The History of Ibaji

IBAJI:

THE LAND

AND

THE PEOPLE

Jacob Apeh

First Published June, 2014

Revised Edition, November, 2014

(c) Jacob Apeh

GSM: 08039668378

ISBN:

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.

Published and printed by:

Ovavi printing & Pub. Co. Ltd.

P.O. Box 59

No. 2 Marine Road, Lokoja

Kogi State

08035928994

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all sons and

daughters of Ibaji land.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My first gratitude goes to Mr. Stephen Attah, a retired Director in the Ministry of Education, Lokoja who went through my work and made some corrections. I thank him too for accepting to write the Foreword to the book.

I am also indebted to Hon. Fidel Egwuche a former Special Adviser in Kogi State government who read my work; pointing out one error or the other.

I equally thank Hon. Henry Ukwubile, a former Commissioner in Kogi State government and Mr. Godwin Onama, a Lecturer at the Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja for the trouble they took to read through the work and made some useful observations. I can not forget the Computer Typist, Hajiya Zainab Muhammed Osori for her hard work and diligence to ensure a thorough and clean work.

 PREFACE

This book: “Ibaji: The Land and The People” is fundamentally designed for those who may wish to know the behaviour, culture and attitude of Ibaji people. It is a veritable tool for all politicians and students of Ibaji extraction who are anxious and eager to know the history of Ibaji people. It is also very useful to all those who are interested in knowing the genesis of both Ibaji people and their local Government Area.

The dearth of suitable and relevant materials on the history, culture, attitudes and beliefs of Ibaji people coupled with incessant request for books on Ibaji aroused the interest of the author, Mr. Jacob Apeh to put this work together. This book certainly satisfies their long time quest for a reliable book on Ibaji.

The uniqueness of this book is found in the basic fact that it combines oral history with documentary evidence. The language and style of presentation are simple and straight forward to cater for the needs of the target audience.

Considering the information and data contained in this book as sourced by the author, I sincerely affirm that Mr. Jacob Apeh has immensely contributed to the development of literature on Ibaji people.

ONAMAH GODWIN O.

Kogi State Polytechnic,

Lokoja.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Preface

Table of Content

Foreword

CHAPTER ONE

Early Migrations and Settlements

CHAPTER TWO

Occupations: Hunting, Farming and Fishing

CHAPTER THREE

The People

CHAPTER FOUR

Traditional Institutions

CHAPTER FIVE

Festivals, Masquerades and Dances

CHAPTER SIX

Marriage

CHAPTER SEVEN

Development in Education

CHAPTER EIGHT

Creation of Ibaji Local Government Area

CHAPTER NINE

Politics and Ibaji Local Government Administration

CHAPTER TEN

Ibaji yesterday, today and tomorrow

References

Appendix I: Major Towns and Villages

Appendix II: Map of Ibaji

FOREWORD

When I was called upon by the author to pen a Foreword to his recent effort entitled “Ibaji: The Land and The People”, I had to confess that I was not only humbled by the gesture but challenged in a sense: how do you approach a work that combines history with sociology and the anthropology of a people? At last, I had to throw my hat into the ring to accept the challenge.

The book, “Ibaji: The Land and The People” as earlier hinted is a fusing together of the historical, the sociological and the anthropological features of the Ibaji people of the Igala Kingdom. The work consists of ten chapters. The first deals with early migrations and settlements; the second dwells on the occupations of the people while the third focuses on oral interviews conducted by the author with those who had had the opportunity of interacting with Ibaji people on Ibaji soil, especially those posted there as teachers in the early 50s and 60s and who have now retired from active service. Others include those who interacted with fellow Ibaji students in their various institutions of learning and what they had to say about Ibaji people generally. This is a very enlightening chapter, and in fact, one of the chief treasures of the book. Mr. Apeh who was the first Journalist from Ibaji (with the Nigeria Herald Newspapers, Ilorin, Kwara State in 1975) has demonstrated his professional excellence with the interview in this chapter.

Chapter four offers a lot on the traditional institutions of the Ibaji people while chapter five gives great insight into the festivals, masquerades and the dances of the people. Chapter six is on marriage and chapter seven is on development in education while Chapter eight takes us through the memory lane in the struggle for the creation of the local government area and its actualization in 1997. The remaining two chapters deal with what Ibaji politicians have made of their local government area and the lesson to be learnt by those who could be called upon in future to serve their people.

The work is a treasure-house of knowledge for those curious to know more about Ibaji people. The author is not a new name when it comes to creative writing; he has some published works in his kitty: “Ile Ch’ododo” and “Ochu Tito” which are books of poems in Igala; “Ukoche Igala” which deals primarily with Igala orthography; “Short Stories for Children” and the “The Fundamentals of News Reporting”, the book that recalls Mr. Apeh’s experience in his profession. With each publication, the author matures in creativity and in his art.

The present work is quite an engaging one as Mr. Apeh shows clearly that he is an author difficult to “pigeon hole”: his excursion into history, sociology and anthropology testifies to the above assertion. “The taste of the pudding”, as the saying goes, “is in the eating”. So, dear reader, go on and devour the pudding.

I have no doubt in my mind that this recent effort will be widely accepted not only by those interested in knowing more about Ibaji and its people but also by the general readers who love adding to their reservoir of knowledge.

Steve O. Attah

Lokoja.

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CHAPTER ONE

EARLY MIGRATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS

Geography

Ibaji land which lies south of Idah town is located in the Niger valley. It is bounded on the East by River Anambra and on the west by River Niger. The area has a land mass of about 12,800 square kilometer, and a population of 127,572 as recorded in the 2006 national census.

Ibaji Area is in a low land. Most parts of the area have general elevation of about 35 metres above sea level, which is why the area is prone to flooding between July and October every year. The land is consequently made fertile with alluvial soil which is left behind after the flood had receded. This makes the people of the area producers of root crops such as yams and cassavas; grains such as maize and rice in large quantity. Ibaji Area today is made up of about 57 towns and villages. The people came to their towns or villages at different times in history.

The settlement of the people of Ibaji land in a low land is a blessing as streams, fishing ponds and lakes abound all over the places, aside fertile lands, contributing to the wealth of the people. There are lakes such as Ibocho, Aduru, Akpanyo, Abada, Ojila, etc in the eastern part while Ukpo, Ikpako, Iyore, Oshimili, Ofe, etc are found in the western part of the land.

The wealth of the area include petroleum product which was discovered in the 60s. Some Oil Companies that carried out geological surveys in the area disclosed that Ibaji area is a potential oil producer. Places such as Okogbo, Odeke, Echeno, Omabo, Uchuchu and other border towns with Anambra and Enugu States are discovered to have petroleum deposits.

History

The early settlements of villages in Ibaji land are believed to be in three major phases. The first phase was when farmers and hunters came to the forest zones of Ibaji in search of games and fertile lands to cultivate crops. Oral history had it that Ibaji land was an uninhabited forest, lying south of Idah town, but was later inhabited by migrants from Idah and other parts of Nigeria. Egwemi (1983:8) writes:

Contrary to the erroneous belief by some people outside Ibaji Local Government Area that the inhabitants of the area today are off-springs of the defeated Igala soldiers who went to the Benin war centuries back, the correct story is that Ibaji people have come from various parts of the country to settle there. It must however be stated that the majority of the early settlers were of Igala origin who moved downwards in search of better means of livelihood which Ibaji land could provide abundantly.

Also Ukwedeh (1976:9) who traced the early settlements in Ibaji land to 1450AD says:

From the corpus of the tradition of origin collected, one can draw the following: The first group does not accept the Idah-Benin war as the cause of their migration to Ibaji district. They say their forefathers left the upper part of Igalaland to their present habitats due to severe famine. In order to look for a better livelihood, they set out in hunting bands towards the south which was an uninhabited bush.

Ukwedeh (1976:26 – 27) added that from 1450 – 1530AD, “the earliest settlements in South western Ibaji District grew up around streams and lakes and that accounts of the present villages of Ayah, Iyano, Akuro, Ujeh, Iregu, Iteh and Ikaka which developed out of one or the other of these ancient centres agree that their forebear Onu’ja/Onu-ija was forced to migrate southwards due to a great famine and quarrel over hunting rights”.

Apart from Ukwedeh’s version above, another tradition holds very strongly that Akuro, Ayah, Iyano, Ikaka, Ujeh, Iregu, Inoma, Igbedo and Odekpe who belong to one Alubi (brotherhood) were among the Ata Igala’s soldiers who crossed the River Niger to Ibaji, following the defeat of Igala soldiers at the Benin war of 1515 – 1516. This was the second phase of settlement when the Ata’s warriors returned from Benin but settled in Ibaji instead of coming to Idah. According to this tradition, the Ata Igala’s warriors did not keep the instructions given to them and as a result they lost the victory they recorded in the first battle as the Benin soldiers, backed by the Portugese in Benin, chased them out of Benin. They therefore crossed the River Niger to the south of Idah and settled beside the river (iba-aji) instead of coming home. This was how the name Iba-aji, which means “beside the river” was derived. The war leader (Onu-Uja) was said to have also crossed the River Niger to Ibaji along with his defeated troops.

Akuro, Ayah, Iyano, Iteh, Ikaka, Iregwu and Ujeh are believed to be brothers and they are regarded the first seven members of the Alubi. Others are Inoma, Odekpe, Igbedo, Ishi, Ifekwu, Ekperi and Osomaril (Ochemele). It is not clear if the 14 of them are related for a few of them are said to have been coopted as members. Osomari is wrongly pronounced “Ochemele” by some Alubi members.

Ekperi and Osomari, after the war, did not cross from Benin to Ibaji. While Ekperi stayed back in Benin territory, now Edo State, Osomari settled in a place that is today Delta State. In 1925, during the reign of Atabo Ijomi as Ata Igala, Odekpe, Igbedo and Inoma were merged with Onitsha North, following the boundary demarcation between Igala land and Onitsha Province.

Afiya who was one of Ata’s warriors that fought in the Benin war, was said to be among the soldiers who crossed the River Niger to settle in Ibaji. Afiya settled in the centre and had four children: Enweli, Unale, Ayeke and Odolu. These four children of Afiya lived separately but yet close to one another, and they have maintained their relationship as brothers up till today.

The children of Afiya were said to be great warriors, taking after their father, for they had several times in the olden days, prevented attacks on their lands. Ayeke, particularly, which is nicknamed “ogba”, meaning “fence” was said to have repelled both internal attacks and external attacks from the east.

Okwoli (1973:38) says that the Igala-Benin war of 1515 – 1516 led to the settlements in Ibaji. He writes:

The defeated troops from numerous towns and villages in Igala were not allowed to enter Idah town, so they withdrew to the eastern bank of the River Niger, South of Idah. They called their new settlement. Ibaji (people at the side of rivers).

Those who opposed this version argue that the Ata Igala’s warriors who lost the Benin war settled in Ekperi in the present Edo state and Ebu in the present Delta state.

The third phase, which again, Ukwedeh (1976:26) traced to 1860 – 1900 AD, was a “period of the rise of fishing camps along the Niger which later developed into small villages of permanent settlers”. According to Ukwedeh, “the villages that form the core of these later settlements by the Niger bank are Ikpogwu, Odochala, Adagwo, Imachiga, Ojiala, Ogwu, Onugwa, Ojigbolo, Abujaga, Ineme, Onyedega etc.” They were said to have later settled down and began to farm.

Other settlers such as Elele, Afa, Ekanyi, Unwajala, Ejule, Ichala, Odeke, Echeno and Uchuchu/Anocha were said to have come to Ibaji from Idah and other parts of Igala land in the 18^th and 19^th century. Ukwedeh (1976:41) quotes N.J. Brooke as talking of “Uchuchu rulers getting authority to rule from Idah”. Ata (2007:14) also writes:

There is a belief that Ibaji people migrated from hinterland of Igala towns and villages. The migrations were along the River Niger and Maboro/Anambra. Some might have migrated directly along the hinterland from Idah. Those who migrated down along River Niger, settled in some of the towns and villages like Ota, Ineme, Ogwojibo, Onyedega, etc to mention but a few. Those who migrated down along the River Maboro/Anambra settled in the towns and villages like Afa, Ekanyi, Obale, Odeke and Echeno.

There are other settlements that were not linked to specific migrations. For instance, Ajamukoje which is also a village along the Niger Bank was said to have been founded by a man called Ukoje from a king’s family in Iteh who went there to farm. The place was named after him for Ajamukoje means the settlement of Ukoje. Also, Omabo people were said to have come as one family to their present settlement where they had, time without number, halted incessant incursions of Igbos on Ibaji lands, in the south.

 One could therefore conclude from the foregoing that Ibaji is not made up of the entire soldiers of Ata Igala who fought the Benin war. Other migrants from Edo, Enugu, Anambra and Niger States later came to Ibaji land and were integrated into the already existing Igala community. The earliest settlers of Igala origin were those who moved there from Idah for the fertile lands and the survivors of the 16^th Century Benin war. Irrespective of their historical origin, the people of Ibaji land have integrated into a homogenous group.

Settlements and land ownership

Ibaji land, by the 19^th century, had been completely occupied by the migrants: the hunters, farmers, fishermen and remnants of the Ata Igala’s soldiers from Benin. The South-West was occupied by Ujeh, Ikpogwu, Odochala, Iregwu, Ika, Uchuchu, Omabo, Ayah, Imachiga Iteh, Ogwu, Ajamukoje, Ojiala, Onugwa, Ojigbolo; the North-West was occupied by Akuro, Ikaka, Ishi, Iyano, Abujaga, Ineme, Ejofe, Agbagbojo, Ojuba, Onyedega, Ogaine, Itoduma, Ofobo, Ogwojibo, Ichala, Ota; the South-East was occupied by Echeno, Anocha, Odeke, Obale, Ekanyi, Elele, Odobo, Nwajala, Ejule, Afa, while the Centre was occupied by Afiya community of Enweli, Unale, Ayeke and Odolu.

