Umuahia City is a town located within Ibeku. The City of Umuahia as it
is now is made up of Ibeku villages called Amuzukwu to the North,
Afara Ukwu to the south, Nkata to the North East, Ohokobe Ndume to
South East, then Osaah and Ugwunchara and Emede Villages to the West.
The name Umuahia started off as a Central Market post called
AMA-AHIA meaning market place. But with evolution and bad
pronunciations and rewritings…AMA AHIA became UMUAHIA. There have been
several legends to tell otherwise but this is it.
But the name Umuahia was not a part of the city name. It was
still called Ibeku till the arrival of traders and foreign merchants
that brought with them railroad. The Nigerian Government then
signed Agreements with IBEKU on the name of the railroad Station to be
located in Ibeku. There was a temporary agreement to call the location
Umuahia but there were objection. Then the agreement was to have a
hyphenated name Umuahia –Ibeku to reflect the owners of the land and
domain. Then the name will revert to IBEKU Rail Station. This agreement
was to last for no longer than 20 years. The hyphenated
Umuahia-Ibeku is still being used till today. There are three railway
stations in Umuahia Ibeku.[1] Amaeke station [2] Umuahia-Ibeku station
[3] Old Umuahia station.
Umahia Ibeku is located on top of a foot hill that is a part of the
Cameroon mountain range that sloped into IMO RIVER. The hills flattens
as it passes Ubakala to become one of the even graded paces in the
Eastern Part of Nigeria to the edge of Atlantic Ocean at Port Harcourt.
This includes all NgwaLand.
The city of Umuahia Ibeku has expanded a lot into the surrounded
villages and many have found themselves in the middle of the
crossroads heading in and out of the city.
This Umuahia ibeku has different names name Ugwuocha, ugwu nchara,
ogwumabiri all referring to the trading post at the center of the city
serving all other villages whose market days are to come or have past
in the tradition of buying and selling using market days
Afo,Nkwo,Eke,Orie.. There are four[4] market days that trades only once
a week. Thus we have Afo nta and Afo ukwu, Eke ukwu and Eke nta,
Nkwo nta and Nkwo ukwu, Orie nta and orie Ukwu. There is always one big
market day in a week. This allows the umuahia Ibeku market to serve as
a central point for all others for cheaper goods.
There are other big villages that are around Ibeku like Olokoro,
Ubakala, Old Umuahia, Umuokpara, Ohuhu, Oboro, Abam, Item,
Uzuakoli,
Umuahia was an Administrative Center and a big one. Especially
during the Regional government era of the 1960’s.
Umuahia is the present day capital of Abia State of Nigeria. Was also
the second Capital City of Biafra after the fall of Enugu. As the HQ
for Bende Division, HQ for Odida Anyanwu areas, Was the Judicial
HQ, The HQ for Zone 9 Police Command for all IGBO STATES, Was the HQ
for both Anglican and Methodist churches of Nigeria where they still
have their training collages for their priest called TRINITY COLLAGE in
Afara Ibeku. The HQ of the Assemblies of God mission and their
seminary is located at Old Umuahia. National Root Crops Research
Institute in Amakama olokoro. The Federal Gilrs Secondary school in Old
Umuahia. The Federal School of Agriculture at umudike. Government
Collage ,Umudike-Umuahia, The Micheal Opkara University in Umudike.
Presently, umuahia-Ibeku the Abia State capital territory is made up of
two local governments, namely the Umuahia North and umuahia South local
government areas.
Umuahia is the home to great people like Dr Micheal Okpara..The former
Premier of Eastern Nigeria, The Supreme Commander Of Nigerian Armed
Forces..The President, Maj General Aguiyi Ironsi, The Governor of Abia
State ..Gov. Theodore Orji., Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo
Iwuala, The NDDC Chairman..Chief Ugochu, Dr JOJ Okezie, Former Fed
Minister of Agriculture and Flag bearer for UPGA during
Presidential Election. Chief BB Apugo, Chief Ogwulafor, PDP
Chairman and Secretary General to PDP, Dr Osisiogu..Former Min of FED
Resourse..He has held more ministerial portfolios than any other .
Barrister Ogbonna Director General NIPOST, Dr Alozie.Head of
UNESCO Africa. Mr Bob Ogwuagu Special Adviser to several governments,
Brigadier General Emerieh Fed Commissioner for sports and State
Governor. Dr Nwoko VC UniPort, Chief Akomas.Mayor Port Harcourt,
Speaker Ohajuruka of Abia stae assembly. There are very many more
people but to name a few.
Also in Umuahia you fine the famous General Odimegwu Ojukweu’s Bunker
used during the civil war of Biafra vs. Nigeria. In Umuahia you
find the first Ceramic industry in West African and beyond into other
countries located in Umuobia Olokoro, the Golden Guinea Brewery in
Afara. The first Teachers training Collage ran by the missionaries in a
full scale..The Catholic Church seminary in Ndume Ibeku . It was in
IshiEke ibeku was the first landing place of the missionaries in
Umuahia on their way heading west from Calabar till they ended up at
ONU ICHA [ present day Onitsha]
It was also in Umuahia that the Church encountered the Villagers of
Ibeku though the white Missionaries . This was when the famous
Okonko versus the church called Faith Tabernacle in the village
of Ohokobe Afara that left many dead and other out of the area.
There are different dialects within these areas with pronounced
differences.
