aiki ur ago · Like Anthony Saiki Education is good when those that have it use wisely to the betterment of all and sundry,but, it became dangerous when those who are opportune to have it used their acquired knowledge to abuse, intimidates and oppressed those that could not have it by way of denying them of their rights and privileges in the society they found themselves by constant and frequent violent attack simply because they refused to surrender their right to them. In the words of Hon.Tunde Lakoju, truth is like a broken pieces o calabash on top of a floating water and if you sits on it you and the calabash will remained in that particular position, but the moment you shift a position the calabash come on top of the water Simpa Nelson Ogbodo the R.L.V, Wilkes intelligence report on Akoko-Igarrra that recorded that senior Otaru was recognised as the senior village head of igarra in 1911. Be reminded that our colonial masters interviewed both Otaru Aido (1921-19530 and Otaru Idanage (1930-1966) with the aid of an interpreter named Oviroh from Eshinogun clan of uffah Quarters who could then able to speak a little bit of pidgin English.Both Otarus concealed some vital historical facts about Igarra.None of them could remember the name/title of the their leader who led them out of Igalla land but yet they sufficed us to say that igarra was founded by emigrant from Idah, led it is said, by a disappointed claimant to the post of Attah . They brought with them brought with them a large bell and drums said to be parts of the insignia of that office. My takes is this do you believe if it was actually Ariwo Obejijo none of them would have mentioned such word to the interviewer?. The answer is YES,.The said large bell was the same bell was that Ukana Onagogo made mentioned during the process of given evidence on the case between him and Otaru Idanage at the Kukuruku native court at Auchi in 1934. That bell and other parts referred to are till date still been preserved by the Eshimozoko clan to support the claim of the clan that it was their father prince Oshemi who founded Igarra selttlement.The Nupe warriors invaded the this areas including Ebira lands, Akoko-Edo. Etsako,Owan and parts of Esan land in 1890.On their arrival the destroyed the existing method of rulership in their bid to imposed Islam religion on our people as well as engaging on slave raids.Some communities resisted them while other succumbed to them.Historical facts travels very fast. Two of their leader, Aje and Atairu were popular amongst them.That is where Otaru is derived from. In fact it is on the documented history of the Auchis is written that Etsu Nupe Sarkin Abubarkar turbaned the first Otaru of Auchi in the year 1895 whereas the traditional rulership title of the Auchi people is USO OGUN of Auchi. In a similar way, the traditional rulership title was Oshinoi and after the Nupe invasion Otaru introduce to Igarra. Ebira people and Etuno are nether cultural and linguistic affinity with the Igalla people but our people only sojourned through their lands and to be precise at Okpoto, few kilometers from the present Idah. Within our stay with the Igallas the commonest name/title was Ohi (Oshi), Ohemi( Oshemi), Ohindase (Oshemdase), Ohidu (Oshidu) and this name/title are still there till date but, there was no name/title like Otaru for this only come after the arrival of the Nupes.The traditional title/name of the Igarra people was Oshinoi before the arrival of the Nupes. On the issues of from Ukana Onagogo to Oshinoyi episode you chronicled down. This issues has long been dealt with extensively on an address by Bar. S.S. Obaro and the reply by Quentin Saiki during an All Igarra delegates conference organised by Bar.S.S.Obaro in the wake of his contesting to be a member of constitution drafting committee in 1985. Though he lost to Chief Oloyo. He was overwhelmed by support he got from the whole Igarra, hence decide to organised it in 1995,. Attached are the letters “OPENING ADDRESS DELIVERED BY CHIEF SAM S. OBARO AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE IGARRA DELEGATES CONFERENCE AT AKOKO-EDO LCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL HALL, IGARRA THIS DAY 25TH DAY OF MARCH 1995 AT 11:00 A.M Our Elders, leaders an members of Opoze Age Group here present, representative of all the Kindred’s/Families that make up Igarra community, I thank God and our ancestors hat I am alive to see today which I regard as the beginning of a new chapter in the History of our beloved Town, Igarra. I also congratulate you all here present for being the nucleus of that new beginning. As you all know the Chieftaincy dispute which has torn us apart since 1966 started soon after the demise of Otaru Idanage III on the 11th of July 1966. From available records however this is not the first time a dispute has