Proudly Ijaw - by Esther Omemu

The number of times I have had to tell people ‘I am Ijaw’, spell it, google it and sometimes even launch into geography lessons is the reason why I just had to make this post. Yes, I am Ijaw…a part of a tribe that holds some of the world’s most ancient people. True, that surprised me too. The Ijaw people were the first to find a settlement in the Lower Niger and Niger Delta and so it is possible that they may have started inhabiting this region as far back as 500 BC. The Ijaws are unquestionably the most populous tribe in the Niger Delta area and, with over 14 million people, are also possibly Nigeria's fourth biggest ethnic group. Now, this is one fact I am going to use to brag a lot. ‘Please don’t talk to me anyhow if your tribe is not amongst the top 5 in Nigeria. Thanks’ And because my people have a strong affinity for the water, many of them work as migrant fishermen in camps as far away as Gabon in the east and Sierra Leone in the west. The irony of this is I am that Ijaw person who you’ll never find around water. The Ijaw people also sit on Nigeria`s rich oil lands and enjoy rich farming paddy-rice, plantains, yams, cocoyams, smoke-dried fish, timber, palm oil, palm kernels bananas, and other vegetables as well as tropical fruits such as guava, mangoes, and pineapples. Since fish was (and still is) abundant throughout the time of the early inhabitants, the majority of the diet consumed by the Ijaws includes fish. But these are not even the coolest part about this tribe. Here are just a few that is sure to leave you amazed, First, the Ijaw is the only ethnic nation with over 9 distinct languages: Izon, Kalabari, Epie-Atissa, Nembe, Ogbia, Okirika, Engenni, and Andoni. They are the most culturally diverse ethnic group. Imagine an 11-in-1 ethnic nation; meaning about eleven different cultures and sub-cultures in one nation. The interesting thing is that the Ijaw people are spread across different states. You’ll find them in Bayelsa, Delta, even Ondo, and then Rivers, and Akwa-Ibom. I am pretty sure there in more places than are listed here. The Ijaw people also have the most beautiful swarthy women in Africa (I didn’t make this up, it is according to Miss World’s organizers and there’s no doubt about it.) They are also the only ethnic group that can survive fully as an independent nation: with minerals and human resources, a flourishing fishing industry (which was one of the earliest backbones of the Japanese economy); and a very good location: proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The Ijaw are the only Nigerian ethnic group to have produced a politician nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Another bragging right is unlocked. We also have one of the most fertile women in the world. Sterility isn’t common among Ijaw women. Hence, the over-population of Ijaw communities. Now here’s one thing amongst everything else that I find wildly fascinating about the culture of my people. We have two forms of marriage, yes and they are determined by the size of the dowry. The first type is a small-dowry marriage and the implication of this is that the children will belong to the mother’s family. When they grow up, they can decide to switch but naturally, they belong to the mother’s family. The other type is the large-dowry marriage and of course, this means the children belong to the father’s family. What do you think? Is this a necessary practice or just one of those things that makes Nigeria a strange place to live in? To close this post, I’ll entertain you with some beautiful, funny but wise proverbs from the lips of my people’s elders. It is doubtful that there is an Ijaw person who does not have an armload full of proverbs. Have a look: The fish that dwells in the waterside of a village never lives to its old age unless it is cunning. If the singer is a fool, the listener is also a fool. A wise fish knows that a beautiful worm that looks so easy to swallow has a sharp hook attached to it. Money is a stranger; it only stays with those who take good care of it. The tongue is only 3 inches, but it can kill a man that is 6ft tall.

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