HISTORY

 

HISTORY

Every indigene of Igarra has already taken a position on what issues in Etuno history should be, and not what they are. Due to the fact that most of our history re mainly oral as such, subject to the narrators bias, exaggeration and sentiments. Hence there have been a lot of distortions, perversions and misinterpretations of Etuno history. A people without a history re regarded as slaves and are lost as recently many incontrovertible and unassailable facts begin to surface which has bridged the polarization among Etuno people due to misconceptions of our history. But many re yet to access these facts while many re still lost in their dogmatic slumber of clan loyalty.

 

For the sake of neutrality and for research purposes both narratives of Igarra history as opined by different school of thought shall be outlined here, it is therefore important that readers, observers and commentators on Etuno history be more objective and shun clan bias or alignment and embrace objectivity and rationality in narrating Etuno history.

 

There are two popular narratives on Igarra history majorly held by the two broadest interest groups, namely the Pro confederacy school of thought and the Pro monarchy school of thought.

 

PRO-CONFEDERACY SCHOOL OF THOUGHT.

This school of thought holds that Igarra has, from its founding, been operated as a Decentralized/Republican system of traditional government jointly headed by certain fetish priests (Oshemi, Oshidu, Oshemdse, Otaru, and Otu) holding to the fact that they migrated from the kwarafara Confederacy headquartered in Wukari modern day Taraba state.

 

The Oshuku ethnic group of which Etuno-igarra is a component part broke ranks with other ethnic groups and began a southward migration and sourjourned in 'Opoto' land present day Idah. It was there a figure known as 'Oshemi' who on account of the more or less confederate system operating there aspired to the throne of the Attah of igala Land, but due to the failure of his ambition decided to contine the intended southward migration of the Oshuku descendants in their quest for a land devoid of multi ethnic demography and intra-cofederal power struggles. This decision was well recieved by his followers and supporters amongst whom were veteran hunters and wariors Agbogumoza, Ausere and Igu who led an advance party and discovered Etuno and brought feedback to their kinsmen, but unfortunately Oshemi couldn’t continue the journey. The residual crew would be splitted into non-antagonistic groups headed by his two older sons and their quest for a permanent abode was re-awakened leading them on an exodus to the said land. On getting to Okene axis (obaji) the hitherto pregnant wife of the younger son got delivered of a baby.

 

The heavily superstitious and cultural philosophy then inspired most of the migrants that it was a sign they have reached their destination. However few of them who held onto the initial destination alongside the elder son of the Oshemi continued the quest to Etuno and would later arrive present day Etuno (Eto-ono, 'the sought out land' or 'that land') in 1740.

At arrival they met some aboriginals (Anivas, Anafuas, Andakonis) who were conquered and driven away as they constituted threats to the early settlers. Each clan was autonomous under their leaders who led them on this sojourn for instance during the public hearing by Halim commission of enquiry 1968. Eshinagada Clan attested that they were led by their clan figure "Agada

 

These feitish priests provided both political and spiritual leaderships to members of their Anda or groups of Anda alone, and that the power of a fetish priests does not in any way or by any means extend beyond the Anda or group of Anda customarily under his leadership. This school of thought further holds that this was the ancestral system but would later be distorted by the Nupe imperialistic indirect rule system which began in 1860 and imposed individuals of their choices on the people collectively in defiance of the previous fetish priests headship order. It would be understood that the Nupe overlords supplanted the fetish priests authority because, being Moslems themselves, they perceived these priests as unclean, and used their appointed supplanters; Zeike (Saiki), Dawudu (Dawodu), Danya (Dania) as tools of indirect rule to administer the community.

 

This Indirect rule came to an abrupt end at the advent of British colonialism which began to appoint District heads over Igarra and environs thus further distorting the original confederal system which has however continued to hold sway in the background with each clan still subject exclusively and ultimately to their feitish priest. This explains why till date royalty of lands and proceeds accrued from its sales strictly belongs to each clans and not to any central power or monarch. As already outlined above each clan lived as autonomous and federate clans and settled in different locations which is reflected today where some areas are still known to house majority of a particular clan. For instance Anona clans re majorly in Ugbobo not Uffa while Eshinagada and Anonyete can be found majorly in "orere

 

THE PRO-MONARCHY SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

This argues that Etuno people migrated from Kwararafa Confederacy under the leadership of 'Ariwo Ovejijo', sojourned at Idah in Igalaland, moved to Igarra in the 1400s, where they settled and formed a monarchical system of government which was first headed by Ariwo Ovejijio the founder who led the people from Idah to the present location. This version also opines that at arrival they met some aboriginals residing here these were the Anafuas (midgets), Anivas (foolish people) and Andokonis. According to this account the leader of the Anafuas known ss 'Uno' asked 'Ariwo ovejijo' to provide a life patrifge 'ekuose' in exchange for the land. After this requirement was met 'Uno' vacated the land after handing it over to 'Ariwo ovejijo' which resulted in the Ubete festival.

 

Ariwo at the point of his death, summoned a meeting of all his five sons (Idede, Agada,Ogu, Avaka, Idiba) and only daughter (Awevi) in which he decreed that the descendants of each of the five Sons would become new Anda (Clan) groups in Igarra, instituted an order of succession among those future clans to come out of the loins of those five sons and in order of seniority among them, and added that the only daughter's future descendants would constitute an additional Anda and bear the duty of crowning future 'Otaru' of igarra as they ascend their founding father's throne. The Otaruship has since been rotated among these five ruling houses in order of seniority.

 

This school of thought also opined that more than one 'Otarus' have ruled simultaneously during the Nupe invasion of 1867-1890 due to administrative convenience about three Otarus ruled Igarra each ruling Uffa, utua and ugbogbo. They had the senior Otaru and other junior Otaru. This practise will later be stopped after the death of the other junior Otarus to pave way for just one Otaruship.