- A DISCUSSION PAPER FOR THE 13TH ELITES FOUNDATION CONVENTION,
MARCH 31, 2024, BY CHIEF BERNARD IBERU ORIAHI ESQ.
The Oza-Nogogo People have their ascendancy from the Bini Kingdom. We speak Edo dialect. As common to all languages as the people move away from the centre by a centripetal force of the main language, it becomes diluted with more vocabulary and sometimes pitched ascent of the same spoken word.
The administrative aspect of the Oza people is represented by the Ogisiship which is represented by the oldest member of the Oreghe family during their selection
process. The priestly and God Ordained Headship of the Oza people is in the Ohen
Oba. The Ohen Oba is very powerful with a hereditary ascendancy. He is most
revered to the extent that the Dein of Agbor Kingdom comes annually to present a cow gift and other gifts in a traditional visit that has many implications. If there is any aspect of the people of Oza that must not go into extinction it is the genealogy, beliefs, practice and significance of the Ohenship. It is the bedrock of the culture and tradition of the Ozanigbigbe people. I strongly believe that this conference may have few words in this aspect because it epitomizes whom we are and what makes us a force to be reckoned with.
Our knowledge and acceptance of our environ heritage and descendancy will help
to garvanise our quest for social unity. There is no question of our common history.
There are plethoral of historical accounts of our migration from the Bini Kingdom.
Those who are interested in enriching themselves of the historical account of our
migration can read the works of Sir (Dr.) Alex Ikhu-Omonegbe, Oniawu Wilson Ogbomo and Samuel Iyen, etc.
The four communities gathered here are almost homogenous in the spoken Oza language. The Ozanogogo, Oza Abiokunla, the Evboesor and Evbonekhai have everything in common. The Omumu (Omomo) and Egwaezomor Communities
have had very great ties with the rest Ozanigbigbe. As late as the 1970s over sixty percent of Omomo people speak Oza language fluently while about 30% of the
Egwaezomor community speak Oza language. The nearness of these two communities to Ika Speaking Agbor people have greatly swayed their new dominance of Ika dialect. The same argument is almost right of Owuwu Community which has more of the people speak Ika dialect more than the rest five communities of Ozanogogo. The import of this discussion at this critical point of our existence is not to trace the things that divide us but rather to critically identify those things that unite us.
Politicians will continue to make us to see ourselves as not one because bulkanisation of the people for selfish gains is one of the hallmarks of politics and is practitioners. That is why they continue to delineate and sometimes fragment one community into many autonomous units so as to secure maximum votes. The Owa communities, Aguleri and Umuneri, Ife/Modokake are plethoral examples of this fact.
Now that we have accepted from the forgoing that the Oza-Abiokunla, Evbonekhai, Evboesor and Oza-Nogogo communities are one in language, culture and tradition, the new narratives should be how do we accentuate this tie for massive development. The culture, tradition, language and social life of our people are now being attacked by very many factors. Must we allow this to continue?
For some of us who love our culture and traditions, the time to come together is now. In this year’s convention the Elite Foundation have assembled us together to further develop our ties along.
1. The Language: To ensure that the language does not go into extinction.
2. Cultural practice: Such as Ugbese, New Yam Festivals, etc.
3. Traditions: Rulership, ascendency to the throne at death for new rulers,
monuments etc.
4. Social Life: Marriage, life style etc.
5. Educational Advancements: Scholarships, Historical documentaries etc.
It is the belief that a more pragmatic approach to an enduring footprints will help us to forestall our past. We need to have a clear cut road map to those events that will make us remember our common origin.
History will not be kind to us if we leave here again without a thematic approach
to time lines of actions that will change the present laissez faire narrative of not
doing things to see to our greater unity. Some are achievable in the next six months. Such as a football competition, language development committee and end
of the year cultural festival. Others may take one or two years to actualize such as
Ugbese Festival etc. Let us discuss the way forward.
I plead for us to take a decision on one or more areas to start the new orientation to see to the galvanization of the Ozanigbigbe people. We are one and had been one. That is what we are.
Oza Wado!
CHIEF BERNARD IBERU ORIAHI ESQ.
