Obaseki: How a Nsukwa Family of Anioma Ruled Benin Empire as an Oba
- Emeka Esogbue
The
Obaseki family of Benin is indeed of Anioma ancestry from Nsukwa
Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. Other
communities lying close to Nsukwa are Umute, Aba Ukwu, Adonte, and Ejeme
Aniogor. According to J. P. Nkem Onyekpe, "Nsukwa" is an Anglicization
of Nchukwa. Since its foundation, Benin and Anioma communities have
enjoyed relations in the form of trade, marriage, diplomacy, and wars
but these particular Benin-Nsukwa relations are a relationship that
defines cultural association.
As was the cultural practice within
the period under discussion, Agho who was the Crown Prince to the
throne of Nsukwa Kingdom was sent to Benin for training on
administration and he struck a friendship with Overamwen Nogbaisi, the
other Crown Prince to Benin Kingdom.
With time, Overamwen
ascended the throne as the Oba of Benin and conferred the title of
Obaseki of Benin on Prince Agho, his childhood friend who was now placed
in charge of trade and foreign affairs in Benin but in the years ahead,
particularly in 1897 disaster struck when Consul Philip and his group
of the British expeditionary to Benin were waylaid with some of them
killed by Benin forces which irked the British.
After the trial
in which Overamwen and several of his chiefs were either executed or
exiled, Obaseki Agho became de facto Oba of Benin, holding the kingdom
together that had now lost the empire in her in peace. The new patriarch
of Obaseki also had two of his children taking up the "Obaseki" title
after him.
Obaseki Agho never returned to Nsukwa, his land of
birth, an Anioma community located in Aniocha South Local Government
Area of Delta State today to assume the kingship of the kingdom as
royally expected of him and at the passage of time, the family surname
became Obaseki as borne today.
As it turned out, Godwin Obaseki
would rise to democratically emerge as the Governor of Edo State on a
term political contract, ironically he could appoint anyone to stay in
charge of commerce, the position once enjoyed by the patriarch of his
revered family.
Obaseki is a popular family name today in Benin
but it was originally a traditional title conferred on an Anioma son who
tradition did not permit him to live together with his father and also
needed training on kingship. Nsukwa which claims Benin origin according
to HRM Obi Ezegbunem 1, the Obi of the community as stated in an
interview granted by The Punch Newspaper on February 9, 2019, first
settled in Umunede and later Kwale in search of peace, before finally
arriving at Uso Ukwa (Beside the breadfruit) where they finally
settled.
It is from this "Uso Ukwa", that the name that the
community bears today is derived. The Obaseki family may have chosen to
remain in Benin but history remembers them as being Anioma from our
Nsukwa community.
A SHORT HISTORY OF OBOLLO CLAN IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA By Emeka Esogbue Introduction Not many historical literatures on the Obollo people exist for the usual reasons associated with our people who prefer to write the history of mighty and populous peoples already enriched with volumes of historical accounts and records. Thus while there are historical documents on other peoples of Igbo, for Obollo, it is the story of dearth of documents. However, it is within my historical concern that the rich history of this part of Igboland be adequately researched into, documented and preserved for the future generation. I do not hail from this part of Igboland but my historical background, interest and curiosity propelled me towards the acquisition of both oral and written information to put this material together. Geography The various Obollo communities comprising of Obollo Afor, Obollo Etiti, Obollo Eke, Obollo Orie and Obollo Nkwo are strategically situated at the regional bou...
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