ABSTRACT
Any historical
study on Ekwe society, without credible attention first to the earliest period
of Ekwe as an independent culture based Igbo Community, is apt to be an
exercise in futility. The present study examines the level of development in
Ekwe in 1960 and after the colonial rule. This work unveils the extortion and
underdevelopment the British people led Ekwe people into. This work reveals the
unity of Ekwe people both male and female, home and abroad and how their
leaders provided unity and development. The work highlights the continuity of
some indigenous customs and traditions and the adoption and continuity of
British-imposed customs in Ekwe. The researcher stressed and went extra-miles
to show the relationships between Ekwe and other neighboring communities,
especially Okwudor. Moreover, this work examines the customs and traditions of
Ekwe, the History, norms and post-colonial period in Ekwe, Chieftaincy, Ozo,
Ezeship titles, festivals, roles of her women in Nigeria/Biafra Civil War, Infrastructures
and the women. In order to achieve viable results, extensive use of both
primary and secondary sources of materials was done. Subsequently, qualitative
and quantitative approach were adopted during sieving of the enormous
information available, in order to aid historical objectivity.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Ekwe is a community in Isu Local
Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria.
In Igboland, Ekwe people work mostly as
craftsmen, farmers and traders. The most important crop is the yam. Other
staple crops include cassava, three leaf yam and cocoyam. The Igbos are also
highly urbanized, with some of the largest metropolitan areas, cities and towns
in Igboland being Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe, Asaba, Awka,
Nsukka, Nnewi, Umuahia, Abakaliki, Afikpo, Agbor and Arochukwu.
Ekwe people have similarities and
continuities from prehistory to contemporary time. Before British colonial rule
in the 20th century, the Igbo were a politically fragmented group, with a
number of centralized chiefdoms such as Nri, Arochukwu, Agbor and Onitsha. In
the wake of decolonisation, the Igbo developed a strong sense of ethnic
identity which Ekwe was one of the communities.1
After the colonizing from Ekweland, the community is
mostly interested in human relationships and cooperation. They have the zeal of
coming together and doing things as one body. The colonial era did more harm
than good. The old nature of Ekwe Ancient Kingdom some years ago did not allow
them to know what to do. It has been a burden of knowing what they can do to
come together after the British exit. It is also a tough task on how to reason
together and their self-questioning led to these questions.
1. How can they make laws that will be guiding
the community?
2.
How can they stop ills and evil deeds that are becoming too many?
3.
How can they join the race for development and modern civilization?
4.
What is their work?
It was the inquisitive minds of many illustrious
sons and daughters of Ekwe that made them consider togetherness which led to
what they know today as the Ekwe Town Union.
Town unionism was very important during the post-colonial
period in Ekwe because it solved the problem of leadership which the colonizer were
not interested in Nigerians, but they were interested in exploiting natural
resources.
Community
Development is not left out.
However, a thorough research into the Ekwe ancient
Kingdom starting from Ekwe in time and space through the origin till the achievements
of the town union will show the level of development Ekwe had attained. There
was very rapid development counting from the independence period which was from
1960 to 2000 compared to the colonial era. Ekwe has not been fully developed;
therefore, one cannot say it is developed. Rather it has passed the formal
stage of its old and is pursuing modern civilization in a great way. Based on
this fact, it is concluded that Ekwe is developing.
The kind of development that helped Ekwe to attain
the height it has today started immediately after her freedom from colonial
rule. There were in two ways:
-
First, Infra-Human Development
-
Second, Infrastructural Development.
Infra-Human
Development: Ekwe first started its development with
human beings believing that when produced, capable beings will help in
contributing to the infrastructural development.
Infrastructural
Development: Economic development during that
period improved in no small measure. The Colonial era was a fraud because the
Europeans dominated the economic sector. They chose to exploit her natural
resources for their own selfish gains and also refused to use them to develop
Ekweland. It is after their exit that Ekwe citizens started enjoying their
resources and many markets were established in Ekwe in order to boost economic
activities.
1.2 Statement of
problem
This work seeks, among other things, to discover the
key elements that shaped Ekwe society and its people prior to the colonial
period. It identifies Ekwe as one of the Igbo communities that have
similarities in culture, leadership system, festivals and traditions. Also, it
seeks to analyse the impact of British colonial rule in Ekwe to identify how it
caused the society more harm than good. It will also analyse how the post-colonial
leadership in Ekwe, in ignorance, allowed the errors of colonial legacies as a
reflex which hindered development in the society.
1.3 Purpose of
study
The purpose of this study is to, among other things
situate Ekwe in the historiography of micro societies in Igboland. It will also
provide a platform for the furtherance of academic research on Ekwe community.
1.4 Significance
of the study
This work seeks to provide knowledge that will not
only break Ekwe society out of the liabilities of colonial legacies, but also
to improve the quality if leadership synonymous to the development of an
African society. It also seeks to identify the post-colonial development stage
in progress and the indicators for their sustainability. It will be an
important source material both to academics and political leaders of Ekwe
society.
1.5 Methodology,
Sources and Organisation of the study
Qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted in
the course of the study. Primary and secondary sources constitute most data for
historical reconstruction. Primary sources include oral tradition granted by
reliable informants through the random sampling mode. Also Intelligence Reports
and other valuable documents collected from the National Archives, Enugu.
