INTRODUCTION

Ngwa National Association USA, Inc. (NNAUSA) is a non-profit organization of the people ( Ngwas) of of , residing in the United States of America. The association has as its primary goal to unite all Ngwas, promote Ngwa traditions and culture, provide a community environment which will enable all Ngwa people advance intellectually, socially and economically. Please read about the origin and history of this peace loving and industrious people.

In the absence of a documented account of the origin of the word ‘Ngwa’ in the pre-colonial era, one source of information appears to be booklet written a few years ago by a prominent historian and archivist, Mr. J.E.N. Nwaguru. His proximity to the National Archives in made his work an acceptable source of information. Another source would be the fireside evening stories from our grandfathers. This oral history account has it that the word ‘Ngwa’ was a short form of the Igbo adjective “Ngwa-Ngwa” meaning “quickly”. The area covering the old Aba division Ngwa, is situated in the tropical rain forest of southern Igbo plain in the present Abia State of Nigeria. It has a population of about one million people and an area of little over nine hundred square miles. The area is bounded on the north by the present zone, on the west by and , on the east by Ikot-Ekpene and Abak and on the south by ukwa. The important waterways are the Imo River to the south and west, the Aba or Aza River that rises at Abayi, and flows south through Aba Township into the Imo River at a point near Okpontu. Around Nsulu to the northeast, there are two minor rivers, the Otamiri and the Ohi. At no point does the land rise above an elevation of 50ft. The people are largely farmers, producing yams, cassava, cocoyam, maize and other tropical farm products. Major rural industries include garri and palm produce in addition to Akwete cloth weaving in which most women from Ihie area were engaged. The old divisional headquarters was Aba, a very important commercial and industrial center. Center of major population concentration includes Aba, Mgboko, Osisioma, Umooba, Owerinta, Nbawsi and Okpu-Alangwa Omoba.

Origin

Writing on the origin of a preliterate society like Ngwa presents a lot of difficulties. Most authorities believe that the centuries that lie between the 9th and 19th century were the most difficult period for historians of Igbo land to write about. For the 9th century, we have vivid details of archaeological discoveries. For the 19th century, we have an ever-swelling stream of evidence, both oral and documented but the thousand years which lie between, are full of obscurities.

The Ngwas, the main body of the Ngwa clan is said to have originated from a village called Umunoha in the present Owerri zone of Nigeria. Tradition related that people of Umunoha village had taken a journey in search of new lands in which to dwell, the journey lasted many days and the group finally arrived at the banks of the great Imo-River. Tired, coupled with the fact that Imo river had overflowed to recede, and to find food to eat. The only handy food item then was yam. One group felt it would be quicker to roast the yams, while the other group preferred boiling the yams. As soon as they were occupied cooking the food, the stream began to rise. Three of the traveling brothers who boiled their yams, hurriedly ate the food, packed up their belongings and crossed over the other side of the river, leaving their kit and kin behind who had adopted the process of roasting their yam. The three people who gained the left bank of the river were Ukwu, Nwoha ad Avosi in order of age. They were given the name ‘Ngwa’ on account of the expeditious manner of their crossing, while the stragglers on the right bank were named ‘Ohuhu’. Till this day, all towns and villages on the other side of Imo-River are referred to as ‘Ndi-Ohuhu’ or ‘Umu-Ohuhu’.

The villages of the left bank of Imo were inhabited by Ibibios, who received Ngwa Ukwu and his brothers amicably allocating to them sufficient virgin lands for their immediate needs. Ngwaukwu settled at what is now the village of Umuolike where he also established his ancestral shrine. ‘Aba Ngwa’ in a small hut ‘Okpu’ which is today the capital of Ngwa-land called ‘Okpu-Ala Ngwa’.

For many years, the three brothers dwelt around Okpu-Ala Ngwa in peace, but as their families increased in number, they moved apart in different directions. Ngwaukwu group, Mbutu, Ovuokwu and Ovengwu, and Avosi found the villages of Mvosi and all around Okpu-Ala Ngwa. According to the historical account Mr. J. E. N. Nwaguru, the origins of Ntigha and Nsulu is a bit controversial. Some say that the Ntigha crossed over from Ohuhu with Ngwaukwu and his brothers, while others say that Ntigha was the son of Ngwaukwu.

Whichever is the case, Ntigha settled at Umunachi and established the ala-Ntigha deity, while Nsulu took part of the Juju to settle at Eziala and adjoining villages. From these early settlements, the Ngwas advanced to the southwest, which include Oza, Obegu, Okporo-Ahaba, Osokwa, Arongwa, Amavo, Ngwaobi, and Amise, and to the southeast which also includes Aba-na- Ohazu, Akuma-Imo, Ahiaba-na-Abayi, Ibene, Mgboko-Umuanunu, Mgboko-Amairi, Mgboko-Itungwa, Mbutu-Umuojima, Ndiokata, Ohanze, Ugwanagbo and Uratta.

Customs and Traditions: Ngwas have one custom, tradition and culture which we now refer to as ‘Ome na-ala-Ngwa’. He believe in the supreme deity (God), but he equally believed in the lesser deities, for example: Ala (mother earth) Ofo-La Ogu (god of right doing) Ihi Njoku (god of yam), and amadi-Oha (god of thunder). His music include Ekeravu for adults, Anyantolukwu for young girls. Ese dance for a deceased noble man and warrior. Ukom for the deceased noble woman. Wrestling was the most popular game in Ngwa-land. Other cultural festival were Ikoro and Ekpe dances. Iru-Mgbede for unmarried young ladies.

