There is nothing that raises controversy than tracing the history of a people. This is partly because the history of a people tends to stretch back into antiquity giving room for ludicrous speculations and plausible assumptions. Thus, at any present time, there might be different variations to the history of any given people.
In fact, any history of a people that is compact, undisputed by the present generation and does not have different variations can only be said to be modern. For example, the history of my clan, The Ezeobuos of Okpuno Nnewichi is not subject to any controversy. It is compact, undisputed and does not have any variation. However, if you attempt to trace the history of this same clan prior to Mkpidike, the great grandfather of Ezeobuo, you delve into the sphere of ludicrous speculations and plausible assumptions.
The history of the ancient town of Nnewi is no doubt subject to ludicrous speculations and plausible assumptions. The testament to the above submission lies in the various materials that abound trying to explain the history of Nnewi, each writer postulating perhaps from what his forebears told him or from figments of the writer’s parochial fantasies.
Be that as it may, it may be safe to assert that the history of a people should emanate from the point of agreement where disparate views converge. Oh yes, as far as history is concerned there is always a point or incidence where all sensible historians agree to agree. For example, in tracing the history of Ezeobuo there is no doubt whatsoever that Ezeobuo was the great-grandson of Mkpidike. However, there is a great amount of controversy on whose son Mkpidike was.
As a social scientist, once there is this kind of controversy, it is advisable and safe to narrow down and anchor the beam light on facts that are indisputable. Thus in the auspicious task of going back in time to trace one’s history, it is important for one not to lose his head on facts that you cannot prove or what the general public cannot and may never agree on.
When it comes to the history of Nnewi as I have stated above there are different angles to it. Each Nnewi historian or Nnewi leader believes the angle that appeals best to him or her. However, there is an aspect of Nnewi history which all players and historians cannot deny. This aspect of Nnewi history is neither subject to ludicrous speculations nor plausible assumptions. Therefore, the modern authentic history of Nnewi as a monolithic town should start from there because that is what forms the bedrock of what Nnewi is today. Most importantly, the panacea of whatever travail Nnewi is going through today or will go through tomorrow also lies in this common and undisputed history.
One might want to ask what is this aspect of Nnewi history that is not fraught with controversy? It is not farfetched. It is simply the spiritual cum physical marriage between Ezemewi Nnewi and Edo Idemili. Prior to this marriage, there is no historical record to support any claim that the inhabitants of the present-day Nnewi and by extension Agbaja Nnewi have homogenous religious rites or deity.
What comes close to a homogenous religious rite or site is the Okwu Ani. However, AJAANI, is not instituted anywhere in Igbo land for religious worship, rather it is a physical proof that the required spiritual dues were fully paid before settling in the given land.
To understand this, you have to look back to the Igbo practice of Igbu ewu ani once a piece of land is acquired or possessed. The goat killed does not in any way mean that you have instituted a deity; its symbol is to tell the council of the unseen that the said piece of land now has a new physical occupant. Thus, Aja Ani is the first spiritual institution that is created so that the council of the unseen and the gatekeepers of the underworld will know that a certain place is now in the hands of new settlers, whereas deities, if thought necessary is subsequently instituted after the above ritual from family to community level for various reasons like wealth, protection, fertility, community policing, etc.
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Moving on, having instituted Okwu Ani Nnewi, the early settlers of the space known as the present-day Nnewi had their different deities as it suited their individual pursuit. This is in line with Igbo polytheistic nature. Thus, there is no historical proof to support that there was any common deity agreed to be worshipped by these settlers till the marriage between Ezemewi and Edo, even if there was any it has been swept away by the wind of time.
Upon this marriage between Edo and Ezemewi, Edo the daughter of Idemili gave clear preconditions to be the wife of Ezemewi and the then Nnewi leaders of thought agreed. Why those leaders whom I would like to think would have their different personal or clan deities would agree to these conditions is what I cannot say. This kind of incidence has a historical example in the Bible. Moses after bringing the Israelites out of Egypt instituted his personal god, Jehovah, for the whole of Israel and the people of Israel whom prior to that time were worshipping different gods accepted that Jehovah will be their sole god.
