HISTORY OF ESIT EKET TO 2017

CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The history of Esit Eket cannot be complete if it is not traced back to the when the people of Akwa Ibom, precisely the Eket people originated, migrated, and settled, as the early Europeans who worked among the Ibibio and some other writers who regarded Eket as a sub group of the Ibibio and that they base their assertion on the fact that these people and other Ibibio sub groups occupy a continuous well demarcated territory , share a common background of cultural heritage , posses a highly common outlook and a common belief in one supreme being called ABASI IBOM .
Although certain variations exists in the accounts for the origin , migration and settlement in their different locations, the consensus among scholars is that the people of the present day Akwa Ibom State migrated from Usak Edet in the Cameroons.1
Monday Noah has further stated that;
The Ibibio are people whose original home was at usak edet in the Cameroons. upon leaving Cameroons, the Ibibio people seemed to have migrated from there to their present location in two major directions .One group reached Nigeria perhaps by overland route and settled in ibom in arochukwu probably about 800B.C where they established the long juju of arochukwu …it was from there that the Ibibio people of Abak Ikot Ekpene, uyo migrated and this is the area regarded as Ibibio proper. There were other Ibibio groups who reached Ibibio mainland by sea. Among these sea borne Ibibio are the people of Oron, Ibeno, Eket where ESIT EKET migrated from as time went on, who upon arrival, moved northwards and eastwards, until they came up against the eastern Ibibio expanding southwards.2
Esit Eket is a local government area in Akwa Ibom state it should be noted that Esit Eket area was an integral part of Eket before its creation in 1989. For the purpose of this research I will only draw our attention to the history of the Ekid area from ancient times till 2017. Esit Eket was created by the basic transitional provision decree no 15 of 1989. it is presently made of two clans namely; Ekid Offiong and Ekid Afaha, held together by common traditions , customs and ancestry relationships.
BOUNDARY: The area is situated on the extreme south east shore of the Atlantic ocean, on the west line with Ibeno, Eket ,Okobo, Mbo, Nsit Ubium, Urue Offong/ Oruko local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.3

OBJECTIVES/AIMS OF STUDY.
This work aims at
Highlighting the origin and ascertaining the migration of the Esit Eket people.
Revealing the customs, beliefs and traditions of the people, their early political, economic, social and cultural organizations.
Investigating the advent of the Europeans, activities and impacts on the Esit Eket area.
Exposing the role of the Esit Eket people in the socio-cultural development of Nigeria since independence in 1960.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
At the end of this work, it will
Serve as a reference material to student of history and researchers who seek to venture precisely into the history of Esit Eket.
Bring to lime light the tradition, customs and beliefs, development aspects and impacts of Esit Eket people to the wider society of Akwa Ibom State.
Highlight the roles Esit Eket has played and is still playing in the development of Nigeria.