NOW HEAR THIS Nigerians all over the world. The Ijaw tribe is the 4th largest tribe in Nigeria. Ijaw tribe is the one feeding the entire Nigeria with oil and gas money from Ijaw land but the Ijaw people are the POOREST of the poor in Nigeria – go figure it out.
THE IZONS AT A GLANCE
The Ijo, Izon, Ijaw people are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria coming after the Hausas, Yorubas and Igbos. The Izons are estimated to be about 20 million in population, and have a wide geographical spread; covering Delta State (Shared with Urhobo-Isokos, Itsekiris and Anioma), Bayelsa State(main homeland), Rivers State (Shared with Ikwerre, Ogoni and other Edoid/Igboid groups), Edo State (Shared with Edoid groups such as Bini, Esan, Afemai, etc) and Ondo State (Shared with the Yorubas). The Izons are also settled in Akwa-Ibom State, Cross-Rivers State, Kogi State and Lagos State. They are virtually in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. The Izons also have a strong Diasporan presence in the USA and UK as well as Asia, the Americas, Australia and other countries in Africa notably Sierra-Leone, Benin Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon.
The Izons are one of the true “aboriginal people of water” and the “Niger Delta”. It should be noted that the Ijaws are so BLESSED, in that the entire Clans/Habitat sits on crude oil. The Ijaws are jolly, simple, accommodating and independent minded people. However, do not take their quietness for mediocrity or lack of will because they can be violent and erratic if pushed to the wall.
The origin of the Ijaws is involved in obscurity. Like the early history of most nations the commonly received accounts are for the most part purely legendary. The people being unlettered, and the language unwritten all that is known is from traditions carefully handed down.
The Ijaws are believed to be descendants of an autochthonous people or an ancient tribe of Africa known as the Oru; the Ijaws were originally known by the name (Oru).
The Izon People have lived in the Niger Delta region since before the fifth millennium BCE, and they were able to keep a separate identity because they lived where the agriculturally dependent Benue-Kwa groups were unable to penetrate. Some of the earliest archeological findings of Ijaw tribes have been dated to as far back as the early 800s BCE. The timeline that the archaeological excavations provide offers about 5,000 years of evidence of Ijaw history and presence in the Niger Delta.
The Ijaws started inhabiting the Niger Delta region of what is now Nigeria as far back as 800 BCE, thus making them one of the world’s most ancient peoples. Yes! The Ijaws have existed as a distinct language and ethnic group for over 5,000 years.
Under the administrative authority and jurisdiction of the Father and Ruler IJO, UJO of the ancient ORU People, and with administrative headquarters in the first ancient Ijaw city-state, which existed for more than 400 years in the central Niger Delta known as Agadagba-Bou (the lost City of Ijo), nine (9) family lines of descent (the Isena-Ibe) consisting of the original exploration families and other Oru aboriginal settlers came together and gave birth to the Ijo nation, with Father Ijo (Ijo, Izonowei) as the first Pere (King) variously titled THE INDO-ORU, THE KALASUO, THE OGULABIOWEI and THE ETEKURO (ETEKURO-SERIAKE, corrupted to Idekoseroake, the title he was remembered by at old Ife) organised into nine lines of ancestral descent (family lines). They all came under the authority and traced descent from the main ancestor Father IJO as the direct sons or children, either actually and symbolically (for the purposes of unity).
Below is a list of ancestors and how the 51 different clans of Ijaw came to being:
FATHER IJO, UJO: The first Pere (King) of a unified Ijo is known as Ijo/Ujo and he is the father of the Ijo people, the ancient ORU People, and progenitor of the various ancestors below.