arisen over who is or should be the village Head of Igarra. But there are some unique and very dangerous features in the present dispute. In order to appreciate the uniqueness of the present situation therefore I think it will be necessary and appropriate to go down memory lane to examine the nature of our previous Chieftaincy disputes. In doing so I intend to rely only on evidence available in colonial records, my objective being as much as possible to avoid or at least minimise controversy on the historical facts. From available records the colonial District Commissioner recognise the Senior Otaru of Igarra as the village Head of Igarra in 1911 but he also recorded the opinion that “he (the Senior Otaru) appeared to possess no real authority or influence” see para 1 at page 73 of Wilke’s Akoko-Edo Intelligence Report quoted in H. Spottiswoode’s (D.O. Kukuruku Division) memo date 7th May 1942 to the resident on the Senior Otaru’s petition that he should be paid 5% of all taxes collected in Igarra/Akuku Clan. The fist dispute or challenge concerning the Otaru’s authority after the colonial authorities had accorded the Otaru recognition as village head of Igarra was in 1934 when one Ukana Onagogo of Eshimozoko Family sought permission from the A.D.O. on his visit to Igarra to confer Ipoje Titles on some people. Although the A.D.O. refused the permission, the Junior Otaru Idanage felt sufficiently concerned and worried that he instituted court proceedings at the Kukuruku Native Court against Ukana Onagogo claiming: (i) A declaration that it is only he as the Otaru who had the right to confer Titles on people at Igarra Oke. (ii) An injunction restraining Ukana Onagogo from conferring titles on any person in Igarra. At the hearing of the case on the 10th of April 1934 the Ukana admitted the Otaru’s Claims; but it became apparent that Ukana wanted to confer Ipoje Titles on people in protest against the violation by the Otaru’s families (the Eziezu Families) of his familie’s (Eshimozoko) right to crown any one who was appointed an Otaru. From the evidence before the Court it appeared the Eziezu Families denied the Eshimozoko the right to crown the Otaru because it was alleged that the Eshimozoko Family was instrumental to the capture of some people in Igarra (including 10 members of the Eziezu Families) during a war with the Ojirami people and the conditions on which the right to crown an Otaru by the Eshimozoko people was to be restored was the replacement by the Eshimozoko Family of 10 members of the Eziezu Families captured by the Ojirami people and the delivery of a girl dresses with Isegi beads to the Eziezu Families. The Ukana claimed the he never heard of the second condition but that he complied with the first condition on the understanding that if he swore on “the Akasi juju” (Albino) denying knowledge of the allegation against his family and the juju does not affect him the Eziezu Families refused to return the 10 people to him. He therefore reacted to refusing to crown any person Otaru. And by necessary implication he felt that since the Ezizu Families were then crowing the Otaru without reference to Eshimozoko Family, he was also entitle to confer Ipoje Titles on people also in violation of the Otaru’s exclusive right to do so. At the end of the hearing the court found and ruled: • That the defendant have the right to crown somebody Otaru according to the old custom and law in Igarra and the Eshimozoko the defendant’s families to pay £2:10s to the Otaru’s Family for the girl and Isegi beads. From today’s date, anybody in the five families who wants to be an Otaru should go to the defendant’s family ESHIMOZOKO to take permission. Thus by court Judgement the original system whereby the Eshimozoko installs and crowns an Otaru was re-established. But after the judgement Ukana Onagogo wrote a letter dated 3rd April 1935 to the District Officer Kukuruku Division, Auchi laiming, inter alia, that the court having held that the “Otaru Title” was Eshimozoko Family property which they could give to other people “that signifies that they can bear the name............................... I have just got ready to claim my property and become an Otaru myself this year” The D.O. dismissed this claim and that ended this episode. The next dispute was that which arose with the rise to prominence of Chief A.B. Mayaki in the early 1940s. He was wealthy, educated an apparently very popular with the members of the Native Authority. Being also a member of the Eshimozoko Family one is tempted to conclude that his aspiration to the village Headship of Igarra was in furtherance of the claim of that family through Ukana Onagogo to the Otaruship Title. But that will not be quit correct because Chief A.B. Mayaki laid no claim to the Otaru Title. In the height of the uproar generated in Igarra over