My good people of Abiriba and page followers, I wish to bring to our notice that Abiriba is a community with rich histories that needs to be explored and made known to our generations, and I find it interesting to share some information which many might not know or don't care to know or even when they do,they get things twisted.
I am of the opinion that " if the likes of King Jaja of Opobo and Queen Amina of Zaria as well as Mrs Ransome Kuti could have their life records kept for the unborn generations to know that such people existed in life before passing on,so should we keep records of great men and women who made headlines in Abiriba before and during our time while alive".
Not only that these men ,past and present who made Abiriba proud in many ways should be remembered,but what they did for the protection, upliftment and propagation of the Abiriba course must not die unnoticed or unrecorded and that is why I am making these collections for our people in a book which I will publish when I am done.
This house (picture attached) which we are seeing today is "THE FIRST BUILDING IN ABIRIBA TO BE ROOFED WITH ZINC " . Although the old house itself was said to have been rehabilitated and upgraded after the Nigeria/Biafra civil as it was said to be the only building standing inside the Nde Akwu compound, Umueso, Ameke, Abiriba after the fall of Abiriba to the rampaging Nigeria federal armies when Abiriba people returned from the bush where they ran to for safety.
WHO OWNS THE HOUSE? : The house in question belongs to a very prominent Abiriba son and great merchant of his time -Late Chief Ude Itum of Nde Akwu compound, Umueso, Ameke, Abiriba. He was among the pioneers who made Abiriba what it is today early in life. He was also one of the pioneers of ACIU and Abiriba establishments.
According my findings, his achievement is not building the first house with zinc in Abiriba Kingdom alone. He did what would be hard for anyone to do in Abiriba with the level of disunity we found among ourselves today in where hatred and division is now the order of the day.
Remember that history has it that In the wake of the 20th Century, our area was threatened by the penetration of Europeans, mainly British colonists which finally led to heavy bloodshed, especially the Anglo-Aro War which took place from 1901-1902 which the Aro military Confederacy stoutly resisted but were eventually defeated which helped the British to occupy the rest of what is now known as Eastern Nigeria.
This man, Chief Ude Itum was said to have been responsible in making sure that Abiriba Kingdom was not attacked nor the King dethroned as it happened in every other neighbouring communities like Abam, Arochukwu, etc whose kingdoms were defeated and Kings dethroned by the British colonial powers.
According to my findings, Chief Ude Itum was playing game popularly known as "Azigo" at Obu Umueso when a soldier sneaked out from the war front to inform Abiriba that the British soldiers were very close and were about to enter Abiriba in order to kill,maim and destroy the kingdom. He (Ude Itum) was said to have left what he was doing and ordered that his box which contained Nkpola should be brought out. This Nkpola is worth hundreds of millions which he personally gave out to be used in settling the British and their armies which made them to run past Abiriba to capture and defeat other Kingdoms like Abam,Ohafia,etc without entering or touching Abiriba..
Today, the Enachioken stool and the entire Abiriba kingdom owe this great merchant and philanthropist a lot of credit for what he did as we can boldly beat our chests as Nde Abiriba to outsiders and boast that " ABIRIBA IS THE ONLY UNDEFEATED AND UNTOUCHED KINGDOM BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL POWERS COURTESY OF UDE ITUM OF NDE AKWU ,UMUESO COMPOUND WHO USED HIS WEALTH TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTIES IN ABIRIBA".
This history might sound as nothing to many,but I find it worthy to bring to our notice, because, "THE LABOUR OF OUR HEROES PAST SHALL NEVER BE IN VAIN IN ABIRIBA KINGDOM".
If we could wear the kind of hearts these people I am writing about wore in those days I can assure us that no community will ever abuse any Abiriba man or woman, but all hope is not lost.
God bless us.
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| Ancient house in Abiriba kingdom |
By: Prince .N. Kalu (P.N.K)
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