Ejemekwuru

Ejemekwuru ^[1] is an Igbo-speaking community located in the northwestern part of Imo State, in southeastern Nigeria. It is situated within the Oguta Local Government Area and forms part of the larger Owerri cultural zone of the state. The community is primarily agrarian, with farming serving as a major occupation, and it shares cultural, linguistic, and traditional ties with neighbouring Igbo communities.

Geography, language, and demographics

Ejemekwuru is a community in the Oguta Local Government Area ^[2] of Imo State, in southeastern Nigeria. ^[3] The inhabitants are predominantly Igbo and speak the Igbo language, with a dialect that is closely related to Central Igbo. ^[4]

The community is located along the Ogbaku–Oguta road, 15 km from Owerri, 6 km from Ogbaku, and 17 km from Kalabari Beach in Oguta. It is bordered to the west by Agwa, to the east by Ishieke in Azara Obiato, to the north by Akabor and Izombe, and to the south by Ogbaku communities. Ejemekwuru also lies on the southeastern boundary of the Oguta Local Government Area. ^[5]

The town covers an area of about 16 km², of which roughly one-third is zoned for residential use and the remainder for agriculture. In January 1996, Ejemekwuru was granted the status of an autonomous community by the Government of Imo State, a decision published in the Imo State of Nigeria Extraordinary Gazette, No. 2, Vol. 21, in April 1996. Prior to this, it was part of the Awa Autonomous Community. ^[5]

Ejemekwuru consists of five main village groups: Umuagwo, Umuebe, Umuawo, Umuoduwa, and Umuakum. Each village group has its own administrative unit, which is further subdivided into smaller villages and kindreds. ^[6]

The community is served by four major roads running north–south and east–west. The north–south route, also known as the Ogbaku–Oguta road, connects Ogbaku to the south with Izombe and Oguta to the north. The east–west route, the Azara Obiato–Agwa road, links Agwa to the west with Azara Obiato to the east. ^[7]

The principal market is the Nkwo Ejemekwuru Market Square, located along the Ejemekwuru–Ogbaku road. Opposite the market lies a dense tropical rainforest that serves as the sacred grove of the deity Ezeala, known as Oke Ohia Ezeala. This forest holds historical and cultural significance for the community. Other smaller markets exist within the villages, including the Nkwoala Market in Umuebe, which now functions primarily as a daily market, the defunct Eke Eburu Market in Umuakum, and the Eke Amadioha Market at the junction of the Ogbaku–Oguta and Agwa–Azara Obiato roads.

Ejemekwuru has a tropical rainforest climate, with two main seasons: the rainy season (udu mmiri), which lasts from April to October, and the dry season (okochi), which runs from November to March. ^[8]

Origin

There are different orally transmitted accounts pointing to the ancestral origin of the people of Ejemekwuru. However, the various accounts point to one individual, Ekwuru, as the ancestral patriarch and the head of the ancestral genealogy of the Ejemekwuru people.

According to one account, Ekwuru is said to have arrived from Etekwuru in the regions of Ohaji/Egbema a few millennia ago to inhabit the land. A counter school of thought that suggests that Etekwuru had originated from Ekwuru. Yet another account suggests both Ekwuru and Etekwuru were brothers who both migrated from the Oru area.

The name Ejemekwuru metamorphosized from the narrative that Akabo (who was a brother to Ekwuru and the founder of the neighboring Akabo community to the north of Ejemekwuru) would say 'ejem nga Ekwuru' meaning 'I am going to the home of Ekwuru' whenever he was visiting his brother. Ejem nga Ekwuru would later become 'Ejemekwuru'.

