(pop. 1953 - 3, 747; 1963. 5,355)
By
DR.CHRISTOPHER.G. OKOJIE, OFR, DSc
(Hon)
It will
serve a useful purpose to remember right at the onset that there are two parts
to every Esan district: the royal family and the common people. They were quite distinct, for nearly
all the ancient ruling houses came from Benin City or its suburbs. The head of
the ruling houses was and still is, the ONOJIE, who with his family, servants
and brothers inhabited EGUARE, the administrative CAPITAL of the district.
Another important thing an enquirer must take notice of is the use of the word
BROTHER by Esan people. It can mean anything from a male blood relation to a
very good friend. Secondly OBA's SON can mean a BINI and, in fact, it was
recently, a common thing for any Bini, outside the city, to describe himself as
the OBA's SON!
HISTORY:
During the Idah Was (1515 - 1516) one
of the Benin Ward, called Ijie, was very much impressed with the expanse of
virgin jury teeming with wild animals in the Esan Country. I could get no
confirmation story to some of the elders' suggestion that there was an Oba’s
son a hunter who left Benin in disgust because his father used to confiscate
all the animals he had killed while hunting. The Oba ruled at this time Esigie
and it is difficult to believe that a son of the Obas of those days could
degrade the palace by partially living in the jungle in pursuit of animals for
food, and that the Oba could hanker after the carcasses, several days old, that
the hunter son brought home.
Ijie was no Oba's sun but simply a Bini who
had already seen Esan country during the Idah expedition. It was his interest in hunting
made him find his way to Esan and the place he wanted to settle in Uda's
Ekpoma. Instead of the same game he was used to at Benin, he forsake the
forests teeming with elephants. To these he went after in an insatiable manner.
All he wanted from them really were the beautiful but expense tusks. The
elephant is so large that one could not kill one without the neighbourhood
knowing of it and with that, the news went straight to Onojie, who at this time
was Ojiekhere (1515) the son of Uda the Great Ekpoma. No sooner Ijie arrived
home than Ojiekhere's Iko (messenger would arrive demanding not one but all the
tusks as tributes to the Ono owner of the land. This went on until in
exasperation Ijie decided to into the jungle where he could enjoy the fruits of
his labour. He moved south in search of a spot removed from tribute maniacs.
At a spot lying between the young settlements
of Osa, headed Onojie Anyi, and Igbanke, Ijie pitched his hut surrounded by a
few of grown up sons who were able to go through with the long trek.
It is said that on his dying bed, many years
later, when Ijie giving his children his last blessings and words of advice, he
admonish them to remember their home which he said was E - KPON -, but the
breath went out of him before he could complete the word EKPOMA.
The affinity between Ekpon and Ekpoma was
maintained to peaceful relation and another link of the old association is
represented by fact that the old man and his family carried
forwards some of the habits had got used to at Ekpoma, for example, they
continued to have their main buying and selling day - on the same first day of
the Farm Week.
Ekpon
consists of:-
1. EGUARE
(1953 - 438; 1963 - 3,834):
Together with ORENOKHUA and IDUMUJE as
components, Eguare grew out of the settlement Ijie himself founded round about
IS55. Ijie himself was no Onojie, it was with the growth of the settlement that
one of his descendants was said to have gone to Benin for his installation as
Onojie.
2.
IGODUMA (512):
This quarter was founded by some of Ijie's
children, to be enlarged by the later arrival of the children of Akasan. Here
the Oniha of Ekpon is found.
3. OGBE
(184):
This is the traditional home of the Esogban
and was founded by the children of Akasan.
4. IKPUDU
(232):
Ikpudu was founded by immigrants from Eguare
and thus many of them are descendants of Ijie. Some of the early settlers were
Tsekiri elephant hunters under the ledership of Ebo who had a camp at Ijie's
settlement. This is the home of Edohen of Ekpon.
5. EKU
(1953 - 247; 1963 - 1,521):
This was the Eko (camp) that started during
Ogbole's time; it is the traditional home of the Iyasele. Nearer Eguare is the
original settlement which is known today as EKO-UWA.
II
KINGMAKERS:
Eguare and descendants' quarter of Igoduma
form the Kingmakers of Ekpon.
III
INSTALLATION:
This is performed by the Oniha.
GENEALOGICAL TREE:
V
COMMENTS:
I have been quite unable both here and in
Benin City to get any information of whether any of the rulers of Ekpon ever
was installed Onojie formally by the Oba of Benin, but today, in accordance
with Esan custom, the accredited head of Ekpon is Onojie. The best known, at
least in modern history is EDOBO I. He was a minor when his father Usifo joined
his ancestors and his uncle IREN OBUBOKI was appointed a Regent. He had his
primary education in Ubiaja Catholic School. He took over the reign of office
in the early twenties.
EDOBO I was a man of great energy; to a
stranger he may have appeared always aggressive, but to those who know him
intimately, he was an enthusiastic worker, stubborn to a cause he was convinced
of and showed a dignified loyalty to his friends.
He succeeded in the 1951 election and became
an Honourable member of the Western House of Chiefs. He died on the 15th of
August, 1972 'at the age of 84. After the burial ceremonies his son and heir,
Prince Robert, ascended the Ekpon throne as Edobo II. Death struck so
prematurely and he was succeeded by his first son and heir Prince Charles
Osajie, as Edobo Ill on Friday, 12th of January, 1990.
VI
PRESENT ONOJIE:
Prince Charles Osajie was 29 years old when
he was called upon to assume the highest post of authority in Ekpon. On the
death of his father he ascended the throne on 12th January, 1990 as the 12th
Onojie, including Ijiekhijie (forgotten names), as given to me by his
illustrious grandfather - Edobo I. Officiating at his installation,
according to Ekpon native law and custom was Chief Ukpebo Uzebo, the Oniha of
Ekpon.
