By Ugo Okeke-Realtor. First published by Ifeanyicy.com April 5, 2015
Owerri was founded about the 14th century by father Ekwem Oha.
His mother’s name was Arugo. He fled from Umuori Village, Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State when his life was threatened by his younger brother Ndum.
The threat to his life arose from the dispute over the sharing of the Funeral Cow slaughtered when their father Oha the aristocrat and embodiment of royalty died.
The first son (Opara in Igbo) Ekwem was to provide the funeral cow as demanded by custom. He did not have the means to do so. He appealed to his younger brother Ndum popularly known as Ndumoha to buy the cow, which he did.
Ndum asked for the head, heart and other parts of the cow that go to the first son in keeping with custom. His reason being that he Ndum, bought the funeral cow. Ekwem turned down his request and a quarrel ensued.
The elders (Oha Uratta) were invited to settle the dispute. They did so by allowing tradition to prevail. Ekwem was’entitled to the aforementioned parts of the cow being the first son.
Ndum did not take kindly to this and so planned to kill Ekwem in order to have his way. The plot leaked and Ekwem fled with his family at the dead of the night to Egbu a neighboring town (Community) taking with them some stores and domestic assistants.
History has it that his sister was married at Egbu. His sister fearing that Ndum may look for him asked him to continue his journey to an unknown and uninhabited land for safety and settle there permanently.
They set out during the night with the aid of owa (native torch) and arrived at a hill top now known as Ugwu Ekwema and settled there.
They heaved a sigh of relief saying OWERELA IHE MARAYA AKA meaning HE HAS TAKEN WHAT IS HIS RIGHT or what rightly belonged to him. He sounded the drum (as he was told by his sister) to indicate his location. His sister was happy to locate him and his family the following morning. She returned to Egbu thereafter.
The morning broke and they took their first meal roast old yam together in a typical communion fashion (not served) with thanks to Almighty and merciful Father our Lord God for their safety, the thick forest in the area being infested with dangerous animals such as lions, tigers and snakes like pythons, vipers and cobras.
THE NAME OWERRI (OWERE).
The advent of the British saw the anglicizing of Owere to Owerri but pronounced as though it was spelt Owere. All the neighboring towns (communities) of Owerri were founded and existed on planet earth centuries or decades before Owerri came into existence.
It is a God given land (DESTINY LAND being the slogan for Owerri Municipal) and has remained protected with all the people therein by the same God Almighty.
The British found them very clean people. Recall the presence of Nwaorie and Otamiri rivers flanking Owerri on the West and South respectively.
Owerri people were caring, friendly and accommodating hence *:he choice of Owerri by the British Colonial Government as first, Divisional Headquarters later Provincial Headquarters and today a state capital of Municipal status.
It is sad to note what the so-called modern technology in culverting had done to both Nwaorie and Otamiri rivers at the creation of Imo state in 1976 when Owerri became the state capital.
The fine bridges that flew across the rivers that once flowed with beauty were pulled down to give way to the culverts which were perhaps unprofessionally constructed.
The rivers are now almost stagnant and would require millions of Naira to dredge. The influence of the two rivers on the culture of Owerri people is now historical.
THE FESTIVAL OR FEAST OF OWERRI INDGENES – ORU OWERE
Oru Owere, the annual festival or feast of Owerri indigenes cannot be written without reference to the founding of Owerri.
It has been mentioned earlier that the first meal of the founding father of Owere and his family was roast old yam, which they ate with oil bean salad at Ugwu Ekwema (Ekwema’s hill) Our ancestral home.
After breakfast on arriving and settling at Ugwu Ekwema, there was the need for water for obvious reasons. They knew that the source of Otamiri was at Egbu but were ignorant of the course of the river owing to the thick rain forest of the area.
The communities or towns through which Otamirii flowed, were also known. It is common knowledge that peculiar sounds or noises are characteristic of running water from streams and rivers.
That was Ekwem’s experience that morning. He ordered his men to use the direction of the sounds/noise to see if any could be sighted.
They obeyed his wish and by surprise stumbled on Otamiri river, close to where Emmanuel College Owerri now stands. They ran back in excitement to Ugwu Ewema and broke the news of the presence of what they described as OGBU AMUMA – a pleasant early morning sunrise experience of flashing rays of the sun on the waters of Otamiri river reminiscent:of the historical account of the sighting of River Niger by the Scottish Explorer Mungo Park- GLITTERING IN THE MORNING SUN.
