I have always believed as a history lover that wherever a statue of an individual or an edifice is erected, that a historical fact must follow such. So, based on this personal conviction ,my train of investigation took me down to Ezi Nde Okoronta (Nde Okoronta Compound), Ameke, Abiriba, to unravel the history behind this muscular-looking old-time warrior whose statue was recently erected in front of the Ezi Nde Okoronta compound in Abiriba.
I also believe that any individual whose statue appears in any compound or square in Abiriba must have done something significant or commendable to warrant remembering. Therefore, we will all be remembered in life one way or the other whether we did good or bad things while alive, because, records of our exploits are being taken but unknown to most of us.
WHO IS THIS MAN? I ASKED.
The statue of the man we see today at the entrance of Ezi Nde Okoronta, Ameke, Abiriba, is our subject matter today. The statue is that of the man who opened the Nde Okoronta compound called " OKORONTA AGWUOCHA". According to my findings, Okoronta Agwuocha's root is said to be traceable to Amuri , Nkporo in the present Ohafia Local government Area of Abia State,Nigeria and nobody can vividly say how many years or centuries ago the compound came into existence.
His exploits as a great warrior is not a tales-by-moonlight story,rather a history surrounded with physical evidence to show till date. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to say that Okoronta Agwuocha happens to be one of the richest men of his time in Abiriba and from available evidence, he still remains one of the richest till date going by the enormous amount/acres of lands which runs into hundreds if not thousands of acres in his name after many decades or centuries of his death.
Okoronta Agwuocha was a great warrior who owns road (Uzo) of his own known as Uzo Nde Okoronta,and the lands he amassed can be traced from Abiriba to Nkporo till date. No wonder no compound (Ezi) in Abiriba can match the Nde Okoronta people in terms of acres of lands owned due to the exploits of their founding father. I was told that Okoronta Agwuocha was the one who donated the lands known today as "Ali Nde Oriri" to the Nde Oriri compound people who were said to have assisted him in some of his exploits during wars.
As if that is not all, Okoronta Agwuocha also owns acres of lands in Amanta farming lands (Uzo Ubi Amanta) donated to him by the Amanta people for helping them out of the hands of a giant warrior known as Ebe from Nde Ebe in those days. He owns lands given to him by the Amanta community and the lands includes "OSIRI-IGWO", "IHU UZO AFIA", and " NGHURA". This Nghura farming land which till date is still owned and farmed by the Ezi Nde Okoronta people is the boundary between Amanta and Nde Ebe Abam,in Bende LGA,Abia State.
EZI NDE OKORONTA has Three principal families known as "NDE-E- MANG", "NDE-E-CHUKWU", and "NDE-E- ISIELE". Meanwhile, I was able to find out that Okoronta had Five children,namely: (1): MANG. (2): CHUKWU (3): ISIELE (4): EBI and (5): UKEFI.
However, as a great and wise warrior who owns acres of land,he was said to have divided and shared all his lands among his Five children named above without discrimination, and whenever they want to farm,they will do so en-mass. Unfortunately,one of his children, Ukefi, died without having any child to take possession of his portion of lands. Based on this, the other remaining Four brothers MANG, CHUKWU, ISIELE and EBI agreed to be sharing and farming on Ukefi's lands to prevent his portion turning into thick forest,and the agreement stood that way till date.
OWNING LANDS IN UZO AMANTA:
I was told that Okoronta had a sister who was married to a man from Amanta and that he (Okoronta) loved eating corn and Esusu, two Abiriba food delicacies which the Amanta people are known for as he was said to be a frequent visitor to his sister's place in Amanta to eat corn and esusu. Then he was said to have gone to Amanta one day only to discover that the people of Amanta have not gone to the farm to harvest his favourite corn. Upon his enquiry, he was told that a giant warrior from Nde Ebe Abam has been killing,molesting and preventing the Amanta people from going to farm,and sometimes,when they want to,they will go en-mass out of fear.
Okoronta was said to have prepared as a warrior he was, went on a finding mission to ascertain who the Ebe was,and to cut the whole thing short, he came back home, put his strategies in order and went after the giant warrior from Nde Ebe, Abam,in Bende LGA,killed him and came back home with the head of the Ebe as an evidence of his success,and while coming back, he cut the head of the Ebe alongside a branch of Osu tree which also serves as medicine for Cough. He was said to have dropped the machete with which he cut the head of the Ebe at the round edifice painted with white found before the entrance of the Ezi Nde Okoronta popularly known as "OBASI NDE OKORONTA". The Osu tree can still be found inside the Obasi Nde Okoronta edifice as can be seen on the picture attached.
Because of this help, the entire Amanta people agreed to give him some portions of Amanta farm lands such as Osiri-Igwo, Isi Uzo Afia and Nghura, and like I earlier noted, Nghura happens to be the boundary between Amanta and Nde Ebe Abam,and his children from Nde Okoronta still farms in all these lands till date,and the farms are shared among the Nde-e-Mangs,Nde-e-Chukwus and Nde-e-Isieles of Nde Okoronta.
Okoronta Agwuocha made wealth through amassing hundreds and or thousands of acres of lands which his children from Nde Okoronta are still enjoying today. I never heard that he used his powers against the people of Abiriba, rather, he made sure that other parts of Abiriba under siege from outside invaders were secured.
He made wealth and never discriminated among his children in the sharing of his lands,and till date, the Nde Okoronta compound arguably remains the compound with the highest number of acres of lands in Abiriba because of their forefather/founder's exploits.
Let's doff our caps for the greatest warrior of his time whose exploits are still surrounded with evidences on ground,and we doff our cap for Late Chief Okoronta Agwuocha, founder of Nde Okoronta compound,Ameke,Abiriba.
Finally, no one living can tell when he died or how old he was before his death,but records available till date shows that he was a great father who, according to the Bible "LEFT A GOOD NUMBER OF LEGACIES AND WEALTH BEHIND FOR HIS CHILDREN".
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