Secondary sources include books, journal articles, and other relevant works
both within and outside the study area. Available facts will be analyzed
historically using qualitative research methodology. The work is organized in
five chapters, Chapter one introduces the research study and presents the
preliminaries, theoretical background, statement of the problem, purpose of
study, significance of the study, scope of the study, Literature review, organization
of the research and definition of terms. Chapter Two focuses on the land and
its people, location and geography, History of Ekwe, the traditional Ekwe
society. Chapter Three highlights cultural, socio-political Ekwe society, which
includes the taboos and abomination, kola nut, tourism and hospitality, age
grades, festivals, kindreds, political and traditional institutions. Chapter Four
presents the History of Ekwe from 1960-2000, Roles of Ekwe women during the
Nigeria Civil War and the Infrastructural developments at the time of research.
Chapter Five contains the summary and a conclusion before the relevant
Bibliography.
1.6Scope of
study
The scope of this work is fourteen villages that
make up Ekwe community in the Isu Local Government Area of Imo State. Though
this work appear to begin in 1960, sincere efforts has been made to uplift and
mirror Ekwe’s past and continuities, with the aim of side tracking, uplifting
and bringing forward those vital condiments that has continued to give Ekwe
community it’s robust identity over the years. Year 2000 was chosen as the
terminal year as it marked the end of the twentieth century and the end of
leadership turtles in Ekwe hence peace was restored.
1.7Literature
Review
Sincere effort was made to consult widely and to
peruse through the works of the following authors, who have contribute
generally on the issue of the dynamics of Igbo developmental studies, most
especially from the paradigm of the many facets stemming from the pre-colonial,
past the post colonial and up to the present. Though relatively informative as
regards their view points, it is the duty of the present study to address and
fill up their short comings.
Elizabeth Isichei took time to elucidate the
intricate evolutionary nature of the Igbo, in her book- History of Igbo People. Immense time was given to details with
regards to the many facets of Igbo culture and tradition. This work, a trail-
blazing discourse on the subject matter, exposes the importance of objectivity
in historical research and writing. However, in trying to draw-up a generalized
and compact conception about the Igbo, it missed certain delicate primordial
details particularly in individual Igbo enclaves. This uniqueness helps to
build, maintain and identify one community from another. Embedded in the
cultural history of a people, the present study is poised to expose these aspects
of Ekwe community.
By the same token, Anenechukwu Umeh in his book- Igbo People, their Origin and Culture Area,
took time trying to wholistically study and assess the Igbo. Generalizations
many a time breed faulty assumptions and information. Research and study into
certain aspects of Ekwe community demands and requires a selective endeavour of
those incidents which indelibly have contributed towards enhancing its survival
and development even up to the beginning of this millennium.
To assuage the hunger towards understanding Ekwe
community through the binoculars of balanced historical method, Uzoma’s
unpublished project work Changes and Continuity
in Ekwe, 1960 – 2011. This work serves as a true and closer reflection of
the present study strives to identify and discuss certain cardinal issues which
enriched the history of Ekwe community starting from 1960 to 2011. The missing
link or lacuna is simply in the fact that this account simply lacks background
information from the earliest pre-colonial past of Ekwe. Interestingly, the
present study, seeks to link it with the present.
On the other hand, S.N Nwabara in his book – Iboland: A century of Contact with Britain,
ventured to create an important insight into the cumulative effects of British rule
on Igboland from conquest to colonial domination. Is not in doubt, that many
viable and powerful indigenous institutions in Igboland were eroded and
subsequently replaced with the contraptions of exploitative and imperialistic
colonial hegemony. While flowing with clarity and orderly sequence of certain
important incidents and turning points the book does not highlight certain
fundamental factors which favoured the development as of the Igbo as an ethnic
group.
There is need to widen the perimeter of one’s
research field and garner more information, by Ikechukwu Odigbo and Onyema
Ocheohaet al- Aspects of Igbo Culture and
Traditions, From the Perspective of Umulumgbe Town. This book centers on the
history of the Igbo traditions and cultures.
Archival reports by G.I Jones-Leadership of intelligent report on ORLDIST 14-1-1, Leadership of
intelligent report on ORLDIST 14-1-3, Appedix (111) of Jones report 1935,
Intelligent report on the Isu Clan, Okigwe Division, Owerri province, ADO
MILGOV 1930, all from Nigeria National Archives Enugu highlights the
leadership positions, warrant chief systems, tax payers roll, and they outlined
the kindreds in Ekwe.
Kingsley Ejimmadu, I love Ekwe, outlined the location and geography, demography,
tourism, and some traditions in Ekwe having similar connection with other Igbo
societies.
Chinedu Nwosu, History
of Ekwebearing the major literature used in this work, detailed every
information on prehistory, colonial and post colonial Ekwe. It gave every facts
that Ekwe society is a major Igbo society which faced similar hindrances and
developments in times and present.
F.C Idigo, Igbo
history; Hebrew exile of Eri Kingdom traced the Igbo history from the founder
of Igbo to the disintegrations of Igbo micro societies up to Hebrew
descendants. Cultural heritage, changes and continuities and nothing more
pretentious about the Igbo is in connection with the Hebrew.
Fabian Ukaegbu, The
Igbos; The African root of Nations categorizes Igbo people as the best race
in Africa. Igbos in their peaceful coexistence, unity and industrious minds
have self determined in developing nooks and crannies of Africa. They excel in
business, renovations and modern developments without the assistance of any
third party.
Dike Azuka, The
resilience of Igbo culture, a case study of Akwa town, this book reveals
the cultural heritage, traditions, changes and continuities among the Igbo
people and in relations with Akwa town. Ekwe have such similarities and
continuities.
These books and related literatures lifted and
reviewed above , have not only provided a credible preview of what maybe
envisaged or seen in micro Igbo indigenous community. Enough guidelines and information
are accruable from these works, but the present study is apt to provide indebt
information obtained through the application and use of professional historical
tools, hence it is the by end product is bound to be balanced and objective.
This is a solid step towards the reconstruction of Ekwe history in particular
and the larger Igbo history in general.
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