OKORO, NGBATI AND MALLAM

Nigeria is an interesting country in the throes of three prominent and dominant ethnic groups with distinct characteristics. These are the Igbos, Yorubas and Hausas.

The Igbos are in the South Eastern part of the country. They are adventurous and aggressive but fun to be with.

The Yorubas occupy the South Western part of the country. They are very colourful, traditional and party loving.They love life to the fullest.

The Hausas occupy the Northern part of the country. Of the trio, they are the most traditional and well organized. They are also fun to be with.

Interestingly, this trio who dominate several other vibrant groups in the society find it difficult to work together. In this, is this article born. The maiden article of this Blog.

The Igbos are in the South with the Yorubas. The Yorubas cannot stand the Igbos. They will rather cast their lot with the Hausas. The seeming common ground is the fact that most of the Hausas are Muslims like many of the Yorubas. The Igbos have an insignificant Muslim population. The Igbos are more aggressive than the Yorubas. The adventurous Igbos are victims of population density. They are found all over the world and all nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Like the Biblical Jews with whom the Igbos claim a common ancestry, the Igbos are resilient and multiply rapidly. Unlike the Yoruba elite, who have embraced, Malthusian gospel of population control, the Igbos still hanker after larger families. They bring their aggression to bear on their business, hence they are berated for loving money too much. The Igbos, where ever they are do not joke with their family and ethnic meetings. They use it as a strength to pursue common goals, keep in touch with their ancestral homes and preserve their culture and tradition. Those who do not know them cast aspersions on their behaviour. They love their freedom and hate injustice.

With their aggression and revulsion for injustice they tend to take the law into their own hands. Yorubas call them Okoro and Hausas call them Nyamuri from Nyemiri.

Why OKORO?

The Igbos are a male dominated group of people. The Igbos are mainly Christians and monogamous but it is not uncommon for an Igbo man to take a second wife if his wife is unable to give birth to a male child. This explains why some Igbos have as many as eight children all females in search of a male child.

A male child is regarded as Okoro. Igbos have four days in their week called Nkwor, Eke, Orie and Afor.

A male child born on Nkwor day is called Okoronkwo or Okonkwo. A female child born on Nkwor day is called Adankwor. A male child born on Eke day is called Okereke or Okeke. A female child born on Eke day is called Adaeke or Mgbeke. A male child born on Orie day is called Okorie or Okoye. A female child is called Adaorie. A male child born on Afor day is called Okafor or Nwafor. A female child is called Adafor.

I am Igbo and my wife is Yoruba.

Why NGBATI?

The Yorubas like explanation. They like words and their language is heavily tonal. Ngbati in Yoruba means WHEN. In making an explanation, it is not unusual to start from the beginning, hence Ngbati.

I was born in the North and the Hausa word for Mallam is teacher. To the average southerner, an average Northerner is a Mallam. But this is in a derogatory way. By the way, Okoro to a Yoruba  is a derogatory way of referring to an Igbo  and Nyemiri a derogatory word for an Igbo by a Hausa. Nyemiri in Igbo is give me water.

Why MALLAM?

Begging is widespread among the Hoi Polloi of the Hausas. In the South, the beggars are ubiquitous. With the laid back nature of the average Northerner, Southerners, find it convenient to refer to Hausas in a derogatory way as MALLAM.

This explains OKORO, NGBATI AND, MALLAM. This Blog will be mostly about Nigeria and Nigeria is mostly about the trio who individually and collectively hold one another in contempt. Maybe, Nigeria will join the nations making accelerated progress if the main ethnic groups live in Love and mutual respect and not in contempt.

Welcome to my Blog.