In the light of the foregoing, the history and trajectory of Nnewi changed with this marriage ceremony. It was as a result of this marriage that AGBO EDO, the present-day Nkwo Nnewi was given to Edo as a significant portion of Nnewi. Most importantly, it is as a result of this marriage that Eke, the sacred python that is the totem and representation of Idemili became sacred and revered in Nnewi.
More so, it was also as a result of this marriage that the gift of Awele was given to Ndi Nnewi by Idemili. It was also as a result of this marriage that the area known as Nnewi came to be referred to as Ana Edo. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that Nnewi is still known today as Anaedo.
In fact, it is not amiss to posit that this marriage laid the foundation of the unification of the inhabitants of Nnewi because Edo gave as conditions some ceremonies and religious rites that the inhabitants of Nnewi would start to do in her name. It was these common religious rites over time that provided the glue that bonded the inhabitants or better put disparate settlers within the geographical location of Nnewi.
Regrettably, with the advent of Christianity, Nnewi leadership has abandoned some of these religious rites which their forebears covenanted with Edo upon her marriage to Ezemewi despite the fact that Edo has done more than what Nnewi leaders desired from her.
The implication of reneging from a covenant is that once a party to a covenant breaks the covenant, the other party is no longer obliged to keep it. This would have been easy if it was a physical covenant. Unfortunately, it is not. What happened at the spiritual cum physical marriage between Ezemewi, Edo and the then leaders of Nnewi was the handover of Nnewi to Edo. Therefore, as far as Nnewi is concerned it belongs to Edo.
I repeat Nnewi is the property of Edo. What happened was a pure, straight and legitimate transaction. The same way the leaders of the clans in Israel handed over themselves to Jehovah was the same way Nnewi leaders handed over themselves to Edo. We their physical children are part and parcel of this deal.
Perhaps, it is pertinent at this juncture to state on whose authority I am writing this. I have been given a clear mandate to write this by Edo Okala Ete- The undisputed head of Nnewi spiritual council holding the fort for Ezemewi-, Akpu Nwanyi Dibia, Ugwu eji oso aligo, Onu na abu akwa mmiri, Edo Ezemewi, Ada Idemili Ijite Ete, Ada Chukwu. Edo; Oke Alusi bi na Akwu Ora Ezemewi, Ogbi na ato- Nne Awele. Oji Ugo apu afia na Agbaja, Oke Mmuo na eme Nnewi obulu Okala Akwu-AKwu Aka. Eze Nwanyi Otule Ululu. As you can see, I am not writing or delving into a serious issue like this out of sheer academic exercise, far from it.
I have been mandated by the Nnewi spiritual council to sound a clear warning to the present Nnewi leadership that Ana Edo from a historical perspective is not a Christian land, never was and never should be. Thus, if the scions of Nnewi leaders that contracted a marriage continue to renege on their own end of the bargain there will be only one end to this practice; the baton of leadership will change hand.
Furthermore, I have been instructed to warn the physical Sanbalat and Tobias who are planning to orchestrate this change of baton to desist from such unholy plans because; anaghi agbalu mmuo ogu. The Nnewi spiritual council knows full well how they will treat the present denigration and let down by their trado-political physical custodians. Failure to desist ubosi aya egbulu isi egbulu ma nti.
Finally, the beauty of history is that it serves as a point of reference, a guide, a reminder and a mirror to the present as they grapple with new struggles. History helps any serious wayfarer or commune in the journey of life not to lose sight of who they are as they run the relay race of life. No doubt, the present Nnewi leadership, and the power players are presently drowned in the battle of identity and conformity because they have forgotten to look at the mirror of history. It is important they go back and look at this mirror of history so that they will understand again that they are Umu Edo and what it means to be Umu Edo.
To this end, my lords, spiritual and temporal, if what I have stated in this piece are my own imagination kam jiri ana ze mmili in the shortest possible time. But if what I have stated are as I have been instructed then may I not be visited with any sanction that comes with disobedience or presumptuousness.
Ka’yi di sia nu!
Tobe Osigwe(Ikolo),
Mkpu Mkpidike,
Nkpoka-Okpuno,
Nnewichi Nnewi.
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