The Emevor People: My Personal Memoirs and Jottings

By Richard Akpoyomare Ogbe

This book is an exposition of the sociocultural past, present, and futuristic preview of the Emevor-speaking people of the Niger-Delta, Nigeria. The work is the product of the author’s reminiscences and introspection into the historiography, geography, economy, language, education, and the multifarious rich sociocultural milieu of the people.

It deals with the traditional customs, beliefs, totems, astronomy, time and event reckoning, marriages, traditional religions, ancestral worship and Christology, oracle divination, obituary and obsequies, initiation into Ehwa womanhood rites and sabbatical fattening of brides, festivals, identity of people, governance, heroes/heroines and modern pacesetters, and the changes provoked by modernity.

By using simple language, graphic descriptions, and vivid and clear explanations of the phenomena and events, the author has taken the reader through the maze, as it were, with the needed compass to navigate through these labyrinths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543474824

Richard Akpoyomare Ogbe

Richard Akpoyomare Ogbe was born on Wednesday, 8th January 1947. It was on Ethewhonoto of Oghara-Iyede market day. He was educated at the CMS School, Patani, St Thomas’s College, Ibusa, and the Universities of Ibadan, and Jos. He holds the B.Sc.(Hons) Geography degree, Post Graduate Diploma in Education, and Master of Education degree. He was formerly Senior Lecturer in Geography, and Education at the Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State; Deputy Director at the Federal Inspectorate Services Department of the Federal Ministry of Education Headquarters, Abuja; and retired as the Principal of the Federal Government College, Idoani, Ondo State. He is married with children. He has written this book to mark his Seventieth Birthday Anniversary which came on Sunday the 8th day of January 2017.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Richard Akpoyomare Ogbe.

Sponsored By:

Prof. David Oyibo Ogbe

Professor of Petroleum Engineering,

Denver, Colorado, USA.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017919466

ISBN:                  Hardcover                      978-1-5434-7480-0

                            Softcover                        978-1-5434-7481-7

                            eBook                             978-1-5434-7482-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

- scriptures are taken from King James Version

- [Scripture quotations are]from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved

- Scriptures from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 10/30/2018