As the migrants settled, lands were acquired and owned by individuals or families. The first settlers usually carved out for themselves hectares of lands for residence and farming. The land acquired for themselves eventually became their property and subsequent settlers who moved into this land became their subjects and had to pay land rent. For instance, if settlers B, C and D are on the lands which settler A had acquired, settlers B, C and D had to pay land rent to settler A annually. This is why up till today, one village could be the owner of lands on which about five other villages settle.

This system of land ownership has, over the years, caused some problems in Ibaji. Probably, these problems would have disappeared long time ago if every village was the owner of the land on which it settled, and if every man or woman was the permanent owner of his or her father’s farm lands.

CHAPTER TWO

MAJOR OCCUPATIONS:

HUNTING, FARMING AND FISHING

Hunting

The first settlers in Ibaji land were said to be hunters who migrated from Idah and other parts of Igala land in search of games and eventually settled down. Other hunters moved into this forest zone in groups. Ukwedeh (1976:9) says the first settlers “left the upper part of Igalaland to their present habitat due to severe famine. In order to look for better livelihood, they set out in hunting bands towards the south which was an uninhabited bush”.

Hunting which was therefore the first occupation of these settlers became their life sustainer. On daily basis, the men went into the bush to kill animals for meals while the women stayed back home or engaged in small gardening around the houses. Sometimes, hunters went to the bush in groups for full scale hunting. Occasionally, the king of the village called out for this type of hunting known as okpa or ode-oja which involved every able-bodied hunters.

At the end of the exercise, all the animals killed by individual hunter were brought to the king’s palace to be shared family by family after the king might have been given his own share. This practice marked the beginning of sharing attitude among the people of Ibaji which became a way of life. It developed into unity and love among the people. Finding themselves on fertile lands, these hunters settled down to farm on a larger scale side by side with hunting.

Indeed, hunting was the first occupation of the people until the 20^th century when the forests were depleted due to farming. Today, hunting is merely a hobby by a few people in Ibaji land.

Farming

Farming later became the preoccupation of every man and woman. In other words, every man and woman in Ibaji land is a passionate lover of agriculture, and every child is brought up to love it. Farming is so valuable in the lives of Ibaji people that a man or a family is respected by the amount of crops harvested in a year. A lazy man or woman is not respected, neither is he or she recognized in any social gathering.

There are two farming seasons in Ibaji: dry season and raining season. Dry season farming involves the cultivation of crops such as beans, potatoes and cassava. While cassava survives all seasons, potatoes and beans which are cultivated by a few farmers can not stand raining season. The dry season crops are planted in the month of November and harvested in the month of March while the raining season crops such as yams, rice and maize are planted in April and harvested in August or September. Ibaji produces yams in large quantities annually.

Group farming, known as alo is another fast way of farming which helps the farmers to have large hectares of farm. There is an Igala proverb which says “one finger cannot pick a louse from the head”. That is to say it requires two fingers to pick a louse from the head. With this proverb in mind, every farmer is conscious of engaging other farmers in his cultivation instead of doing it all alone.

In this exercise, groups of farmers alternate tilling of the earth, cutting of grasses and making mounds or ridges. In a village, there could be as many as five groups formed on the basis of age-grades, friends or relations. A group may go to the farm of Mr. A today, and the next day, it goes to the farm of Mr. B, in rotation until all the members’ farms are visited.

This system is very helpful because the work a group of farmers would do in a day could be more than what one farmer would do in two weeks. This group farming is based on unity, love and understanding among the farmers. It ultimately brings unity among the people of the village.

The major sustaining and money yielding crops which are usually cultivated during the raining season are yams, rice and maize. No farmer, no matter how lazy, misses cultivating yams or rice in any year. He or she must find a way of owning a farm, no matter how little because farming is a tradition and a culture of the people of Ibaji. While men are engaged in the cultivation of yams, women are engaged in the cultivation of rice and maize.

In the olden days, crops such as okra, pepper, melon, millet and guinea corn were cultivated in large hectares in Ibaji area but with the emergence of yam and rice as commercial crops which fetched the people a lot of money, cultivation of okra, melon, pepper, etc have been abandoned by most farmers in the area.

Most of the major crops such as yams and rice are harvested in large quantity during flood season. Flood has been a season of joy to the people of Ibaji land as it brings harvest of food crops and fishes. While yams and rice are harvested during the flood, fishes that are trapped in the ponds after the flood had receded are harvested later.

The people of Ibaji are reputed in Kogi State for the production of a special breed of yam nicknamed “Onyokwu” because of its size. The growth of the yams into extra big sizes is not because the seedlings are of special specie, but because of the special method of planting and tendering as explained above. Rice is also cultivated on large scale and harvested in large quantity every year. In fact, Ibaji people are the highest food producers in Kogi state, although their produce are not brought to Lokoja, the State capital due to poor motorable roads.

Flood season has been a season of joy in Ibaji area until 2012 when unprecedented flood ravaged Ibaji area and other parts of Nigeria. Farm lands, homes, villages and towns were devastated. During flood season in Ibaji area, apart from harvest of crops, children learn how to swim, yam festivals and other festivals are held in all the villages and new dances are learnt and staged.

Flood season is a period when farmers rest as all farm crops might have been harvested. People stay indoors to enjoy the fruits of their labour. The consumption of new yams, especially pounded yams and fresh fish is very high in this period.

Fishing

Fishing was not a serious occupation until the 18^th century when a group who were fishermen came to settle at the river bank in Ibaji area. This group which founded the villages along the River Niger in Ibaji land later made fishing an occupation in the hinterland after they had settled and began to farm. Farmers then began fishing on a full scale. It went side by side with farming and on a daily basis, the men brought fish home as they returned from farm. Fishing has since then become an occupation. In the morning as the farmers go to their farms, they roll out their nets or hooks in the river or ponds. By the time they will be returning from farm, the nets and hooks might have caught some fish which they kill and take home. Frequently, the men go out specifically to fish in a professional manner, and it is this time that a lot of fish are caught.

The activity during which a large quantity of fishes are caught is the general fishing harvest which is carried out at a particular period of the year, specially in the months of January, February and March. The men and young men in the village participate in the fishing harvest. Nobody is allowed to fish in some ponds reserved for the fishing festival until the day fixed for the harvest by the king of the village. The fishing harvest are of two categories: throwing of nets into the ponds or bailing out water from the ponds. If it is a big pond which is as big as a lake, net throwing is the system used in the fish harvest. If it is a small pond, bailing out of water from the pond is used. This is the most tedious and laborous fish harvest, and that is why it involves many men and women participating in the fishing festival. This type of fish harvest is dying gradually as the ponds are drying up gradually due to the clearing of bushes for farming which causes erosion and in turn affect the ponds.

Women who engage in trading do so only to sell and buy food items. They go to their own village markets or neighbouring markets to buy some food items or ingredients they do not have. Very few engage in trading on commercial basis and those who do, buy and sell only yams or rice. Men usually sell only their farm produce for they do not go into full-time selling and buying of other articles.

                                                     CHAPTER THREE

THE PEOPLE

The migrants, having settled, hunting, farming and fishing in Ibaji, developed a common tradition, culture, beliefs and ways of life. Thus, they tend to behave alike due to their unique upbringing.

The people are so united that every man is his brother’s keeper. Interaction on the farms, at the fishing ponds and markets has bound them so tightly that every man or woman looks at the other as his or her relation.

The upbringing of children in one family is almost the same as in every other family. It is not an over-exaggeration to say that the behaviour of one child in one family is almost the same as that of the child in another family because there is a unique culture of upbringing that cut across the entire Ibaji land. This is why today outsiders think that Ibaji is a single village whereas it is a big Local Government Area of about 57 villages and towns.

In the spirit of love, the children are brought up to share whatever they have with other children who may not have come from their family. Children are taught to respect the property of their neighbours, especially during calamities.

In Ibaji land, there could be occasional calamity of sudden flood consuming someone’s yam farms, a situation in which the entire farm land could be submerged in the flood in less than two hours. When a disaster like this arose, farmers abandon their own farms and rush to help in harvesting the man’s yams and rescue them from total loss to the flood.

The love among them is much. In those good days, up to 80s, a farmer could leave piles of yams or paddy rice on his farm to be carried home gradually and nobody would steal them.

People from other parts of Igala land who have worked in Ibaji land and those who have associated with the people of Ibaji share their experiences in an interview with this writer:

ELDER REUBEN OYIBO – AT UNALE

Elder Reuben Oyibo who has since retired to his home town, Alloma after a meritorious service, had worked under the Qua Iboe Mission in Igala land. He was a teacher at the Q.I.M School, Ugwolawo from where he was transferred to Ibaji area by the Manager of the Mission in Idah, Mr. W.H. Dickson.

Question: Sir, where were you transferred to and when was that?

Elder Reuben Oyibo: I was transferred from Ugwolawo to Unale in 1953. I was about 19 years old. An indigene of Unale, Mr. Nwabeje was the Headmaster of the Unale Primary School then. I can remember some teachers like Joseph Edimeh and Simon Achimugu with whom I worked. One of my popular pupils was Iboyi Kebudu.

Question: What can you remember about Unale and the people of Unale?

Elder Reuben Oyibo: The people of Ibaji generally are great farmers, particularly Unale people. Most of the farmers in Unale lived at Odo-oko (farm settlements). They would come home every nine days to observe their market days. It was not a functional market. Those who were Christians came home every weekend to attend Sunday service. The farmers who were not at the farm settlements, would leave the village by 6.00am every morning and returned by 7.00pm.

          The village was always very dry in the afternoons because only elderly men, women and children were around after the able-bodied men and women might have gone to the farms. In spite of this, the pupils still attended school in great numbers. The people liked the education of their children. The church was growing fast. Mr. James Udekwe who was said to have brought Christianity there, urged the people to attend Sunday service.

Question: Were the teachers suffering as the people were always on the farms?

Elder Reuben Oyibo: The teachers were not suffering. We went to Onyedega and Odogwu markets to buy our things. Food stuff was very cheap. The farmers were also fishermen. They gave teachers fish free. I did not suffer at all because I was living with the Chief of the village. The people were kind to teachers. We were free to travel to neighbouring villages like Ejule, Odogwu, Nwajala, etc without fear of anything. If we were going home during holidays, the udene men (on guard of the village) carried our loads to Idah.

Question: Apart from Unale, did you teach in any other village in Ibaji?

Elder Reuben Oyibo: Yes. I taught at Afa in 1969, and at Obale in 1970. I was at Afa during the Nigerian civil war. The people of Obale were affected by the war, so they came to Afa. The schools in Afa became over populated. I over-worked there because we had to cope with the war situation. There was general suffering among the people. Yet, they cared for the teachers. I was transferred to Obale in 1970 after the people of Obale had gone back home. Because I was already with the people of the two villages, the school authority felt I was the right person to move to Obale. It was a big work to reorganize the schools at Obale because the buildings at Obale were damaged during the war.

Question: Sir, you have been saying all good things about the people of Ibaji. Do they not have faults? Do they not have weaknesses?

Elder Reuben Oyibo: Well, well, I think they have some weaknesses. One weakness I noticed with the people of Ibaji is that they are very poor at greeting. Greeting is a very strong culture of Igala land, but the people of Ibaji do not greet like other Igalas. A boy or a girl may not greet an elderly person while passing him or her by. Also, the young ones do not go down on their knees for the elders when they greet.

MR PETER OPALUWA – AT AYAH

          Mr. Peter Opaluwa  has  retired from service. He granted this interview in his house at Ofiji in Idah. Mr. Opaluwa was among the teachers posted to Ibaji in the 50s by the Roman Catholic Mission, Idah. Here is the story of his service at Ayah and Ujeh.

Question: Sir, where did you teach in Ibaji and when was that?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: I was transferred from Idah to Ayah in 1953. That time, Udokwu was the Chief of Ayah. The man was very interested in the growth of the school. He came to the school premises regularly to find out if we had any problem. Most pupils were very very interested in learning. A few did not like schooling, but were forced to the school every morning by their parents.

Question: What was your relationship with the people of Ayah?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: Teachers were respected. The people liked us and so, they brought yams and fish to us regularly. They hardly did anything to offend us. School pupils were very obedient; they were not stubborn. The Chief told us not to be afraid to discipline them if they did anything wrong. He said the parents of the children would not complain. The children were well brought up by their parents and they were well behaved in the school.

Question: How were the school children cared for during school hours as their parents were mostly farmers and were always in the farms?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: Not mostly farmers. All the people of Ayah, apart from children, were farmers. They would leave home in the morning, leaving their children who went to school for the elderly ones to care for, and then returned around 5pm. Few parents were living at the farm settlements. Some would go to farm in the morning and returned in the afternoon. The village was always full of life as the people moved around visiting one another. We teachers visited the people in their homes. They were all very friendly and kind.

Question: What else did you know about Ibaji generally while at Ayah?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: The people of Ibaji like festivals. We were told that every year, every village must celebrate all their various festivals. At Ayah, there were different types of festivals throughout the year. We teachers used to go to the village during festivals. The people would be so happy with us that they would entertain us, taking us from house to house to eat with them.

Question: Where else did you teach and what was your experience there?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: I was transferred from Ayah to Ujeh in 1955. I was well received by the people of Ujeh. The story is the same. The behaviour of Ibaji people is the same. They behave alike. I don’t know how to put it. Just as I experienced at Ayah, the people of Ujeh were kind and friendly. The pupils were made to like education.