Chief’s aspiration he was elected by the Akoko Native Authority to the position of Treasrury Key-Holder against which the Otaru protested to the D.O. in the erroneous belief that that appointment was in furtherance of the Native Authority’s secret design to elevate Chief A.B. Mayaki to a position of superiority over him (the Otaru). In his reply to the Otaru’s protest by letter dated 31st May 1945 addressed to the treasurer Igarra – Akoko N.A. Office, Igarra, the D.O. Kukuruku Division said, inter alia: “The old Otaru of Igarra can be informed that there is no intention to remove him from his position as a senior Title Holder, and that no claim by Chief A.B. Mayaki to any position superior to that to which he is entitled to by Igarra custom, can be supported. The responsibility by a Treasury Key-holder, to which Chief Mayaki was elected by Akoko Native Authority by virtue of his literacy and good character, is separate and distinct from his position in the Local Administration of Igarra. Furthermore, Treasury Key-holders are elected for only 12 months, after which elections are held again. Chief A.B. Mayaki should therefore conduct himself quietly and do nothing to offend Chiefs who are older then himself and whose titles are senior to his own” It was in the midst of the A.B. Mayaki episode that Chief Momodu Ajayi returned from Lagos to where he was banished in 1926 after he was removed from the position of District Head (D.H.) of Igarra/Okumagbe Area. On his return some influential people in Igarra, and the Igarra Patriotic Union (Lagos Branch) started agitating that Chief Momodu Ajayi should be made the Village Head of Igarra on the ground that there was alot of improvement and development in Igarra when he was D.H from 1922 to 1926. The agitation in support of Ajayi assumed greater intensity after the death of the Senior Otaru, Aido, on 8th of April 1953. Consequently by June 1953 the Akoko – Igarra Native Authority set up a select Committee made up of councillor D.P. Stanfield as Chairman, the Olososo of Ososo as member and Mr. T.S.A. Idienumah as Secretary with the following terms of reference: To probe into Igarra Chieftaincy dispute to find out whether: a. “the office of the Senior Otaru is synonymous with that of the Village Head. b. or weather the post of the Village Head is taken by families in turn, or is hereditary or by popular vote” by way of a little digression I would like to state that going through the Report and Proceedings before this Select Committee I was particularly interested to observe that as at that time there was an: (1) Igarra Village Council which maintained a proper Minutes Book from which previous decisions were referred to and quoted in the Report. (2) The Igarra Village Council consisted of eminent Chiefs like Ashava Oshinoinoi (the then Oshidu) and the leaders of the Opoze Age Group. As at that time (June 1953) according to D.P. Stanfield in the report, there were 159 members of the Igarra Village Council. Perhaps when we eventual settle down to finding a solution to the present problem we would have to consider the necessity of re-establishing the Igarra Village (now Town) Council together with the Executive Committee thereof. Going back to Stanfield Select Committee Report it is interesting to note that the basis on which Chief Momodu Ajayi was supported for the position of Village Head by those who supported Ajayi had nothing to do with the tradition of rulership in Igarra. It was put very clearly by Chief John Dania Ata Olofin (who later became the Oshidu) as follows in his evidence before the Select Committe: “ John Dania Ata Olofin on behalf of those who were not in favour ( of the Otaru being the Village Head) stated that the Otaru should not be the Village Head of Igarra. He said that they wished Chief Ajayi to be reinstated and become Village of Igarra for his past activities which had procured for Igarra many improvements. That it is apparent that if he is reinstated many improvements will be achieved. He then concluded that his (Ajayi) reinstatement has nothing to do with the ruling of the Otaru and the amenities due to him as the Otaru of Igarra. That their only dislike is that they do wish the present Otaru to be recognised as the Village Head. He said for instance, there were 3 Otarus when Chief Ajayi was a district head representing Igarra District, still the amenities due to those 3 Otarus were not tamperd with by him” “ John Egure from (Eziodu) – Opoze Spokeman states: I appear to talk on behalf of the members of Opoze Company standing at my back. We are pleased to hear that this council wished us to give her advise on this matter on the floor Though Youngmen, yet e considered as human being with human feelings. We were told the senior Otaru summoned a Meeting which the Junior Otaru failed to attend: this annoyed the