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Table Of Contents

Aknowledgements

Dedication

List Of Abbreviations

Preface

Introduction

Preamble

Geographical survey of emevor clan

Historical and anthropological surveys of Emevor clan

Historical facts

Knowledge explosion

Problems of oral traditional history

Evolution of Emevor history

Peopling, language and education

Cosmology, beliefs, astronomy, and time reckoning

Marriage

Religion and christology, obituary and eschatology

Festivals

Administration and governance

Preview of the futuristic trends

Concluding Remarks

CHAPTER ONE

Geographical Characteristics Of Emevor Clan

1.1 Aspects of physical features

1.2 Human and Economic Features

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER TWO

History Of Emevor

2.1. The Historiography of Emevor

2.2. The anthropological antecedents of Emevor

2.3. The meaning of the Clan name Emevor

2.4. The migratory history of Emevor

2.5. The Brief sojourn at Emede: Emevor-Emede Link

2.6. The sojourn at Uruobe quarter in Iyede Clan

2.7. The ‘Catching’ of the felled iroko tree episode and migration from Iyede, and Emevor Irredenta

2.8. Early settlement in Emevor town and Hubbard’s 1713 AD dating

2.9. Settlement of the Isi Emevor towns

2.10. The Odio kingship or Gerontocracy of the Emevor People

2.11. The Nine edio Mythological Cardination in Emevor

2.12. The Emevor and her Kinships with Iyede and Owhe Clans

2.13. The Contemporary History of Emevor

2.14. Emevor’s Effurun (Uvwie) coterminous (neighbouring) settlement in retrospect

2.15. Emevor Aboriginal (Founder) Settlers

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER THREE

Peopling Of The Emevor Clan

Preamble

3.1 The Aboriginal Emevor Settlers

3.2 How were the Other Quarters/Streets(Not Named Here) Peopled?

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER FOUR

Emevor Language

4.1 Emevor Tongue in Retrospect: Uze Tongue

4.2 Orthography

4.3 Numeracy: Cardination Or Counting

4.4 Names of Some Common Objects in Emevor Tongue

4.5 Some of The Emevor Aphorisms, Witty Sayings, Proverbs and Other Commonsense Short Expressions

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER FIVE

Cosmology

5.1 Beliefs in a Supreme Spirit Being: Oghene

5.2 Beliefs in Lesser Spirit Beings

5.3 Beliefs, Faith and Rationality

5.4 Reincarnation

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER SIX

Astronomy And Time Reckoning

6.1 Time Reckoning

6.2 Events Reckoning

6.3 The Calculation of The Easter Sunday

6.4 Determination of the Christian Calendar AD or CE

6.5 Week Day Calendar for Years: 1900 - 2100 AD

6.6 Isoko (Emevor) Market Day Calendar for Years: 1900 - 2100 AD

References And Notes

CHAPTER SEVEN

Education

7.1 Traditional Education

7.2 Formal Education

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER EIGHT

Marriage In Emevor Clan: Oroon

8.1 Conjugal Rights and Obligations in Marriage

8.2 Some Types of Marital Associations

8.3 The Process of Marriage

8.4 The Order of Conducting The Traditional Marriage

8.5 The Order of The Traditional Marriage Rite in Emevor Clan

8.6 Customary Payment of Bride-Prize on Remarried Widows and Divorcees

8.7 Some Causes of Divorce or Failed Marriages

8.8 Some Taboos in Marriage

Concluding remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER NINE

Religion, Obituary And Eschatology

9.1 Some Definitions of Religion

9.2 Traditional Religion

9.3 The Christian Religion or Christology

9.4 Obituary

9.5 Eschatology

Concluding Remark

References And Notes

CHAPTER TEN

Ehwa Initiation In Womanhood

10.1 The Ehwa Initiation in Emevor Clan

10.2 The Decline of the Ehwa Initiation Ceremony

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Festivals In Emevor Clan

11.1 Emevor Annual Festival: Eha Emevor

11.2 Emevor Ohworu Festival

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cultural Identity And Personality Of The Emevor Clan

Preamble

12.1. Cultural Attributes

12.2. Personality Traits

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Governance In Emevor Clan

13.1 The Odio of Emevor

13.2 Quasi-Administrative Bodies

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Heroes, Heroines And Pacesetters In Emevor Clan

14.1 Legendary Figures

14.2 Modern Figures or Pacesetters

14.3 Pioneer university graduates (Before 1960)

14.4 Some University Professors and Administrators before the 1990s

14.5 Some College, Polytechnic, and University Administrators before the 1990s

14.6 Midwest/Bendel/Delta State Civil Service before the 1980s

14.7 Midwest/Bendel/Delta State Agricultural Officers before the 1980s

14.8 Pioneer Plantation Agricultural Workers before the 1950s

14.9 Federal Civil Service Commision Officers before the 1980s

14.10 Federal Public Services Officers

14.11 Pioneer Church leaders of Orthodox Churches before 1930s

14.12 Other CMS prominent pioneer members

14.13 Ordained Clergy of Orthodox Christian Churches

14.14 Lawyers called to the Nigerian Bar before 2000 and the Judiciary Staff

14.15 The Legendary Nigeria Police Force before the 1980s

14.16 Legendary Military Men during the World War II

14.17 The Legendary Schoolmasters before the 1920s

14.18 The Legendary Headmasters before the late 1960s

14.19 Premier Principals of Secondary and Trades Schools

14.20 Pioneer Technologists before the civil war (1966)

14.21 Pioneer Health Officers and Health Technologists before the 1960s

14.22 Pioneer Bankers before the 1980s

14.23 Pioneer professional Truck Drivers before 1966

14.24 Proprietors of Nursery, Primary and secondary schools before the year 2000s

14.25 Proprietors and Medical Directors of Private Hospitals and Clinics

14.26 Proprietors or General Managers of Business Companies before 1990s

14.27 Proprietors of Petroleum products Distribution Companies in Emevor clan

14.29 Autochthonous Business Proprietors and Managers before the 1980s

14.29 Some of the pioneer Business Proprietors and Traders in Benin land before the Civil War

14.30 Some of the pioneer Business proprietors in Yoruba land before the 1960s

14.31 Some of the pioneer Business Proprietors and Traders in Warri before 1960s

14.32 Some of the pioneer Business Proprietors and Traders in Sapele before the Civil War

14.33 Some of the Native Doctors and Diviners before the 1960s

Concluding remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Changes Provoked By Modernity In Emevor Clan

The Nature of Change

15.1 Settlement and communication

15.2 Buildings

15.3 Language

15.4 Feasts/Festivals

15.5 Marriage

15.6 Emergence of the single female parenting

15.7 Emergence of the wife’s detachment from the husband’s family or female aloofness

15.8 Mother-in-law’s stigmatization of witchcraft by the wife

15.9 Fastidious (difficult to please) or overbearing mothers-in-law

15.10 Chastity of women

15.11 Perverted ‘conjugal-solemnizing-libation’ and absence of oaths taking

15.12 Feminism

15.13 Death knell to Widow Inheritance

15.14 Obituary

15.15 Emevor Identity

15.16 Governance

Concluding Remarks

References And Notes

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Preview Of Futuristic Trends In Emevor Clan

16.1 Settlements

16.2 Language

16.3 Feasts

16.4 Marriage

16.5 Ehwa

16.6 Emevor Identity

16.7 Governance

Conclusion

References And Notes

Selected Bibliography

APPENDIX A

Determination of Week Days (1900-2100 AD)

APPENDIX B

Isoko (Emevor) Market Days (1900-2100 AD)

APPENDIX C

Tables for Cardination or Counting in Emevor

APPENDIX D

Selected Computer Programs

EMEVOR PEOPLE:

MY PERSONAL MEMOIRS AND JOTTINGS

RICHARD AKPOYOMARE OGBE

Formerly, Senior Lecturer at the Federal College

of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State of Nigeria.

Retired Principal of the Federal Government

College, Idoani, Ondo State of Nigeria.

8th January 2017

Inspiration from Daddy

daddy.jpg

OGBE ISAIAH EYOMAME 1897 - 2002

Pa Ogbe Isaiah Eyomame (Nov. 1895-20th Feb. 2002) is my father. He was one of the astronomers, and philosophers that Emevor clan had produced

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I   PARTICULARLY  WISH  TO acknowledge the assistance received from Prof Otite, Onigu. I had visited him many times, and had found every visit more enlighten-ing. I have used his books and quoted profusely from them, and for that, my expressed indebtedness and profound gratitude are due to him.

