The History of 'Oka' (AWKA) People

In a series from this post I shall bring to us the historical account of Awka people as put together by one of her illustrious son Late Amanke Okafor. A historian, a lawyer per excellence by profession and a firm beleiver in the holy trinity. Excerpts:

INTRODUCTION

Oyibo ka mmadi,Ma na Oka kacha mba!
(The Whitemen is creative above all men,But the Oka man comes next to him!)--from an Oka war chant (okili)


This is the story of the Oka people, the fathers that begat us.

It is the story of the Oka people as they were the British came into their lives and seized control of their country and their destiny, and later merged their city – state with the great body politic known as Nigeria. Oka lost her independence then, and ceased to be a free self-governing nation.

The Oka people, before A.D. 1905 (when the British came), were a great people, resourceful, inventive and courageous. They were a race of specialists, working in iron, copper, brass and bronze; skilled in the carving of the wooden implements and ornaments; in farming; in the practice of medicine; and in the pursuit of wisdom. They did not belong to any known clan in Igboland, neither had they any known relatives. They referred to themselves simply as “Ebe Anyi” – our stock.

This is their story, based on oral tradition.

I have set down the story as it was told to me. The only liberty I have allowed myself is that where there are conflicting versions of the same event I have picked that one which appeared to me to be the most probable.

Numerous persons in Oka town can remember how, at one time or the other, I had confronted them, whether privately, or at social functions, or at burial ceremonies, and had tried to glean from them the much they knew, or had heard, of Oka history. All these people are the sources of information, and my authority. The story is their story. I am merely the narrator. Reading this, they will easily recognize who each had contributed to the story.

I started collecting what is told here long before the Nigerian Civil War while I was still living in Lagos, but during the war the notes were destroyed. After the war, I started collecting again, and this is the result of my labours.

“Onwu anara egbu nti”, the oka people say. “The ear does not suffer death”. Something happens and is told as a story. Then, one day, somewhere, the hearer remembers it, and re-tells it. And so it goes on from ear to ear, form mouth to mouth, down the ages. Exaggeration over the years there may be in any such story, and a whittling down there may also be, but the core of the story remains the same. “Archeological research”, Alexander Horne is quoted to have written in ‘King Solomon’s Temple’, “is constantly demonstrating how dangerous it is to question or deny the veracity of tradition, or an ancient until we know all the facts.”

I cannot possibly mention all those who helped me in the compilation of this story. They are too many. Some have contributed whole nuggets of Oka history, some just a single fact, or even just a name, and some have merely confirmed what others had told. I am grateful to them all.

I must, however, single out for special mention, and of course, thanks, the under- mentioned persons, who, along with many others gave me the inner core of Oka history. It was their patience and understanding, over many sittings, that made it possible for me to piece together a coherent story of my people.
Ozo Nwokafor Ndum (my father) – ozo Chikwuchil – of Amudo Village
Ozo Chinwuko Okeke – Ozonyilagha – of Umuanaga Village
Nnoneyelu Ebem, of Umuoramma Village
Nwejiofor Nwiyi, of Amudo Village
Ozo Nwanna Nwudozo – Owulubuego – of Umuogbu Village
Louis Ejiofor Okeke, of Umuayom Village
Nwokeabia Anene Nwuye, of Nkwelle Village
Ozo Nwuba Morah – Ozo Ikwodiaku – of Amikwo Village
Emmanuel Nwune Nkwontah, of Nkwolle Village
Ozo Jonathan Nweke Obuekwe – ozo Akalaka – of Umuogbu village
Ifedora Nwamgba, of Umudioka village
Immanuel Onwuemelie Uyanwune, of Amudo Village
Ozo Federick Anaekeokwu Onwuemelie-ozo Enechiodo – of Umuenechi Village
Nathan Nwokafor Ibe, of Amudo Village
Nweke Nwikwu, of Amachalla village
Samuel Nwanenye Nwosu of Nkwelle village
Nwabuikwu Okafor Afuzuo, of Ifite-Oka village
Joseph Ekunife Okoye, of Amudo Village
Richard Chikwuneke Anagbogu of Amachalla village
Paul Okafor Aguiyi, of Amudo village
Moses Nwabueze Okeke – Ifite-Oka village
Benjamin Ndubuisis Ndumanya – of Ifite-Oka village
Ozo Nwoguguo Chikwuogor – ozo Jeluo- of Umubele village
Muotoh Ekwunife, of Umukwa village
Ozo Elias Oyeoka Offodile – Nzechimal of Umuayom village
Ozo Nwogbo Okafor – Onukaligbo – of Umuogwal village
Ozo Ikwunne Mbada – ozo Mbada - of Umuogwal village
Ozo Nnaemeke Okafor – ozo Anonivbekwu – of Umudioka village
Ozo Izueke Umesie, of Ndiagu - Obinofia town, Ezeagu Local Government Area,
and The Elders of Agulu Village, Umana town, Ezeagu Local Government Area.

