Magnus Eze, Enugu

Afikpo, the second biggest town in Ebonyi State, next only to Abakaliki, the state capital, is a highly cultural place. Called Ehugbo by the natives, the community has one of the greatest cultural exports of the Igbo to the world in the Nkwa Umuagbogho maiden dance. 

One other interesting aspect of the people and culture of Afikpo is their traditional arms of government where the Ekpuke Essa play the roles of the legislature and judiciary.

History has it that the popular Eke Ukwu market, Afikpo, was founded by the ancestors from two communities of the area, Ohaisu and Ugwuegu, in the year 1896. This was followed by another market, Eke Mgbom, being established by Itim community in the same Afikpo. Upon the establishment of the Eke Ukwu market, the founders instituted traditional customary laws to ensure peace, orderliness and sanity. Equally established was a traditional arbitration council, whose responsibility was to resolve disputes and handle other traditional judicial matters.

Membership of the two arms of the traditional council Ekpuke Eto and Ekpuke Essa, is attained by age and involves the five communities of Nkpoghoro, Ugwuegu, Ohaisu, Itim and Ozizza. The third arm, the Onikara, which is made up of the eldest age bracket, is the advisory body of the council. Those in the last and eldest of the age grades (up to 90 years) Rikweri, are not involved in attending the Ulu-Ubi Essa at the Ehugbo Traditional Council quadrangle at the Eke market, Afikpo.

At the quadrangle are the three chambers aforesaid, with two of them, the Essa and the Eto, performing certain outlined traditional legislative, judicial and executive functions. In the separation of power, the Essa, which acts as the Upper House, combines the legislative function with that of adjudication in traditional matters, except for criminal cases, which the council asks the litigants to take to orthodox courts such as government customary courts, magistrates’ courts and high courts of justice. These courts act as appellate courts for land cases and other cases tried and settled by the council. While the council of Essa deals primarily with land, marriages, divorce and other socio-cultural matters, the Eto (the Lower House) handles cases involving debt recovery and discipline.

Recent investigations by Daily Sun showed that the appellate courts, especially the High Court, have upheld most of the judgments of the Essa council. In six land cases recently reviewed, the High Court faulted only one and upheld five. The courts have, oftentimes, referred cases to the council, some based on willingness of the parties to come back therein for settlement.  One of the most remarkable cases was a dispute about rent and royalties over a large parcel of land acquired by the Catholic missionaries for use for the establishment of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital and other educational institutions in Afikpo urban area. It was between the church and Evuma village.

All the five village groups of Nkpoghoro, Ugwuegu, Ohaisu, Itim and Ozizza were represented and the mission team was led by Reverend Father Joseph Azubuike. Essa Francis Evo Egwu spoke on behalf of Evuma village.

As tradition demanded, both parties elected and accepted for their case to be mediated upon. That done, the case commenced with the Evuma people laying down their complaints. Francis Evo Egwu traced the history of how the white missionaries entered the land agreement with their forefathers but their community’s young ones asked for a review. A review, according to him, was consequently made, to the acceptance of both parties.

Having achieved that, the landlord community still turned Oliver Twist to ask for more and more, and that brought about disagreement.

One of the elders of the Essa traditional council, recalling the trial, stated that the Afikpo people were dazed when they heard that the Evuma people demanded a whopping N2 billion, in addition to a promise already made by the mission out of mission’s volition. The mission had promised to build a town hall for them. The traditional elders’ council, in their wisdom, resolved the matter, ordering a permanent solution whereby royalties were stopped from being hiked often.

Even though the council, according to their mandate, does not handle criminal cases, they brushed on the issue of threat to Reverend Father Charles Otu and thereby issued serious warning to the youths of the community and their leadership over the matter, consequently ensuring that they made an undertaking withdrawing the threat.

However, this much cherished aspect of Ehugbo was threatened following a disagreement that reared its ugly head during the change of guard of 2008 and erupted again in 2016.

From the inception of the council till 2008, all the communities had accepted and respected the decision of the ancestral founders in maintaining that the position of the Okabue (chief spokesperson of the Essa) should traditionally and customarily rotate between Ohaisu and Nkpoghoro communities.