Special thanks are registered to Ali U.P.S.; Pa Akporobaro E.O.; Prof Ikime, Obaro; Chief Alabi A.B.; and the numerous authors and publishers for use of their published and unpublished materials in this book, which had enriched the contents.

I wish to sincerely thank all those who helped in the conception and production of this book. I am especially grateful to my team of reviewers: Ogobah J.U.; Akporobaro E.O.; Hon Justice Anigboro P.J.O. (Rtd); Deacon Emerhana Pat O.; Orogun G.E.; and Ogidiaka S.; for the corrections and suggestions made which had improved the quality of the presentations made.

Finally, I also thank Prof David Oyibo Ogbe and Engr James Obuke Ogbe for the financial sponsorship I received towards the publication. May the good Lord bless every one. Amen!!!

‘ODUMAKO

"And now, go, write it before them on a tablet

and inscribe it in a book, that it be for the time

to come as witness for ever"

Isaiah 30:8 (RSV)

(Cf Habakkuk 2:2-3)

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to JOHN OKEH OGBE of blessed memory,

whose altruism and munificence provided the engine of growth

and development, that catapulted the OGBE FAMILY from

poverty to prosperity, and from obscurity to fame. It is

very right and befitting to quote the tributes which

H. W. Longfellow wrote on great men like him:

"Were a star quenched on high,

For ages would its light,

Still travelling down from the sky,

Shine on our mortal sight.

So when a great man (John) dies,

For years beyond our ken,

The light he lives behind him lies,

Upon the paths of men."

Life of great men, all reminds us to make our life sublime,

So departing leave behind indelible mark on the sand of time.

Requiem aeternem dona eis Domine;

May you rest eternally in the Lord

Et lux perpetua lucest eis

And may perpetual light shine upon you.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

PREFACE

T HE THOUGHT OF writing this book began on Monday, the 9 th of September 2013 when I received a phone call from my younger brother, Prof. David Oyibo Ogbe, in Denver, Colorado, USA, commissioning me to do a write up of the genealogy of the Eyomame Family Tree by editing the earlier accounts written by John Okeh Ogbe, our eldest brother of blessed memory, on 12 th January 1986, 8 th February 1987 and 29 th September 1987. He assured me of his preparedness to sponsor the publication, and motivated me by stressing that he knew I possess the intellectual capacity, strength of purpose, skill and the determination to do good write up. Weeks later, I took up the Advanced Learner’s Dictionary to look up what genealogy entails and discovered that It is the study of family history, including the study of who the ancestors of particular person/people were. This could be drawn as Family Chart or Family Tree or could be written as a Storyline . The first problem was that, I embarked on drawing a Family Tree which soon ran out of dendritic twigs to hold-in more names. The much as I tried, the more it became like spaghetti that I had to abandon it, and took the Storyline and Chart formats.

The second problem I faced was that, all genealogies were in all respects de facto biographies; and were in all situated in the context of a people with a geographical location, historical antecedent and socio-anthropological milieu. The genealogies of Noah (Gen 5:1-32), those of the kings of Israel (1Chron 1: 1- 9:44), and that of Jesus Christ (Cf Matt 1:1-17; Luke 3:25-38) were based on the ancient Hebrew settlements, migratory histories and socio-cultural milieux of the Jewish people. It then done on me that, there was no magical way of presenting the Eyomame Family History in a vacuum, without predicating it on that of the Emevor clan – its settlement, migratory history and socio-cultural milieux. This problem became very grave when I realized that there were no official written histories of the Emevor people, but fragmented writings in published books, unpublished mimeographs; university and other tertiary institutions’ Term Papers, Long Essays and Projects, which might not have treated the history per se, but some aspects of the Emevor history, tradition or culture; which this writer cannot now access. Besides, most of these documented accounts were, in most cases, currently out of circulation to the general readership. Therefore, not wishing to ‘re-invent the wheel’, I dwelt on the historiography of the Emevor people. However, despite these two key limitations, I summoned up courage and drew inspirations from the Holy Bible where in Isaiah 30:8 (Cf Habakkuk 2:2-3), God stressed the importance of keeping permanent records when He commanded both prophets to document what He told each of them into a book for a future testimony. And I also drew some strength, from Pa Akporobaro E.O. (2012) who had recently completed a primer of excellence in this regard; but my main motivation came from the work of Chief Alabi A.B.(2009) entitled IDOANI my Historical Jottings where he did a similar work on the Idoani people, and which title I have adopted and modified for this work. Another moral booster came from Achebe (2012) in his last work – There Was A Country, in which he embedded his own autobiography in the story of the Biafra-Nigeria civil war of 1967-70. Similarly, Hon Justice Anigboro P.J.O.(Rtd), on 12th May 2015 during an informal discussion, encouraged me to document my thoughts. At first I incorporated six chapters of detailed genealogy of the Eyomame Family into this book, but on the 25th of June 2016, I decided to write two books—this first one and the second entitled A Survey of the Genealogy of the Eyomame Family of Ogbike in Emevor.