Question: What else can you say about the people of Ujeh?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: They were also great farmers. The farms are around the village. The farmers went to Ojigono market every five days. I learnt Ojigono (also known as Illushi) is across the Niger, almost opposite Ujeh, in the then Mid-West of Nigeria, now Edo State. The people sold their farm produce such as yams and rice at Ojigono. I enjoyed Ujeh also. I taught the present Ejeh of Ibaji, Chief John Egwemi in the Elementary Class in 1956.

Question: What did you not like in the people of Ayah and Ujeh?

Mr. Peter Opaluwa: There is nothing I did not like in them. I cant remember if there is something I did not like. Ibaji people are good.

MR MICHAEL IDACHABA – AT ONUGWA

Mr. Michael Idachaba was transferred from Idah to teach in Ibaji land in 1958. He taught at Onugwa in 1958, and at Odomomoh from 1961 to 1962. He tells his story.

Question: Sir, can you recall the years you taught at Onugwa and Odomomoh?

Mr. Michael Idachaba: Yes, I can. I was a Headmaster at Onugwa in 1958. I was very happy throughout the one year I spent at Onugwa. Although we teachers were in the school premises, we visited the villagers after school periods, and at any time we liked. The people loved strangers. They could quarrel and fight among themselves, but not with teachers. Sometimes, we teachers settled their misunderstanding.

Question: What else do you know about the people?

Mr. Michael Idachaba: The people loved farming and fishing. These two occupations are in their blood. Although they were on their farms every day, they still found time for the development of the school like constructing and repairing the school buildings. Even, the people from neighbouring villages of Ojiala, Ajamukoje, Itike, etc attended P.T.A meetings regularly because they valued their children’s education.

          We teachers used to visit the villagers during their festivals, and they loved that. Every family would want you to eat in their house during the festivals, and at any time. They could be very annoyed with you if they invited you to share food with them and you refused. We teachers joined them to celebrate the festival as we walked freely about as the masquerades danced or caned people. The caning masquerades would not touch the teachers. There was one of us, Patrick Abalaka who was so popular and was allowed to follow and guard a caning masquerade. The people loved him for that.

Question: You said you taught at Odomomoh too. What was your experience there?

Mr. Michael Idachaba: I did not leave Onugwa for Odomomoh immediately. From Onugwa, I went for Grade Two Teachers Course in 1959. At the end of my course, the Catholic Mission posted me back to Ibaji, but this time to Odomomoh. I did not hesitate to go there because I loved associating with Ibaji people. The villagers of Odomomoh were very few living along Odomomoh lake. We did not have much contact with them. Most of them were settlers from other villages. There were other neighbouring villages like Odochala and Machiga whose children attended the Odomomoh Primary School. After school hours and church services, there were no villagers to interact with except fellow teachers.

Question: Were the fellow teachers as good as the villagers in Onugwa?

Mr. Michael Idachaba: The teachers who were indigenes of Ibaji were also kind. I tell you, an Ibaji man is an Ibaji man. They all have the same character. Mr. Joseph Egwuche was a junior teacher then, and we enjoyed his good company. He was very kind and liked sharing his food with others. The people of Ibaji generally liked sharing food and whatever they had with their neighbours. If you were invited to eat with them and you refused, they would not be happy with you. Teachers who were not indigenes visited them freely and ate with them.

ENG. SAMUEL AKAGWU – AT OCHAJA SECONDARY SCHOOL

          Engineer Samuel Akagwu attended Ochaja Secondary School, Ochaja from 1966 to 1970. He had some class mates who were indigenes of Ibaji. Engineer Samuel Akagwu who lives in his personal house behind Oba Michael Olobayo Housing Estate Lokoja, granted interview to this writer, and has this to say:

Question: Sir, did you have any contact with any boy from Ibaji in your college?

Eng. Samuel Akagwu: Yes. There were boys from Ibaji in my class. Enemali who was our Head Boy was from Ibaji. He was a good Head Boy and a good leader.

Question: Is that all you know about boys from Ibaji?

Eng. Samuel Akagwu: No. In the school, at Ochaja, if anything happened and you wanted to know the truth, call an Ibaji boy. He will tell you the whole truth. Ibaji boys were very honest and reliable. They were friendly and straightforward. The boys from Ibaji were very serious with their studies. There was no dull Ibaji boy in the school.

Question: Don’t be reluctant. What are the other things you did not like about the boys from Ibaji?

Eng. Samuel Akagwu: Not their behaviour. The only thing some of us found difficult with them was their own dialect of Igala language. You know, there are different dialects of Igala language in Igala land, and that of Ibaji people was difficult for us to understand.

          Right from the school, I have had a good impression of the people of Ibaji generally until a few years ago when an Ibaji boy disappointed me here. I employed a boy from Ibaji to keep the security of my house but the boy messed up. As early as 9.00pm, the boy would be sleeping on duty, and also drunk. Unlike the Ibaji boys I knew, he was lazy and unreliable. So, I sacked him.

MR GODWIN OTIGA – AT SPC, IDAH

          Mr. Godwin Otiga who granted this interview in his house at                        Lokoja said he attended St. Peter’s College, Idah from 1963 to 1967. He said a lot of boys from Ibaji were students in St. Peter’s College, Idah and that he knew a lot of them. He said about six of them were his classmates.

Question: Sir, were you close to them? If you were, what is your assessment of them?

Mr. Godwin Otiga: I met them one on one in the school. Ibaji boys could be friendly, yet they did not tolerate non-sense. They were very aggressive. Once you provoked an Ibaji boy, he would not waste time to hit you, and before you knew what was happening, he would carry you on his shoulder and hit you on the ground. They could easily fight.

          They did not play with their studies, they were very hard working academically. In the school, I learnt that the people of Ibaji were hardworking farmers. They produced yams and rice in great quantity. At Idah, we noticed that girls from Ibaji area were very good-mannered and if you married them, you would not regret.

          After a long time or after many years of separation, if I met an Ibaji boy with whom I schooled at St. Peter’s College Idah, it would be joy to meet again, especially as their attitude remained the same. They will show you their usual friendly and kind nature.

MR FRANCIS AKOGWU – AT O.L.S, ANYIGBA

          Mr. Francis Akogwu who attended Our Lady of Schools, Teachers College, Anyigba from 1964 to 1968 said he had interacted with students who were indigenes of Ibaji land. Mr. Akogwu who resided in his personal house at the Lokongoma Phase Two Housing Estate, Lokoja, granted this interview on 2^nd November, 2013. He died on 13^th November, 2013. In the interview, Mr. Akogwu related his experience with Ibaji boys at O.L.S, Anyigba.

Question: Sir, you said you were close to some boys from Ibaji area while in the College. What is your impression of them?

Mr. Francis Akogwu: Ibaji boys were very studious. They were very serious and committed to whatever they did. They were honest and frank. Whenever we had group activities, we relied on Ibaji boys because they would make sure the group they belonged succeeded. If whatever you did with them involved keeping secrets, you could rely on them because they can keep secrets. They will never betray you.

Question: Did they not have any bad behaviour or weak points?

Mr. Francis Akogwu: Most of my relationship with them had to do with studies. I was very close to Gabriel Agwuja, and we were always reading to come first or second in the exams. But I have known Ibaji men later during my service years. I have had contacts with them, and I can say that they are very hardworking. They are very blunt. They call spade a spade.

          Let me tell you this: when I was a Secretary to the Teaching Service Commission, Lokoja, many teachers were involved in embezzlement, but there was no teacher from Ibaji area who had a case of embezzlement. No Ibaji teacher was involved in fraud. Nobody is an Angel but to a great extent, the people of Ibaji are very clean; not corrupt. They are simple and trustworthy. They have no problem.

MRS. THERESA ONU – AT HOLY ROSARY COLLEGE, IDAH

          Mrs. Theresa Onu attended Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Gboko from 1966 – 1970 where she met girls from Ibaji. She also came closer to women from Ibaji when she was a Principal of Holy Rosary College, Idah. Mrs. Onu granted this interview in her house at Lokoja.

Question: Madam, were you close to any girl from Ibaji area when you were in those two colleges?

Mrs. Theresa Onu: I met Ibaji girls in both schools. Some of them were my friends. My best friend at the Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Gboko was an Ibaji girl. She was Mary Apeh then. The Ibaji girls: Hannah Omatola (now Mrs. Hannah Konto) and Mary Apeh (now Mrs. Mary Egwuda) were very gentle, honest and kind. Up till today, Mrs. Egwuda is my friend. Ibaji people make lasting friendship.

Question: Did you come across Ibaji girls or ladies again after the college years?

Mrs. Theresa Onu: I was the Principal of Holy Rosary College, Idah from 1989 to 1999. That was when I came closer to Ibaji girls and women. The Ibaji girls in the College were well behaved. They were studious and obedient.

Question: How did you come close to the women from Ibaji?

Mrs. Theresa Onu: I was the President of the Catholic Women Organisation (C.W.O), Idah Diocese. I travelled to some villages in Ibaji like Onyedega, Iyano, Odomomoh and Odeke. I associated with the women closely by the virtue of that post.

Question: What do you know about the women?

Mrs. Theresa Onu: The women of Ibaji are very hardworking. I can say that the women are stronger than the men. They cultivate rice, potatoes, mellon, pepper, beans and so on. It appears the women feed their husbands. Secondly, Ibaji people are clean Christians. Those who are Christians do not mix their Christianity with traditional worship.

Question: What do you mean by that? Can you explain that?

Mrs. Theresa Onu: In Ibaji, christian burial is not mixed with traditional burial at all. If a christian burial is completed, the tradition of telling the in-laws of the dead or other people to bring okpe (shroud) for final burial (e nyi-eji) is not practised by Christians in Ibaji. A christian burial is a christian burial and a traditional burial is a traditional burial. From my experience with them, I discovered that anything an Ibaji person is doing, he or she does it wholeheartedly, not half-heartedly.

CHAPTER FOUR

TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Monarchy, a system of rulership by a king had been the feature of government in Ibaji area right from early settlements. Every village had and still has its own king.

The king is the final authority and rules with directives and decrees. However, he has a council of elders known as the Odafes with whom he takes decisions. In some villages, the Odafes are called Okpalas. A village is usually divided into clans (Ofe or Olopu) and families. Every Clan (Ofe) must have an Odafe who is usually the oldest man in that clan. Meetings are held on market days or forthnightly; sometimes it depends on the days fixed by the King. Sometimes there could be an emergency which would require an urgent meeting for urgent decisions. The hierarchy is as follows:

ONU

( the king)

                   Odafe/Okpala                          Awuhi

                       Oga                                      Achimere

                    Olopu/Ofe                               Otono

                    (the clan)

                                                                   Oji-Okolobia

                                                                   Abokolobia

                                                                   (the youths)

Apart from the Odafes, the king has a hierarchy of leadership which is parallel to the Odafes. This hierarchy differs from village to village. In most villages, the hierarchy runs down as follows: The king, the Awuhi, the Achimere, the Otono, the Oji-okolobia and the Abokolobia. The hierarchy in the village government is vertical. Orders and directives flow top-down.

The Awuhi, Achimere, Otono, Oji-Okolobia and Abokolobia are not under the Odafes or Okpalas. They are directly under the King. The Odafes do not give directives to their subordinates at the village level. They have authorities only over their Deputies, and the clan PRO (Oga) who relays information to family members and communicates the messages of the Clan Heads at meetings. The number of Clan Heads depends on the number of the clans in the village. A large village may have up to 15 clans. Some villages are divided into sections and each section has clans. For instance, Onyedega, Odeke and Iyano are divided into sections or sub-villages and each section or village has a Clan Head or a King.

The Town Crier whose function is quite different from that of the Oga is used for the King’s instant information dissemination and the creation of awareness on issues. The Town Crier passes the message of the King to the people usually after evening meal or very early in the morning as people wake up from bed.

The function of the Town Crier is the same all over Ibaji land. The channel or the instrument used by the Town Crier is a big gong. But in the case of the death of a king, a wooden gong (Agidigbo) may be used in some villages.

Village Kings

In Ibaji land, every village, no matter how small, has its own King. Every village installs, beads and crowns its own King in accordance with its tradition and culture.

The oldest man in the royal family of the village is usually installed the King. On the day of the installation, the man is crowned, given the ancestral staff of office and beaded traditionally, thereby becoming a King. He rules his village with the aid, support and cooperation of chiefs and elders (the Odafes, Achimeres, Otonos, etc) as explained above,

The District Head / Onu Ibaji

The kings ruled their villages independently until 1914 when the colonial administration created provinces and Districts in Nigeria. This led to the creation of Ibaji District and appointment of a District Head. The District Head whose title became Onu Ibaji was appointed by the Igala Native Authority, Idah. The Headquarters of Ibaji was Unale but shifted to Onyedega later because of the rough terrain which made it difficult for the Ata Igala and Colonial Officers to reach there for functions and official visits.

The first District Heads (Onu Ibajis) were said to have been appointed from Idah by the Ata Igala. These District Heads could not rule in Ibaji successfully due to environmental and other problems. They were said to have complained of the terrain and uncooperative attitude of the people. As a result of this, an indigene, Uuwuchola Ajodo (from Ujeh) was appointed.

After some years as Onu Ibaji, Unwuchola also faced the protest of his people who complained of his authoritarian rulership. The Ata Igala then withdrew him and replaced him with Okafor Ochi, from Ejule. Okafor’s reign was ended after a short period by the Igala native Authority which went back again to appoint District Heads from Idah. The Idah appointees who had ruled as Onu Ibaji included:

Onu Odoma

Onu Onucheyo

Onu Okwutepa

Onu Achimugu

Onu Haruna

Onu Ochijenu

The appointment of Onu Ochijenu gave rise to a strong protest by Ibaji people. As the people demanded for an indigene, Onu Ochijenu was called back to Idah barely one month of assumption of duty. The result of the protest led to the nomination of another indigene, Mr. Michael Igwagwu from Odeke by the Olu District Union and appointment by the Igala Native Authority. He ruled from Onyedega, the Headquarter of the District. Chief Michael Igwagwu vacated the office on ground of ill health.