OTAMIRI RIVER SIGHTED:
Ekwem immediately commissioned his men to clear the route to the river -IKPU UZO. The route cleared after which he feasted them with corn porridge.
TWO REMARKEABLE EVENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OWERRI (OWERE) CULTURE
The roasting of old yams the first meal and the!corn meal entertainment developed into a cultural festival or feast ORU OWERE with which indigenes commemorate the founding of Owerri. These events tell the story of the founding of Owerri and the time or period of the year Owerri was founded viz the old yam and corn meal, which are commonly consumed at that time of the year, the rainy season.
Worthy of note is the fact that the yam is old not new yam, as new yam had not yet been harvested. Therefore Oru Owere is not new yam festival.
ORU OWERE (ORU EZE)
Oru Owere is Oru Eze (the Eze’s festival). The festival is marked by a period of the observance of peace, love, friendliness and togetherness, devoid of bitterness, quarrels, antagonism and physical confrontation, no weeping when death occurs during the period, no firing of cannon and a time to make up quarrels without third party intervention as stipulated by custom.
However Oha Owere is the traditional institution responsible for its conduct and yearly observance. They determine the commencement of the period by a system handed down by our ancestors. The duration of the period is equally guided by the same system.
All the key events namely the beginning of the period, the roasting of the old yam, the corn porridge entertainment (MKPU KPU UZO) and the day marking the end of the period are Orie market days.
The period begins in the month of June and lasts till mid August. Between the roasting of old yam (Oru Owere Proper) and the corn porridge meal is the GRAND FINALE characterized by a colourful procession of age grade formations in Owerri community through given routes in the Old City.
The Civic procession assembles at Ugwu Ekwema Civic Center (the civic center of Owerri Community) from where it talks off and terminates at the end of the procession where invited guests are received and made to have a feel of Oru Owere with traditional dances displays and entertainment.
The first item of entertainment after the breaking of kolanuts by Eze Ojwere is roast old yam.
Ugwu Ekwema is our ancestral home which significance informed our choice of locating the Community Civic Center.
Perhaps the reader may wish to know when Owerri indigenes are free to eat the New Yam. The eating of the new yam by Owere indigenes begin the day immediately after MKPU KPU OZU which is the day that marks the beginning of the new calendar year in Igbo culture.
Accordingly, it is pertinent to note that Owerri people the indigenes of the capital of Imo state do not celebrate the New Yam.
When increase in population began, there was the need to expand to other fronts. The sons of Ekwem and their families moved away from the ancestral home at Ugwu Ekwema, to different directions within the confines of the two rivers close to each other with their families leading to the growth and development of the villages of Owerri which derived their names from the sons of Ekwem.
The grave of Ekwem stands prominently on the grounds of Ugwu Ekwem Civic Center.
Ikenegbu was the first son followed by Onyeche, Odu and their sister Oyima hence the villages namely; Umuororonjo Amawom Children of Ikenegbu; Umuonyeche Umuodu Umuoyima.
The villages were named after the sons and daughter of the founder. Information has it that about eight to ten villages emerged.
Some were sacked and others migrated away to places far and near in Igbo Land, East and west of the Niger with Owerri featuring in the name of their new hometowns as Owere in Diaspora.
In recent times some persons who are not indigenes of Owerri, the state capital and who have never written or published for public consumption any historical account of the founding or origin of their home town or communities have become Owereologists who give unprecedented calculated false and hopelessly distorted account of the origin of Owerri as though Owerri town or community which was in existence centuries before the British expedition in 1901 had no known origin. Her indigenes are not by accident of birth but divine providence.
Owerri is not a geographical expression. It has a local setting given by the indigenes. It is not a coming together or movement of people from different places coming together to settle in a place or a place mixed with occupiers and intruders or invaders. It is founded through one person and his family. Prior to the early eighties of the last century, Owerri people the indigenes of capital of Imo state did not intermarry for the reason of one blood.
Owerri people are peace loving, very friendly, dq not discriminate against any ethnic or tribal group and treat you in a way more affectionate than they do to their brothers and sisters. They are not criminal or violent by nature. Those who come to Owerri to work or find a source of livelihood come to stay and not to return from whence they came for her peace and security.
culled from: http://www.ifeanyicy.com/2017/05/history-of-owerri-and-