This book (work) is presented with an Introduction and Sixteen chapters. In Chapter 1, the geographical characteristics of the Emevor clan were covered. There are maps and charts to amplify the presentations. Chapter 2 treated the historiography and historical antecedents, and while chapter 3 dealt with Peopling and Migrations. Chapter 4 treated the Emevor Language, while Chapter 5 dwelt on Cosmology and Beliefs. In Chapter 6, Astronomy and Time reckoning with Easter Day calculation were adequately treated, while in Chapter 7, Education was covered. Chapter 8 dwelt extensively on marriages in Emevor clan, while Chapter 9 treated Religion, Obituary and Eschatology. In Chapter10, the Ehwa Initiation into Womanhood was covered, while Chapter 11 treated Festivals of Emevor. Chapter 12 dwelt on the Cultural Identity and Personality of the Emevor Person, while Chapter 13 treated Governance in Emevor; and Chapter 14 treated Some of the Heroes, Heroines and Pacesetters of the Emevor clan. Chapter 15 dwelt on the Changes brought by modernism. The prospects for the future and final comments took the centre stage in chapter 16 which was also the concluding chapter.

The language used was simple and straight; and a plethora of ‘References and Notes’ were provided for the reader. All technical terms and words or expressions that were rendered in the Emevor tongue or dialect of the Isoko language had explanations provided alongside them, or were also properly treated in the references and notes. All works cited were depicted as direct quotation or paraphrased. In most of the referencing, the American Psychological Association (APA) format [Ogbe R.A. (1980:20)] has been used. All of the References and Notes were reserved to the end of the chapter, so as to maintain the steady flow or tempo of the reading trend, and to prevent the unnecessary truncation of the storyline.

I wish to appreciate with thanks, the support I received from many people especially my friends, colleagues, respected Chiefs, elders and reviewers too many to be mentioned by names. I found the works of Prof Obaro Ikime and Prof Onigu Otite, cited in almost every page of the book, and also The Holy Bible (GNB), very inspiring. To them, I owe immeasurable quanta of gratitude. And also to Ali U.P.S. who I call ‘encyclopedia of Emevor oral history’ for the facts I got from him, while we lived in the same block of House at Ilue-ologbo (1967-79), Oleh (1970-71) and Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Jos, Plateau State (1977-91). I gave the draft-manuscript to Ogobah J.U.—another guru of Emevor History, Akporobaro E.O., Deacon Emerhana P.O., Hon Justice Anigboro P.J.O. (Rtd), Orogun G., Ogidiaka S., and some others; for their contributions, and corrections of some of the ‘facts’ and I am grateful for their contributions of inestimable value, that have rightly panel-beaten the Book into its present shape.

Any misrepresentation of ‘facts’ contained in this Book, was solely my own inadvertent human error. My only wish is that more of such rudimentary jottings, biographies, genealogies and memoirs be documented by many other writers not only in Emevor clan, but across all the Isoko clans, as well as our neighbouring Urhobo clans. These would provide a mosaic of reading materials and testimonials for the present and future generations to sieve from, in any efforts towards engaging in historical and socio-cultural researches. This book, being a primer of a sort, I suppose, will provoke the Emevor academia to offer the much desired ‘fill up’ of the hiatus that existed therein.

Finally, I thank my wife—Felicia Oghale Ogbe—for her unfailing support, and all my children for the financial and moral support enjoyed during the writing and production.

Richard Akpoyomare Ogbe

No. 23 Ogbike Street, Emevor.

8th January 2017.

70th Birthday Anniversary.

INTRODUCTION

Preamble

W HEREVER I INTRODUCED myself as an Emevor indigene, people especially older people, who attended the James Welch Grammar School, Emevor, would call or tease me as the ‘ Odumako !’ people. This is an exclamation of surprise or wonder that was very commonly used by older Emevor person of both sexes in those days. Albeit, the Owhe and Iyede people also used it, its use was commoner in Emevor clan. It is like " M adallah " in Hausa that is still commonly used to express surprise or wonder or awe.

Geographical survey of emevor clan

Emevor clan¹ is located in the fresh water Swamp Forest of the Delta State of Nigeria. She enjoys the hot humid temperatures (above 26o C) and very heavy rainfall (above 2000mm) that characterize this climatic regime. As a consequence of this, there is an annual flooding which results from the very heavy rainfall during the wet season which lasts from mid-March to early November.²

The soils are derived from the silt that are deposited annually and these are composed principally of alluvium (oluhu) and sand (uwhenkpe), which are very highly bleached hence the whitish colour (ophien) in Emevor dialect. However, in parts of upland not denudated, the argillaceous³ processes take place which result in mixed mud and clay with reddish colour (ekpe owawa).

The agricultural pattern and crops planted are mainly root crops and tree crops which could be annuals and perennials, especially the tree crops. Economic crops include oil palm, rubber, coconut palm, raphia palm, oranges, pawpaw, pineapple, cassava, maize, vegetables, yam, cocoyam, pepper, and others. Food crops include yam, cassava, maize, garden egg, tomato, vegetables, plantain, banana, and many others.

The people are blacks and claim common ancestry, without any evidence of monogenesis. They are footloose⁴ and emigrate to the Bini lowlands and the Yoruba country in large numbers. Their early contact with these foreigners has been responsible for the high rate of educational attainment of the people. To date, the numbers of professors and other professionals that Emevor clan has produced quite out-number those produced by each other clan in Isoko land.