former. On this point we are not afraid to say that the latter is guilty. We feel the Junior Otaru should apologise by way of making a sacrifice of atonement according to Igarra Native Law and Custom. According to custom the junior Otaru is to rule Igarra after the death of the senior one. It is our turn to see that the government of this Town runs smoothly. We as young councillors don’t wish irregularities in our time. It is the duty of the Junior Otaru to appoint a representative if he feels he is too old to manage the affairs of Igarra. We don’t say that Chief Ajayi has no place in Igarra but we maintain that the Junior Otaru is the rightful person to appoint him in a fair manner’ At the end of the enquiry the Select Committee came up with the following recommendations: (1) That Chief Idanage, the Junior Otaru, has authority to become senior Otaru. (2) That Chief Idanage, by virtue of being the Senior Otaru, is the Village Head of Igarra. (3) That no question of appointing a representative for the Senior Otaru shall be considered except on the unanimous recommendation of the Igarra Council” After this enquiry the Resident Benin Province personally visited Igarra “to inquire into this dispute on the 18th of August 1953” His findings were recorded in his letter dated 24th August 1953 to the District Officer, Kukuruku Division, Auchi as follows, inter alia: “ As a result o the Inquiry held by Mr. Stanfield and the Olososo on the 10th of June, 1953, and further result of speeches made before us on the 18th of August, it became crystal clear that: (a) the Junior Otaru by Native Law and Custom always succeeds to the post of Senior Otaru. (b) that there was by Native Law and Custom No post of “ Village Head” in Igarra apart from the Senior Otaru. Therefore any attempt by anyone to push Chief Ajayi into either of these positions was contrary to Native Law and Custom and could not be approved” in the same letter the Resident had earlier stated that: “ Although Chief Ajayi before me first of all started to claim the right to be “King” he later modified his claim and asked to be appointed the “ambassador” of the senior Otaru, which he fondly hoped would enable him to sit in council or court as the representative of the senior Otaru” It would appear that the Resident’s letter aforesaid finally disposed of Chief Ajayi’s claim to the Village Headship of Igarra. Perhaps I should also mention briefly, the aspiration of Chief Ashava Oshinoinoi in this connection. The claim made on his behalf for “the second position to the Senior Otaru “is important because it was the first time that it was suggested that Igarra was made up of “two main divisions of kindreds”. In a petition dated 15/5/42 addressed to the District Officer Kukuruku Division by one Akpeji for Eziakuta kindred, Ukana for Anoyete kindred, Chief Lerama for Anona kindred, Akpaji for Ezioga kindred and Ose for Eziodu kindred it was stated, inter alia as follows:- “ We are to inform your Worship that Igarra Village consists of two main divisions of kindreds. One of these divisions are under the control of all the Otaru titled-men and the following kindreds:- Eziakuta, Anoyete, Anona, Eziogu and Eziodu are under the permanent control of Eziakuta elected Otsinoyinoyin , whose recognition has been customarily known by the inhabitants as the “Otsinoyinoyin” {ie second in position to the senior Otaru of the other set}. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ We shall be much grateful if the D.O. will bear in mind that in addressing the Village Council it should thus be done The Otaru ) The Otsinoyinoyin ) of Igarra Council. There is only one Otsinoyinoyin who is the leader of the above mentioned kindreds” But the D.O. H. Spottiswoode, promptly replied the petitioner by letter dated 21st May, 1942 as follows: “Gentlemen, The Intelligence Report does not support your claim about the position in Igarra of the Otsinoyinoyin, nor have I heard anything about it until now” He wrote similar letter to the Otaru of Igarra-sale, Igarra as follows: “My Good Friend, I have received a letter putting forward claims on behalf of the Otsinoyinoyin. I have replied that I know nothing about such claims” The Patriotic Society of Igarra also reacted to the said claims by writing a letter to the D.O. dated 14/6/42 in which they said, inter alia: “ We see no reason why the Otsinoyinoyin trying to put Garra in confusion. In the old days not by family used to govern Garra but by titles. Certainly the Otaru is our ruler when there are two Otarus the Junior is the second” Perhaps it is pertinent to state here that it appears that Chief Ashava only assumed the title of Oshinoinoi some time in early 1942. For Mr. Spottiswoode, the D.O. made the following memo to Mr. Mc Carty on 26/6/42. “ The two Otarus of Igarra now meet (see page 1 of this file): Shaiba of rest house quarter now claim to have taken Osi or Otsinoyinnoyin title – para 14 P. 73 of Int. Rep.