Concerning the proof of the historical facts contained in this narrative, I have left that task to future researchers. My simple aim has been to set down these past events, taken from those who can still remember them, before they are completely lost to us, and to hand some down to our children in a written form.

There has been no archeological work in Oka town yet. No doubt it will be rewarding when it is embarked upon, and the existence of Universities in Nigeria makes it only a matter of time. When that happens, these stories of the past will have physical evidence to support them. Until then, we have only the oral tradition, “the oral transmission of memories from one person to another.”

In the title of the book I have used the current spelling of “Awka”, to make it clear what I am writing about. Thereafter, I have reverted to the older spelling “Oka”, which what some people say is simpler. The change in the spelling of the name from “Oka” to “Awka” was made by the British Colonial Office in 1908. According to the researches of Dr. Nwibe Onejeme, Barrister-at-Law, of Umuokpu Village, the change of spelling was made by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. F.S. James, in 1908, through Government Notice No. 729, published in the Southern Nigerian Gazette of 1908, No. 42, Volume 3 at page 8511.

Oka people have a language of their own, which is variation, or dialect, of the Igbo tongue. One outstanding peculiarity of that Oka language is a sound not found in other Igbo dialects. It is a sound that is made of slightly parting the lips and blowing out air to make a sound that is between “v” and “b”, but without actually pronouncing “v” as “v” or “b” as “b”. This peculiar sound is also found among the Bini, and in the Benin alphabet it is written as “vb”, as in the name “Egharevb”. I have adopted these letters of the Benin alphabet, “vb” for this Oka sound.

The “vb” in Oka dialect would be pronounced as “f” in Onitsha dialect, or as “h” in Owerri dialect. For example, where the Oka man would say:
“Ivbe nkee ivbe kwe!” (This is extraordinary!)

The Onitsha man would say:
“Ife nka ife kwa!”

And the owerri man would say
“Ihe nka ihe kwa.

So, in many cases, where other Igbos use the letter “f” Oka use “vb”. Other examples:
“efe (chance) is “evbe” in Oka
“fe ta” (come over) is “evbe te” in Oka
“Afamefuna” (a name) is “Avbamevbune” in Oka.
And the exclamation, “Unu afukwa nu” (you see my trouble?! Is in Oka language
“ivbilivbivbi!!”

off course, Oka people use “f” in some words, such as “fuo” go, “futa” come out, “fuli ya” take it from him by force.

Another peculiarity of Oka language is that Oka people do not pronounce the final vowel sounds “i” and “u”, like other Igbos, where they occur. For example, in other dialects the word “malu” (know), “ralu” or “rali” (choose) are pronounced as written, but the Okas drop the “u” and “i” and pronounce the words as “mal”; “ral”.

These peculiar Oka spellings and manner of pronunciation of words will be used throughout this book.

Up to 1905 Oka town was a sovereign nation-state, self-contained, self-sufficient and prosperous, with a well defined territory. By their system of government the Oka people were the freest people in the world. They were republicans. No one man ruled over them (Oka enwere eze). In their society they regarded each other as equals. They were ruled by their laws, in the making of which every citizen participated.

They managed their affairs in the democratic assembly of the whole people, called “Izu Oka”, to which every citizen had the right to attend. The womenfolk had their own assemblies.

The nearest thing to kings that the Oka people had was the Society of ozo title-holders. The members of this Society had traditional functions in Oka, and had a part in the management of the affairs of the town. They declared wars and made peace, on behalf of the town; and they settled disputes. But they rules no one. They were just “primus inter pares” –first among equals.

When the British came, they wanted to make Onwurah Uzoku the paramount Chief of all Oka. But Onwurah declined saying that anyone who allowed himself to be made king of Oka would be struck dead by the gods of Oka instantly!.

The government of Oka could be likened t that of ancient Athens, in the heyday of Athenian greatness; or such other Greek city states as Miletus and Corinth. But whereas the executive organs of Izu Oka were the Age-Grades (Age-Grade being a grouping of people born within three years of one another, counting upwards).

The Greeks were said to be the inventors of democratic government, fur from whom did the Oka people learn their own? The answer is from no one. They developed their form of government themselves.

Our story concerns Oka when she was truly a nation-state, when she was independent and free, and when she had, by her own initiative and enterprise, created customs, her own system of government, her own religion and view of life, her unique social and political organizations, her own philosophy; and had evolved those other attributes that made Oka so much admired of other people: Umu-Anyanwu! Some called the Oka people, Children of the Sun!!

From the next series we shall be posting the chapters one at a time. The reason is to enable the reader digest piece-meal the contents of the chapter as it were and make his/her comments for an improved research findings on our dear fatherland. Posterity will not forgive us if in our
time the history of 'Oka' goes into oblivion...God forbid!