Historical and anthropological surveys of Emevor clan

The history of Emevor clan is an enigmatic problem. There are fragmented written accounts of the history of Emevor by many foreigners like Hubbard (1948)⁵, Dr James Welch (1934)⁶ whose eponymous name was given to the first Secondary Grammar School in Isoko land, located in Emevor town which opened on the 16th of February 1957⁷, Aitken, and others. There are Nigerians and Isoko indigenous writers, especially Prof. Obaro Ikime⁸ of the University of Ibadan. There are also Booklets on Emevor history by Emevor indigenous or autochthonous (home grown) writers such as Hon Moses Oseha in 1952, and by Justice Anigboro 1974⁹ which dwelt on the history as well as the administrative structure of traditional institutions in Emevor clan, and other written historical mimeographs, papers and projects by Ali U.P.S. 1974, Ereh R.E. at al. (2009)¹⁰, and some others. At the moment, I am unable to say much about other recently written accounts of the history of Emevor.

In 1980, the Emevor Progress Union (E.P.U.) at her annual conference in December set up a committee of university trained and educated historians to research and compile an official version of the Emevor history. This historical project was put under the chairmanship of Justice Anigboro, (then Barrister), and till today, that project had been earthed in the pipeline, and had since then failed to rise to the surface.

As an aphorism runs War matter is too important to be entrusted to only combatant military generals. In a similar vein, the history of Emevor clan is too complex to be written by only trained historians. In my humble view, it should be multi-disciplinary with contributions from historians, sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, geographers and others, who should make their various inputs into that enterprise. In this circumstance, I have written my own jottings for the preservation of the knowledge of facts for this generation and those yet unborn. I made every effort at representing the ‘facts’ or ‘truth’ as much as had been scientifically verified in my own limited way. Facts are, therefore, very sacred. But what constitutes the ‘facts’ is not generally acceptable to everyone. In that case, it is thus, much safer to give a socio-cultural historiography rather than purely the historical description of events. That had to be done with a view to avoid going the whole hug of resolving the eternal argument of precedence of the egg and the hen which one first evolved, or more aptly put as, ascertaining which ‘facts’ were historical and which ones were not.

Historical facts

It was Carr E.H. (1974:11)¹¹ in his famous work What is History? who averred that the history we read, though based on facts is strictly speaking not factual, but a series of accepted judgments and statements, and further argued more convincingly that it is the recorder (historian) who creates the facts of history. As a writer, I find solace in aligning myself with what he stated. And so, the facts presented were made to depict what had generally been considered as ‘facts’ by the Emevor people in their common sayings and from their folklores, mythologies and customs. In some cases where these customs were silent on some events and cultural practices, attempts were made to ‘create’ my facts of the story.

Consequently, the sections on the documented evolutionary histories had to depend on the analysis and interpretations of the works of other writers, and those published works of Prof Obaro Ikime, a notable authority on Nigerian history. He is an Isoko indigene, who had carried out extensive researches on the evolution of the Isoko clans, instead of re-inventing the wheel. Therefore, many materials were acknowledged and reproduced from his works, and those of other writers. And as a geographer and an educationist with postgraduate experiences, and who had some background training and competencies in many educational fields, I had applied these cognate experiences; most especially in the use of ‘descriptive analysis’ for which geographers are adeptly most equipped. I had raised queries on some mythologies and ‘weird facts’ in the survey of the historical facts about the evolution and migrations of the Emevor people. Queries were raised about their travails during their emigrations and sojourns until they arrived at their present site, and the events after, that occurred in their struggles to compete and co-operate with nature in their new locality. It had been necessary to subject the interpretations of some phenomena described or generally held and accepted as true to the probing questions brought about by modernity, expanded scientific knowledge and rational thinking. However, such ‘accounts’ or ‘phenomena’ would first be presented in their native (pure) forms in which they were heard, or held by the people as real or true facts before attempting any analyses.

The indigenous Emevor reader with competency in history, might find some facts as non-factual and that should be very natural as expected. In that case, as already stated in the Preface, it then becomes incumbent on that reader to set the records straight rather than engage in theoretical tirades which are unproductive to the author, other readers or the generations for which the work had been intended to serve as a guide. And as Achebe¹² succinctly puts it: It is for the sake of the future of … our children and grand-children, that I feel it is important to tell … my own story. If you don’t like my story, you too, should write you own viewpoints. By this, more materials are made available to the general readerships to sieve and learn from, and therefore, become more enriched and further informed.

Knowledge explosion

As more knowledge becomes available due to the explosion of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) brought about by the revolution of the computer and internet, more facts are most likely to be found or revealed in the future, which may correct what are ‘facts’ of this era.

According to Prof Onigu Otite,¹³ ‘recent scientific evidence (Archaeo-logical finds) had shown, as in the case of the Bini lowlands, that the original site of Udo¹⁴ the Bini Empire metropolitan city of antiquity, had been lost to memory. The present site of Benin City with its moats defensive system was a recent historical location.’ He posited that the Udo ‘Bini City’ of antiquity of the Urhobo folklores, might had been located somewhere within the circle formed by the present day Abraka¹⁵ (Avwraka), of Delta State; Urhonigbe, Ugo, Ebhosi, and Abudu towns in the Orhiomwon Local Government Council areas of Edo State. He further maintained that the routes of migration of the many Urhobo (and some Isoko clans, Emevor clan inclusive) that claimed to have emigrated from Bini lowlands had also been lost to memory.