After Chief Igwagwu had left the office, the seat of Onu Ibaji was vacant for a long time before Chief Isaac Ikani Ocheje succeeded him. The politics of Ibaji Etiomi and Ibaji Ojoke was building up during the search for a successor to Chief Michael Igwagwu. The people of Ojoke wanted the Onu Ibaji to be appointed from Ojoke while the people of Etiomi wanted Onu Ibaji to be appointed from Etiomi.

In the long run, election was conducted between an Ojoke candidate, Mr. Solomon Ogali from Unale and an Etiomi candidate, Mr. Ikani Ocheje from Onugwa. Only Gagos of Ibaji voted in that election in which Ikani Ocheje won and became the Onu Ibaji.

Chief Ikani Ocheje vacated the seat of Onu Ibaji in 1995 as he was removed by the then Kogi State Military Administrator, Colonel Paul Omeruo. He was succeeded by Chief John Egwemi who came in not as a District Head but as a Traditional Ruler in 1997.

Following the creation of Ibaji Local Government Area, Ibaji District was split into three, namely: Onyedega District, Unale District and Ujeh District. Each district had a District Head. Onyedega District had Onu Sule Ameh; Unale District had Onu James Omonu while Ujeh District had Onu Stephen Omata.

Gagos and Madakis

The institution of Gagos and Madakis in Ibaji came from Igala Native Authority which operated the Northern Regional Government. The Gagos who were appointed by the District Head at Onyedega were to assist the village kings in the collection of poll tax. The Gagos served as the Messengers of the village kings. But later, in the 90s, the status of the Gagos changed and they no longer served as messengers to the kings. The Gagos who became official staff of the Local Government Council now represent their clans or sub-villages, dealing directly with the council. The village kings or Traditional Rulers now have to liaise or cooperate with the Gagos to ensure good rulership and peace in their domains.

Every village had a Madaki in Ibaji. However, the Gagos are higher than the Madakis who only assist the Gagos in tax collection. They are paid only allowances and not salaries like the Gagos. Up till today, the Madakis exist and operate as Assistants to the Gagos.

Ibaji Traditional Council

In 2006, Traditional Rulers in Kogi State were graded and given Classes. Towns and villages in the state applied or requested for the grading or upgrading of their kings or Traditional Rulers. Towns and villages in Ibaji Local Government Area were among those whose requests were granted.

A Traditional Council was then constituted embracing First Class, Second Class and Third Class Traditional Rulers as approved by the State Government. The following kings are the members of the Traditional Council.

MEMBERS                                                                             CLASS

1.       Onu Ibaji and Chairman, Ibaji Traditional Council                 1^st

2.       Onu Ujeh town                                                               2^nd

3.       Onu Unale District                                                                   2^nd

4.       Onu Onyedega District                                                   2^nd

5.       Onu Odeke                                                                     3^rd

6.       Onu Echeno                                                                             3^rd

7.       Onu Iyano                                                                      3^rd

8.       Onu Unale town                                                             3^rd

9.       Onu Ejule                                                                       3^rd

10.     Onu Nwajala                                                                  3^rd

11.     Onu Omabo                                                                             3^rd

12.     Onu Ayah                                                                      3^rd

13.     Onu Uchuchu                                                                 3^rd

          Other members of the Council who have no Class are as follows:

1.       Onu Agbagbojo

2.       Onu Onugwa

3.       Ewo Ogaine

4.       Onu Odochala

5.       Onu Agwohi

6.       Onu Obale

7.       Onu Ujeh District

SOURCE: The Secretary to Ibaji Traditional Council, Mr. Clement Ajodo and Kogi State Gazette. No. 2. Vol. 1. Legal Notice No. 3, 2006.

CHAPTER FIVE

FESTIVALS, MASQUERADES AND DANCES

FESTIVALS

Culture is the entire heritage of a people which embraces customs, beliefs, dances, art and norms. It is a collection of these identities that distinguishes one community from another.

The people of Ibaji land cherish festivals and dances which are very significant in their tradition and culture. Some cultural festivals such as Ulor, Okwute, Arotane and Eka-Oloji have a lot of values and significance to the people as they are held to communicate with the ancestors to bring peace, progress and good harvest. Other festivals, especially Egwonyi and Eka, serve as holidays and joyous days or weeks to mark the end of their farming season in the year. The yam festival (Eka-Oloji) is celebrated to give thanks to the gods for the year’s harvest while Abo-Okoche festival is celebrated to acknowledge the service which the farm implements such as hoes and cutlasses have rendered to the farmers throughout the year. Engwonyi and Eka festivals are held in the months of February, March and April while Eka-Oloji (yam festival) and Abo-Okoche are held between July and August.

Festivals in Ibaji land generally are celebrations to mark periods when farmers rest after the harvest of the previous crops, while awaiting cultivation in the next season. In most parts of Igala land, crops are cultivated twice in a year but in Ibaji area, major crops are cultivated once in a year because of the annual flood. Secondly, festivals bring the people in the village together to interact. They also bring unity and love among the people as they share food and drinks together. In Ibaji, sharing among themselves is a way of life.

On a festival day in any village, people show absolute love to one another. As the music go on and masquerades dance around, people eat and drink from one family to another in company of visitors who might have come from other villages to witness or participate in the festival. The major festivals celebrated in almost every village in Ibaji are Eka, Egwonyi, Eka-oloji, Abo, Ulor, Okwute and Arotane. The most respected and adored festivals are Egwonyi and Eka. While Egwonyi is celebrated in the eastern part of Ibaji, Eka is celebrated in the western part.

Egwonyi Festival

Egwonyi festival is celebrated mainly in the villages of Unale, Enweli, Ayeke, Ejule, Odeke, etc in the eastern part of Ibaji. It is a festival that draws all the sons and daughters of these villages home every year. Those in the townships, as well as those in the farm settlements come home to participate in Egwonyi festival which is almost an annual ritual.

Egwonyi festival lasts for five days. The festival takes off with Abule masquerade outing on the eve of the festival. The first day which puts everybody in the village in a high festival mood, features Obele masquerades which kick-starts the festival. Then come Agwomanyoda masquerades which are very tough and are usually guarded by strong men in the village. They are very fierce as they run from place to place caning people. As men sing and iron gongs are beaten, brave men deliberately come out to get caned by the masquerades. Young men and women can hardly come out to watch or be involved in the exercise with able bodied men running about with the masquerades.

The second day is a colourful day when women come out to sing and dance around while dancing masquerades such as Egwura and children masquerades, called Ijomili perform. Visitors to the festival are relaxed the second day as they are received with food and drinks by their hosts. The remaining four days are almost as tough and exiting as the first day because egwu-itale (caning masquerades) become very aggressive, but yet the people, both male and female, enjoy the outings of these masquerades.

The last day of the festival is the most exciting and colourful as all the masquerades that performed throughout the five days would come out, line up and walk from one end of the village to the other.

 Eka Festival

The respected and adored Eka festival celebrated in villages such as Ineme, Iyano, Akuro, Ogwu, Ayah, Ujeh, etc in the western part of Ibaji is quite different from Eka-oloji (yam festival) which is celebrated by nearly every village in Ibaji. Eka festival is to the people of Western Ibaji as Egwonyi is to the people of Eastern Ibaji. Sons and daughters of Ibaji west always come home from wherever they may be whenever Eka is celebrated.

Eka festival is held for five days. Like Egwonyi, the eve of the festival witnesses the outing of Abule masquerades which are not to be seen by women or uninitiated young men. Abule is a masquerade which corrects the society by exposing the activities of thieves, adulterers, murderers and backbiters through songs and open insults. It is an abomination for any person, (male or female) who is insulted by Abule to respond.

The first masquerades that come out on Eka festival day are Obeles which are adored by men, women and children who dance along with them. Before Obeles come out, visitors are received. The first half of the day is for heavy food and wine, and reception of visitors. This is followed by performances of Obele, Ale/Egwu-Odo, Egwu-Itale, Agwo, Abucha, Odeli, Agba and Agbafa masquerades.

On the second day, women come out in their colourful dresses singing and dancing about. The day also witnesses the performance of the dancing Egwura masquerade and the Ijomili or Egili, the children masquerades. This day, it is customary for every family to cook pounded yam with ‘ogbono’ soup. The third day, Agba masquerades perform and to be followed by masquerades that run about caning people. The caning masquerades such as Agwo, Ochonwu, and Abucha come out the fourth day amist other caning masquerades. The festival is rounded off the fifth day with the outing of either Ichato masquerade, Ojomichu, or Akpali masquerade, depending on the village’s festival tradition. In fact, Egwonyi and Eka are festivals to participate in or watch.

MASQUERADES

Masquerades are highly revered in Ibaji area for they are regarded as the representatives of the dead on earth. The masquerade cult is solely a male affair in Ibaji. There is no masquerade outings or performances in which women are involved.

At festivals or at any outings of masquerades, only men and initiated young boys beat drums and sing for masquerades. When masquerades like Egwura and Obele perform or dance, women come out to dance around but stay far away from the masquerades.

In the South-Western and North-Western areas, Obele masquerade is the most adored just like Agwomanyoda masquerade is the most adored in the Central and North-Eastern areas.

All the traditional masquerades come out at festivals except Egwa-ahia (Egwu-afia) which comes out only during burials of male elders or on special occasions. One social masquerade that does not come out at festivals is Iwoda, popularly known as Egwugbogbom. Akpali, Abule, Egwu-odu (odumdum) and Ichato are night masquerades which are not to be seen or watched by women.

The traditional masquaerades are Akpali, Egwu-ahia (Egwu-afia), Obele, Ijomili or Egili, Abule, Egwu-Odu, Egwu-Itale, Agwomanyoda, Abucha, Agwo, Ale (Egwu-Odo), Odeli, Agba, Oloja, Onono, Agbafa, Egwu-utu, Ofogoli, etc. Those that are not traditional masquerades include Egwura, Egwu-ogene, Akoba, Ichato, Odogba, Ugo, Epere, Iyomu, etc.

In Ibaji, there is no village that does not have at least nine different kinds of masquerades.

DANCES

Up till the 40s there were men’s dances during festivals and traditional burials. There were also women’s dances during festivals, burials and age-grade gatherings. Echa dance, known as Iya-oye in other parts of Igala land, was the burial dance by women.

Today, there are no more Igala dances performed by men. All male dances are masquerade performances. In the entire Igala land today, most of the male dances are masquerade performances for these male dances are fading away. In Ibaji, the men’s dances performed during second burials are dying gradually as the young ones don’t bother to learn them. The reason is that traditional burials are fading away as Christian burials have taken over.

Also, the women’s Echa dance has gone. I witnessed the Echa dance (iya oye) last at Ineme village about seven years ago during a second burial ceremony. I don’t know if the dance is still retained there. Women dances in Ibaji today are those performed with Igbo dance steps. As the women dance Igbo steps with white handkerchiefs, they sing in Igala language. This is not the traditional or original Igala women dance. What we have now is a mixture of Igbo and Igala dances which is known as Ibaji women dance. This is due to the influence of neighbours. This is not peculiar to Ibaji. All over the world, towns and villages which share boundaries usually influence one another with their languages and dances.

Ibaji women’s traditional dances (still practiced) are accompanied with Igala songs. As the women sing, especially during festivals, they move round the village in groups. It is a very energetic dance known as “e-kwo”. At their social gatherings, and also at burials and festivals, the women sit in groups singing and as they sing, dancers among them come out one after another to demonstrate.

Loss of contact with Igalaland

Igala dances disappeared gradually due to loss of regular contact with Idah and Igalaland generally. This was due to the difficult terrain which prevented the people of Ibaji from going to Igalaland freely and frequently. Consequently, they began to relate with their Igbo neighbours from whom they learnt Igbo songs and dances.

This loss of contact with Igalaland affected the Igala language of the people of Ibaji, hence a dialect developed in the long run. Like Ibaji, dialects developed in many other areas of Igalaland due to interactions with ‘foreign’ people in the land. For instance, the sentence, “I have not seen it” is said in different ways. In Idah and Ankpa areas, it is u lin; in Ibaji area, it is u li no; in Dekina area, it is u yin while in Ogugu area, it is u rin. This is one example of dialects of Igala language.

The loss of contact with Idah and other areas of Igalaland affected Ibaji very much. The worst aspect of this situation is that as the people were cut off from Igala land for many uncountable years, they began to regard themselves as belonging to a tribe of its own. A man from Ibaji land would say: “I am an Ibaji man. I am not Igala”. Such statement is out of ignorance of history. Up till today, some people from Ibaji LGA still refer to themselves as Ibajis and not Igalas. But some elites who are exposed do not reject being Igalas because they know that Ibaji is a name of a place, and not a tribe.

It must however be emphasized that while Hausa and Idoma have eaten deep into Igala language in many parts of Igalaland, Ibaji still retains some original Igala words and sentences.

CHAPTER SIX

MARRIAGE

When a boy becomes eighteen years of age, his parents advise or draw his attention to marriage for a young man who is not married by the age of 23 is regarded irresponsible. While the young man looks around his village or the environs for a future wife, his parents too gather information about the behaviour and attitudes of young ladies around to find those suitable to be married by their son. Apart from good manners, the family history or background of the lady is put into consideration. When the right lady is found, efforts would be made to contact her parents.

