INTRODUCTION

Paradoxically, in the life of every people history is made, history has been made, and history is always in the making. In historical parlance, political philosophers have often proffered the aphorism that ‘the history of a people is the dignity of the people’. In other words, the dignity of a people anchors on the background of their past history.

All through the course of history, from ancient times down to the historic present, many world historians and philosophers, such as Fafunwa (1974:13),have succinctly noted that: “A people with no knowledge of their past would suffer from collective amnesia, grouping blindly into the future without guideposts of precedence to shape their course” Seen in a cosmopolitan perspective, the past of any people is often significant for reasons which distinguish that people from their neighbours.

Hence the need for the history of our people has become so imperative today following the socio-cultural and socio-political amalgam of the hi people of Ihitte clan. Again, the ancient Umuihi history will undoubtedly be quite a significant factor to resolving the revolutionary trends in the neo-Umuihism as well as in Ihitte clan in general. Mores, both socio-culturally and politically Umuihi has from ancient times stood as the historical traditional ‘giant’ of Ihitte clan, as well-meaning citizens of Ihitte confirm.

Nevertheless, among the obstacles that faced the study of Umuihi background history is the total lack of documented or literary traditional in evidence of our ancient past. This is not to say that there has been no historical evidence of our ancient past of what our ancestors did. The historical material has been available but it has all along been passed on orally from father to son or, in deed, passed from mouth to mouth over a long period. In this regard, the information received during our field work investigations from our indigenous Umuihi elders are based on oral tradition since history is to our people what memory is to the individual.
Indeed, in traditional way of life, events are kept in people’s memories.

Halley (1977:V) had this notion as he accordingly noted that “the memories and the months of ancient elders was the only way that early histories of mankind got past along…
Hence the investigators, in trying to produce a systematic
history of Umuihi, made oral inquiries from men over 70 years old in what might be called an attempt to ‘snatch history from the jaws of death’ However, oral tradition is better than nothing and some valuable information has been able to reach us today through this method. But, nature being what is, man is a mortal being. Accordingly, it would be stating the obvious that there is the inescapable, ever operative factor of death.

Thus, as our older people – the people’s archives – continue to die without replacements, new generations may find it a problem to gather together facts which relate deeply to the pure history of Umuihi people. Just as Tommy Swann Witly pur it,
“when an old mandies, a library is lost”
Actually, death carties away from time to time, and from year to year, those who are custodians of out cultural, historical and religious traditions; persons who bear their charges in their persons and in their memories.

As one generation of these passes away after another, so the traditions become remembered in lesser and lesser details and, naturally, distortions and gaps
It has to be pointed out, however, that the problem of non-documentation of our ancient past accrued from the fact that most of our ancient Umuihi elders did not know how to read and write; and consequent to this situation many useful things concerning our past history have been forgotten or confused in repeated telling, squabbling and contradicting issues. If written records of evidence of the ancient history of the hi people and other local events are kept, some irregularities would no longer look irregular when viewed against a large scale time table.

The situation therefore calls for remedial measures to be taken by ou educated elites who can through thorough and veritable research work tap from the memories of our Umuihi elders to keep our history alive.
It is the citizens of our community who should write our history, becaus it takes an indigenous historian to glimpse the historical past of his people a to express it in a language that his people will appreciate and in a manner th will create dipper understanding and sense of identity with the cultural heritage of our people.

No doubt, it would be absurd for us to know people like Hitler and Napoleon – conquerors and destroyers – of Europe but remain out-rightly ignorant of our great-grand ancestors; those heroes and heroines of Umuihi land in remote antiquity, who had enormously contributed to our socio-cultural and political heritage which they have left for us an abiding legacy to cherish and uphold.
For, according to a verse in our Nigerian National Anthem. “The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain” Thus to ignore the activities of our ancient Umuihi heroes, is a sign of ingratitude. We ought to realise that people of good will are those who judge the present with the past and determine what the future will be.