He had this to say: We cannot at present give the exact order (routes) and dates of Urhobo settlements in their various territories. Three main routes were however taken by Urhobo migrants. First through Ologbo…; second through Ugo …; and third through a jungle to Asaba and the River Niger to Aboh and Ase swamps and creeks.¹⁶

And therefore, he cautioned against formulating any hypothetical routes, as these were bound to lead to very unreliable results and grievous errors. As Prof Biobaku (1979)¹⁷ pointed out, Historians depend on evidence and their account of what actually happened must change in the light of any new evidence that is adduced Substantiating that view, Prof Onigu Otite cited Henige (1974:7)¹⁸ who remarked that: Only in the past few centuries has the mythological chaff been separated from the historical wheat even for the ancient Greece. Although much earlier, Prof Onigu Otite (1971)¹⁹ had noted that: the mental ability of non-literate peoples to retain their history through oral traditions is highly underestimated…we are often tempted to regard their narratives as mere myths or legends. Similarly, Prof Biobaku S.O. (1979:2)²⁰ had supported this view when he said: Where the culture of a society does not provide for writing, people take ‘endless trouble to ensure’ that the traditional accounts of their past … are handed over from one generation to another with as little distortion and adulteration as possible. And it has been said of the Jews who had held their traditional histories and their knowledge of the Mosaic laws with so much great care up to Jesus’ era that Jesus Christ had to say in Matt 5:18, Heaven and Earth will pass away but not an iota or single dot of my words or the law will by no means change or pass away. So, people tend hold their histories with much great care, and pass it on to the next generation with little distortions as much as possible, in non-literate societies.

Problems of oral traditional history

However, Prof Onigu Otite (2011)²¹ noted elsewhere, that as rosy or plausible as the above observation appears to be, there may be some problems in using oral traditional histories solely as sources of facts for documenting written histories. He listed many pitfalls. But these are just very few of them:

1. Telescoping or contraction or shortening of the chronology: Certain events that occurred very long ago could be contracted to fit a time scope or scale. When the details of the intervening periods are obscure, two distant events remembered are shortened and merged into one successive episode.

2. Lengthening of the chronology: Important events or prominent rulers’ era are tended to be lengthened. For example the periods of the rule or reigns of Kings David and Solomon were much lengthened while those of Saul and Rehoboam were made to fade into oblivion very fast.

3. Relative and absolute chronology: Traditional historians tend to fix events on relative time scale. Prominent or key landmark events such as natural events of earthquake, solar eclipse, high floods, famine, drought, etc; and human events, such as the reign of a great king, war, murder, etc that occurred at an era, are used as pillars or bench marks and all events (birth, death, etc) that occurred around that era either earlier or later, are related or linked to that event or pillar. For example many of the illiterate mothers tend to relate or fix the birth time of their children born between 1945 and 1949 relative to the solar eclipse that occurred on 20th May 1947. My child was two years old during the eclipse or my child was born two years after the eclipse. I got married seven moons after the solar eclipse. The Bible is replete with many relative event-time reckoning episodes. Such as: In the year that King Uzziah died… (Isa 6:1). What year did Uzziah die? Jesus was born …when Herod was king (Matt 2:1). What year was that? It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperior Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judaea … (Lk 3:1) What year was it?

4. Obfuscation: Attempts are made to willfully obscure unpleasant events such as defeat in wars. Most of the humiliating events are purposefully made obscure so that the event might easily fade away into oblivion or collective memory loss.

5. Amnesia or memory lapse: This is willful and unintended forget-ting of events due to memory failure. Many old illiterate fathers of polygynous marriages cannot remember the names of some of their children after the age of over eighty years because of senile memory lapse or senile amnesia.

6. Acculturation and substitution: These occur mostly in food, dress, and language. The Igarra and Akoko Edos have been acculturated by the coterminous dominant Yoruba cultures that they now substituted some of those Yoruba cultures with their original Edo cultures.

Evolution of Emevor history

By and large, the section on the history of Emevor people was a relay of what is generally held as facts about her evolution and migration histories from the Bini (Aka) lowlands to her present site. It reviewed some documented works and posed some questions for further discussions and clarifications. The writer had no need to undertake any fieldwork or excursions to Benin lowlands or even the sites the Emevor people were said to have sojourned (stayed for some time) before moving out. Some of such places were the site between the two sections of Emede town, and another site named as Uruobe quarters, and Uli settlement which is an Emevor irredenta²² in the present day Iyede clan.

Besides, most of these historical sites had been lost to memory in antiquity, and were not now being remembered. Secondly and most importantly, the perennial flooding and silting up of those swampy sites had not helped matters, because they had led to the obscuration of these primeval sites. The caution given by Prof Onigu Otite must be taken very seriously in the case of Emevor migratory journeys, because despite the present advancement in geographical knowledge and analysis, some of the ancient sites, rivers, streams, and routes mentioned in antiquity, could not now be precisely located on the map of the areas or regions mentioned.

Peopling, language and education

The peopling of Emevor presented some gaps that needed to be bridged from the knowledge of further research, as only the thirteen aboriginal progenitors of Emehwa, and twelve other pioneers were named. But only two pioneers of Emehwa (m) and Imueli (m), and Emole who was not among the thirteen pioneers, were identified for study. These three persons accounted for the peopling of Urugu and Imueli quarter which comprised Ogbike Street and the present day Imueli quarter, and Urume Street, respectively, and a few others. What of the other quarters not named? Who peopled them? Were they the sons and brothers of these original thirteen pioneer settlers, or were they latter time immigrants like Emole?

