Osadebe and his band were billed to perform outside the country. He lodged his crew at a hotel close to the airport and instructed them not to leave the hotel premises come what may.

This was a period when there was no mobile telecommunication.

Osadebe left to finalize the visa procession and traveling documents of him and his crew. He actually didn’t know when he will be back.

A day or two passed, Osadebe was not seen. One of his band members who was an abali agba aka couldn’t hold it any longer. He felt he needed to satisfy his sexual urge or else he will go crazy.

So, off he went in search of the quarters of umu oma osiso. It was at this moment of escape that Osadebe arrived and asked the available band members to pack up, it’s time to jet out of the country.

When the pleasure seeking band member returned and learnt Osadebe and the rest have left the country, he broke down in tears and cried profusely.

Performing outside the country remains professional highlight for artistes all over the world.

It is this uncontrollable cry of regret from this band member for being abandoned in what was supposed to be a career highlight that informed the song Ebezina.

Ebezina simply means, stop crying or don’t cry.

In the song, Osadebe, upon their return, was telling this particular fellow to stop crying, that he Osadebe left an instruction and he didn’t listen. Rather, he went to look for ‘Akwuna’.

If you understand this backstory, then the repeated refrain in the song, Ogazi amaka mana ejiro ya ago muo will now make better meaning to you.

The literal meaning of the above line is not entirely correct. But the metaphorical meaning is what packs depth. Ogazi was a metaphor for the fairer sex.

So, Osadebe was simply saying, the pleasure found in women are immeasurably sweet, yet you cannot use investment in such pleasure to do something meaningful with your life.

I have always argued, guinea fowls are used in Ife Muo. Therefore, Osadebe was not literally talking about Ogazi. Rather, he used the beauty of a guinea fowl as a graphic metaphor for women.

Many have listened to the song and concluded, wow so they do not use a guinea fowl in igbo spirituality?

Those who know ife ana atu okuko na anya know that a guinea fowl or other birds can be used in Igo Muo.

You need to know the backstory behind the song for you to understand exactly what that graphic refrain that has served as the hook of the evergreen song, Ebezina, really means.

Ezeikolomuo
Igbo Consciousness Teacher

In July 1961, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister of Nigeria, visited the White House in Washington, D.C., where he was formally received by John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States. This historic visit marked the first time a Nigerian leader was hosted by an American president, reflecting Nigeria’s growing diplomatic presence in the early post-independence era.

Key Highlights of the Meeting

Diplomatic Significance: The meeting symbolized strengthening ties between Nigeria, newly independent in 1960, and the United States.

Participants: Chief Momo Udochi, a senior Nigerian official, was also present during the discussions, representing aspects of Nigeria’s civil administration and governance interests.

Bilateral Discussions: Topics likely included trade, education, technical assistance, and geopolitical collaboration in the context of the Cold War.

Historical Note

Tragically, both leaders were assassinated within a few years after this meeting:

John F. Kennedy in November 1963, during his presidency in the United States.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in January 1966, during the military coup in Nigeria.

This meeting remains a milestone in Nigeria–United States relations, symbolizing the diplomatic strides of newly independent African nations during the early 1960s.

Sources:

National Archives, Nigeria – Diplomatic Records (1961)

White House Historical Association – Presidential Visits

Britannica, Biography of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

U.S. Department of State – Historical Diplomatic Visits

The photograph referenced is of Victor Adebukunola Banjo, a Nigerian Army officer whose career intersected dramatically with the political crises that followed the January 15, 1966 coup and the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).

After the January 15, 1966 Coup

Following the coup led by officers including Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, several political leaders were detained. Historical accounts indicate that Banjo, alongside Yakubu Gowon (then a lieutenant colonel), intervened to prevent the killing of Western Region politician Remi Fani-Kayode, who had been arrested by coup plotter Emmanuel Nwobosi.
Soon afterward, Banjo himself fell under suspicion. Under the military government of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, he was arrested and detained in Enugu, reportedly accused of disloyalty.

Role in the Nigerian Civil War

When Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the secession of the Eastern Region as the Republic of Biafra on 30 May 1967, Banjo was released and commissioned into Biafran service.
He was assigned to lead Biafran forces in the Mid-Western Region invasion of August 1967. His troops swiftly captured Benin City and advanced westward toward Ore, bringing them within striking distance of Lagos. However, federal forces regrouped and launched a counteroffensive. The battle around Ore marked a decisive turning point, halting the Biafran advance.
The phrase often cited in Yoruba oral expression, “Olèku Ìjà Òré,” is popularly associated in folklore with the heavy fighting in that sector, though interpretations of its precise origin vary in historical literature.

Trial and Execution

Following the failed campaign, Banjo returned to Biafran territory. In September 1967, he was accused by Ojukwu of plotting against the Biafran leadership. After a military tribunal in Enugu, he was convicted of treason and executed by firing squad on 22 September 1967, alongside other officers.
Within weeks, federal troops recaptured Enugu on 4 October 1967.

Historical Context and Interpretation

Banjo’s execution occurred within the broader pattern of wartime military tribunals during the Nigerian Civil War. Similar charges of treason had been brought earlier against Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, leader of the 1966 Niger Delta insurgency, though his death sentence was not carried out due to the July 1966 counter-coup that overthrew Ironsi.
Comparisons between historical treason cases and contemporary political prosecutions — including those involving Nnamdi Kanu — remain matters of political debate. Legal interpretations vary, and assessments of fairness depend on judicial processes, constitutional standards, and the specific circumstances of each case.

Sources

Max Siollun, Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria’s Military Coup Culture (1966–1976) (Algora Publishing, 2009).

Max Siollun, The Nigerian Civil War (Pen & Sword Military, 2019).

Nowa Omoigui, “The Mid-Western Invasion of 1967,” archival essays on Nigerian military history.

John de St. Jorre, The Nigerian Civil War (Hodder & Stoughton, 1972).

Nigerian National Archives, Civil War Military Tribunal Records (1967).