Another account states that a big gourd exploded and released many people, who later became the ancestors of different towns and villages. This account explains that it was from this gourd (Agbugba gbawara mmadu) that Ekwuru came out. ^[9]

The present-day people of Ejemekwuru are descendants of 3 brothers – Njioke, Ebechere, and Awo born to the ancestral patriarch, Ekwuru. Njioke, the first son of Ekwuru had 3 sons namely Agwu, Akum, and Oduwa. The groups of villages in Ejemekwuru are direct descendants of these sons of Ekwuru namely:

• Umuagwu, descendants of Agwu
• Umuakum, descendants of Akum
• Umuoduwa, descendants of Oduwa
• Umuebe, descendants of Ebechere
• Umuawo, descendants of Awo

Social system

Before the advent of Christianity, the social life of the people of Ejemekwuru was ordered in accordance with their spiritual beliefs that were rooted in the worship of the Patron deity of the town (Ezeala Ejemekwuru). Oracles and shrines for the Patron deity were erected in the sacred forest (Oke Ohia Ezeala), and worshippers would make sacrifices and offer prayers at these shrines and oracles for protection from evil forces, for a good crop yield after the planting season and for good health, and a good life. ^[10]

Part of the social norms were societal virtues that were upheld. Some of these included: Truthfulness (Ezi okwu), Non-violence (Igbu ochu), Kindness and Compassion (Obi oma & Idi na otu), Purity and Chastity (Obi ocha). On the other hand, some of the negative attributes and abominable acts were: Ikwa iko (adultery), Izu oshi (thievery), Anya ukwu (avarice or greed), Anya nji (envy). Acts of abomination necessitated purification rites, known as Ikwa Ala.

Days of the week and seasons of the year

The week has 4 days (Eke, Orie, Afor, Nkwo), and the year has two seasons – the rainy season (udu mmiri) which runs between April and October, and the dry season (okochi) which runs from November through March. The planting season begins after the cold months of January and February, with bush clearing and burning of shrubs (igbu oru), planting of yam, corn, cassava and pumpkin, etc.

Traditional festivals

Owu, a festival of cultural dance is celebrated after the planting season at the beginning of the rainy season. The first part of the Owu festival is the Igbu awa immediately after the planting season. Following this in the second part Ito nkwa which takes place at the premises of the head of the Owu society (Onye Ishi Owu). Eight days after is the main part of the festival – the owu dance when all and sundry gather for the traditional dance. This dance festival symbolizes a sacred invocation of the spirits of the ancestors to come and dwell with us on earth as masquerades (Okoroshi) for a month-long period of solemnity. Four days after, the masquerades begin to cry at night, and eight days later, they start to spear in the day time. ^[11]

Only men that are initiated through the igba mmii rites of passage are allowed to join the Okoroshi society. Women and children are excluded and are supposed to be terrified at the approach of the masquerades. The Okoroshi sings and dances in unique and special language peculiar to itself alone.

For sixteen days, except on Nkwo market days, the Okoroshi parades the whole town from dusk to dawn paying visits to elders, and dignitaries and chiefs, who offer gifts of money, wine and food (consumed in secret), while taking the pleasure in pursuing girls, boys and young men who are not members of the Okoroshi society. If unmasked or uninitiated people use the language of the Okoroshi, they are usually subjected to heavy fines called aria Okoroshi. There is the Okoroshi Oma which wears a beautiful face, Okoroshi Ojoo which wears a fearful and ugly face and Ajakaja which is dressed with young palm branches. ^[11]

In modern times with the advent of Christianity, this festival has lost its spiritual significance and solemnity. It is simply celebrated by the youth these days as a festival of traditional song and dance.

The end of the Okoroshi festival leads to the dawn of the harvesting season, which is celebrated as Iri ji ohuru (new yam festival). During this period full-grown yam tubers, corn, pumpkin, and melon are harvested and enjoyed. Special storage facilities such as barns (obah), and (uko), wooden racks are used to preserve the harvest for later consumption and planting.

Other traditional practices

Other traditional practices included stipulated norms for marriage, funeral, childbirth and naming ceremonies.