The language posed no problems of study. It is a subgroup of the Urhobo language as was recognized by eminent professors of linguistics, and ethnographers. Prof. Williamson Kay²³, and Mafeni B.O.W.²⁴ both isolated it from the general Isoko language, thus giving it as a special group (patois) within the Isoko language cluster. It was suggested that the orthography of Emevor tongue should borrow heavily from Urhobo rather than Isoko, if only we are willing to keep the unique Emevor ‘identity’ separateness. But as language is a living entity and grows as the people’s culture advances and further develops, if it is best to lean more to our Isoko brothers, then a hybridization of the tongue would evolve which would be neither ‘pure’ Isoko tongue nor ‘pure’ present day Emevor tongue. Therefore, the orthography should include some of the ‘double consonants’ of the Urhobo (probably derived from Edo) such vb for names like Igboriyavbie instead of Igboriavie and also in words like ‘deceive’ as evbie. Similarly, the ph as in words like Opho (Ogbike farmland); opha (bride); otaphia (reveal) which are written in Isoko as ‘ovo’; ‘ova’ and otavia respectively be used. Also vh as in ‘ovhan’ (face) which is ‘ovao’in Isoko, has been suggested. Already, the rh substitution for z sound is with us in such words as ‘orha’ (man); ‘orhii’(starch); ‘erherha’ (six); ‘orha’ (well) etc. The reader would find very many examples.

The education in Emevor clan was straight forward and posed no problems. The storyline ran from functional and worthwhile traditional training or education, to the modern day postgraduate academic and professional education.

Cosmology, beliefs, astronomy, and time reckoning

The Emevor believes in a supreme Spirit Essence or Deity called Oghene, and a multiplicity of lesser spirit beings or deities called Edho. The principal deity of the Emevor clan is the Oviethe whose totemic object is the monitor lizard or iguana called Ogbode; which was revered as ibaba-ode. Beliefs in many phenomena are rife. The belief in witchcraft and its malfeasance was acknowledged. There was also the belief in reincarnation which recognizes the multiple cycles of death and rebirth. But its belief runs counter to the perpetuation of the cult of the ancestors which are worshipped in their elysian abode or ‘ethereal’ world. For example, if an ancestor had reincarnated, how then could he be worshipped when he had been reborn into the family?

Astronomy and time-reckoning dealt with the astronomical observations of the phases of the lunar moon. This led to the desirability for time and events reckoning. The triduum (uruosa), the week (urule), the monthly – lunar moon cycle (amaran), and the yearly cycle (egbukpe), were the products of the astronomical watch by the traditional Emevor astronomers.

Marriage

Marriage was also very adequately treated as the various aspects of the marriage customs were x-rayed. The marriage in Emevor has been likened to what Dr Mudiaga Odje²⁵ had to say when he wrote: The institution of customary [please insert Emevor] marriage is more than a union between the parties: it is to all intents and purposes a contract as well as an alliance between the families of the spouses. It was shown that an Emevor marriage could be likened to a Catholic marriage, that was never dissolved by man-made laws²⁶; albeit conditions were given when it was no longer desirable to continue with the marriage bond. Amplifying the Catholic Church’s marriage indissolubility, Goldthorpe J.E. (1971:88) had this to say²⁷:

At the risk of over-simplifying, the Roman Catholic Church takes literally the sentence ‘Whom God hath joined let no man put asunder’ and regards marriage as indissoluble during the lifetime of the spouses… The discussion on marriage also treated the Order of conducting marriages in the traditional Emevor environment. With the unrestrained adaptation from some of the Isoko clans, especially those with very fluid cultures which has been claimed as ‘Christian’ culture, the Emevor had presently veered off from the original pattern. Restoration has therefore, been emphasized with the full details of how that could be achieved. We should stop this external-locus-of-control or ‘follow-follow’ practices.

Religion and christology, obituary and eschatology

The Emevor are very deeply religious people. They were polytheistic and animists or animatists, who worshipped many deities in the past. Their principal deity – Oviethe was not worshipped, because it had no cult of followers. It was just served or propitiated by the chief priest (Edhurhe) on behalf of the people. Ancestral worship was rife; and some worshipped in the many witchdoctors’ and herbalists’ cults, and in the many Igbe cults. Ancestral worship was not regarded as a religion, but a practice that was engaged in at festivals by all non-Christian groups.

The christian religion (Christology) had a special attraction for the Emevor people. The pioneering efforts of the CMS Mission (now Anglican Communion) which came into the scene in the early nineteen tens (1910s) yielded great fruits, and it had maintained its ‘octopus’ stature. It was only in the early nineteen thirties (1930s) that Catholicism breezed into the scene, and had continued to maintain its very low profile, until the twenty tens (2010s) that it acquired a ‘Catholic Parish’ status. The Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) came into the scene in the early nineteen sixties, and it had cut a moderate ‘coat’ for its moderate ‘size’ or presence. With the advent of the multivariate Pentecostalism in place, at least almost every street/quarters could now boast of two or more church buildings and mixed grill religious activities on daily basis.

Obituary or denaturation has been with mankind since Cain caused the demise of Abel (Cf Gen 4:8 GNB).