Obi Ata Omonobule (first kola nut)

The first step by the father of the young man is the formal request which involves presentation of “kola nut” to the father of the intended girl. What is presented usually or formally are two kola nuts and a small keg of palm wine or a bottle of local gin. The girl would then after be informed by her parents that somebody had knocked at the door seeking her hand in marriage. If she accepts the young man, the next thing is for the father of the boy to go for introduction which is meeting the entire family of the girl.

Ote – Okolo (Introduction)

Ote – Okolo which is known as introduction is when the entire family of the girl is formally notified and given some reception. The parents of the young man and a few of his brothers would be present during the ceremony which entails presentation of four kola nuts and two kegs of palm wine or, nowadays one carton of beer, at most.

In some places, the young men (abokolobia) in the family of the lady to be married are given separate reception after that of the entire family. The boy marrying would be free, after the ote okolo, to visit his would-be in-laws at any time of the day. He can be called upon to run errands or help on the farms of the girl’s parents and relations. Running errands and helping them on the farms continues even after marriage for according to Igala adage, working for or helping in-laws has no end.

Ugwa – Oya (Engagement)

Ugwa – oya which is the engagement is carried out in the compound of the Clan Head of the girl. The ceremony involves presentation of four or six kola nuts, two gourds of palm wine and a schnapp bottle of local gin. Nowadays, some people go beyond the prescribed items by presenting as much drinks as the can. The engagement is all about eating and drinking while bride price is being negotiated. Unlike other parts of Igala land, the young man marrying is not tasked to buy boxes, clothes, jewelries, shoes and bags for his future wife before the engagement.

There is nothing like atogba-oya (a go-between) as practiced in other parts of Igala land. The father or a relation of the young man who is marrying handles or takes care of the engagement ceremony directly. He does not provide the food to be eaten at the occasion, rather, it is the parents of the girl that are to provide food for the occasion. In fact, engagement ceremony in Ibaji is very simple and costs little.

Oya e ne (Marriage ceremony)

The day the lady is to be married is usually very colourful and exciting, especially if the would-be couple live in the same village. There would be eating and drinking in both families of the young man and the lady to be married.

Towards the evening, after some merriments, the bride would be gorgeously dressed and taken to the groom’s house in company of her friends and relations (all ladies) who would also be gaily dressed. They would walk in a single file, carrying the boxes of clothes, pots, plates and other utensils bought for the bride by her mother who, traditionally, has to send her daughter to her husband’s house with those items.

The merriment in the groom’s house heightens when the bride arrives. Sometimes, the bride is taken to the house of the parents of the groom where she stays for a month or more before taken to her husband. The marriage ends here.

In modern time that Christian wedding seals the marriage, the lady is taken from her family house to the church for the foreign marriage. The usual colourful traditional marriage will no longer hold. The wedding is usually celebrated in the house of the groom, and not the house of the bride. That is to say that the bride leaves her house for the church where her groom worships. After the Christian wedding is performed, the girl is taken to the groom’s house for reception. Sometimes, the reception could hold at a public square, village hall, etc before the bride is taken to her husband’s house.

Retention of Ibaji marriage tradition

When a man from Ibaji area is to marry a lady from elsewhere, especially another town or village in Igala land, he faces a lot of problem. The young Ibaji man would be forced to abide by the general Igala marriage culture and tradition which are not the same with that in Ibaji area. He would be made to buy boxes, costly clothes, shoes, big bags, hand bags, etc before the engagement. Also the young man marrying is to provide the food and drinks to be consumed at the engagement.

This general Igala marriage tradition is now being copied by Ibaji families in the townships. If Ibaji families are made to go through the general Igala marriage tradition, it is justifiable and reasonable for the families from other parts of Igala land marrying from Ibaji family to be subjected to the same general Igala tradition, but not when one Ibaji family is marrying from another Ibaji family. Some elites of Ibaji who were interviewed frowned and condemned families of Ibaji who subject an Ibaji man intending to marry from Ibaji family to a hectic and expensive general Igala marriage tradition. This, they say, is an utter destruction of the marriage tradition of the people of Ibaji.

CHAPTER SEVEN

DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATION

The foundation of education in Ibaji was laid by the Olu District Union which contributed greatly to the establishment of schools as it assisted the missionaries. Members of the Union in their various villages went from house to house advising and sometimes, forcing parents to send their children or wards to schools.

Primary schools sprang up in many villages in the late 40s; most of them junior primary schools. The junior primary schools began with infant one and infant two; then primary one, two, three and four. The senior primary schools which ran class five, six and seven came up in the mid-fifties with Unale taking the lead. The first Senior Primary School under the Qua Iboe Mission (QIM) began in Unale in 1956 while Odomomoh Senior Primary School under the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) took off in 1957. The third Senior Primary School under the Igala Native Authority began in Odeke in 1962.

Many brilliant pupils who attended these primary schools went to various colleges scattered across Northern region of Nigeria. The Olu District union provided a platform for scholarship to some of the boys and girls who gained admission to colleges.

The union contributed generally in one way or the other to the encouragement of the boys and girls in education, especially enlightening the parents to send their children or ward to colleges.

There were no colleges in Ibaji land until the 70s. In 1976, Government Secondary School, Onyedega was established by the Benue State Government. In 1982, Government Day Secondary School was established at Iyano and Ejule-Ojebe. The State Government later scraped the Day Secondary Schools, but as the communities concerned wanted the schools to continue operating, they decided to run them as community owned colleges. Other communities and villages in Ibaji followed suit and established their own community secondary schools.

In chapter three, the interviewees who met or interacted with Ibaji students in the colleges said that Ibaji students were very studious, taking their education very seriously. It was obvious that the pace-setters in education in Ibaji did not disappoint their parents and the Olu District Union. They secured admission to colleges due to their commitment to studies.

THE PIONEERS

The pioneers in education in Ibaji were pupils who completed primary school education in the 50s and early 60s and worked hard to gain admission into Universities. They include; Professor William Nuhu Ogala, Professor Simon Okwute, Professor Joseph Ukwedeh, Reverend Father Domnic Arome, Dr. Anago S. Peters, Mr. Samuel Ata, Mr. James Udalor, Engineer Fidel Gandy Ayegba, Dr. Danjo Eguche, Engineer Mrs. Mary Akiode (nee Mary Ifa), Mr. James Omachona and Mr. James Ogwo.

The efforts of the pioneers to go to the universities were inspiration to those behind. Qualification for the universities was tedious as those who had West African School Certificate had to obtain Higher School Certificate (HSC) or Advanced Level GCE while those who had Grade Two Teachers Certificate had to obtain Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). These pace-setters did not only become graduates at last, some became Doctors and Professors while others attained the highest positions in their career or profession.

Professor William Nuhu Ogala

Born in 1946 at Uchuhu, Professor William Nuhu Ogala completed primary school education at Ofugo in Ankpa LGA in 1959 and attended Ochaja Secondary School where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1964 and Higher School Certificate (HSC) at St. Paul’s College, Zaria in 1966.

Professor William Ogala who is a Consultant Paediatrician/Neonatologist and Malariogist had been involved in an international multicentre research project with the World Health Organisation on Community Treatment of Neonatal sepsis. The Professor of Paediatrics had also served on a long term research on Malaria Drug Treatment with the Federal Ministry of Health since 1987.

In the research extension, Professor Ogala was a Principal Investigator, Zaria Zone of the Research on Reducing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Nigeria.

William Ogala who became a Professor in 1994 is a member of Professional bodies among which are Paediatric Association of Nigeria, Malaria Society of Nigeria, Nigerian Medical Association, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and Nigerian Association of Neonatal Medicine. He was the President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria from 2007 to 2009.

A specialist in his field, Professor Ogala has got professional awards for inventions and innovations. He initiated the establishment of the special Care Baby Unit at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria in 1986. He was awarded the Honorary Membership of the International Biographical Centre Advisory Council, Cambridge, England in 2001 and cited in Who is Who in Nigeria in 1999 and 2003.

After graduating in 1974 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Prof. William Ogala took up teaching appointment in the institution. He held many academic and administrative positions including the Head, Department of Paediatrics. Assistant Dean Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine; Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine; Member, Board of Management of ABU Teaching Hospital (representing the Vice-Chancellor) and Member, Board of Management of Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Iwo and Ogbomosho.

Professor Ogala has published books, and articles of international standard in journals. He has been an external examiner to over 20 Universities including the National West African Postgraduate Colleges and Ghanaian Postgraduate Medical College.

Professor Simon Okwute

Born in 1950 at Ayah, Professor Simon Okwute completed primary school education at St. Theresa’s School Odomomoh in 1961. He obtained the West African School Certificate at St. Augustine’s College, Kabba in 1966 and Higher School Certificate (HSC) at St. John’s College, Kaduna in 1968.

Professor Simon Koma Okwute was the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Kogi State University, Anyigba. Under his leadership of six academic sessions (2000 to 2005), the university enjoyed uninterrupted academic programme.

Professor Okwute, a silent achiever, brought about very rapid campus physical development as well as human development as children of Kogi State who found it difficult to get admission into universities elsewhere in spite of their qualification, got admission into the Kogi State University without much ado.

Professor Simon Okwute, a Professor of Chemistry is a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, a John Fogarty Senior International Scholar and a member of African Network for Drug Discovery and Diagnostic Innovation and Stakeholders meeting of the Pan African Chemistry Network.

During the period 1978 to 2005, Professor Okwute had held a number of academic leadership positions, including Headship of Departments, Deanship of a Faculty, Deanship of Students Affairs, and Chairman and membership of a number of professional associations and University Committees, particularly membership of the University of Abuja Senate and Council. He represented the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna on the Ministry of Defence Committee that prepared the academic structures for an effective degree programme at the NDA, Kaduna.

Professor Okwute has had collaborative research work with Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan, the National Institute of Health and human Services, USA and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja. He has supervised a large number of postgraduate projects at M.Sc and PhD levels. He became a Professor in 1993 at the age of 43 and has published quality international journals. He has lectured at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and the University of Abuja, and has been involved in teaching and research for thirty-five years. He obtained a B.Sc degree in Chemistry from University of Ibadan in 1973.

Professor Joseph Ukwedeh

Professor Joseph Ukwedeh was born in 1945 at Ayah and completed primary school education at St. Theresa’s Catholic School, Odomomoh in 1959. He proceeded to Our Lady of Schools Teachers College, Anyigba where he obtained the Grade Two Teachers certificate in 1967, and National Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1973.

Professor Ukwedeh, the author of “History of the Igala kingdom” is a renowned history scholar whose books and scholarly works have been quoted by other scholars.

Joseph Ukwedeh who became a Professor of History at the University of Abuja in 2004 had held many academic and administrative positions in the university. He was Head of Department of history; Deputy Dean, College of Arts and Education; Dean, College of Arts and Education and Director, Academic Planning and Development Unit.

Professor Joseph Ukwedeh is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and a Fellow, Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria.

After obtaining a B.A Honours degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1976, Professor Ukwedeh began his university career as a research librarian-in-training with Arewa House, Kaduna the same year. In 1977, he moved to the Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as a Graduate Assistant. Having successfully completed his doctorate degree in History in 1987, he transferred to the University of Abuja in 1990 as a Senior Lecturer. From there, he rose to the position of a Professor in 2004. 

Reverend Father Dominic Arome

Born in 1936 at Echeno, the young Dominic was enthusiastic to get education. Thus he went to St. Joseph’s Primary School, Aguleri, Anambra State in 1950 at the age of fourteen. He obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1957.

The young Dominic found his true vocation in life and God crowned his call. He became the first Igala Catholic Priest when he was ordained at St. Boniface Catholic Cathedral, Idah in 1968.

A few years after his ordination, Rev. Father Dominic Arome went for further studies in Canada. On returning he was posted out and he worked in some Catholic Missions in Igala land. In all the places he worked, he was said to be a very humble and selfless priest. His character led to his call because as soon as he completed primary school education, the teenage Echeno boy, to the amazement of his parents, chose to go into priesthood. His parents, though traditionalists, gave him their blessing at last.

The young Dominic gained admission to the Minnor Seminary, Keffi in 1958. After the Minnor Seminary which he ended successfully, he got admission to the SS Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan. His ordination came after ten years of hectic academic and theological studies.

Rev. Father Dominic Arome was the Parish Priest of Dekina when he fell ill in 1980. He was making do with an old car (panel van) which could not be used for distant journeys. That was why he had to travel in a commercial vehicle for a medical check-up at Enugu. It was on that journey he lost his life as the vehicle in which he was travelling was involved in an accident. Rev. Father Arome died in 1980 at the age of forty-four.

Elder Samuel Ata

Elder Samuel Ata was born in 1943 at Echeno. He obtained the First School Leaving Certificate at Sacred Heart School, Ankpa and attended Titcombe College Egbe where he had the WASC in 1965.

Elder Samuel Ata, a renowned teacher and a writer, is the author of “The Brief History of Echeno People in Ibaji Local Government Area”. As an educationist, Mr. Ata has done a lot in the education of not only the children of Ibaji but Igala land in general. As a principal of Colleges, he has moulded the characters of Igala children both in conduct and in learning.

Elder Ata was the pioneer principal of Idah Secondary Commercial College, Idah in 1974. He was the Principal of CMML Secondary School, Anyigba; Ochaja Boys Secondary School; Community Secondary School, Ejule and Government Secondary School (GTC), Idah.

Elder Ata who graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1971 held many educational positions during his civil service career. He was the pioneer Director of Examinations and Chairman of the Kogi State Centralized Mock Examinations Committee of the Kogi state Teaching Service Commission from 1999 to 2002.