Our finding was that Elu Eke (Ohaisu) occupied the Okabue position between 1920 and 1928, Okere Nnachi (Ugwuegu) 1928-1936, Oko Ehihia (Ohaisu) 1936-1944, Uro Ugo (Ugwuegu) 1944-1952 and Egwu Abali (Ohaisu) 1952-1960.

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The trend continued with Ewa Ikwor I from Ugwuegu (1960-1968), which he handed over to Inya Aja (Ohaisu) whose regime spanned through the Nigeria-Biafra War period to 1976. Other persons who have been Okabue in the Essa council were: Obiahu Oko Ali Ugwuegu (1976-1984); Oti Abali (1984-1992); Ewa Ikwor II and Agha Oko (Ugwuegu) 1992-2000.

It was during the tenure of Oko Olughu Elechi (Ohaisu), 2000-2008, that some protests were raised when the transitional change of baton was held in 2008. Sanity later prevailed and the House became one and united again as Oka Uhiom/Eni Egwu of Ugwuegu had their peaceful reign from 2008 to 2016.

The present Okabue is Chief Christopher Abagha Egwu, since 2016. The 2016 transition was well organised, with certain modifications in the cultural protocol introduced. Our correspondent gathered that special attires were fashioned to differentiate between members of the three arms of the traditional council for clear identification and recognition. The Etos adorn themselves in black and white cap, the Essas in black-white-red cap, while the Onikaras wear an all-blood-red colour; the Horis who do not come to the council chambers due to age wear pure black.

Soon after the successful inauguration of the new leadership under Chief Abagha Egwu, Daily Sun learnt that one of the communities, Itim, opted out of the House, re-echoing its demand for the position of the Chief Spokesperson (Okabue). Ozizza, another community, later followed suit, making a similar demand.

The disagreement later resulted in a legal tussle that lasted three years at the Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Afikpo.

A veteran journalist who was Secretary of the 2016 Transition Committee, Dr. Jasper Okoro, said the new look Essa council, was a product of strategic transformation, powered by vision.

Okoro said: “When we came on board, a cursory look at the leadership line-up suggested that the team was well composed of men that were ready to serve and to serve well. There were issues the council could not trifle with, otherwise her credibility (as the Upper House) would be brought to ridicule, and we were fully on guard to check it appropriately-corruption and favoritism. We also had the task to ensure orderliness and uphold firmness. So, right from the onset, we instituted discernable sense of direction and that we still maintain.

“It is remarkable to note that some members had run foul of our guidelines and rules, bagging suspension for a session, meaning that their call back shall be by the next change-of-batons. So, that is how we do away with those who wish to tarnish the image of the council with scandalous acts.”

The Afikpo culture enthusiast also noted the litigation as another challenge but pointed out that recent High Court decision has rested the matter, showing that human rights applied to all parties.

Okoro stated that Justice Benson Ogbu in his ruling emphasized in that judgment that the court could not deprive any of the communities of its own rights exclusively bestowed on it by the tradition of the land.

It is worthy of note and a record of history that the communities in Ehugboland (Afikpo) have certain rights, benefits and privileges that are enjoyed exclusively by them.

Also, another member of the prestigious group, Chief Gregory Enya from Nkpoghoro community, told Daily Sun that the Essa is very special in the sense that it is only in Afikpo that one could find an assemblage of such caliber of people in Nigeria, rendering traditional adjudication role in a community. He described the group as the citadel of wisdom of Ehugboland.

Chief Enya said: “The Essa is special because Afikpo is the only place in Nigeria and possibly in the world where old men or those in their 60s meet to adjudicate on traditional and cultural issues. They interpret the culture of the land. That’s what stands it out.”

He further explained that the Essa is based on age grade system of six categories consisting of junior and senior ones, with the Ichies at the apex. He added that “For one to be an Ichie, the person must be in his 60s, with the younger ones at the lower rung of the Essa age grades. So, the Essa is the legislative arm, we make the laws and the Etos implement the laws.”