In Ejemekwuru's tradition, male children were circumcised (ibe ugwu) on the 8th day, a tradition that is still practiced to date. In addition, the people practiced ile omugwo when, after a woman had given birth to a child, a very close and experienced relative of her, in most cases her mother, was required by tradition to come and spend time with her and her husband, assisting her with household chores while the new mom focused on breastfeeding the newborn.

The naming ceremony of a newborn child was equally an important cultural event. Names bore meanings and interpretations that were consistent with the circumstances leading to or surrounding the birth of the child. For example, a child born after many years of expectation for a child would be named Ogugua meaning 'child that has cleaned my tears'. Similarly, a child born after many years of barrenness, if a boy, could be named Amaechi or Obiechina or Ahamefule and a child born during a bumper harvest would be named Obianuju. Other naming conventions included naming children after the name of the market day in which they were born – Nweke, Nworie, Nwafor, and Nwankwo were names given to children born on the respective market days Eke, Orie, Afor and Nkwo. ^[12]

Chieftaincy (Nze na Ozo) ordination also followed stipulated norms. Before the coming of the British colonial government, the affairs of the town were governed by traditional title holders - Ndi Nze na Ozo, Ndi Nze (also known as Ndi Mgbirichi), and Ndi Ishi Owu (head of the Okoroshi society), as well as elders, who ensured the smooth functioning. These chiefs also meted out punishment (igba aria) to people who defiled the land through misdeeds and acts of misconduct. ^[13]

Local economy and primary occupation

The only economic activity of the indigenes right up to the advent of colonization by Europeans was farming in the form of subsistence farming, animal husbandry and hunting of wildlife. The people grew yams, cassava, maize, melon, and fluted pumpkin. Plantains, bananas, okra, and cocoyams were planted around residential areas. The people practice shifting cultivation. Oil palm trees are found in the wild scattered in the farmlands and these were additional sources of revenue for the people from either the direct sale of the palm heads or the sale of the processed palm oil and palm kernels. ^[14]

Education and other public amenities

Ejemekwuru has 3 public elementary schools: Community School Ejemekwuru (formerly St. Peters Catholic School), Primary School Ejemekwuru (formerly St. Marks Anglican School), and Town School Ejemekwuru. ^[15]

There is a secondary school called Ejemekwuru-Akabor Secondary School which was established in 1979. This high school sits at the border with the neighboring town Akabor and was established to serve the needs of Ejemekwuru and Akabor for secondary school education. ^[15]

At the center of the community are situated the Ejemekwuru Post Office, a part of the Nigerian Postal Service System, and the Ejemkwuru Primary Health Center, a public primary healthcare clinic. In addition, there are a number of private primary healthcare providers, notably the Marycare Healthcare Center Ejemekwuru, built, funded, and operated by the US-based NGO, Marycare Inc. ^{[16] [17]}

Governance

Since becoming an autonomous community, Ejemekwuru is governed by two arms of administration – the Ezeship Council headed by the traditional ruler (Eze) of the community (who goes by the title Ekwuruoma of Ejemekwuru ), and the Town Union headed by the President of the Town Union.

The Eze is the traditional and cultural head of the community. He is also the chief security officer of the community. Since the elevation to an autonomous community in 1996, the Ejemekwuru community has crowned the following traditional rulers (Ezes):

• The late HRH Eze Kevin Ojure-Amadi, Ekwuruoma I of Ejemekwuru (2007 – 2013)
• The late HRH Eze Val Ngozi Nwoke, Ekwuruoma II of Ejemekwuru (2016 – 2019) ^{[18] [19]}
• In March 2022, Ezeogo Eze Obinna Hippolyte Duru (Nze n'Ozo, KSJI), Ekwuruoma III of Ejemekwuru became the third traditional ruler of the Ejemekwuru community. ^[20]

The Town Union (formerly called Ejemekwuru Progressive Union and now Ejemekwuru Town Union) is the political and administrative arm of the community administration. Together with the heads of the groups of villages, they handle political and administrative issues within the community. Ejemekwuru has seen numerous Town Union Presidents since the inception of the formal Town Union in 1945.