He was also a member of various Boards of Governors of various institutions, including Samuel Bill’s Theological College, Abak; a member of Christian Education Advisory Council for Protestant Churches in the northern States from 1995 to 1999; the Chairman of School Committees and Supervisor of Schools in United Evangelical Church, Lokoja Supretendency.

Mr. James Udalor

Born in 1946 at Uchuchu, Mr. James Udalor completed primary school education at Ofugo in Ankpa LGA in 1960. He attended Mount Saint Michael’s Secondary School, Aliade where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1965 and Higher School certificate at Barewa College, Zaria in 1967.

Mr. James Udalor, a former General Manager of Benue Brewery Ltd, Makurdi is a brewer of repute. He began his career in brewing industry as a Trainee Brewer with the North Brewery Ltd, Kano in 1971.

Mr. Udalor held various positions which include Technical Development Manager, Purchasing Manager, Marketing Manager and Assistant General Manager in the Company up to 1984. He moved to the Benue Brewery Ltd, Makurdi in 1985.

Mr. Udalor is a member and a Fellow of many professional bodies among which are Institute of Brewing, United Kingdom; Master Brewers Association of the Americas, USA; Nigerian Institution of Food Science and Technology; Brewers Association of Nigeria and Nigerian Institution of Management.

Mr. Udalor was the General Manager of the Benue Brewery Company from 1985 to 1987. He left to establish his own company, Bevetech Limited which was engaged in providing services to Brewing and Water industries. He joined the Federal Polytechnic, Idah as an Assistant Chief Technologist in 2001. When he was promoted Chief Technologist in 2005, he was assigned to start up the Polytechnic Ventures Ltd which was involved in bakery and sachet water production. In addition, Mr. Udalor lectured National Diploma and Higher National Diploma (HND) courses.

A graduate of Biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1971), James Udalor never had dull moments in academics. He obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Brewing Science from the Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in 1974, and a Post-graduate Diploma in Biochemical Engineering from the University College, London in 1977.

Engineer Fidel Gandy Ayegba

Engineer Fidel Gandy Ayegba who was born in 1946 hails from Ujeh. He attended Government Secondary School, Dekina where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1965. Engineer Fidel Ayegba also had Ordinary Technical Diploma in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering from The Polytechnic College of Science and Technology, Kaduna in 1968.

Among the pioneers in education in Ibaji, Engineer Ayegba was the only one who later took to business and became successful in it. He became the Managing Director and Chairman, Gandy Limited; Managing Director and Chairman, Gandy Engineering Company and Proprietor and Chairman of Hotel Gandy in Makurdi and Lokoja.

At the time of this publication, Engineer Fidel Ayegba was the Chairman, Governing Council, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.

Engineer Gandy, as he is popularly addressed, had a B.Sc in Electrical Engineering from the State University, New York, USA in 1972 and M.Sc Electrical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michingan, USA in 1975. These qualifications have provided him employments in many organizations.

He was an Assistant Technical Officer-in-Training, National Electrical Power Authority (NEPA), Kaduna; Pupil Engineer, Ministry of Works and Survey, Kano; Electrical Engineer, Work-Study programme at Fitzimons Manufacturing Company, Detroit, USA; Lecturer II, The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Acting Chief Estate Engineer, School of Basic Studies, Ugbokolo; Chief Estate Engineer and Acting Director of Works, Benue Polytechnic, Makurdi.

Engineer Ayegba is a Member of institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and member of Association of Block Engineer and Applied Scientists. His Publication was entitled: Rural Electrification Technology in Progress.

Dr. Danjo Eguche

Dr. Danjo Eguche who was born in 1950 at Echeno completed primary school education at Odeke in 1963. He attended the Secondary School, Waka Biu, Borno State where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1968. He had the Higher School Certificate (HSC) from the Federal Government College, Warri in 1970.

Dr. Eguche who obtained a Ph.D in International Relations from Yorker University, South Dakota, United States of America in 2003, rose to the apex of his career when he became a Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Nigeria in Rome, Italy in 2004.

Dr. Danjo Eguche who had held many International positions in his Civil Service career was also a Minister plenipotentiary, Embassy of Nigeria in Conakry, Republic of Guinea 2010. He was Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Nigeria, Maputo, Republic of Mozambique and Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, Khartoum, Suddan.

The administrative positions held by Dr. Eguche in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs include Counsellor, West African Affairs Department (Desk Officer for Chad); Senior Counsellor, Foreign Service Inspectorate; Acting Director, Finance and Supplies Department; Director in charge of the Horn of African Affairs and Director in charge of Nigerians in Diaspora Organization.

Dr. Danjo who graduated in History from the University of Ife in 1974 was one of the first three Ibaji graduates who served in the National Youth Service Corps in 1974. The two other graduates were Mary Ifa (now Mrs. Mary Akiode) and Mr. James Omachona. Dr.  Eguche who also had a Masters degree in International Relations had held some State and National administrative positions such as Acting Secretary for Administration and Establishment, Office of the Head of Service, Benue State; Chief of Protocol to Governor Aper Aku of Benue State; Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Benue State Liaison office, Lagos.

A seasoned administrator and erudite scholar, Dr. Eguche had attended international seminars and conferences, and had published scholarly articles among which are “Nigerian/Soviet Involvements in Nigerian Affairs, 1966 – 1979” and “Issues in the Development of Relations between Ideologically Opposed States: A Case Study in the Relations between Nigeria and the Soviet Union”.

Mr. James Omachona (late)

Mr. James Omachona who was born in 1945 at Iyano completed primary school education at St. Theresa’s Catholic School, Odomomoh in 1959. He attended St. Augustine’s Secondary School, Kabba and obtained, the West African School Certificate in 1964. He had the Higher School Certificate (HSC) at the Government Secondary, Okene in 1966.

James Omachona, a Knight of Saint Mulumba (KSM) was the pioneer Principal of Government Secondary School, Onyedega in 1976, and held the position till 1982. As a result of his humility and commitment to the service of his fatherland, he accepted the second posting to Onyedega, and served from 1984 to 1987. Some Principals who were posted to Onyedega were said to have rejected the posting because of the difficult terrain and condition of living.

Mr. Omachona became Inspector of Education in the Inspectorate Division of the State Ministry of Education on leaving Onyedega in 1987. His frankness on his job made Principals and Tutors to sit up on duty and carry out their assignments diligently.

Mr. James Omachona, a graduate of French from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1974 was among the first Ibaji graduates who served in the NYSC in 1974. He had taught in many colleges before the Ministry of Education in Kogi State called him to the office. He rose to the rank of a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education before his demise in 1999.

Mr. Omachona, after his HSC, had taught at GSS, Dekina briefly before he went to the Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Kongo Campus, Zaria where he worked as a Library Clerk until he got admission to the university.

Mr. James Ogwo (late)

Born in 1945 at Unale, Mr. James Ogwo completed primary school education at Q.I.M School, Idah in 1960. He attended Ochaja Teachers College where he obtained the Grade Two Teachers Certificate in 1966. He obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1971.

Mr. James Ogwo who became a Chief Inspector of Education in 1988 was said to be highly respected for his hard work in the Kogi State Ministry of Education. A leader to be emulated, Mr. Ogwo was a principal of many Colleges in Igala land.

He was Principal, Anyigba Community Commercial College; Government Secondary School, Onyedega; Ejule Community Secondary School; Idah Secondary Commercial College and Government Secondary School, Dekina. He became the Zonal Director, Kogi State Teaching Service Commission in KotonKarfe from 1995 to 1997. He was also a Zonal Director of TSC in Idah.

Mr. Ogwo attended the University of Lagos where he obtained his National Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1971. He proceeded for a degree programme in the same university and obtained a B.Ed in Mathematics and Geography in 1976. A good Sportsman, Mr. Ogwo was among the students who represented University of Lagos at the West African University games in Freetown, Sierra-Leone.

Professor Sunday Ifa (from Unale), though not in the group of the elderly ones, was an inspiration to Ibaji boys. He became a Professor at the University of Maiduguri in 2002. Professor Pius Egwuma (from Ayah) wore the professorial gown at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi in 2010, thereby increasing the number of Ibaji Professors.

The early attainment of educational heights by these pacesetters inspired many other sons and daughters of Ibaji to pursue education vigorously. The group that followed the pioneers include: John Jacob Anago, James Abraham, David O. Apeh, Joseph Egwuda, John Ukoje and Joel Inakuje.

The pioneers and pace-setters opened the floodgate of education to hundreds of Ibaji sons and daughters, and today Ibaji has many Professors, Medical Doctors, P.hD holders, Engineers, Lecturers, Lawyers and other Professionals. In fact, if there is any industry in which the children of Ibaji are found mainly, it is education. In other words, Ibaji people are more in academics than in business or any other profession. This is why, today, Ibaji people are not found in high positions in both the Federal and State Governments. The pioneers did not go into government services or business from where they could have aspired for the position of Governor or Minister. Their pre-occupation was academics which is why many Ibaji men and women are found in the Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions as Lecturers.

THE LADIES

Female education came up late in Ibaji because girls were not sent to schools along with the boys. But in the 60s and 70s, some of them obtained Grade Two Teachers Certificate and the West African School Certificate. These female pioneers in education who were inspiration to those behind them include the following:

Hannah Omatola (Mrs. Konto) who hails from Odeke, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at the Queen of the Rosary Secondary, Gboko in 1967.

Mary Ifah (Mrs. Akiode), from Unale, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at Government Girls High School, Gindiri in 1968.

Grace James (Mrs. Ochoga), from Unale, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at Government Girls High School, Gindiri, Plateau State in 1968.

Lydia Attah (Mrs. Ocholi), from Unale, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at Ochaja Girls Secondary School, Ochaja in 1968.

Martha Akor (Mrs. Udalor) who hails from Uchuchu obtained Grade Two Teachers Certificate from Holy Rosary College, Idah in 1969.

Late Helen Anadi (Mrs. Omonu), from Ayah, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at St. Monica’s College, kabba in 1969.

Mary Apeh (Mrs. Egwuda) from Iyano, obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) at Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Gboko in 1970.

Salome Unane (Mrs. Ogala) who hails from Uchuchu obtained the West African School Certificate at St. Monica’s College, Kabba in 1969.

Salome Ichiduwe (Mrs. Odekina) from Uchuchu, obtained Grade Two Teachers Certificate from Ochaja Girls Teachers College in 1972.

Most of these ladies obtained University degrees before or during their marital life, and rose to higher positions in their chosen careers and professions. The following are some pioneers who hold high academic and professional positions.

Engineer Mary Akiode (nee Mary Ifah), from Unale, was among the pioneers and pace-cetters in education in Ibaji in the 70s. Mary was the first Igala girl to read Engineering in the University. She graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1973 as an Electrical Engineer. She was among the first batch of Ibaji graduates to serve the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1974.

          After the NYSC service, Mrs. Akiode was employed by the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) where she worked until her retirement. This brilliant woman from Unale had attended various professional courses and had held high positions, including District Manager of NEPA before she retired from service.

Dr. Florence Iyaji (Florence Omatule), from Echeno, attended Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where she obtained B.Sc Zoology in 1982. She obtained Master of Technology in Fishery and Aquaculture at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt in 1987.

          After serving the NYSC, Mrs. Iyaji had worked as Fishery Officer II at the Lower Benue Development Authority, Makurdi, and in 1983, she was promoted Fishery officer I. She also worked at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi from 1986 to 1995 as Extension officer.

          Mrs. Iyaji was employed by Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja in 1996 and had risen to the position of a Chief lecturer before she transfered to Kogi State Universityn Anyigba in 2013. While in Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Mrs. Iyaji read further and added another academic feather to her hat.

          She obtained a Phd in Fish Parastology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2011. Dr. Florence Iyaji is presently a Senior lecturer at the Kogi State University, Anyigba.

Dr. Joy Ukoje (nee Joy Ugbaje), from Iyano, attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and obtained B.A (Hons) degree in Geography in 1983. She obtained M.Sc in Urban and Regional Planning at the same University in 1987.

          Mrs. Ukoje remained at the ABU Zaria lecturing as she continued to read for P.hd. She obtained a P.hd in Urban and Regional Planning in the same Institution in 2011. Right from the time she had the first degree, Dr. Joy Ukoje had been a Lecturer at ABU, Zaria.

          After retiring from service at ABU Zaria, Dr. Joy Ukoje took a contract appointment with the Federal University, Lokoja as a Lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

Dr. Hannah Oguche, (nee Hannah Ojima), from Unale, obtained Bachelor in Home Economics at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1989. She obtained M.Sc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Ibadan in 1995.

          Mrs. Oguche had no dull moment for she was working and reading. She was a Lecturer II at the College of Education, Ankpa in 1992; Lecturer I and Senior Lecturer in the same Institution up to 1999 when she left for Kogi State University, Anyigba where she served as Lecturer I between 2000 and 2011.

          At the Kogi State University, Mrs. Oguche rose to the position of a Head of Department (HOD), Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences; Coordinator, SIWESS and Coordinator Pre-Degree and Diploma Studies, Faculty of Agriculture. In 2009, Mrs. Oguche obtained P.hd in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia State. Dr. Hanna Oguche is presently a Senior Lecturer at Kogi State University, Anyigba.

Barrister Salome Ogala (nee Salome Unane), from Uchuchu, obtained a Bachelor of Law, LLB at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1989. She had the Master at law, LLM in the same institution in the year 2000.

          Barrister Ogala held many official positions, including Executive Officer, Assistant Secretary, Administrative Officer II, Administrative Officer I, Senior Administrative Officer, Principal Administrative Officer, Chief Administrative Officer and Legal Adviser, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, the post she holds presently.

          Barrister Salome Ogala is a member of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Institute of Health Service Administration of Nigeria.

