OGBA AS A PEOPLE

 

Ogba is one of the three sub-groups which make up the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. it is situated in the south of the area before the 1991 state and local government creation exercise, ogba was one of the sub-groups in the then Ahoada local government area

 

According to Nkweke, Ogba is situated in the low-land forest region of Nigeria. Like the ancient Babylonian empire, she is blessed with two rivers: Orashi and Sombreiro; flanking the land on the east and west respectively. These rivers do not form the immediate boundaries of ogbaland with her neighbors, as some farmlands and settlements continue on both sides of the rivers.

 

In the north, Ogba is bounded by Egbema.Ekpeye people occupy the southern boarders. The ikwerre are their Eastern neighbours while the people of Biseni in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa state are their Western neigbours together with those of Agbere, Odoni and Elemebri all in Sagbama Local government

During the rainy season each year, the rivers overflow their banks. This surge floods the streams, swamp, rivulets, creeks and farmlands.

 

Despite the annual floods, Ogba is blessed with flat fertile land all over. The soil is good for growing both trees and Root crops. The tree crops include palm tree (Eku), Pear (Ube) Kola-nut (ojji), Bitter nut (Akami) Bread fruit (Ukwa), African Apple(cherry) (Udra), Orange (Ovor) Pepper Fruit (m’mimi), and coconut (Akimbo). Some of the root crops are: Yam (iji), Coco Yam (Ede) Cassava (Etcha), Maize (okha), plantain (Owknima/alaekwo), Banana (oyibo) and Melon (Egusi). Others are Okra (oklate) and Fluted Pumpkin (ohni). Some of these crops serve religious purposes as i shall show later in this study.

 

OGBA LANGUAGE AND ORIGIN

The language spoken by Ogba. Presently the written form of this language is yet developing. However, efforts are being made to put the language on the same pedestal as the language of neigbouring communities likw Ikwerre, Ijaw and Igbo.

 

Ogba Language Belongs to the Delta group of the Igboid section of the Benue-Congo language family. Ogba Language is made up of various dialects. In a survey carried out by a group of volunteers, opinions were divided concerning the number of dialects in the language. Some of the interviewers submitted that there were just two dialects in the language (EGI AND IGBURU-USOMINI) others argued that the number of dialects is three namely: Egi, Igburu and Usomini. A third group held that the dialects were many as five, namely: Umuobor Egi, Ahiahu Egi, Igburu, Usomini and Omoku. However a thorough analysis of the word similarities indicates that there are just two dialects in Ogbaland, Namel: Egi and Iguru-Usomin. The above conclusion from the study notwithstanding, most of the people interviewed submitted that there were some sub-dialects within the dialects.

 

EARLY HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF OGBALAND

 

The historical origin of Ogbalalnd east of the Niger is Traceable to tje Ancient Benin Kingdom. During the reign of Ewuare the great (1440-1473) he introduced a number of reforms with the intention of transforming the insignificant territory to a stable Kingdom.

At this period, Aklaka was the head of Ogba village near the city. When his interest became jeopardised, he decided to leave. There are two explanations as to what actually prompted this departure. The first narrative had it that Aklaka openly and courageously demanded and explanation to justify a sudden increase in taxation levied on the subjects by the Oba. Another version holds that one of the servants in the Oba’s palace encroached on the farmland of Ogba Village to the dissapproval of Aklaka and the palace: the stage was set for a show-down

Aklaka left Ogba village with his two sons Ogba and Ekpeye and his half brother Ochichi. The team travelled eastwards to Agbo and from there settled at Onitsha-Ugbo. At Onitsha-Ugbo, chief Gbura offered them a percel of land to settle. Aklaka did not feel confortable there. Two factors may be basically responsible for his discomfort. In the first place, Onitsha-Ugbo was close to Benin. Secondly he would not want to surrender his identity. He then Travelled southwars following the River Niger. This movement was punctuated at Aboh where the team setted for a while