Tourism and sites

Ejemekwuru is 15 km from the capital city Owerri ^[21] and 17 km from Kalabari beach on the shores of the massive Oguta lake. ^[7] Oguta lake is noted for the presence of the confluence of the blue water from the lake and the muddy water from Orashi River. ^[22]

Also within Ejemekwuru are the tropical dense forest containing the sacred shrines popularly called Oke Ohia Ezeala. Within this forest are sacred monkeys ^[23] which in years back were dedicated to the Ezeala deity (so they can not be hunted or eaten), and by such dedication are naturally preserved and protected (similar to animals in a game reserve). This preserved tropical forest is also home to rich fauna and flora, and a natural haven for biodiversity. ^[8]

Ejemekwuru is also one of the early oil exploration hubs for the Shell Oil company. A legacy Shell well (never produced) is still present in modern-day Ejemekwuru. ^[24]

Ejemekwuru in modern times and notable people

The Ejemekwuru community has remained relatively peaceful. It is a Christian community that is predominantly Roman Catholic and Anglican. There are a good number of Pentecostal Christians and a smaller number of people who still practice the African traditional religion. ^[25]

During the British colonial era, the first warrant chief appointed for Ejemekwuru was Eze Okwara Uzegbu, a man noted as one with outstanding personality and prominence. He was both a warrant chief and a native court judge. Subsequently, native court judges and local chiefs were appointed at the village level and these included Chief Okwaraozuoha Ubadimma, Chief Onyejigbu Chima, Chief William Amadi, Chief Matthias Nwosu, Chief Olumba Okororie and Chief Peter Amako (who was also a prominent philanthropist). ^[26]

The last colonial-era warrant chief and native court judge appointed for Ejemekwuru was Chief Festus Ijeoma who was widely viewed as a bold, courageous and fearless judge, and under whose leadership critical infrastructure such as the postal office and health care dispensary were built. ^[27]

References

1. "Ejemekwuru, Oguta - Postcode - 464106 - Nigeria Postcode".
2. "Oguta (Local Government Area, Nigeria) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
3. "Home page - IMSG". www.imostate.gov.ng.
4. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 15. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
5. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 10–11. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
6. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 12–13. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
7. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 10. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
8. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 13. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
9. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 14. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
10. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 34. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
11. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 45–48. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
12. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 37–38. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
13. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 19–24. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
14. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 30–33. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
15. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 52–53. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
16. "Home". MaryCare Inc.
17. Marycare holds second free medical outreach at Ejemekwuru ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
18. "Okorocha bans monarchs from speaking English". 12 July 2017.
19. "Okorocha bars traditional rulers from speaking English at functions". 12 July 2017.
20. "Governor Uzodinma issues Staff of Office to new traditional rulers". 19 March 2022.
21. "Owerri | Location, Facts, & Population | Britannica". www.britannica.com.
22. "Oguta Lake: In a corner of Imo, two angry rivers flow without ever coming together". August 2021.
23. Baker, L.R.; Tanimola, A.A.; Olubode, O.S.; Garshelis, D.L. (2009). "Distribution and abundance of sacred monkeys in Igboland, southern Nigeria". American Journal of Primatology. 71 (7) (2nd ed.). Am. J. Primatol.: 574–586. doi:10.1002/ajp.20690. PMID   19408287. S2CID   20111742.
24. Akajiaku, Chukwuocha (2011). HIGHLIGHTING THE INCONSISTENT TRANSFORMATION PARAMETERS BETWEEN THE GPS WGS 84 SYSTEM AND THE NIGERIA MINNA DATUM SYSTEM. University of Nigeria Nsukka Nigeria: Nigeria Association of Geodesy Conference. p. 7.
25. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 54–59. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
26. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. pp. 49–51. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.
27. Ihemedu, Innocent Ejikeme (1997). Ejemekwuru - A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Evolution. Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria: I-O Publishers. p. 51. ISBN   978-33428-4-3.