I Know My Root. A BRIEF EXPOSITION ON ORO NATION Oro nation is an ethnic group whose people dwell in the South-Eastern fringe of Akwa Ibom State. It is located in the western estuary of the lower Cross River. Found in the flood plain of the South Eastern Nigeria with its land mainly intersected by streams and tributaries flowing into the Cross River, Oro nation, which corresponds with the former Oron Division, covers an area of about 1,021.30 square kilometres. It lies between Latitude 0430’N and 5N, and Longitude 0830’E. Oro is bound in the North by Uruan Local Government Area; in the South by the Atlantic Ocean and Akpabuyo L.G.A in Cross River State; in the West by Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium, Esit Eket, and Ibeno Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State; and in the east by Calabar South, Bakasi, and Akpabuyo Local Government Areas of Cross River State. The two main seasons in Oron are the dry season which starts around October and ends around April, and the wet season that runs from May to September. There are also two prevailing winds: the South-West onshore wind which brings heavy rains and the North-East trade wind that blows across the Sahara Desert, ushering in the dry season. Oro nation is the third largest tribe in Akwa Ibom State. Geopolitical restructuring of the State and Local Government Areas creation has seen it being fragmented politically into two States of Nigeria – Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. The old Oron Division was created in August 1970 and it became a Local Government Area in 1976 . 1989 saw it having three Local Government Areas namely Oron, Okobo and Mbo. Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area was carved out of Oron in September, 1991 before Udung Uko Local Government Area was later created from Oron Local Government Area in 1996. These five Local Government Areas are in Akwa Ibom State. Also, a substantial portion of Oro’s population in the riverine areas is now lumped into Bakassi Local Government Area in Cross River State. The area which makes up the former Oron Division recorded a population of 319,941 in the 1963 National Population Census. Oro nation which also constitute what is now known as Oron Federal Constituency is purported to have grown at a mere rate of 0.63% per annum in 43 years, to record a population of 419,968 in the 2006 Population Census. There is a widespread assumption of gross under-enumeration and the figure is generally unaccepted by Oro indigenes. The soil structure of Oro nation varies from the alluvial of the fishing ports and coastal areas in the East and South, to the sandy loamy soils of the interior. The soils sustain natural growth of mangrove swamp forests, tropical rain forests and palm bushes of the hinterlands. In terms of resources, there is a wide variety including the rich seafood of the coastal waters; the timber, wood fuel and medicinal herbs of the forests; the oil palm of the interior and root crops such as yams, cassava, and cocoyam as well as the grain crops like maize. Oro nation also have appreciable deposits of solid minerals such as iron, free silica or glass sand and gravel. Reputed as having one of the biggest deposit of natural gas in the sub-Saharan Africa, Oro nation whose petroleum reserves are mostly offshore, accounts for over 70% of Akwa Ibom State oil revenue. The people popularly called ’Akpakip Oro’ or ‘Oro Ukpabang’ are made up of ten clans namely Odu and Eta clans in Okobo, Idua (Ilue), Ebughu and Effiat. Others are Ibighi, Ukwong, Okiuso, Okpo and Ubodung. Some publications record a total of 191 villages in Oro nation. It is probable that these official documents have omitted many Oro villages.In Oro, settlements such as Eyo-Abasi, Eyulor, Oruko, etc. are actually village groups. Such villages are called Oko. The main occupations of this predominantly Christian ethnic nationality are fishing, farming, lumbering, woodwork, hunting and trading. Oro nation is the host of some important corporate organizations. These include the pioneer National Museum in the Eastern part of Nigeria which was established in 1959; Maritime Academy of Nigeria which shall soon be upgraded to Nigeria Maritime University; Akwa Ibom International Airport; several oil and oil servicing companies; headquarters of Nigeria Police Area Command, which polices twelve Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State; the proposed Ibaka seaport, etc. Though the origin of the Ukpabangs – a phase of Oro history which has brought a lot of controversies – is wrapped up in myths, legends and oral tradition, Oro people are unanimous on the view that their putative fathers came from Usahedit region in Cameroon. It is agreed that they arrived their present abode by sea, on rafts made of wood, bamboos and ropes. There are also few traditions among the Ukpabangs seeking to trace their ancestry to the ‘Mediterranean World’. In support of this view, references are made to the existence of certain traditions and customs as well as some Semitic names among the Oro people which bear semblances to Mediterranean peoples. Two prominent institutions give traditional and socio-cultural direction to Oro nation. One is the Council of Oro Traditional Rulers, which comprises of Ahta Oro (the traditional leader of Oro nation), Paramount Rulers of the five Local Government Areas of Oro nation, Clan Heads, and some distinguished titled Chiefs. The other institution is Oro Union which was founded in 1925. Organizations such as Oro Think Tank, Essu Nlap Oro, etc. were established to further the course of Oro nation. Dialects spoken in Oro nation are Oro, Okobo, Mbo and Efik. Oro nation has a rich cultural heritage which is expressed in folklores, songs, dances and style of dressing and is a people with a unique culture and tradition. Its traditional cults and plays include Ekpe, Ekpo, Anwa Irit, Kongoma, Nnabo, Ababa, Afiakeyit, Ekong, Iban Isong, Abang, Mbok, etc. The rich cultural heritage, in addition to the exceptional hospitality of Oro people, their art, rich and palatable meals as well as various natural endowments have been known to attract tourism and commerce to Oro nation. The five LGA that make up the Oron federal Constituency are Oron, Mbo, Okobo,, Udung Uko and Urue Offong Oruko The people of Oron, according to available records, migrated to their present location from the Cameroun. They came by sea, on rafts made of wood, bamboos and rope. The migration took place in about the 13th century. The people, grouped into Oron Ukpabang and Idua, embraced Western Education very early with the establishment of Methodist Boy’s High School, Oron in 1905. Oron became a Division in August 1970 and in 1976, was made a local government area. However, following the local government creation exercise of the federal government in 1989, Oron was split into 3 Local Government Areas of Mbo, Oron and Okobo. Again in September 1991, Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area was carved out of Oron Local Government Area. Finally in December 1996, Udung Uko Local Government Area was further carved out of Oron.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 21:25:57 +0000
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