milliondollas:
I PITY IGBO PEOPLE THE LAND MASS OF THE FIVE IGBO STATE IS NOT MORE THAN THE LAND MASS OF BENUE STATE

milliondollas:
I PITY IGBO PEOPLE THE LAND MASS OF THE FIVE IGBO STATE IS NOT MORE THAN THE LAND MASS OF BENUE STATE

milliondollas:
I PITY IGBO PEOPLE THE LAND MASS OF THE FIVE IGBO STATE IS NOT MORE THAN THE LAND MASS OF BENUE STATE

rusher14:
Igbo is a dialect of ndoni.

milliondollas:
I PITY IGBO PEOPLE THE LAND MASS OF THE FIVE IGBO STATE IS NOT MORE THAN THE LAND MASS OF BENUE STATE

ChinenyeN:
100 years ago, there was no “Ikwerre” identity. 600 years ago, there was no “Ngwa” identity, etc etc.

I think it’s time we be honest with ourselves. If you want to say that people are culturally and linguistically similar, and if that similarity has a general name (like “Igbo” ), then sure. People are culturally and linguistically “Igbo”.

But identity is different. A person, people or community choose their identities, even in the face of cultural and linguistic similarity. People can be culturally and linguistically similar, but still not share and identity.

Take Ibibio, Efik, Annang, etc. They all have their different identities and have managed to get away with not having a general name for their cultural and linguistic similarity, unlike Igbo. Because they lack that general name, it is easier for them to maintain their identities without controversy. If they had a generic name like we do as “Igbo”, I’m fairly certain the more separatist identities among them (like Annang) would be stirring up similar controversy as we see here for our Igbo context.

Long story short, identity is not the same as language, culture or history. If this is a question of “Igbo” identity, then it will forever be a controversial topic, because we allowed ourselves a general name. But if this is about culture, language and even history, the answer is simple. Those communities that are Igbo-speaking and culturally Igbo (as best as we can even define that) are “Igbo” plain and simple.

ChinenyeN:
I'm sorry the Ndoki one is funny. It definitely seems heavily "centralized", clear as day, but the man is saying it has nothing to do with Igbo.

The Echie one is disappointing. It's not the Echie I'm used to hearing. There's no way they're using the "na" auxiliary or using "ha" as the third person plural or using the verb participle form with "ga", using "-hu" for negation among other things and calling that Echie. This Eberi Omuma is as "central" as the Ndoki one.

These are definitely not the Echie and Ndoki speech forms I'm used to hearing. Granted, I've heard that the Eberi community was actually Isu. Seems they've integrated Echie identity and culture, but retained Isu-type speech. That's interesting. But the one from Okehi... There's no excuse, but at least the Okomoko woman redeemed in some way.
.