, all the Obas, elected officials, particularly his ‘personal friend’, Senator Gbenga Daniel, the Senator representing Ogun East.
He thanked them for their loyalty and commitment during those crucial times in the 2023 election.
The President, who described his visit to Ijebu-Ode as a homecoming, told Kabiyesi: “the way you have taken me, the way you have responded to me, all I can say is thank you. May you live long and may you witness a prosperous Nigeria.”
He also acknowledged the presence of Chief Mike Adenuga, Nigerian billionaire businessman, and expressed pride in his contributions to the Nigerian economy.
During his visit to Abeokuta, President Tinubu thanked the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, for receiving him, describing him a great leader.
He expressed his commitment to fulfilling his promises and appealed for prayers from the citizens of the state to ensure progress and stability in the country.
“I have redeemed my pledge that I will come back with victory and the crown.
“The hope is recharged; the hope is here. That hope will never fail. That hope will recharge your lives in a positive manner.
“By the grace of Almighty God, we shall reap the fruits of our labour, Nigeria will see positive change, just endure these baby steps of pain.
“This country is the only one we have. I have been a refugee and I know what it means to be a refugee and my green passport is what I still have now.”
In separate remarks at the palaces of the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State thanked the President for the visit to the State, describing him as a man of uncommon grace and a living testimony of resilience.
Chronicling the President’s antecedents as a visionary politician, the governor said the pronouncement of President Tinubu in the first few weeks in office had defined him as rightly prepared and qualified for office.
Oba Adetona and Oba Gbadebo, in separate remarks in their palaces, commended President Tinubu for his leadership, acknowledging him as an instrument of God chosen to rectify past shortcomings.
They offered prayers for the President’s guidance and good health, urging Nigerians to support his administration.
Also speaking, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, the Akaraigbo of Remoland, who commended the President for starting his administration exceptionally well, noted that the people need urgent palliatives to mitigate the effects of the current challenges.
He lauded the wise decisions so far taken by the administration, reminding the President of his promise to bring development to Remo.
”I remember when you came to the palace and all we said is our dream is for you to go and win the primaries, and that once you win the primaries, I’m sure that God will take us there. I’m glad that God took us there.
”I want to remind you of what you said when you came to Remo. You said with the proximity of Shagamu to Lagos, you were surprised at the level of development in Remo. This is the time Mr President to walk that talk,” he said.
The D-8 Zakat Fund, an initiative of eight developing countries: Egypt, Iran, Bangladesh, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Nigeria, has appointed former Chief Executive Officer of Media Trust Limited, publisher of Daily Trust in Abuja, Nigeria, Alhaji Isiaq Ajibola as a Board of Trustee member of its health and social security protection initiative known as Ummah Zakat Fund( UZF). Alhaji Ajibola, who is also an Islamic enthusiast, has been a member of the fund’s Steering Committee since its launch in Nigeria. The programme, coordinated by the Global Director of the D-8 Health and Social Protection Programme (D-8 HSP), Dr. Ado Muhammad, is aimed at pooling about N200 billion to lift at least six million Nigerian out of poverty annually. The fund has brought together, stakeholders from Islamic bodies, development partners, the private sector, banking institutions and governments. It will utilise a seamless connection between the Zakat donors and beneficiaries using an application on the digital platform. Ajibola, who is a co-founder is an ardent member of NASFAT, one of the leading Islamic societies in Nigeria, where he is currently the Chairman of the Advisory Council of NASFAT Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat at the FCT Zone. He is also the chairman of the board of directors of the society’s communication arm-Lasilkiin Communications Ltd and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Daily Trust Foundation. The Board of Trustees of UZF is Chaired by Alhaji Samaila Muhammad Mera, Emir of Argungu. Other members of the board are Dr. Ibrahim Muhammad Jalo; Umar Mustapha; Dr. Nihinlola T. Mabogunje; Mrs. Umma Ayuba Musa and Jubril Abdullah Salaudeen.
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the last election, Peter Obi, has hosted prominent Islamic scholars in celebrating the Eid-el-Kabir in Onitsha.
