Whether you are thinking about becoming an independent retailer or are already running your own business, there are some tricks you need to know. Big retailers like Macy's and Bloomingdale's use tricks of the trade to boost productivity, sales, and profits. You can learn and use these techniques to compete with them and to maximize your store's sales and profits. Joanna Bradshaw, who has served at the highest executive levels with several of America's best known and most successful retailers, and has also enjoyed a career as an independent retailing entrepreneur, explains the challenges you will face as a shopkeeper today. She walks you through the process of creating the proper foundation for your store and helps you master invaluable skills for your success. You'll learn how to; create a successful business plan; develop and convey a mission statement; harness your strengths to achieve a competitive advantage; refine and differentiate your products and store; and; use innovative cost-effective ways to promote your business. This easy-to-understand guide is filled with practical information and keen insights distilled from decades of experience in all types of retail venues: department stores, specialty stores, outlets, and big-box retailers-as well as with start-ups, turnarounds, and liquidations. Get the tools you need to Be a Millionaire Shopkeeper. My Roots, My Love, My Destiny is the story of two strong women, told across an epic and rich canvas painted by two wars and two unique destinies. In her ninety-six years, Ogeri, author Beatrice Akpu Inyang Eleje's mother, experienced danger, heartbreak, and great love. Her journey spanned most of the twentieth century and was dictated by the societal norms, values, and traditions of the Nigeria of her time. Lovingly reconstructed, these are a few of Eleje's most beloved and revered memories of her mother. For the daughter, her journey was spent attempting to naviga

MY ROOTS, MY LOVE, MY DESTINY

By Beatrice Akpu Inyang Eleje

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Beatrice Akpu Inyang Eleje
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-3467-0

Contents

Preface..........................................................xiPrologue.........................................................xiiiMY ROOTS.........................................................11. Afikpo In Early 20th Century..................................32. My Matrilineal Clan–Ibe Odom Ali........................53. My Maternal Grandmother: Orie Ugbo............................104. My Mother, Ogeri Orie Egwu....................................155. My Patrilineal Kindred, Nde Nwachi Udu........................286. Enugu In The Early 20th Century...............................357. Auchi In Early 20th Century...................................408. Father, Peter Okpani Nwachi...................................459. The Incident Of The Talisman..................................5510. The Fate Of Twins In 20th Century Afikpo.....................60GROWING UP IN MID-20TH CENTURY AFIKPO............................71Author's Note....................................................7311. A Single Girl-Child Is Born..................................7412. Christmas At Enugu In Mid-20th Century.......................8213. Suitors' Invasion............................................9014. My First Marriage............................................10015. A Widow At Twenty............................................10916. Struck Down By The Same Illness..............................114FATE.............................................................119Prologue.........................................................12117. The Pest Surfaced Again......................................12318. Love Crept In Unobserved.....................................129MY LOVE, MY DESTINY..............................................139Prologue.........................................................14119. My Word Is My Walking-Stick..................................14420. We Sought My Parents' Approval...............................14821. Ifeanyichukwu—Nothing Beats God........................15422. Settling Into Marriage.......................................16423. The Nigerian Civil War.......................................16924. No Victor, No Vanquished.....................................17825. Alas! My Love Is No More.....................................18426. Life Without IE..............................................193THE MAMA WE KNOW.................................................199Addendum.........................................................20127. The Children.................................................202

Chapter One

Afikpo In Early 20th Century

My mother, Ogeri Orie Okpani was of Ibe Odom Ali matrilineal clan. She was the only surviving child of my grandparents—Orie Ugbo, my maternal grandmother and Egwu Ogeri, my maternal grandfather—before my grandfather's premature death a few months after my mother's birth.

Her roots were from Afikpo, an ancient, culturally rich town in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria, now in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in Nigeria, West Africa. Afikpo, situated at the extreme north-east of the state, right on the banks of the middle Cross River just where it turned south wards on its journey to empty into the Atlantic Ocean was a beautiful hilly town, well watered and well secured. It nested in a trough of soothing undulating hills, in an elevation of 250 to 300 feet above sea level. Its eastern border was protected by the Cross River, while the west, the north and the south were protected by a limestone ridge of considerable extent which extended to Okigwe, Agwu and Enugu Axis.

Afikpo lay between open grassland of the savannah region to the north; and tropical rain forest belt that bordered the banks of the Cross River to the south. It enjoyed a warm tropical climate with two pronounced seasons: rainy season and dry season. At the height of the dry season the town experienced a brief period of harmattan which Afikpo people called Uguru; a period of dry dusty chilly weather.

It had a population of over 130,000 people, according to the Nigerian Census of 2000 and consisted of 30 compact villages, which in the course of the centuries had amalgamated into five village-groups, namely—Nkpoghoro, Ugwuegu, Ohaisu, Itim and Ozizza. That arrangement made for administrative convenience and was said to reflect the sequence in which the different Igbo migrant groups came into Afikpo. The five village-groups were bound together by common governmental institutions, rituals, economic and numerous social ties.

Afikpo was a border town between Igbo speaking peoples of the South Eastern States of Nigeria and their non-Igbo speaking peoples of the Cross River States with the Cross River forming a natural boundary between the two peoples but was not a barrier to cross-cultural fertilization between them. Her proximity to her non-Igbo neighbours greatly influenced her culture. The two cultures blended with the ancient cultures of the Egus—a non-Igbo peoples, autochthons of the area—whom Igbo migrants who arrived in the area around seventeenth century conquered and absorbed to form modern day Afikpo. In social organizations such features as double descent system, compact villages with age grade structure and some secret societies were said to be non- Igbo. Even some Afikpo names like: Okpani, Ewah, Okon, Inyang and Obasi were believed to be Efik in origin. Such cross-cultural influences greatly enriched Afikpo culture.

Chapter Two

My Matrilineal Clan–Ibe Odom Ali

The organization of Afikpo society was a mixture of matrilineal groups, Ikwu and patrilineal groups, Umunna known as double descent system in anthropological terms. In the pure double descent system into which my mother was born in the first half of the 20th century each individual was a member of groups that traced their descent from both male and female ancestor—patrilineal, a male ancestor through male line only; and matrilineal from a female ancestress through female line only. Thus, instead of being matrilineal or patrilineal as were other Igbo societies Afikpo was both.

At that time and as of now Ikwu system was so strong that members of the same clan couldn't marry each other no matter how distant the relationship. As long as they were of the same clan it was an abomination to even contemplate marriage between them much less carry it through, it was considered to be incestuous. Thus, if two people of the same clan unknowingly got married, the moment their relationship became known the marriage would be dissolved, the abomination quickly exorcised with purification sacrifices to appease Mother Earth.

In addition, ikwu ties were so strong that if any member of a clan were killed by a member of another matrilineal clan, the clan had the obligation of blood revenge to avenge it against the offending clan. As a result, once such a crime was committed every member of the offending clan would run away from Afikpo for fear of retaliation by the affected Ikwu. That was because it was accepted that the head of any member of the erring clan could be taken for appeasement. In some cases it could be negotiated, but such cases were rare.

The ties that bound members of the same clan were stronger than the ties that bound members of a patrilineal group. Your matrilineal clan was everything. They owned you, your children and your possessions....