Kogi State: Democracy Day shooting that have the Governor dashing for cover -By Miriam Ikunaiye

Violence erupted in Lokoja, Kogi state capital –Nigeria, on the so call ‘Democracy Day’ celebration. The stadium where the celebration was supposed to take place was already packed full with the state Governor and his men; mainly Igalas and few other tribes when the protesters arrived. According to eye witness, the protesters who came by the bus load were said to be well armed to the extent that it took only one good look by the Governor’s security men to declare immediate evacuation. Gun shots were exchanged resulting to the death of many, several injured and the Governor dashing for cover.

This violence is being brewing overtime. There is increasing resentment between the three major tribes (Ebira, Okun and Igala) of Kogi state about ethnic dominance in political positions. The growing sense of unfairness within the Ebira and the Okun communities against the Igala Community was heightened by the recent disagreement over which of the tribe should produce the next Governor.

According to the sources, the proposal to rotate the governorship position among the three major tribes was met with fierce rejection by the Igalas who had continually dominated the political positions since the creation of the state. The Igalas claimed 52 percent majority therefore continued to maintain political dominance to which the remaining tribes disagree.

An effort to get accurate head count of the total population by the state census Bureau was interrupted by allegation that the head of the operations who happens to be from Ebira was approached for bribery by the Igalas to help inflate the count in their favor.

The gesture of which the head of the census bureau denounced placed his life in danger and his office being vandalized; hence he sought protection from the local chief. This incident ignites the already irate Ebiras and the Okuns that they together spawn into action against the Igalas on that democracy day that was supposed to be a peaceful celebration.

Fresh Violence Erupts in Kogi Central
Curfew imposed
From Yinka Kolawole in Lokoja, 06.02.2005

Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State, has imposed a
dusk to dawn curfew on Ebiraland, in the Central
Senatorial District of the state.
This is a result of violence that trailed the annual
masquerade festival in Obehira, Okene Local
Government.
Political opponents obviously took advantage of the
masquerade festival to settle scores.
Many houses have been razed, while other valuable
properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
People have fled the village to neighboring villages
in Ondo and Edo states.
Idris, in a special broadcast last night, said the
curfew would be observed between 7.p.m. and 6a.m.
until further notice.
He reminded the people of the state that the law
banning masquerade procession in that part of the
state is still in force, adding that the situation, if
not curbed, could undermine security situation in
neighboring states..
Idris directed the state Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Bamidele Thomas, to identify those responsible for the
crisis,  for appropriate punishment.
Meanwhile, about one thousand policemen, fully armed,
are keeping watch at the area, to avert further
destruction of lives and properties.
'THISDAY' checks yesterday, revealed that the problem
began when a masquerade believed to be superior,
placed a curse on another lesser masquerade.

Bori.I.,
Shenzhen, China.

The Team,
EbiraVoice Group.
{A Tao! online Community}.
Tel: 08038250570

 ( Not that the throne of the Ohindase is vacant and there is a fairly ordered 
procedure for succession).  Refuting this claim and demanding
evidence of right to the throne seems to meet with disapproval from
Irenuohi and a chance to expressing this disapproval avail itself
late last year in Ogaminana during an Izoku performance. Then
Irenuohi took issues with Diyo.

The opportunity for Diyo to return
the perceived insult from Irenuohi came on the 2nd of January this
year during the annual Echane Festival. In a release, portions of
which I reviewed in a 3 - hour video, he has some very harsh words
and insult for the Eyire and Idu clans, the alleged sponsors of
Irenuohi some of whom include influential people like Alhaji Usman
Bello, Mr Salawu Ogembe and others.

People had expected there to be fallout from the release by Diyo but
the magnitude this has assumed in the form of the current crises
would surely baffle ardent observers of the cultural scene in
Ebiraland. And so it was that just last week phashion, the eloquent
singer for Atemeh (sheep), a masked masquerade in Obehira staged a
naming ceremony performance to return the insults hauled at them (
Eyire and Idu clans). When the play was over, supporters converged on
the Ohuoje, compound for the custodian of Cementi at Irayiapana, a
night masquerade from the Ehebe clan and the rival to Irenuohi, which
was accused of being sources and suppliers of the intelligence
featuring in the verbal attacks, songs of the 2nd January performance
by Diyo. This is the crux of the violence at Obehira that has widened
to Agassa about 3 km away and has claimed about 12 lives, burning of
houses and a heightened sense of general insecurity.

Orators, poets, composers, singers, musicians and other artists are
taking advantage of any opportunity from Izoku (burial ceremony),
Marriage, naming ceremony and other pretences to practice their arts.
Unless there is a very strong commitment to regulating these
performances and ensuring a very tough and disciplined code of
conduct, given the abundance of these artists and the propensity of
the politicians to exploit this form of art, Ebiraland would be
stocked in this cycle of violence for a while yet. Pray for God's
guidance.

Sincerely,
Matthew Raji Andah
Region - 2 rep.
Oldenburg / H.,
Germany


The Team,
EbiraVoice Group.
{A Tao! online Community}.
Tel: 08038250570

Please ensure to send in your own opinions or any messages that is of immediate concern to this group and the entire ebiras.

Divorce Rate in Ebiraland

Hypothesis: Social consequences of divorce in Okene local government area of Kogi State, Nigeria:

Researcher: Miss Ramatu Atta

Sponsored by:  the Rural Women Empowerment and Youth Development Foundation:

Divorce is seen as the family institution dying out by a school of sociologists while another school sees it as marriage merely transforming into another social institution. This is characterized by diversity and choice in response to changing social views with emphasis on individual achievement.

Research Sampling: 89 people made up of 59 men and 27 women, selected by a subjective sampling technique, were given mixed ended questionnaires and oral interviews conducted to obtain information which was analyzed using the simple percentile statistical method.

Result: Data analysis revealed divorce commoner among secondary school certificate holders; low income earners; young couple of ages 20 to 24

and occur mainly in the first five year of marriage. It also shows that major causes of divorce in the community are incompatibility among spouses, childlessness, poverty and high expectations of marriage.

Conclusion: Most children from divorce homes deviate into crime and promiscuity, are  academically retarded and have a general sense of insecurity. While divorced women are financially handicapped, discriminated by society, have difficulty remarrying and are prone to depression, men get into financial problems due to increased dependents when they remarry. Also divorced usually have strained relationship with children.

All this social consequences are attributed to the increased poverty level and diminished parenting brought about by divorce.

Recommendation: Government, corporate bodies and non governmental organizations should embark on family economic empowerment programs and play a greater role in marriage and family counseling programs within the society.

Submitted by: Kabir Atta