INTER-GROUP RELATIONS AMONG THE OGWASHI-UKU PEOPLE OF ANIOCHA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN DELTA STATE AND ITS NEIGHBORS

INTER-GROUP RELATIONS AMONG THE OGWASHI-UKU PEOPLE OF ANIOCHA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN DELTA STATE AND ITS NEIGHBORS

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

          Historical records has it that a number of neighboring towns of Ogwashi-Uku such as Ibuzo, Ubulu-uku, Agbor e.t.c were founded  in the sixteenth century and early seventeenth Century. On the other hand, traditional sources ascribe the funding of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom to the people of Ikelike. There was the emergence of the Ikelile people in the kingdom followed by the state of migrations from the East and West of the Niger-Delta area of what later became known as the protectorate of Southern Nigeria.

According to T.A. Tabor in his book titled Southern Nigeria Vol 1, two families appeared to have left Benin at the same time, one of which settled at (Agbor), while the other went on to Obior while some continued to Onicha-Ugbo and others at a later date to Onicha-Olona.

Owing to its proximity to Asaba where the Royal Niger Company established a station as Royal Niger Company established a station as early as 1884, the people of Ogwashi-Uku clan has on early Western Education, Mission Schools were established in Ogwashi-Uku by the Church missionary society in 1907. While on the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church was established in Ogwashi-uku in the year 1905, while the present government school was founded in 1911 soon after the establishment of Ogwashi-Uku as the headquarters of the Asaba division in 1910¹.

In view of the above, the people had facilities for Western Education and a majority of its male indigenes having acquired early European education were found in the employment of colonial and post colonial civil service.

The nature of occupational practices in Pre-colonial times was mainly farming, though an insignificant number of the women folk engaged in crafting e.g. weaving. However, a quarter in Ogwashi-Uku called Ogbe-Nti where the Obi’s palace is situated would prefer trading to farming because of its proximity to the Obi. The reason is that they benefited from the general benevolence of the people who made available their farming proceeds during harvest in form of yam, cassava, plantain, coconut, palm oil, bush animal etc. The Ogbe-nti therefore took advantage of these ‘supplies’ to engage in petty trading.²

Justification of Research

The justification of this project is that it will not only portray to the reader the ideal response of the history and culture of Ogwashi-Uku people, but also create a situation where culture will be given a wider dimension in Nigeria. It is hope that the result of the study would provide government information concerning the history and culture of Ogwashi-Uku people.

Aim and Objectives

          The aim of this work is to carefully examine inter-group relations among the Ogwashi-Uku people of Aniocha South Local Government Area in Delta state and its neighbors with emphasis on their socio-cultural and political relations in the pre-colonial era.

The objective of this work is to outline the areas and extent of such relations.

Scope

          The essay is centered on inter-groups relations of Ogwashi-Uku and her neighbors in the pre-colonial times.

The work is structured into six chapters, chapter one deals with aims and objectives, justification of research, methodology, literature review; while chapter two discusses the historical overview of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, chapter three deals with the political relations between Ogwashi-Uku and her neighbors, chapter four focuses on the social relations between Ogwashi-Uku and her immediate neighbors, chapter five discusses the economic relations between Ogwashi-uku and her neighbors.

Finally, the work will be summarized in the last chapter of the Project Essay.

Methodology

The historical and descriptive method is used in writing this essay; relevant data and information were obtained from two main sources. These were primary and secondary sources.

1. 1.           Primary Sources

This was a source of relevance in the course of this research in the sense that archival researches were carried out and oral interviews involving experienced individuals, some of whom were adults who played some roles in the economic life of their communities during the colonial era.

1. 2.           Secondary Sources

Secondary sources were consulted in Delta State University, Abraka, Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, College of Education (Agbor), Local Library (Ogwashi-Uku) in which textbooks and Journals gotten were useful in the successful carrying out of this research. Information obtained from these sources helped to guide and supplement materials obtained from primary sources.

INTER-GROUP RELATIONS AMONG THE OGWASHI-UKU PEOPLE OF ANIOCHA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN DELTA STATE AND ITS NEIGHBORS