When the team left Aboh, they continued their movement down the Niger and later branched off the Orashi River and after sometime, came ashore and finally settled at Ahiahu. Aklaka died here leaving his two sons and a half-brother Ochichi. Here, an unfortunate event took place, Ellah called this the Mboaki tragedy. According to him, one of the sons of Ekpeye had quarrel with one of the Ogba sons. In the fighting which ensued, the son of Ekpeye was pushed down by the son of Ogba and he fell hitting his head against Mboaki (a grinding stone) which was close by. He collapsed immediately and all effforts to revive him failed

 

Following this incident, alarm rented the air as the children of Ogba and Ekpeye wailed helplessly, attracted by the howling noise in their settlement, Ogba and Ekpeye Hurried home to be greeted by the unfortunate incident. Dissappointed by this event, Ekpeye moved southwards to Ulaubie, Ochichi to the East and founded the present day Omalele (Elele) while Ogba, afraid of Revenge, took his family and sought refuge faraway Umogba in Omuma Local Government close to Igbo Boundary

At Umogba, comfort was nowhere at sight. Ogba therefore organized his family to make a return journey to his father had set a home for them. He got to the present sight of Obigwe and was attracted by the land and the surrounding environment. He decided to settle here and named the place Obigwe (Meaning our settlement). From the first settlement at Obigwe two groups emerged in Ogbaland, the Egi and the Igburu. Egi is the first son of Ogba and Igburu the Younger. The igburu people began their expansion here while Egi people moved southwards. Oral tradition has it that while at Obigwe, Egi was still eager to locate the much talked about Ahiahu. He guided himself with Ogba pendulum he determined to recover Ahiahu. He got to Okebta (Akabta) and overwhelmed he had arrived Ahiahu.

 

There are more than thirty-five towns and villages in Ogba 

as well as a good number of settlements and camps scattered at distant farmlands. The largest is Omoku followed by Oboburu. Other towns and villages inclue;

1. Akabuka

2. Obagi

3. Ogbogu

4. Obite

5. Ede

6. Obiyebe

7. Obukegi

8. Ibewa

9. Obigbo

10. Obiosimini

11. Akabta

12. Egita

13. Itu

14. Ohali-elu

15. Erema

16. Ohali-mini

17. Idu-ogbosuku

18. Idu-osobele

19. Okposi

20. Elieta

21. Aligu

22. Ohauga

23. Elehia

24. Osiakpu

25. Ikiri

26. Ama

27. Egbada

28. Uju

29. Obiye

30. Okansu

31. Obirikom

32. Okpurukpuali

33. Ebogoro

All these make up towns and villages in Ogba. the number of Settlements and camps scattered in distant farmlands are not included here, as this is better handled by sociologists and ethnographers

Ogba language is grouped under the ‘quo-subsamily of benue-congo language family. This grouping suggests somewhat identical relationship between Ogba and Igbo language. Some writers basing their argument on this fact content that rather than the ancient Benin Kingdom, Ogba people may likely have come from somewhere in Igboland especially in view of the language and cultural similarities between Ogba and Ogbo.

Language similarities are factors in considering the places of ancient people. However; this alone without other supporting evidence may be misleading. The language similarities between Ogba and Igbo, according to Elenwa, is one of the effects of Ogba sojourn in Umuogba

Another factor to explain this language similarity is what linguists refer to as language shift. This is a situation where people abandon their original language for another. Several factors are usually responsible for this: for instance, proximity in the case of ogba, a factor such as that given cannot be ruled out

Next, is what we may call Majority influence. Owing to the fact Ogba people are less populated, coupled with the fact that they traded seriously with the igbos, the latter may have inevitably influenced the former as ability to speak the majority language would have no doubt boost trading ability. In view of the above facts it appears rather inadequate to conclude on grounds of language similarities that Ogba people may probably have come from somewhere around igboland rather than the ancient Benin Kingdom, Again, based on the circumstances that warranted the migration of Aklaka from their original abode near benin city, those historians who have sympathy for Oba Eware hardly admit that Aklaka migrated from there, in addition, the discussions in the discussions in the next chapter on the genealogy of Ogba names will further prove no relationship between Ogba and Igbo.