Ijaw are an ethnic group inhabiting a great significant portion of the Niger delta and can infact be described as the warden of the south south.
They share dialectical affinity, culture and traditions across its length and bridth and are believed to be numbered just a little above 14million, but are such meagre figures real?
The negligence and lukewarmness of previous census boards such as the adoption of proxy counting because of fear of the unknown in venturing into the creeks for proper numbering, coupled with identity crisis that has plagued the psyche of the Ijaw people in the past has certainly affected our unity, population, growth and influence, but all thanks to Opu Nanaowei the Ijaw nation has made significant progress in it's unity in such a way that an Amasoma man will no longer say "I am an Amasoma man and not an Ijo man, likewise the kalabari or Nembe man.

ALTHOUGH, the great wealth and autonomy which some of the Izonic clans enjoyed as powerful city states and kingdoms in the days of antiquity still looms as an invisible aura of pride and achievement BUT HAS IT IN SOME WAY CONTRIBUTED TO THE DIVISION WE EXPERIENCED SOME FEW DECADES AGO?
can it be seen in preparation for the coming census? our closest neighbors; the igbos and yorubas will be used as a case study to reinforce our allegiance to our ethnicity because united we will stand strong, divided we will fall.
An Igbo tribe man from the Ngwa clan will ofcourse by default fill Igbo as his language EVEN IF HE SPEAKS THE NGWA DIALECT, but in his home town fill "osisioma-ngwa" or "aba-ngwa" or "isiala-ngwa", remember! the revenue allocation isn't allocated to dialect but to town and local government! Take a pause and read that again.

A Yoruba man from the ijebu clan will by default fill Yoruba as his language EVEN IF HE SPEAKS THE IJEBU DIALECT but in his home town fill "oke-agbo" or "japara" or "ojowo" remember! the revenue allocation isn't allocated to dialect! for to towns and local government. Take a pause and read that again.
This is where their strength lies, in unity and togetherness but when they head back to their tents they will represent or answer their fathers name, so why should Ijaw own be different? Ofcourse Ijaw clans such as Gbaran, iduwini, Akassa, Nembe, Bonny and Kalabari just to mention a few traded directly with the Europeans and became wealthy such that they at a point didn't need their brothers, and that went some way in creating a sense of division, *but it should be remembered that outside the tent we are Ijaws*. Without unity we will be lost. Izon'bo! Izon'bo!! Izon'bo!!! be wise!
this is not the days when African tribes, clans, towns, houses or even family or individuals traded and interacted on their own. The census is not a game of autonomy in the national/international sphere. Kalabari'bo, Nembe'bo, kolokuma'bo, Apoi'bo, Wakrike'bo you should fill
TRIBE- Ijaw, LANGUAGE- Ijaw, Town- Abonema or Bassambiri or Igbedi or Ogoloma or Oporoza etc. We will answer our father's name when we go back to our tent. Revenue from the national level will be distributed to the local government and towns because the local government data or spot is what is needed for disbursing of revenue *not your various dialects!* The ball is in our court, let us not burst it o'pasisi.