Peter Obi, who welcomed the leaders of Anambra Muslim Community in his residence, said that he decided to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir with them, to show the brotherly love and unity that should exist among Nigerians, irrespective of tribal, political or religious belief, and to start fulfilling his promise of helping to renovate the Awka and Onitsha mosques. It would be recalled that during Peter Obi’s visit to Awka and Onitsha muslim communities in April, he promised to support them in renovating their place of worship, which was no longer in good condition. He used the opportunity of the visit to start fulfilling the promise, even as he presented both Awka and Onitsha Muslim Communities with cheques worth millions of Naira to commence the renovation projects. Speaking at the event, the LP Presidential flag bearer said: “We are all Nigerians, and we will continue to live as one irrespective of our religious or political beliefs. What we owe each other is brotherly love and care, so we can live in peace and unity as a nation. We have no other nation but Nigeria and we must make it work. “I know that times are difficult for everybody in the country, but if we rise above our religious, political and ethnic divisions, we will be able to surmount our challenges in unity. We will not give up on our nation, but continue to work for a New Nigeria that will be beneficial to every Nigerian.” In his words of appreciation, the Sarki of Awka Muslim Community, Alhaji Garba Haruna said that they were thrilled by Peter Obi’s simplicity and consistency. He said that Obi has, once again, demonstrated that he is a truly detribalised Nigerian, by making out time to mark their Sallah celebration with them. Alhaji Haruna recalled how Obi visited their mosque in April and was displeased with the deplorable state of their mosque, and pledged to help in renovating it. He sincerely appreciated Obi for the cash gift which he said will go a long way in rebuilding the mosque. The Sarki of Onitsha Muslim Community, Alhaji Iliyasu Yushau, said that the memories of Peter Obi’s visit to their mosque in April still stays fresh in their minds. He said that even though he was not in Anambra then, he received reports of Obi’s good will to the community. Alhaji Yushau said that Peter Obi had not failed in taking care of the muslim community in Anambra, even from his days as the Governor of the State. He said that Peter Obi’s actions reflect a leader who is desirous of caring for everyone irrespective of tribe or religion. He prayed Allah to bless and grant Peter Obi his heart desires.
A 20 Year-Old Nigerian girl, Miss Promise Ayomide Adekola, who graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy from Cyprus International University, spoke in an interview with Vanguard’s BIODUN BUSARI.
Here are excerpts:
Que: Can you tell us about yourself and your school?
My name is Promise Ayomide Adekola. I studied at the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Cyprus International University, earning a Dual Masters of Pharmacy degree from both institutions. I just finished my PharmD at Cyprus International University.
Que: Which year did you leave Nigeria and what are the educational requirements to get admission into a Cyprus university?
In 2017, at the age of 14, I left Nigeria. My admission was based on passing the necessary 5 credits in my WAEC result.
Que: What informed your decision of studying Pharmacy at a Cyprus university?
During my secondary school education, I had an interest in a health-related course but was hesitant about dealing with open injuries and witnessing patients in pain. Pharmacy seemed like a way to help people while avoiding those situations. I chose to pursue it. My parents recommended studying in Cyprus due to its friendly environment, affordable tuition, and quality education. It was an opportunity I don’t regret accepting.
Que: What are the experiences and challenges faced in studying abroad?
One of the challenges I faced was the language barrier, but I learned Turkish while in school, which helped me overcome this problem. Additionally, starting university at a young age and finding the right company were challenges, but I eventually found supportive friends who contributed to my success and personal growth. Studying abroad has been a wonderful experience. I have met people from various countries, learned about different cultures, and received an excellent education at Cyprus International University. The university has valuable global partnerships, which even gave me the opportunity to study in Italy.
Que: Can you tell us about your previous academic achievements in other schools before proceeding to Cyprus?
In secondary school, I ranked 10th out of approximately 200 students in JSS2 and received a scholarship for my SS1 to SS2 education.
Que: What are the factors responsible for your success for others to learn from you?
Firstly, I attribute my achievements to God’s grace, as I faced distractions and discouragement as a student. Determination, proper time management, and diligence were also crucial in helping me succeed. I focused on studying, avoided unnecessary distractions, and aimed to make my parents and God proud.
Que: What is your next step after this great success?
My future plan is to pursue a PhD in Pharmacy and fulfil my passion for teaching.
Que: How do you intend to contribute your quota to your home country, Nigeria?
I aspire to contribute to research and development in Nigeria, establish a community pharmacy, and educate my community about healthy lifestyles, proper medication usage, and disease prevention.
Qie: What advice will you give to the Nigerian government to improve the educational system and the country as a whole?
My advice to the Nigerian government is to increase investment in education and ensure curriculum relevance. Education is not the sole path to success, but it can be a significant route towards it.
Que: What are your perspectives on Nigerian students, doctors and lecturers leaving the country to relocate abroad?
Well, it all depends on the availability of quality education. If there is sufficient practical knowledge and experience available, people would definitely choose to stay. However, due to the lack of these opportunities, many individuals opt to leave. It would be better for individuals to remain in their own country, but the lack of employment opportunities, insecurity, and other issues force many to leave. The Nigerian government should prioritize addressing these problems, and the issue of emigration will be resolved.
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Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Umaro Sissoco Embaló has said that actions taken so far by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, barely a month in the saddle, have given hope to the rapid development of Nigeria and Africa.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the “hard” policies, especially on economy, which his government has so far taken.
The first Nigerian female boxer to be crowned African Super Bantamweight Champion, Adijat Gbadamosi, is hoping for a shot at the World title in U.S. later in the year.