* The Ancestor ASAIN was a seer/priest and companion to UJO and the founder of the original Ijo community at Abo;
* The Ancestor GBARAN (GBARAUN) is the founder of Gbaraun town in APOI (Southern-Ijo), GBARANMATU, AROGBO, TUOMO, KABO, KUMBO AND GBARAUN Clans;
* The Ancestor OPU-BENI is the founder of the MEIN, IBENI (OYAKIRI), OBOTEBE-KALABARI Clans;
* The Ancestor OPU-OKUN is the founder of the OPUKUMA Clan;
* The Ancestor KALA-OKUN (alias ALUKU-DOGO) is the founder of the KOLOKUMA, APOI, IBANI CLANS, and sections of NEMBE, TUNGBO, BUSENI, OKODIA Clans;
* The Ancestor APOI is the founder of the APOI, UKOMU & AKASSA Clans;
* The Ancestor TARA is the founder of the TARAKIRI, & ANDONI Clans;
* The Ancestor OPU-OGBO is the founder of the EKPETIAMA & SEIMBIRI, EPIE-ATISSA CLANS and sections of WAKIRIKE & NKORO.
* The Ancestor KALA-OGBO (alias OGURU) is the founder of the IDUWINI & EGBEMA CLANS
* The Ancestor OPORO is the founder of the OPOROMA & OPEREMO, BASAN, FURUPAGHA, OGBE-IJO, CLANS.
* The Ancestor OLODI (alias IGBEDIGBOLO) is the founder of the OLODIAMA CLANS, and sections of NEMBE.
* The Ancestor OGULA is the founder of the OGULAGHA CLAN.
* The Ancestor KURU is the founder of the KRUS of Liberia.
* The Ancestor OYAN is the founder of the OGBO-OYAN (OGBIA CLAN).
* The Ancestor BOMOU is the founder of the BOMA CLAN.
* The Ancestor IBI (OBI) is the founder of the OGBOIN, WAKIRIKE CLANS, and sections of NEMBE.
* The Ancestor KENI-OPU-ALA is the founder of the KE Clans.
* The Ancestor ORU is the direct founder of the KULA CLAN.
CLANS FORMED BY CHILDREN OF THE ORIGINAL FIRST GENERATION ANCESTORS;
* The Ancestor OPOROZA II is the founder of the KABO, KUMBO AND GBARAN CLANS
* The Ancestor MEIN is the founder of the MEIN & KALABARI CLANS.
* The Ancestor PEREBO-KALAKEBARI (KALABARI) is the founder of the KALABARI CLAN.
* The Ancestor KALA-BENI (alias ALAGBARIGHA) is the founder of the IBENI (IBANI, OR BONNY) CLAN.
* The Ancestor OPUBO-PEREKULE is the founder of the OPUBO (OPOBO) CLAN.
SOME IJAW DIALECTS AND THEIR CLANS;
Each Ijaw clan has its own unique dialect! Though there is no central Ijaw Language, there is no doubt that most clans dialects are mutually intelligible. Notwithstanding, others are not. For instance, the Ogbia dialect spoken in Otueke may likely not be heard at all by the Gbaramatu clan in Warri South West. But the Kalabari dialect may be heard by the Nembe clan and others in the central area. Acculturation is attributed to the dialectal variations because every Ijaw clan shares its neighbourhood with other ethnic groups and elements tend to fall in. Also, many Ijaw clans are not geographically contiguous to each other. i.e. Opobo is more than six hours away from Gbaramatu or any of the clans in Ondo State. In between the clans, one tends to find other groups such as Urhobo, Itsekiri, Yoruba, Ikwerre, etc and these divisions affect the linguistic centrality of the Ijaw people.
However, there is an ongoing effort by the INC and Ijaw linguistic scholars to achieve a central language with the introduction of Izon language in the Niger-Delta University, Wilberforce Island and Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama.
It should be noted that Ijaw has no SIMILARITY with any of the ethnic groups in Nigeria! Most “minority” ethnic groups are either Yoruboid, Igboid, Edoid, Hausoid, etc, but Ijaw is simply Ijoid and has no linguistic semblance or conformity with any of the aforementioned groups. It is also to be noted that Ijaw dialects are grouped into major categories; Western/Central Ijaw and Eastern Ijaw, extended to South Eastern and Inland Ijaw.