Emevor had traditional obsequies for her deceased members. There are intricate rites associated with the demise of the wealthy, and the very aged when they joined their ancestors. It was like a festival of a sort for the very old person to ‘go back home.’ But for the youths and children, it was gloomy beyond measure, and it attracted no celebrations at all. It was all mourning and wailing galore.

Eschatology refers to the ‘end of things’ or finality and a state of non-being. The end of all life and what happens after death, had been an intractable mystery for mankind. Albeit, Christology offers some meanings and explanations of ‘living’ after death, it was in African traditional religion that a more accommodating view of ‘living’ after death, such as the cult of ancestors or the ‘living dead’, was very pronounced.

Festivals

Emevor clan is replete with many festival celebrations. The main Annual Festival begins with the IDHU Day ceremony at the end of the fourth moon of the year (Ane) and continued to the early new fifth moon (Eson). Other festivals are the Ohworu which is celebrated at an indefinite number of years interval. It begins with the sio Ohworu which is the ‘Initiation or Invitation of it’; and after a period of about three years interval we have the kpon ohworu kpo or ‘concluding part’ celebration being held. It was a festival of fertility and the songs were laden with rather obscene wordings. It was likened to the ‘Erin Oke’ festival of the Ibadan people²⁸ of Oyo state, or the ‘Penis Dance’ of the Japanese.²⁹

Administration and governance

Traditionally, Emevor was governed by an Odio who wielded supreme legislative, executive and judicial powers, until the advent of colonialism when these powers were eroded and whittled down. The Odio governed through the Odio-Council with the Iko-Egwan and the Iletu as the councilors. The women had their own head, who was the oldest woman or Okpako Ewheya. They dealt with matters pertaining to women affairs, such as marriage customs; Ehwa initiation into womanhood; bride-price and mother’s entitlement; clit excision; and other feminine matters. Their decisions were subjected to the approval of the Odio’s council. There was no Youth Council that had any administrative powers. The youths were mobilized for any function by the elders. Later, from the late nineteen twenties onwards, the ‘Elders’ Improvement Union’ and the ‘Youth Improvement Union’ came into the scene as advisory bodies to the Odio-in-Council. But because these bodies (especially the youth wing) were composed of the educated or knowledgeable elites, they had administrative structures and acted as quasi-administrative bodies. Due to the rift between the ‘Elders’ and ‘Youth’ unions arising from intractable diametrically opposed views, these two bodies became moribund until sometime in 1968 or so, when the present ‘Emevor Progress Union’ was formed. Since its formation, it has contributed to the progress, modernization and development of the Emevor clan. A ‘Youth Council’ had surfaced in the nineteen nineties; and like all youths, which Gitelson (1948)³⁰ described with bipolar adjectives: stable and unstable; all-knowing and ignorant; steady and wavering etc, they had acted true to type. One only hopes that, our leaders do not bow to their antics like Rehoboam did in Israel, which led to the division of the Jewish Kingdom. (Cf 1Kg 12:8-17) When the Jewish kingdom was united, it was very strong and difficult to over-run by the neighbouring powers; but once it was divided into two and weakened, the Assyrians came and carried away the northern kingdom (Samaria) into exile, and a little later, the Babylonians came and carried away the southern kingdom (Judea) into exile.

Preview of the futuristic trends

The future holds very great promise for the growth and development of the Emevor clan. There is the tremendous and massive infrastructural development going on in the clan as of today. One could foresee the sprawling of the main town into the Isi settlements in the nearest future, which would produce one-continuous-built-up conurbation or agglomeration of settlements with modern developed infrastructures, that is bubbling with basic and non-basic city activities.

Concluding Remarks

This Introduction has x-rayed what this work stands for, and I am convinced that the reader has been placed in a comfortable position, with a compass given to navigate his way through the directions of what the book entails.

REFERENCES AND NOTES

1.   Clan refers to a group of people connected because of a particular thing. It could be by common ancestry or progenitor; by affinity due to intermarriages, or by long migratory history of common co-habitation in a contiguous or coterminous geographical land area. It was used by Prof Ikime (1972) in the The Isoko People on page xvii (See the footnote) to describe the town entities in Isoko area. Emevor clan is one of the sixteen clans that make up the Isoko clans. He defines clan to mean ‘a socio-political unit made up of individuals who claim descent through the male line to common ancestor, who is the founder of the clan and sometimes gives his name eponymously to it’.

2.   Udo R.K. (1968) Geographical Regions of Nigeria. Ibadan: Heinemann Publishers. P.57.

3.   Monkhouse F.J. (1965:37). Principles of Physical Geography.6th Ed. London: ULP Ltd. P.37.

4.   Udo R.K. (1975:14) Migrant Tenant Farmers of Nigeria. Ibadan: African University Press, P. 14. Prof Udo used the term footloose geographically to describe people who readily emigrate in large numbers to other places to seek economic fortunes. These are mainly the Igbo of the South East. However, he included the Isoko migrant tenants in the Bini lowlands and in the Yoruba country. And the Emevor people are quite many among these emigrants.

5.   Hubbard J.W. (1948). The Sobo of the Niger Delta. Zaria: Gaskiya Corporation.

6.   Welch J.W. (1934) ‘The Isoko Tribe’ Africa Vol VII, Pp 160-73

7.   Ovririe B.G.O. (1982) James Welch Grammar School