A notorious bandit leader in Zamfara State, Dogo Gudali, has been killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted by members of his terrorist group.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has narrated the obstacles he went through to win the November 23 Presidential election, including the cashless policy that was introduced at the eve of the election.
The Imperative Of Learning Native Language: Egbira In Focus, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman
Has anyone any notion that God, Almighty, commits mistake in creating anything?
In other words, has it ever crossed the mind of anyone as to the fact that God, Almighty, made mistake in creating you as a male or as a female or as black or as white, or as tall or as short, and above all, as an Egbira man or woman?
The extent to which humanity has confused God’s meaning of creating us the way we should be, through changing the colour of our skins, adding to our height artificially and so on, would be treated in a separate forum another day soon, but the trend where we are abandoning our language in preference to the so-called major languages, is disturbing and absolutely unfortunate. Yes, you can hide under an excuse that the early educational system of our land was dominated by teachers from the neighbouring Yoruba speaking West through the colonial masters then, and therefore, many Yoruba words infiltrated the original Egbira words. But, there’s no excuse for Egbira people to continue to sink deeper into other so-called major languages such as Hausa, Yoruba and so on, with such avid interest to the point of viewing our own Egbira language as inferior and a shameful venture for us to speak outside.
WHY THERE ARE TRIBES
If we agree that God Almighty never makes mistake in whatever he does, we can then come to the conclusion that He, God Almighty, did not make mistake in creating us into different tribes. Holy scriptures tell us that God Almighty created us, human beings into different nations, tribes and with different colours so that we would, first, appreciate His ingenuity and second, for us to cherish and love where (the particular tribe) He places us. Not appreciating or avoiding where God Almighty places you is obviously a way of inviting confusion into your life and the life of your generations ahead.
EGBIRA AS A TRIBE
And, fortunately, we find ourselves as belonging to that unique tribe as Egbira. A researcher just came up with the fact that Egbira is the ninth oldest tribe in Nigeria (meaning that the tribe is among the top ten oldest in the country). Egbira is not just a tribe, but a process, a culture, a tradition and a way of beautiful life; life of fulfilment.
Egbira, which descended from Egypt, belongs to the Kwa group of Niger-Kongo family, according to Professor Greenberg. Nupe, Gbari, Gade, Jukun are within the Kwa subgroup. However, Hoffman and Bendor in 1976, separated Egbira from Nupe and Gade and set it up as subgroup on its own.
Places where Egbira or a semblance of it is spoken locally are Okene/Okehi, Koton Karfe, Toto Umaisha, Keffi, Igara (etuno), Abaji, Mozum and reverine areas of Benue State as well as Wukari in Taraba State and other spotted towns and villages across Nigeria.
Anebira or Egbira (both plural and singular) are people from Bira, a Hamlet in the Northern Gongola valley. The tradition had it that Egbira adopted this name after their migration to the lower Benue valley as a mark of identity. The migration started in Gongola valley and ended in lower Benue valley. They formed part of the Apa group (the Jukun) who founded Kwararafa Confederacy, consisting of Pindiga, Kona and Kwararafa. The Jukuns were said to have migrated from Egypt in about the year 500 A.D. The Jukuns and Beriberi people of Kanem-Borno empire, who were neighbours, had cause to engage each other in a series of intertribal wars in the 17th Century. Jukun empire collapsed in 1700 A.D after losing the wars, and couple with famine and political unrest, various subnational interest groups (clan groups) dispersed. Among them were the Egbira, Igala, Tiv, Idoma, Nupe and Kaje.
Egbira, in particular, took off from Wukari and went through Ibi, Lunga, Lafia, Toto, Koton Karfe, Lokoja, Itobe, Idah, and Ajaokuta, Opete and settled at Eganyi, Okengwe and Igara.
The leader of the group (confirmed progenitor of modern Egbira) which migrated from Idah to Opete is called Itaazi, believed to be blessed with five children’ named Ugah, Ododo, Obaji, Ohizi and Ochuga who individually spread across the four corners of Opete and beyond, with many offsprings.
The main neighbouring languages of Egbira are Yoruba to the West, Igala to the East, Edo to the South and Nupe to the North. Of all these, Yoruba had more influence than others because, for one, Western education and missionary activities spread from the Yoruba people to Egbira. For example, the first set of schools – Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) and Church Missionary Society (CMS) spread from Yoruba areas. Most teachers in these schools were Yoruba and the medium of instructions for the first three years was Yoruba language, which explains why many words of Yoruba origin infiltrated into Egbira language.
