This kinship is seen in the names. Onicha Mịrị, Onicha Ụgbo, Onicha Olona, as examples, the first being the great market town, the last two being on the west side of the great river, Ori mịrị...
I can't but help coming back to this thread. I owe Uncle Gbenro a bottle of cognac for it.
Let me build on it a little...
Prior to when Carlos Zappa renamed Ahaba to "Asaba", ndị Oshimịrị were quite an intertwined people who knew their kin.
A short note on ethnicity.
— Gb\xe9nr\xf3 Ad\xe9gbol\xe1 \u0646 (@GbenroAdegbola) December 27, 2020
A lot of these labels are mere identity. Useful labels though.
Identity is important
Many don\u2019t know their own parents were not even born Nigerians.
Most were a strange, now defunct nationality called British West African.
This kinship is seen in the names. Onicha Mịrị, Onicha Ụgbo, Onicha Olona, as examples, the first being the great market town, the last two being on the west side of the great river, Ori mịrị...
A hypothetical child, let's call him Chukwudebe Isichei, born exactly 120 years ago today in Asaba, knew himself as being Onye Oshimili, as did his cousin across the great river.
Isichei became a "Southern Nigerian" from Onitsha Division.
Suddenly, Isichei was told that he was from Benin Division in Western Region, and now had to take his leadership from Ibadan.
He returned at age 45 to a country in turmoil and seeking "independence". He joined the movement.
Isichei agreed with him.
In all this, OBN Eluwa's message rang, and his son, Chike, a doctor in Benin, told him that the Central Hospital was known as "Kedụ Hospital".
In Isichei's 66th year, #Nigeria fell apart, and war followed the next year. Tragically, Chike was killed in the #AsabaMassacre.
The old man was spared because he couldn't make it to the "meeting" with federal troops.
He took his tragedy stoically.
The canoes and pontoons had stopped moving from Cable Point, and instead, a new bridge took their place.
At age 76, Isichei became a "Bendelite".
Isichei felt it was good, but there was to be another twist in the tale...