Dr. Loretta Ojonoma Okwute (nee Loretta Ukwedeh), from Ayah, obtained B.Sc Microbiology at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1997. When her husband was appointed the Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, Anyigba in 2000, Mrs. Okwute took up appointment as an Administrative Assistant in the Registry of the University. She later moved to the Department of Microbiology as a Graduate Assistant.

          Mrs. Okwute transferred her service to the University of Abuja where her husband relocated at the end of his tenure as the Vice Chancellor of KSU, Anyigba. There at Abuja, Mrs. Okwute obtained M.Sc Environmental Biology in 2006. She did not stop there but continued her studies until she bagged a P.hd in Environmental Microbiology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna in 2012.

          Dr. Loretta Okwute who is presently a Lecturer I at the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja is a member of Nigerian Society of Microbiology and Amrican Society of Microbiology. She has published a number of articles in Microbiology Journals.

Dr. Angela Ajodo-Adebanjoko,  from Echeno, attended the University of Abuja where she obtained B.Sc Political Science in 1997. She continued her studies in the same University and obtained M.Sc International Relations in 2002. In order to be properly grounded in teaching, she attended the National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna and got a post Graduate Diploma in Education in 2006.

          Still at the University of Abuja, Mrs. Angela Ajodo – Adebanjoko went for the P.hd in International Relations. She is now Dr. Angela Ajodo – Adebanjoko. This hard working lady from Echeno has published numerous academic articles, books and creative works.

          Dr. Ajodo – Adebanjoko had worked as a Senior Education Officer, FCT Secondary Education Board, Education Secretariat, Abuja from 2006 to 2011 and presently, she is a lecturer in Political Science at the Federal University, Lafia, Nassarawa State. Her Awards/Grants include the TET Fund Research award (2014).

CHAPTER EIGHT

CREATION OF IBAJI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Ibaji which was founded as far back as the 15^th century was on its own and had ruled itself until the 20^th century when it became a district. Following the emergence of colonial administration and the introduction of Indirect Rule in 1914, Ibaji land came under the tutelage of Idah Native Authority.

A District Head (Onu Ibaji) was appointed from Idah and posted to Unale, the Headquarters of the District. The function of the District Head mainly was to ensure peace in his domain and collect poll tax for the colonial administration.

The Headquarters of the District at Unale was short-lived because of the terrain which made it difficult for the colonial officers and the Ata Igala in particular to travel there by road from Idah. The Headquarters was later shifted to Onyedega which was more accessible by water way. In fact, Ibaji District was under Idah from the 20^th century till 1996 when it became a Local Government Area.

Struggle for L.G.A

The struggle for Ibaji Local Government Area was tough. Request for the Local Government began as far back as the 70s when memoranda were sent to Federal and State Governments by Ibaji Development Associations and other prominent elites from the area.

On 15^th April 1976, Ibaji Development Association, Idah branch sent a memorandum to the Secretary, Benue State Administrative Panel on the creation of Local Government Area; on 6^th May, 1976, Ibaji Development Association, Ilorin branch sent a memorandum to the same panel; on 11^th February, 1980 Ibaji Students Association (National Body) sent a memorandum to Benue State Government and on 3^rd March, 1980 twenty representatives of the Ibaji Development Association, nationwide sent a memorandum to the same panel.

On 3^rd January 1989, the home body of Ibaji Development Association, Onyedega sent a memorandum to the President and Commander of the Armed Forces, Dodan Barracks, Lagos through the Military Governor, Benue State requesting for the reconstitution of Ibaji Local Government Area. Among the reasons given for the creation of Ibaji LGA, as contained in the memorandum were:

Geo-Peculiarities

The main problems militating against the development of Ibaji is geographical. Ibaji is a low land area which is bounded on the east by River Anambra and west by River Niger. In view of the low land nature, it is usually flooded yearly and this makes the development of roads and other infrastructures very difficult. As a result of the above problems, government officials are reluctant to accept postings to Ibaji and in most cases, such postings are refused. If created, therefore, the people will be ready to work and develop the area.

Viability

Ibaji being the largest District not only in Idah LGA but also in Benue State with a population of 46,296 by the 1963 census, is the highest revenue generating district in Idah Local Government Area.

Sources of revenue are:

(i)      Community tax

(ii)     Agricultural produce

(iii)    Market rates, to mention but a few.

Natural Resources

The area is blessed with rich alluvial soil brought in by the yearly flooding from the Niger. The biggest yams in Benue State are produced in Ibaji. Rice, yams, oil palms, cassava and maize are grown in very large quantities and these are sold within the state and also to the neighbouring state of Bendel, Anambra, etc. Sugar cane is also good in the area which can consequently lead to the establishment of sugar industry. We have many lakes which can be developed into tourist centres in Ibaji. Such lakes are Ottah, Ibocho, Aduru, Ikpako, Ekanyi. These lakes contain hundreds of varieties of fishes.

Minerals

Mineral deposites, e.g. petroleum have been discovered in Okogbo, Odeke and parts of Echeno.

Community Development Efforts

Ibaji has over 35 primary schools and seven post primary schools. Out of these seven post primary schools, six are built through communal effort. In addition to these, other self help projects include seasonal road network, electricity, Health clinics and water.

Existing Government Amenities

The existing government amenities at Onyedega, the headquarters of the defunct L.G.A. are:

1.       Development Centre Secretariat

2.       Post Office

3.       Health Clinic

4.       Police Post

5.       Court

6.       Agric Centre

7.       Uncompleted borehole

8.       Government Secondary School

The memorandum which reminded the Federal Government of the earlier creation of Ibaji Local Government Area by the Benue State Government said:

The then Ibaji LGA, with headquarters at Onyedega was created by the Benue State Government in 1983 and had existed for  a few months before it was scrapped by the Military Government in January, 1984 along with other LGAs in other states of the Federation. Our request, therefore, is to de-merge Ibaji District from the present Idah LGA and make it a separate and independent Local Government Area as was the case before the Military took over in January, 1984.

With the scrapping of the L.G.A, Ibaji District once again came under Idah LGA.

In 1996, Arthur Mbanefor Panel on the creation of more Local Government Areas was set up by the Military Government. The Panel toured all the states where requests for more LGAs were being made to receive memoranda. The people of Ibaji went into action once again. Ibaji Development Association and elites submitted memoranda to the Panel.

The elites of Ibaji contributed a lot to the realization of Ibaji Local Government Area. They made contacts with relevant authorities and those in power to push their demands forward. They also published articles in the newspapers to advance reasons for their demand.

The most effective in this struggle was the Ibaji Development Association (IDA), at home and all over the country. The Central Committee of Ibaji Development Association (CECIDA) was later set up. The first central body which was headed by Mr. Isaac Achoba was very hardworking and effective. The central body united the various branches of IDA through regular meetings and activities which brought unity and understanding among Ibaji people. This led to the commitment of elites and a lobbying group made up of the CECIDA Chairman, Mr. Isaac Achoba, Joseph Ikani, Fidel Egwuche and Ferris Omatule which was able to discuss the request of Ibaji with the Panel Chairman through a contact, Mrs. Caro Bako in Abuja.

On 4^th December, 1996 Ibaji LGA was created with the Headquarters at Onyedega along with others in the country. Mr. Fidel Egwuche who was the General Manager, Graphic Newspapers at that time was appointed the Sole Administrator of the Local Government.

The take-off of Ibaji L.G.A.

Onyedega which became the headquarters of the Local Government Area was delineated into a metropolis with its landmarks and as a result, Onyedega ceased to be the exclusive possession of the inhabitants. Onyedega was a rural settlement and had no houses to accommodate the Local Government Officers. This was a big problem to tackle.

With joy over the creation of the Local government Area, some individuals made contributions to ensure the smooth take-off of the Local Government. A seasoned politician, Hon. David Ojochegbe Apeh leased his four-bedroom house at Onyedega to the Local Government for two years, free of rent. Mr. Egwenu Abuma donated 12-room apartment at Onyedega; Alhaji Tijani, a storey building at Onyedega; Mr. Sule Okafor, 7-room apartment at Ogaine while GSS Onyedega gave out two blocks of classroom buildings, etc. Having put office accommodation problem behind him, Mr. Egwuche set up Land Allocation Advisory Committee and Security Committee to handle land and security matters.

Asset Sharing

The Sole Administrator, Mr. Fidel Egwuche put a position paper to the Asset Sharing Committee of the State Government and this influenced the Committee’s decision. Ibaji Local Government took possession of a storey building at Idah. It was also given vehicles, plants, machinery, furniture and equipment. The movable assets were moved to Onyedega. The Committee also provided for the payment of over three million to Ibaji Local Government by Idah Local Government in 24 monthly instalments.

Good Will

Some personalities of the State and the Federal government visited Ibaji Local Government Area after creation to identify with the people. On December 30, 1996, His Royal Majesty, Attah Igala, Alhaji (Dr.) Aliyu Obaje went to Onyedega on goodwill visit. On January 16, 1997 His Excellency Col. Bzigu Lassa Afakirya, the Military Administrator of Kogi State visited Ibaji LGA on familiarization tour. On 8^th February 1997 the Director-General, Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr Dan Okolo was in Ibaji to inspect and ascertain facts on the Echeno fire disaster.

The Director, National Orientation Agency was also in Ibaji LGA on familiarization tour. Director, Adult and Non-formal Education was in Ibaji LGA to inaugurate Adult Literacy classes. Director-General Finance and a Director were in the LGA to monitor registration of voters and on 15^th March 1997. Director-General, Works and Transport Ministry and two Directors were in the LGA to monitor local Government elections.

Excerpts of the Speech by the Sole Administrator of Ibaji Government Area, Mr. Fidel Egwuche on the occasion of the Maiden visit of His Excellency the Military Administrator of Kogi State Col. B.L. Afakirya

Your visit, less than a month after the creation of the local Government will further rekindle hope in Ibaji people who still see the creation of Ibaji Local Government Area as a dream.

Sir, Ibaji Local Government is today the only riverine Local Government in the State. Lying entirely at the Lower Niger Basin interspersed with River Anambra and other minor tributaries, the terrain demands a special attention. The road you have just passed through was constructed through communal efforts with no assistance from either the State or Local Government. The road itself speaks of criminal neglect that justifies the creation of the Local Government.

Sir, I would not like to bore you with demands but because of our peculiarity, this Local Government has to be treated as a special area as approved by Benue State House of Assembly in the 80’s. While it is impossible to get the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA) to get light to Ibaji, it will be pertinent to request for a Generating set that can service the Local Government Secretariat and the Sole Administrator’s residence. With Your Excellency’s connection of light to Adankolo Housing Estate, I wish to request that the Generating set being used by the Estate be given to Ibaji L.G.A. I am aware there are many areas that need the services of a generating set, but like a handicapped child, we need special attention.

Hon. David Ojochegbe Apeh who won the Local Government election became the first Executive Chairman of the Council. In his inaugural address while taking over from the Sole Administrator, Hon. D.O. Apeh among other things, assured the people:

I want to assure you here and now that the people’s mandate will not be sacrificed on the altar of partisanship, or on any other considerations for that matter. We shall strive to live up to your expectations, and shall work tirelessly to justify the confidence reposed in us, by urgently addressing the pressing problems and needs of the people. We shall work to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people. My administration will be resolutely committed to the sustenance of the people’s hopes, aspirations and confidence in the provision of infrastructural facilities and social amenities

CHAPTER NINE

POLITICS AND IBAJI

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Ibaji Leaders Under Idah Division

As Ibaji land came under Idah Native Authority administration, its people became involved in politics at Idah. In the first republican government of Nigeria, Mr. James Unwuchola participated in politics in Igala land and was appointed a Provincial Commissioner by the Northern Regional Government. During the Military regime and the second republican government of Nigeria, many Ibaji men in Idah and at home joined political parties and contested for positions in the parties under Idah Division.

In November, 1975, Hon. John Egwemi was appointed a Supervisory Councillor by Col. Ibrahim Taiwo administration in Kwara State. In 1976, Philip Ojata, Samuel Ohiemi and John Egwemi were elected by Ibaji Development Association into Idah Local Government Council. From 1975 – 76, Mr. Jeremiah Egwuda served as a member of Idah Local Government Council in the same Taiwo administration. From 1977 – 79, Mr. Philip Ojata and Mr. J.C. Ochagana served as Councillors in Idah Local Government Council. Under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Mr. James Udekwe became a councillor in Idah Local Government Council from 1979 to 1980; Mr. Japhet Enebeli became a Councillor from 1980 to 1983 while Mr. Gabriel Ekele served as a Councillor from 1981 to 1983.

All this while, the bond of unity had restricted the people to selection of candidates into political positions instead of election. Taking over from Olu District Union, the new body, Ibaji Development Association (IDA) constituted itself into an appointment body to pick candidates to represent Ibaji in government at Idah. Most selections and later, elections were by consensus put in place by IDA on behalf of the people.

The activities and opinions of the Association was always accepted by the generality of the people. The Councillors who represented Ibaji in Idah got there by selection or consensus. This continued until the 80s when political awareness to participate in party politics reduced the power of IDA. The activity of IDA affected early participation in politics because it retarded the political freedom of those interested in politics.

The 1979 councillorship election in which Hon. Philip Ojattah and Hon. John Egwemi contested for seats to represent Ibaji in Idah Divisional Government opened the door to political competition among the people of Ibaji. Although that election was still managed by the IDA, there was a breakthrough as the contestants went into campaigns. The politicians were, as a result, fully involved because the supporters worked for the victory of their candidates. This time around, there was an election and a winner emerged. Subsequently, election went hot in Ibaji land. It was a good development although sectionalism and parochialism which are the hallmarks of politics reared their ugly heads.