- and to be Senior Otaru to Junior Otaru (Igarra Oke) violently objects. There may however be developments tending towards the establishment of a different system. The Igarras are much more progressive than the Bini Kukurukus” From the forgoing resume of the history of the dispute with regard to the Village Headship of Igarra it can easily be seen that: (a) The dispute were never along family lines but purely on individual personal claims or merit. The attempt in 1942 by a group of families to make it family group dispute did not take off the ground: and in any event it was the second position that they attempted to put in dispute. (b) The title being challenged in each case was “the Otaru” title by individuals: not by rival titles; or by any group of families. (c) In discussing the problems even people involved in the dispute accepted the historical facts of Igarra custom and tradition relative to the Igarra traditional Village Headship. (d) There was available an independent arbiter – the colonial authorities – whose authority was respected and accepted by all concerned. Follow delegates, it is the absence or presence ( as the case may be) of these elements in the present dispute that make its resolution intractable. I need not go into detail of this dispute for we all know everything about it from the inception till now ie. From soon after the death of Idanage III on the 11th of July 1966, when the dispute was only between five Eziezu Families as to which of them was to produce the next Otaru. To March 24th 1967 when one of our illustrious Sons came from Lagos to take an Ipoje Title from the Oshidu, who at that time happened to be his father, which eventually led to the stratification of the Igarra community into two opposing camps one against the other. I do not intend to profer any solution to the present problems confronting us as a result of the balkanisation of our beloved Town because of the Chieftaincy dispute. Indeed I cannot even pretend to have any solution! I can only recall and adopt the memorable admonition of one D.O. in his letter dated 31st May 1945 to the Treasurer, Igarra – Akoko N.A. Office wherein he said: “ The object of this is to interest the Native Authorities in their Local dispute. Igarra Clan Council must realise that they are Native Authority subordinate to Akoko Okumagbe Council. At the same time, only the Igarra people can finally settle their own internal dispute. The function of the Chiefs is to give them good advice and to help them to be at peace” It is in realisation that only ourselves can finally settle our own internal dispute that I have initiated the idea of convening this Delegate Conference. As events have shown we cannot, and do not, except any Chiefs or other persons from any other place to give us any good advice or to help us to be at peace with ourselves. The current dispute has raged on consistently and to our detriment for almost three decades and none of our neighbours has intervened to help settle us. In fact they have no reason to do so when it is to their advantage that we should remain divided and at war with each other. Consequently the task we have voluntarily set for ourselves is very serious and historic one. We cannot afford to fail! We must not fail!! Indeed we must sucessd!!! Now our duty in this Preliminary Conference is to discus the Agenda and the modalities for convening the Plenary Delegates Conference which it is hoped will eventually fashioned out a mutually acceptable solution to our Chieftaincy and other problems once and for all times. Therefore for this meeting I would suggest the following Agenda 1. Appointment of Chairman 2. Prayers 3. Opening Speech by the Convener 4. Comments by Delegates on the Opening Speech. 5. Delegates to the Plenary Session of all Igarra People Conference. 6. Agenda, date, and venue of the Plenary Conference 7. Any other business 8. Closing Prayers. It may well be considered that some Committees should be set up to work out the details in respect of items 5 and 6 above and report to a later meeting of this Preliminary Conference. The decisions on all the forgoing issues are yours. Finally I would want to appeal to all of us that we should be free to make any contribution to discussions at this Conference and let us tell ourselves what we know and honestly belief to be truth. No lasting settlement can be attained unless we are absolutely open and frank to ourselves! Once again I thank you and through your respective families for honouring this invitation thereby making yourselves actors in the unfolding new chapter of the history of Igarra. I wish you fruitful and successful deliberation Signed Chief. Sam. S. Obaro.” CHIEF SAM S. OBARO’S ADDRESS: OBSERVATION 1. Administration of Igarra “All members of a family, regardless of a quarter, recognise one head elected by themselves” These are clan/kindred heads. The Opoze group, Ipoje and the elders constitute the Town Council which is still in existence. 