The Ngwa man as a farmer, had great regard for land. Some acts and behavior were regarded as taboo against the land. Such acts included sexual encounters in the bush, sex or marriage with close blood relatives, sexual encounter with your father’s wife while your father is still living, disrespect for the elders, killing by poisoning. Phrase such as ‘Iru-ala’ were used to describe any of the above acts. To appease the aggrieved land forms of sacrifice were carried out known as “Ikwa-ala”. Land was the source of wealth of the Ngwa man and cultivation was tied to the availability of labor. The most dependable source of labor force was the womenfolk, hence the average Ngwa man of the immediate past was a polygamist. The attachment to the land as the principal source of livelihood placed the Ngwa man of the in serious handicap especially in times of disturbances involving moving away from his habitat.

The Ngwa people can be said to be very superstitious in nature. According to myths and legends, it is believed that the bearing of twin in Ngwa is a sign of bad omen which must be eliminated from the surface of the land. It is said that the first king brought about that law as a result of a story that is said long time ago that a woman who gave birth to twin and after training the twin decided to sell one out for money and after a month of selling that child, the child was found on her bed in the night crying but not in tears but in blood and killed the mother but people said it was out of fear the woman died. This made the killing of twin inevitable in the land of the Ngwas. Also it is believed that any child born in the shrine of the great gods of the land is considered a special child and is trained within the shrine. If that child happens to be a female child, it is considered to be trained as a virgin and dedicated to the gods. That child is said to be restricted from the advances of men and if eventually the child is defiled, the penalty is banishment on the child and death sentence on the man. They also believe in reincarnation of a dead person in form of a baby. A n elder who dies and is known for his prestige and brave characters with the mind of making peace during conflicts in the society, he is said that after his death the gods of the land will bring him back to earth as a newly born but from another family and this has brought the tradition whereby people go to pay a special visits to that elder’s grave in order for the gods to reincarnate him into their family. It is said that children are the ones who pays the visits representing every family.

Pre-Colonial Era:

Before the advent of the British rule, the highest political unit of the Ngwa man was the village. The village government consist of two basic institution the council of Elders to which the heads of the different constitution families and often members of the most senior age grade were represented, and the villages assembly open to all adult males. The council of elders which was the executive and judicial authority of the villages often met at the village square ‘Ama-Ukwu’ at regular intervals and during an emergency to discuss matters of administrative, economic, religious, social and judicial importance. The chairman and summoner of the council was often the Onyenwe-ala. In the village assembly, the council of elders would form the executive. There were other sources of judicial authority form which justice could be expected. These were the Juju shrines and the oracle cults, prominent among them was the ‘Chukwu-Abiama’ long Juju at and the ‘Igwe-ka-Ala’ at Umunoha Mbaise. Provincial administration was abolished at the end of the civil war. Some of the changes made after the civil war to bring the government closer to the people included the third tier system. The presidential system had previously been applied at only the federal and state level of government, but now extended to local government levels. When states were created, Aba zone, Umuahia zone, and Afikpo zone formed Abia state, with the capital at Umuahia. Today, their territory comprises 7 local government areas in Abia State, namely , , , , Obingwa, , and . This was done by the government for administrative convenience.

In Ngwa, the people had a very local way of dressing during the pre- colopnial era. Their major mode of dressing consist was a native dress gotten from the skin of leopards hunted and killed by great hunters of the village and then sold to local clothes makers of which sometimes can be a woman or man. This native clothes was normally called Akwa-omma and its worn by the men below their waist while by the women, it is worn both upwards and downwards and exceptionally worn or tied as a rapper by the married women. Furthermore, the Ngwa people has skilled talents of building a good shelter for themselves. They use tach houses as their basic shelter but it was a disadvantage to them because in time of raining season, it destroys a lot of things and causes damages and the purpose of building their houses with dried stems and leafs. We all know that Nigeria was a native land before the emergence of colonialism, so is the same with the Ngwa people. As a result of locality, the people feeds on roasted foods with the lightening of fire from the contacts of two sharp stones. There was nothing like plates then but leafs from trees which they use as plates to dish out their meals and they make use of their hands as spoons to eat. Also, the people of Ngwa cultivates large portions of lands and as of then, any farmer who has the largest farmland is considered the richest and like wise a great hunter who had hunt big animals as leopards, lions and elephants and antelopes. They people also involved in trade-by-barter where they use the materials or food stuffs they have in exchange for their wants and this is as a result of no paper money or currency at time. They also walk on foots to their destination and use leafs to make foot wears. They also involved in slave trade as their means of livelihood. They transport slaves to Arochukwu for money and the payments are even peanuts and they are paid with cowries.

Now, as of 1960, when Nigeria gained her independence and became a republic by 1963, so many civilization has taken place and since then so many things began to develop as a product of this new era. The emergence of the colonial rule, things became different. A means of transportation was at first introduced which is the use of bicycles and roads where constructed for easy access to their destination and the emergence of a Nigerian currency and also the abolition of slave trade. Furthermore, the making of good dresses, foot wears, eating of diet foods and building of good houses. Schools were built, the first walls of the class room to be be built in Ngwa society was a round thatched hut with stones as seats and a black piece of writing stick called,”Tale’”. So many people of Ngwa community are elites now as a result of the early but little educational teachings and also roads were constructed for easy passage or transportation. Christianity also came into the community through the colonial masters during colonialization.

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

FACULTY OF ARTS

DEPARTMENT OF COMBINED ARTS

(ENGLISH AND HISTORY)

TOPIC:

HOW TO RECONSTRUCT THE HISTORY OF A PRE- LITERATE

COMMUNITY IN YOUR SOCIETY.

ASSIGNMENT PREPARED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORY 101

(INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY)

BY

MADUKWE PATIENE CHINONSO

2016/233350

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