The Yoruba even corrupted the original nomenclature of EBIRA with IGBIRA, whereas there’s no G and B forming a word together. In 1974, Ebira People’s Association (EPA) corrected the nomenclature to be EBIRA which means both GOOD CHARACTER and the tribal identity. However, a couple of years ago, other groups within the group from Ebira, Koton Karfe in Kogi State, from Igara in Edo State, Toto and Umaisha in Nasarawa, Wukari and Ibi in Taraba, from Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory (through the migrations) came together to form a block and named it EGBIRA. In doing the forming and renaming, the interests and rights of the congregating parts were taken into consideration and so represented, and had since been Gazetted.
UNIQUE WORDS AND NAMES OF EGBIRA
It is interesting to know that Egbira language is richer and more original than even English language. While English language is full of borrowed words from Latin, Swahili, Swedish Teutonic and other tribes across the world, Egbira language is 85 percent original, natural coinages from the beginning, however, with different accent amongst the confederating group (etuno, Igara, Koton Karfe, etc). In compiling the Standard Ebira English Dictionary (which is now in the market), I discovered that the only language in the world that is as original and comprehensive as Egbira is Arabic. Even the native Egbira names are very original and triple the number of English or Arabic names. In all, no fewer than 3,000 original Egbira words and 663 names native to Egbira are captured in the Dictionary, which I call “the book of the future.”
Some of the unique words and names in the Dictionary, with appropriate tone marks and dots, are as follows:
1
Si – love
Si – search for
Si – take/lift
Si – quietness
2
Ipaki – fresh cassava
echuka – dry cassava
3
ose – wife (singular)
ose – alligator pepper
ose – boxing
4
aare – farm
aare – sand
5
ahe – song
ahe – sorry (greeting)
ahe – is that so? (question)
6
Ogu – surrounding
Ogu – profit/gain
Ogu – hamattern
Ogu – possession, wealth
Ogu – blockage
SOME EGBIRA NAMES:
Oovavi
Ootuhwo
Eneyamire
Onozare
Omeneke
Otinawu
Ocheere
Ogegere
Okeeku
Temtem
Uhuwache
Iregu
Isasheyiwu
Ipemida
Apetewa
Apokiti
Asayihi
Ataba
Atuwaka
Avamiku
CONCLUSION
Successful literacy agencies have shown that a person will learn English or any other language much more quickly and more thoroughly if he has learned to read and write his mother tongue and express himself in it. The process of thinking in a second language is greatly helped through an adequate insight into one’s tongue.
As a matter of fact, why would a child born in London by British parents still has to go to school to learn English, and may fail to pass the subject at examination level? In other words, every language requires more than passive efforts to comprehend. For instance, a Frenchman, though may be perfect in his tongue, cannot automatically read English properly unless he is introduced to the English way of writing and pronunciation.
It is therefore a wrong notion for an Egbira person to assume or argue that because he speaks the language well and so, he has mastered it, especially when it comes to the nitty gritty of fluency in reading and writing. We must therefore take it that the ability to read English does not necessarily imply that we can immediately read and understand written Egbira without going through some formal ways of learning it.
In any case, if, according to history, Egbira was not conquered by the Jihad of Othman Dan Fodio of Sokoto because of formidable unity of purpose amongst the natives, why would the same Egbira subjugate themselves, willy-nilly, to enslavement of their language by other major tribes, i.e, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani and so on. Why would the Egbira willingly and or unwillingly sell their birthright and that of their children and future generations? Why do Egbira take pleasure in embracing English language wholesale, and make their children to feel proud at being good in spoken and written English, while making them (children) to feel ashamed of reading and writing native Egbira, their language?
More questions begging for answers or actions, for the reversal of the frightening trend.
However, it is a thing of fresh hope to begin to witness this type of competition in the name of Egbira language, especially amongst the very young upcoming ones. And, therefore, to you the young ones sprouting out, fall, the great challenges of getting down to the basics for the revival and sustenance of Egbira, the beautiful, cherished language of the world, for the generations coming after you to benefit from.
It gladdens my heart therefore, to, as I crawl into old age, see you, the budding young ones, positively agitating to lighten Egbira language.
I pray that God Almighty will give you the strength, the courage, the zeal and all the wherewithal to bring Egbira language into the world reckoning; into the world stages in all ramifications (Amen).
Thank you profusely, my young ones and the oldies, for your attention.
Above is a five-page lecture delivered by YUSUF OZI-USMAN, Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, at the Egbira Children Quiz competition, titled ASI-EGBIRA-VU, organized by the Abuja chapter of the Egbira Peoples Association (EPA), held at the Gwagwalada palace of the Odeyani of Egbira in FCT, on June 29, 2023
NB: e-copy of the Standard Ebira-English Dictionary can be obtained by downloading its app, via playstore.
Other books by the same author can also be obtained on Amazon thus:
ECHO FROM THE FOREST https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSV88JRB
PEOPLE AROUND NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT BUHARI https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZ58SXX9
NOT BECAUSE IT’S ME https://greenbreporters.com/downloads