2. Recognition of Otaru Bradbury and Lloyd in their book concluded on page 115: “The political organisation is everywhere complicated by the disturbed history of the last one hundred years. Indigenous political offices seem to have been associated with the guardianship of ward and Village shrines, priests being selected according to a variety of principles – age, differential ranking between territorial segments, divination, etc” “The system was destroyed by the Nupe. The result of all this is considerable confusion in the political organization. The Head-man appointed by the Nupe and the British seem to have taken little account of such institutions as little associations, and the latter, as well as the ward and village head-man, seem to have lost all but their ceremonial and ritual functions in many cases.” “Records show that the senior Otaru was recognized as village head in 1911 by the District Commissioner who, however, recorded the opinion that he possessed no real authority or influence” Wilkes added that both Otarus (Aido and Idanage he interviewed) exercised control over the village Fetish, Ogbaru, and both became so holy that they were confined to their houses” all fetish priest were known to be holy persons. 3. Appointment of Ajayi “In 1920 when the Native Court was established the Otarus were ignored and retired into the background”. That was when four people were appointed as holders of judicial warrants, who sat with village Chiefs as judges. It was in 1918 when Kukuruku Division was formed and was divided into five districts each under a District Head who was appointed by government. Thus, Igarra district was administered by Ajayi who was first and foremost the village-head of Igarra and his district included: Igarra, Somorika, Onumu, Ogbe, Ogugu, Osi, Enwan, Akuku and Sasaro. Ajayi was removed from office in 1923, not 1926, and was taken to Lagos. He was replaced first by the D.H.Momo of Auchi and later by D.H. Daiye of Somorika. Daiye remained as District Head until 1936 when the office of D.H. was abolished. You will, therefore, agree with me that the first challenge concerning the recognition of Otaru as Village head of Igarra came in 1917 when Ajayi was appointed Oshinoyi of Igarra, not Otaru, while his father Otaru Aiteka, and was junior Otaru to Osuwa. Ajayi became D.H. in 1920 not 1922, when Otaru Aiteka became senior Otaru while Aido was installed junior Otaru to him. It has to be recalled that Momodu Ajayi said, at the Halim Commission of Enquiry in October, 1968, that he was given fifty (50) policemen who assisted him to enforce the descent of Uffah and Utua communities down – hill in 1917. Ugbogbo people, according to Wilke’s Report, came down – hill in 1911, hence they were referred to as Igarra Sale, while Uffah and Utua people were known as Igarra Oke. 4. Otaru Idanage verus Ukana Onagogo According to the record of proceedings, Otaru Idanage’s claim at the Kukuruku Native Court, Auchi on 10th April, 1934 was titled: “The right to confer titles in Igarra Oke. The defendant to come and show cause why he should not be prevented from conferring titles in Igarra”. You stated in your address that Otaru Idanage claimed or was claiming: (i) “a declaration that it is only he as the Otaru who had the right to confer titles on people at Igarra Oke; (ii) “an injunction restraining Ukana Onagogo from conferring titles on any person in Igarra”. One does not need to be a lawyer to notice that you have used your legal knowledge to put the claims which were never reflected in the judgement! The judgement has three main clauses: (a) that Eshimozoko family has a right to crown somebody Otaru; (b) that Eshimozoko family should pay £2:10s to the Otaru’s family for the girl and Isegi beads; and (c) that the five families which produce Otaru to go to Eshimozoko family for permission to make some-one Otaru. 5. Chief A.B. Mayaki The next dispute was that of Chief J.J. Aliu in 1937 and not that of Chief A.B. Mayaki in 1945. Chief J.J. Aliu was out to resuscitate the Oshemi dynasty, by the title of OSHEMI, though he was poisoned by a person who also died three months after the former’s death. Remember the hierarchical order of greetings in Igarra during public proclamations before Halim Commission of Inquiry in 1968. Chief J.J. Aliu’s matter was not brought to the D.O. attention because of his sudden death. Chief A.B. Mayaki aspired to become Oshinoyi (King), not Otaru. It is true that Chief A.B. Mayaki’s aspiration actually gained momentum when he was elected by the Akoko-Igarra Native Authority to the position of Treasury Key-Holder