Urue-Offong/Oruko

Last updated

Urue-Offong/Oruko
Iyák Oro
Oron West
LGA
Nigeria location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Urue-Offong/Oruko
Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 4°43′0″N8°09′0″E / 4.71667°N 8.15000°E / 4.71667; 8.15000
CountryNigeria Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
State Akwa Ibom State
Capital Urue Offong Town
Creation date1991
Government
 • ChairmanRT. Hon. (Mrs.) Precious Selong
Area
 • Total45 sq mi (117 km2)
Population
 (2022) [1]
 • Total90,300
 • Density2,000/sq mi (770/km2)
Time zone UTC+1 (WAT)
 • Summer (DST)[[UTC+1 [2] ]] (WAT)
Postal code
523
Area code(s) 523107, 523108, 523109, 523110, 523112, 523111.
Urue-Offong/Oruko

Urue-Offong/Oruko is located in the south east of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State created in September 1991. [3]

Contents

Urue-Offong/Oruko is one of the five Oro language speaking Local Government Area bounded in the North West by Okobo, Akwa Ibom, Oron, Akwa Ibom in the North East, bounded in the East by Udung Uko, and in the South East by Mbo, Akwa Ibom and also bounded by Esit Eket in the South West.

History

In September 1991, Urue-Offong/Oruko Local Government Area was carved out of Oron, Akwa Ibom Local Government Area. Urue-Offong/Oruko is made up of six out of the nine clans (Afaha) of the Oron people.

Oruko was the economic capital of the Oron people it was a home to a huge market (Urue Oruko) in the 1800s where several traders from mainly Hausa people, Ilaje, and Igbo people came to sell their goods, an unfortunate event occur where several people died close to Sixty after a huge ancestral tree fell and people died due to stampede in the late 1890s. [4] Again in Urue Oruko, several hundred of Oron people (mostly traders and women) were killed during the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s. This unfortunate event has been observed in Oron to be the most tragic in the history of the Nigerian Civil War.

Clans and settlement

Afaha Ubodung clan, which is the largest of all the clans, now known as Mbodung District, comprises twenty-one villages and towns:

Afaha Ukwong clan, also known as the Ukwong district, is the second largest clan in Urue-Ofong/Oruko. It comprises five villages or towns:

Afaha Ibighi clan, also known as Ibighi district, comprises four villages or towns:

Afaha Okuiso clan, also known as Okuiso district, comprises two villages or towns:

Afaha Ebughu clan, also known as Ebughu district, comprises two villages or towns:

Afaha Okpo clan, also known as Afaha district, comprises two villages or towns:

Geography

Urue-Offong/Oruko is in the tropical region and has a uniformly high temperature all the year round. The two main seasons are the dry which spans between October and April and wet season which starts around May and ends in September. There are also two prevailing winds – the South-West onshore winds which brings heavy rains and the North- East trade winds blowing across the Sahara Desert, which brings in the dry season.

Natural Resources/People

The people are traditionally fishermen, traders and farmers. Although very rich in sea-foods, palm oil and farm crops, the area is also rich in crude oil, much wells, it ranks among the richest in crude oil deposits found in Oro, Mbo, Okobo, Oron and Udung Uko. The other sister Local Government Areas in Oro nation are said to have 92, 86, 66 and 39 such wells respectively, even though actual oil exploration is going on in Mbo. The area also has a large deposit of clay and other solid minerals like gravel, fine stones, silica sand, etc.

Kingship

Ancient Urue-Offong/Oruko were governed by each Family head who settles every family issues among the family. And this family head in turns represent each family in the Village traditional court, and in turns a Village Head (Offong) is being chosen which is rotatory in the Village Court to represent their Village in the community setting.

Today Traditionally, the Urue Offong people have one king that rules over the land. He is known as the Ahta Oro. The Ahta has all the Ofong (Ivong or Ifong) afaha and the paramount rulers as members of his traditional rulers council. Some high chiefs (for example, Ikpoto, Akpaha and Okete Okete) are also recognized by the Ahta's council. The President-General of the Oron Union worldwide is regarded as the administrative head of the Oron nation and second-in-command at the Ahta's traditional rulers council.

