Omuship in Ibusa: The Crisis and End of a Beautiful Traditional Phase

 Omuship in Ibusa: The Crisis and End of a Beautiful Traditional Phase

- Emeka Esogbue

Since foundation, Omuship has always been the beauty of the Anioma people. The institution reigned in several parts of Anioma particularly the Enuani and Igbodo, a community of the Ika people. The presence of the institution also extended to Onitsha and Ogbaru, two other Anioma communities outside the present Delta State where it was also in place.

In Onitsha, Omu Nwagboka Egwuata, the Onye Isi Ikporo of Onitsha who died in 1886 was the last known Omu of the community. For some unclear reasons, the Onitsha traditional leadership could not get a successor to the once viable throne which ended the institution. Omu Okwei was a well-known Omu of Osomari, another settlement of Anioma lineage. 

The Anioma historians described her as a powerful female merchant of her time which though was not strange considering that the Omu stayed in charge of markets and were spiritually held as the 'goddess of the market', a phrase that traditionally re-echoes in "Omu Eze Ashia" since the people believe that the market or sales is bound to flourish with the involvement of the Omu. 

In modern times, the Omuship has not been all about the market as it also involves deep spirituality, vehicle for women development and governance of some sort. It is a vehicle for the mechanisms of economic and welfare of women. 

In the political arrangement of most Enuani communities, with particular reference to Asaba, Okpanam and Ibusa, the Omu is a member of the Asagba Council, Ugoani Council and Obuzo Council respectively. Till date, the Omu is present in the internal governance of the first two communities excepting neighbouring Ibusa. The reason is not far-fetched but remarkably as explained below:

In Ibusa, Omuship thrived until the era of 1995 when the Obuzo system was birthed. Like everything else that was affected, Omuship was not spared of the accompanying crises which led to the division of the community. As the troubled house of Omu spirits became divided, a factional Omu emerged and almost immediately, certain 'giants' of the community started to align with one Omu or the other, giving rise to the last of Omuship in the cultural phase the community was to see thus, ending the beautiful institution put together by the community's ancestors.

With the loss of Omuship came the attendant loss of its beauties, the market duties, the settlement of disputes among women, the Omu critical role and interventions in the smooth running of the society such as the stay on untoward attitudes, the age-long native laws in the market, the second burial rites of women, the voice of the women in Izu Ani, the seat in the Obuzo-Council, all jettisoned to the division. 

Now, because divisions in the community, once allowed to creep up, never easily settle like the dusts, with time too, the story changed for Omuship since interest among women, expected to take up the stool had started to die gradually but completely.

Whereas the five most traditional titles of the Ibusa clan are the Ikwele, Odogwu, Uwolo, Iyase and Omu, one leg, the leg of the Omu had been left broken.  

The beautiful Omuship of Ibusa once lost, the same people of Ibusa turned to Okpanam and Asaba, two Enuani communities that had sustained the institutions gloriously. It would seem that Omu, the age-long institution has become fated to suffer similar fate in nearly all the Anioma communities where it was once gloriously in practice. In Ubulu-Uku and several other communities, it is no more; even in Issele-Uku, where it is claimed to have circulated among the Anioma people, it was lost but Asaba and Okpanam had managed to keep their own; the Asaba community with HRM Omu Dr. Ada Biose, a Medical Doctor beautifully on the stool. This is not without the usual challenges often courted by the institution from monarchs. 

Carrying the burden of the Omu welfare, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma, HRM Obi Dr. Martha Dunkwu is one of the most significant Omu of the Anioma people in history. An Anioma people, creative and dynamic PR person with unifying gift, the Omu has not only ensured the sustainability of Omuship in modern day Anioma but has sold the culture of Okpanam and Anioma to the world, the most. She seems the most often heard traditional personality from that community of today after the Kaduna Nzeogwu, and maybe too, Anioma making it impossible for any authorship of Omuship without her mention. 

From the Omuship of the aged and the rarely talked about, it is now an attractive institution with interest from younger women. Interests seem so deepened. If Okpanam is to be culturally heard, it is as a result of Omuship. Ibusa, once a viable cultural room of Omuship must work towards her own restoration, an assiduous assignment for the community leadership even though the community has once produced the below listed Omu and more in the past: 

1. Omu Nando

2. Omu Nwaoboshi

3. Omu Ese-Iwuzor Nwanze

4. Omu Rebecca Chigbue

This author has been in the forefront of revivalism of Omuship in Anioma, becoming the first to put the institution in a book done in 2016 and titled "A Short History of Omu", which sold severally and also generating interest towards the revival of the institution in Aniomaland. Several Anioma communities like Akwukwu-Igbo, Ugbodu, Onicha-Olona, Issele-Uku and others awakened to the installation of the institution but Ibusa is yet to be heard in this direction, something all eyes are opened to catch a glimpse of. The Omu institution must never be lost in Ibusa forever.

The people of Ibusa should take immediate step towards aligning with fellow Anioma communities by the resurrection the institution once cherished by the settlement's forebears. It is a gift the traditional leadership should give again to the people.