This development gave rise to the politicians in Ibaji contesting for positions in various political parties. In the 1979 House of Assembly election in Benue State, Ibaji politicians contested for seats in five political parties, namely: People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) and National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Thus, the politicians were fully involved in the House of Assembly election in 1978 in which Hon. John Egwemi was elected a member representing Ibaji in the Benue State House of Assembly. In 1983 Hon. Danjo Eguche succeeded Hon. Egwemi in the Benue State House of Assembly, but his tenure was short-lived as the Army struck on December 31, 1983.

From 1985 – 1986, Mr. J.J. Egwuma served as the Sole Administrator of Idah Local Government. From 1991 to 1993, Hon. David Apeh served as a Secretary to Idah Local Government. Hon. Peter Amaje served as a Chairman of Idah Local Government for six months under Col. Omeruo’s administration in 1995.

In fact, it is very satisfying and exciting to note that the participation of the people of Ibaji in politics right from the first republic, while they were in Idah LGA, up till the time they got their own Local Government has been very high.

Summary

NAME                                    POSITION                             YEAR

Hon. James Unwuchola          Commissioner                         First Republic

Hon. John Egwemi                 Supervisory Councillor           1975

Hon. Philip Ojata

Hon. Samuel Ohiemi               Councillors                              1976

Hon. John Egwemi

Hon. Jeremiah Egwuda           Councillor                               1975 – 1976

Hon. Philip Ojata

Hon. J.C. Ochagana                Councillors                              1977 – 1979

Hon. James Udekwe               Councillor                               1979 – 1980

Hon. Japhet Enebeli                Councillor                               1980 – 1983

Hon. Gabriel Ekele                 Councillor                               1981 – 1983

Mr. J.J. Egwuma                     Sole Administrator                  1985 – 1986

Hon. D.O. Apeh                     Secretary to Idah

Local Government                  1991 – 1993

Hon. Peter Amaje                   Chairman, Idah

Local Government                  1995

Ibaji Local Government Chief Executives

Ibaji District became a Local Government Area in 1996. The Local Government Administration took off with the appointment of Mr. Fidel Egwuche as the Sole Administrator. Later, politicians in the area became members of various political parties in the country then in order to contest for seats at the Local Government level. Hon. D.O. Apeh won the Local Government election under the platform of the Congress for National Consensus (CNC), and became the first Executive Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Council in 1997. He ruled till 1998 when all the elected structures in Nigeria were dissolved following the death of the Head of State and Commander of the Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha.

A Caretaker Committee was set up to manage the administration of the Local Government. A civil servant, Mr. Albert Williams was appointed as the Caretaker Committee Chairman for Ibaji LGA with Ibaji sons and daughters as members of the Committee. The following is the disposition list of the Chief Executives:

NAME                                                POSITION                 YEAR

1. Hon. Fidelis Egwuche        -          Sole Administrator      Dec., 1996-March, 1997

2. Hon. David Apeh               -           Chairman                     March, 1997– July, 1998

3. Mr. Albert Williams            -           Sole Administrator      July, 1998 – May, 1999

4. Hon. Emmanuel Egwabah  -           Chairman                     June, 1999 – June, 2002

5. Mr. Ukwedeh James           -           DLG                            June, 2002 – July, 2002

6. Hon. Atule Christopher      -           Caretaker                     July, 2002– March, 2003

7. Mr. Omachonu Samuel       -           DLG                            March, 2003–Aug., 2003

8. Hon. Austin Ugbaje            -           Caretaker                     Aug., 2003 – April, 2004

9. Hon. Emmanuel Egwabah  -           Chairman                     April, 2004 – Feb., 2007

10. Hon. A.B Uchola              -           Caretaker                     Feb., 2007 – Sept. 2007

11. Hon. Thomas Acholo        -           Caretaker                     Sept., 2007 – Jan., 2008

12. Hon. A.B Uchola              -           Caretaker                     Jan., 2008 – June, 2008

13. Hon. Timothy Ojomah      -           Caretaker                     June, 2008 – July, 2008

14. Hon. A.B Uchola              -           Chairman                     Aug., 2008 –Feb., 2010

15. Hon. Gabriel Ekpe            -           Ag. Chairman              Feb., 2010 – July, 2010

16. Hon. A.B Uchola              -           Chairman                     July, 2010 – June, 2011

17. Mall. Abubakar Akechi     -           DLG                            June, 2011 – June 2012

18. Hon. Dave Ogwu              -           Liaison Officer            June,    2012

19. Mall. Mohammed Bello    -           DLG                            2012 – 2013

20. Hon. Dave Ogwu              -           Chairman                     6^th May, 2013

SOURCE: Ibaji local Government Council

Hon. Dave Ogwu became the fourth Executive Chairman and has been on seat as at the time of this publication.

State House of Assembly

In 1991, there was a general election in the country and Mr. Dave Ogwu contested for the Kogi State House of Assembly seat. He won and became the third person to represent Ibaji in the State House of Assembly in 1992. On the 17^th of November 1993, Gen. Sani Abacha coup d’état came and all the political structures were thrown off. Hon. Dave Ogwu’s tenure ended abruptly.

In 1998, Hon. Simon Achuba who was the Vice-Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Council in 1997 became the fourth member representing Ibaji at the Kogi state House of Assembly, having won the election. Hon. Achuba contested for the House of Assembly seat again in 2003 after his first tenure and won. He served in the House till the end of his second tenure. Hon. Christopher Okoche Atule took over from Hon. Simon Achuba. Having won the election, he became the fifth Legislator representing Ibaji at the Kogi State House of Assembly. As at the time of this publication, Hon. Atule is serving a second term in the State House of Assembly.

Summary

NAME                                     POSITION          YEAR

1. Hon. John Egwemi              Legislator             1979 – 1983

2. Hon. Danjo Eguche             Legislator             1983

3. Hon. Dave Ogwu                 Legislator             1992 – 1993

4. Hon. Simon Achuba            Legislator             1999 – 2007

5. Hon. Christopher Atule       Legislator             2007 to date

Effect of Politics

Politics had brought awareness and education on the need for democratic governance in the society. As politicians go round to campaign, people in the rural areas continued to respond positively to participation in elections. On election days, farmers and fishermen suspend their activities and come out to vote. The young people, particularly school leavers in Ibaji area, do participate seriously in elections by coming out to vote.

It is good that the youth have developed interest in politics, but however, some of them have taken political activities to be avenues to make money. Worst still, some school leavers have abandoned the pursuit of education as they go about, following politicians and running about. Some of them have turned themselves into thugs.

CHAPTER TEN

IBAJI YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Yesterday is rooted in the past, today is staring us in the face and tomorrow is a peep at the future. We can not talk of today if we do not know the history of yesterday and we can not talk of tomorrow if we know little about today.

Therefore discussing Ibaji yesterday, the people and events in Ibaji in the past must be recalled, and to discuss Ibaji tomorrow, we must be reminded of Ibaji today. Has Ibaji today borrowed leave from the united Ibaji yesterday and will Ibaji tomorrow be better than Ibaji today?

Ibaji Yesterday

Ibaji yesterday was nurtured by a powerful and committed body known as Olu District Union which brought brotherhood and unity among the people. The founders of this Union were not literate but wise and intelligent enough to bring progress to Ibaji land. They worked hard to ensure the establishment of schools and churches in the area. Prominent among the members of the union were James Udekwe of Unale, Peter Anago of Unale, Samuel Inewe of Iyano, Abraham Ogwo of Echeno, Udokwu Okwute of Ayah, John Ineme of Ika and Oji Egwaba of Anocha, just to mention but a few. These were the personalities of blessed memory whose names in the history of Ibaji can not be erased.

Ibaji yesterday was enviable because the people loved one another. The people were united; they spoke with one voice; they helped one another; they worked together for the progress of the area. In Ibaji yesterday, there was only a geographical division – Ibaji Ojukpale (Ibaji North) and Ibaji Ogane (Ibaji South) and yet there was unity. There was no geo-political division like Ibaji Etiomi (Ibaji Riverrine) and Ibaji Ojoke (Ibaji Upland) as we have today.

The meetings of the Olu District Union brought kings, leaders, farmers and the general masses together for the development and progress of Ibaji area. The goal of the leaders was to bring education (schools), religion and general development to Ibaji. They succeeded because they were united and spoke with one voice. Their success brought us to Ibaji today.

Ibaji today

Ibaji today began from when Ibaji elites found themselves in government in Idah Division. Personalities such as J.J. Egwuma, Hon. David Apeh, Joseph Ugbaje, Joel Inakuje, James Omachona, James Ogwo, etc were in the local government and education sector in Idah. They were said to have performed and represented Ibaji well.

From here, Ibaji people in Idah moved into politics. They were said not to have borrowed from the qualities and good representation of their predecessors. The new politicians divided Ibaji into Ibaji Etiomi (Ibaji Riverrine) and Ibaji Ojoke (Ibaji Upland) which gave rise to bickering, sectionalism, parochialism, selfishness and disunity. The terminology Ibaji-Ojoke and Ibaji Etiomi which is just another way of describing Ibaji East and Ibaji West should not have caused any alarm but for the way the Ibaji elites interpreted the geographical division by politicising it.

Traditional and political posts have been alternated between Ibaji East and Ibaji West in the 60s, and yet no hatred and enmity was exchanged between the people of Ibaji East and the people of Ibaji West. For instance, Ibaji people fought for an indigene to be Onu Ibaji, and Michael Igwagwu of Odeke was unanimously nominated. After his resignation, Isaac Ikani was elected by the people. There was no complaint by the villagers of Ibaji land. It was the elites who began to read sectionalism into his election, thereby causing division in Ibaji.

In 1979, when Hon. Philip Ojattah of Ibaji East and Hon. John Egwemi of Ibaji west contested for counsellorship in Idah Division, the geographical division was turned into political division. That marked the beginning of geo-political dichotomy in Ibaji. It was the handwork of the elites. In fact, Ibaji today can never achieve the unity and peace exhibited by Ibaji yesterday. The evil of Ojoke-Etiomi geo-political division is still with Ibaji today. It is a cankerworm eating the entrails of Ibaji unity.

That is why the success of having a Local Government Area did not bring unity, neither did it bring development. To worsen the situation, the politicians are more concerned about their pockets than the development of the area. The greed, ugly rivalry and selfishness of the leaders have continued to retard Ibaji land. Only a few of the politicians can boast of their good contributions to the progress of Ibaji land.

Ibaji Tomorrow

Ibaji tomorrow should stand taller than Ibaji today. Ibaji tomorrow should be a story of success, for Ibaji today is a failure. The goal of Ibaji tomorrow should be progress and development.

We all know that our major problem is road and we know it is not possible for the Chairmen of Ibaji LG or the politicians to embark on road construction, but they can embark on construction of culvets to improve the condition of the feeder roads and they can do some gradings of these roads. Ibaji Local government can embark on some modern agriculture involving planting of economic trees such as palm trees and oranges. The Local Government can cultivate cassava and rice as well as milling the rice. This will help in the employment of youths in the area.

 Ibaji tomorrow should ensure that political appointments go round. A situation where a few group of people continue to hold political posts is not only selfish but unkind. A few groups of Ibaji politicians have constituted themselves into a cabal or a cartel which does not bring welfare to the generality of the people. 

REFERENCES

Ata, Samuel (2007) The brief history of Echeno people in Ibaji Local

Government Area. Olowu Printers Ltd. Lokoja.

Egwemi, John (1983) Ibaji: My District, My Constituency and My Local

Government Area. Idah.

Egwuche, Fidel (1996) Laying a Solid Foundation for the Future. Adventures

Publication Ltd. Idah.

Ibaji Development Association: Memoranda.

Okwoli, P.E. (1973) A Short History of Igala. Matanmi and Sons Printing

Press, Ilorin.

Ukwedeh, J.N (1976) The History of Settlement in Southwestern Ibaji District

to C. 1990. (Unpublished)

Ukwedeh, J.N (2003) History of the Igala Kingdom. ABU University Press

Ltd., Zaria

ORAL SOURCES / INTERVIEWS

Elder Reuben Oyibo, Alloma

Mr. Peter Opaluwa, Ofiji, Idah

Mr. Michael Idachaba, Idah

Eng. Samuel Akagwu, Lokoja

Mr. Godwin Otiga, Lokoja

Francis Akogwu, (Late) Lokoja

Hon. D.O. Apeh, First Executive Chairman, Ibaji LGA

Mr. Clement Ajodo, Secretary to Ibaji Traditional Council, Onyedega.

APPENDIX I

MAJOR TOWNS AND VILLAGES

1.       Ota

2.       Ofobo

3.       Ogwojibo

4.       Itoduma

5.       Ogane I, II & III

6.       Onyedega

7.       Ijogono

8.       Atiko

9.       Ojuba

10.     Agbagbojo

11.     Ejofe

12.     Ineme

13.     Ichala

14.     Odogwu

15.     Ejule – Ojebe

16.     Nwajala

17.     Ejule – Onu

18.     Obale

19.     Ekanyi

20.     Elele

21.     Afa

22.     Enweli

23.     Ayeke

24.     Unale

25.     Odolu

26.     Iyano

27.     Abujaga

28.     Ishi

29.     Ikaka

30.     Akuro

31.     Ojigbolo

32.     Onugwa

33.     Ogwu

34.     Ajamukoje

35.     Ojiala

36.     Imachiga

37.     Iteh

38.     Odomomoh

39.     Ayah

40.     Odochala

41.     Adagwo

42.     Ikpogwu

43.     Olukwudu

44.     Odakpo

45.     Ujeh

46.     Iregwu

47.     Ika

48.     Uchuchu

49.     Omabo

50.     Anocha

51.     Ihile

52.     Odeke

53.     Echeno