Prominent People

Sir (Ambassador) Etim Jack Okpoyo (First Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Engineer, businessman and politician). [6]

Late Elder Bassey Jack (Unanaowi) Okpoyo (First Electrical Engineer in Akwa Ibom State and the first man to own a Petrol or Fueling station in Old Cross River State) [7]

Late Comrade Edet Bassey Etienam MFR JP (Foremost Trade Unionist, Two Term Parliamentarian and Philanthropist) [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Eket is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The name Eket or Ekid also refers to the indigenous ethnic group of the region and to their language. The Eket people use the endonym Ekid for themselves and their language, but Europeans spell and pronounce the name as "Eket".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian National Assembly delegation from Akwa Ibom</span> Akwa Iboms delegation in Nigerias National Assembly

The Nigerian National Assembly delegation from Akwa Ibom comprises three Senators representing Akwa Ibom North-East, Akwa Ibom North-West, and Akwa Ibom South and ten Representatives representing Ukanafun/Orukanam, Etinan, Itu/Ibiono Ibom, Eket, Ikot Ekpene/ Essien Udim/ Ubot Akara, Abak, Ikono/ Ini, Oron/Mbo/Okobo/UrueOffong Oruko/Udung-Uko, Ikot Abasi, Uyo/Uruan/Nsit Atai/Ibesikpo Asutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akpakip Oro</span> Early modern state in Nigeria

Oron Nation had existed as a free sovereign and egalitarian society for hundreds of years before it was forcibly incorporated into the amalgamated Nigeria in 1914. Oron people share a strong ancestral lineage with the Efik people in Cross River State; Uruan, Ibeno, Andoni people both in Akwa Ibom State and in Rivers State, along with the Balondo-ba-Konja now in Congo. The Oron people (Örö) are a major ethnic group present today in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oron people</span> Ethnic group in West Africa

The Oron people are a multi-ethnic tribal grouping that make up the Akpakip Oro or Oron Nation. The Oron (Örö) are located primarily in southern Nigeria in the riverine area of Akwa Ibom and the Cross River States and in Cameroon. Akpakip Oro are regarded as an ancient warrior people, speaking the Oron (Oro) language which is in the Cross River language family of the Benue–Congo languages. They are ancestrally related to the Efik people of the Cross River State, the Ibeno and Eastern Obolo in Akwa Ibom, the Andoni people in Rivers State, Ohafia in Abia State and the Balondo-ba-Konja in the Congo.

Mbo is located in the South Eastern part of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. Following the local government creation exercise of the federal government in 1989 Mbo Local Government Area was carved out of Oron Division same year.

Okobo is located in the South Eastern part of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Following the local government creation exercise of the federal government in 1989 Okobo Local Government Area was carved out of Oron, Akwa Ibom same year.

Udung-Uko is a Local Government Area of Nigeria located in the south east Akwa Ibom State that was created in December 1996.

Oron is a coastal city and Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is home to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria and the Oron Museum.

Eyulor is an Oron Community in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

Eyo Ufuo is an Oron village in Eyulor community of Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

Anai Okpo is an Oron Community in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. Anai Okpo was founded by Okpo one of the Son of Ekete Okpo who found primacy at Okpe Oruko after the spread the Ubodung clan.

Eyo Uwesong is an Oron Village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. Formed by the children of Uwe Isong from the Ubodung clan of Oron Nation.

Eyo Uya is an Oron Village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria. Formed by the children of Uya from the Ubodung clan of Oron Nation.

Udung Okpor is an Oron Village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

Udung Eta is an Oron Village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria named after Eta from the clan Ubodung.

Udung Uwe is an Oron Village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

Mbukpo-Eyo-Ima is an Oron village in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

Afaha Okpo Town is an Oron town and in Urue-Offong/Oruko local government area of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria.

The 2019 Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly election was held on March 9, 2019, to elect members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 26 seats were up for election in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Nigerian presidential election in Akwa Ibom State</span>

The 2023 Nigerian presidential election in Akwa Ibom State will be held on 25 February 2023 as part of the nationwide 2023 Nigerian presidential election to elect the president and vice president of Nigeria. Other federal elections, including elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate, will also be held on the same date while state elections will be held two weeks afterward on 11 March.

References

  1. ↑ "Akwa Ibom State: Subdivisions". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Post Offices- with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  3. ↑ Akwa Ibom State (Nigeria). Ministry of Information & Culture (1987). Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria: handbook. Ministry of Information & Culture.
  4. ↑ Talbot, Percy Amaury (8 October 2013). Life in Southern Nigeria: The Magic, Beliefs and Customs of the Ibibio Tribe. ISBN   9781136968822.
  5. ↑ "Towns & Villages in Urue-Offong/Oruko « Akwa Ibom State « Nigeria".
  6. ↑ "But for his mercies oh lord … Sir (Amb.) Etim Jack Okpoyo at 75". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  7. ↑ "His Excellency, Sir (Amb) Etim Jack Okpoyo - Akwa Ibom Celebrates". akwaibomcelebrates.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020.
  8. ↑ https://www.dawodu.com/award2006.htm. https://blerf.org/index.php/biography/hon-edet-bassey-etienam/

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