SOME IJAW DIALECTS AND LOCATION
CENTRAL/WESTERN IJAW DIALECTS;
1. Ekeremor (Oporomo) dialect (Spoken in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State). It is intelligible to many other Ijaw clans.
2. Mein Dialect (Spoken in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State and Burutu LGA of Delta State). It is intelligible to other Ijaw clans.
3. Bassan Dialect (Spoken in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State). Intelligible to others.
4. Apoi Dialect (Spoken in Ese-Odo LGA of Ondo State). This dialect has been infiltrated by Yoruba but its original form is still intelligible to others.
5. Arogbo Dialect (Spoken in Ese-Odo LGA of Ondo State). This dialect is deep, but still intelligible to others.
6. Boma Dialect (Spoken in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State). This dialect is easily understood by others.
7. Kabo (Kabuowei) Dialect (Spoken in Patani LGA of Delta State). Easily understood by other clans.
8. Ogboin/Amassoma Dialect (Spoken in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State). It is a reclusive dialect but easily heard by others.
9. Tarakiri Dialect (Spoken in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State and Patani LGA of Delta State). This dialect is unique due to its proximity with Urhobo people. The speakers are bilingual. The Ofoni, Uduophori and Odorubu people speak pure Urhobo due some factors.
10. Kolokuma-Opokuma Dialect (Spoken in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State). It is a major prong of Ijaw and understandable by almost all Ijaw clans.
– SOUTH-EASTERN IJAW DIALECTS:
11. Nembe Dialect (Spoken in Nembe L.G.A of Bayelsa State). It is cumbersome to most Ijaw speakers.
12. Brass Dialect (Spoken in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State). It is a very deep dialect. It should be noted that BRASS forms the first letter of the acronym, BAYELSA. The other parts of the acronym are YENAGOA and SAGBAMA to form BA-YEL-SA.
13. Akassa (Akaha) Dialect (Spoken in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State). It is also a deep dialect.
INLAND IJAW DIALECTS:
14. Buseni(Biseni) Dialect (Spoken in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State). Not easily understood by the average Ijaw speaker.
15. Okordia Dialect (Spoken in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State). Almost like Buseni Dialect.
EASTERN IJAW DIALECTS;
16. Kalabari Dialect (Spoken in Degema, Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru L.G.As of Rivers State). It is not easily understood by other Ijaw speakers.
17. Okrika Dialect (Spoken in Okrika LGA of Rivers State). It is also deep and hard and not easily understood by others.
18. Ibani Dialect (Spoken in Bonny LGA of Rivers State). It is deep. But most words are well understood by other Ijaw clans.
Also worthy of note are the Defaka people who also speak an Ijoid language. Sadly, this language is facing extinction. The Defaka people occupy Bonny LGA in Rivers State.
19. Nkoro Dialect (Spoken in Opobo/Nkoro LGA of Rivers State). It is like Kalabari and Okrika. Also hard to understand by other clans.
EDOID IJAW DIALECTS;
Some Ijoid dialects, for one reason or another, are classified as Edoid. This is mainly due to the interference of Edo and other Deltan Languages in the Ijaw language.
20. Epie-Atissa Dialect (Spoken in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State). It is not intelligible to other Ijaw speakers.
21. Engenni Dialect (Spoken in Ahoada West L.G.A of Rivers State). It sounds like a mixture of Edo and Ijaw and it is not understood.
22. Ogbia Dialect (Spoken in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State). This dialect is completely incomprehensible to other Ijaw speakers.
EFIK IJOID DIALECTS
23. Andoni Dialect (Spoken in Andoni LGA of Rivers State and Eastern Obolo LGA of Akwa-Ibom State). It is incomprehensible to other ijaw speakers.
There are unaccounted Ijaw tribes/clans in Delta(Warri South, Southwest and North as well as Bomadi L.G.As) and Edo State(Ovia South and North East) speaking mostly Egbema dialect which is similar to the Gbaramatu dialect with little variations. Ogbe-Ijo in Warri South-West also has its own unique dialect which is close to Iduwini dialect.
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