against which the Otaru prostested to the D.O. at Auchi. It has to be recalled that the matter caused rancour between the Ezi-ezu on the other hand, and Eshimozoko on the other hand. Chief Momodu Ajayi was recalled from Lagos by Ezi-ezu group both in Igarra and at abroad to come and slug it out with Chief A.B. Mayaki in 1946. He was recalled to assume his former status of Oshinoyi (King), not Otaru, but Otaru objected. As agitation by both sides was still gathering momentum for the appointment of an Oshinoyi (King), {see page 5 of address} the 1953 Select Committee headed by Councillor D.P. Stanfield, was set up “to probe into the Igarra chieftaincy dispute to find out whether: the office of senior Otaru is synonymous with that of the village head; or whether the post of village head is taken by families in turn, or is hereditary or by popular vote” His findings were silent on clause two. 6. Divisions in Igarra There have been divisions in Igarra and Ebira before the advent of the British in 1890. “Igarra and Akuku have been administered since 1890 from Ikaram, Kabba, Okene, Iddo, Fugar and Auchi”. The divisions are partly political and partly religious. Whoever came out as a leader had always received popular support from his people (clan/kindred) and even from outside his clan/kindred. They became political leaders like Okeere, Ukana Onagogo, J.J. Aliu, A.B. Mayaki, Momodu Ajayi, Ashava Oshinoinoi, etc. The spiritual aspect of the divisions is now assuming a political nature rather than religious scope that was originally intended. The Ezi-ezu group is made up of Andede, Eshinagada, Eshinogu, Eshinavaka and Andiba clans now regarded as Ruling Families/Clans. They install Otaru in rotation. Whoever became an Otaru in the past became the Chief Priest of Ubaru shrine. Similarly, the Ezi-obe group is made up of Eziodu, Ezioga, Eziakuta, Anoverewa and Eziakozi clans. They install Oshi or Oshidu in rotation. Whoever became Oshi or Oshidu was the Chief Priest of Asau or Idowo shrine. Other fetish priests were Oshemi for Okute House, Oshemdase for Inyama and Otu for Opete. 7. Divisions in Ebira The word “clan” is used by Ebira people as the correct designation for a group of families which originally descended from one family or a large family.. There are more than twenty clans in Ebira. In Okene/Obehira and Okengwen alone, there are thirteen clans which are politically divided into Agada and Okovi clans. Agada clans are: Eziakuta, Eziogu, Ehimozoko, Esusu (Asosu), and Avi. Okovi clans are: Asuwe, Omavi, Ewure (Owure), Eyire (Eire), Adobe, Ehebe and Omoye. It has to be recalled that that while Momodu Ajayi was appointed Oshinoyi at Igarra in 1917, Ibrahim Attah was appointed in 1918. There are about thirty-three (33) Otarus in Ebira. According to the Ohinoyi of Ebira-land, Alhaji Sanni Omolori, any title man (Chief) who has a night jar feather (Asise aja) on his cap is an Otaru. 8. Origin of Igarra (Etuno) According to the R.L.V. Wilke’s notes on Akoko-Igarra complied in 1940, “Igarra was founded by emigrants from Idah, led, it is said, by a disappointed claimant to the post of Atta”. “They brought with them a large bell and drums said to be parts of the insignia of that office”. The large bell and other parts referred to are still being preserved by Eshimozoko clan. In Paula Brown’s ethnographic survey of Ebira, both Igarra and Ebira claim ultimate ancestry from Wukari capital of the Jukun State of Kwararafa. They were reported to have sojourned with Okpoto people near Idah from where they later migrated to other places for permanent settlement. In their struggle, Ohimi’s sons and grandsons aspired to be paramount chiefs. Thus Ohimnagedu (Ohimi Negedu) the son of Ohimi established a chiefdom at Panda twenty miles from Umaisha. Another son of Ohimi, Ohaiten (Ohetenye) established a chiefdom at Igu popularly known as Koto Karfi on the Niger. The remaining sons was reported to have crossed the Niger at Itobe area to settle first at Okengwen and later at Etuno. Signed QUENTIN J.T. SAIKI REFERENCES 1. Bradbury, R.E. and P.C. Lloyd: The Benin Kingdom and Edo-Speaking Peoples of South-Western Nigeria, edited by Dayll Ford, 1957. 2. Paula Brown: The Ebira, Ethnographical Survey of Africa, 1955. 3. Wilkes, R.L.V. : Notes on the Akoko-Igarra Area, 1940.” The conference was cut short when Suru Akpata who was not even selected as a delegate from his Eshinavaka clan, came to the venue of the conference which was Igarra council Hall to disrupt the process alleging that it was a contempt of court to discuss the issue Oshinoi in such a gathering.The conference was co-chairmaned by Alhaji Omokhide and Chief Earnest Jamgbadi while A.A. Amune and S.A Ogbodo were co- secretary
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 19:49:30 +0000
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