Indeed, if we forget or ignore our local history, how shall we remember tomorrow,and how shall we acclaim greatness. As one ancient aptly observed.

“The dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow”. So is Umuihi history!

Luckily for us, the riddles concerning Umuihi background history have successful been unravelled.this is the first time ever in the history of our time that an attempt has been made to produce a systematic history of Umuihi people under one cover. Former existing material is scattered in pamphlets, manuscript locked away in the vaults of a number of private collections, dissertations and in the national archives. However, the investigator have, under the auspices of the Umuihi Town Union cum political sub-committee assigned with the responsibility of publishing research works and documentation, endeavoured to bring together those oral fragments that relate to the history of and, in this respect, we are proud to boast of a literary record of the past lives and events of our people which shall be kept for the sake of history for generations yet unborn.

GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT

in all world places, geographical region is one of the factors in determining the limits of one group of people from another. Similarly, every traditional igbo Community, including the Umuihi Autonomous Community, has its own geographical unit. Aa a traditional society, the igbos have a tradition by which lands belongs to a Community and each community traces its line of ancestry back to a common ancestor who may be the founder of the area.

Generally, however , the sizes of igbo geographical region, town, villages and wards vary from place to place such that some people own vast areas of land wards vary from place to place such that some people own vast areas of land while others, who may even be numerically more, may own small areas.

LOCATION
Following on this, the size of Umihi, One of the 12 autonomous communities in Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area, stretches from Isinwele Ogbuehi to Amainyi-nta, a distance of four kilometres and occupies an are, extent of sixteen square kilometres. It is bounded in the East by Amainy inte West by Amakohia, in the North by Ikperejere/Uboma and in the Souh br Okwuohia/Obowo respectively.
The inadequate land mass notwithstanding, this geographical cum political unit has made tremendous contributions and sacrifice to the local, state and federal governments respectively by donation of land and infrastructures to establish the following viz:

• Part of the Ihitte/Uboma local government headquarters
• The Umuihi water bore-hole with submersible pump to serve the local government headquarters and its environs.
• The Mbano/Etiti high court headquarters.
• The federal government Low cost House Estate, now being occupied by the Nigerian Police Force, Ihitte/Uboma.
• The Ihitte/Uboma general hospital
• The old post office, now being use for the office of the National Population Commission
• The magistrate court
• The Ihitte/Uboma local government stadium
• The agricultural extension offices
• The customary court (as former Umuih Civic Hall) at Orie-Umuihi
• The African Continental Bank (ACB) Ihitte/Uboma
• The Ihitte/Uboma police station.

MAP OF UMUIHI AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY

POPULATION

Within this geographical area is a population of 27,384 inhabitants (hitte/Uboma Information Digest 1990) who are actively engaged in farming, trading, technicians, professionals, rich and powerful men and women (tycoons) who engage in businesses at the cosmopolitan cities of Owerri, Umuahia, Aba and other towns in the various states in Nigeria.

CLIMATE
The area experiences two main seasons in the year, viz: (i) the dry season and (i) the rainy season. The dry season lasts from between three to four months of the year within the months of November, December, January and February during which the monthly average rainfall is about 140cm. The rainy season experiences a monthly average up to and over 350cm. Mean daily temperature maximum range from 68.9°F in January (Harmattan) through 73.4°F in April fluctuation of about 70.7° in December.

VEGETATION
Umuihi, like any other Ihitte/Uboma community, falls within the lowland rain forest zone and in the moist forest at low medium altitude zone. The perennial water stream of the Onuiyi and the water bore-hole in Umuihi are sources of pure water supply for drinking and other useful purposes.

UMUIHI INHABITANTS/ETHNICITY
The Umuihi people are Igbos and they speak the Igbo language. A person is a citizen of Umuihi by birth or maturalisation and hence a Nigerian citizen.
The five constituent villages of Umuihi by inheritance are all members, viz: (a) Umuokoro, (b) Odo-na-Ezeokwa (C) Umuelem, (d) Diabanachiala, and (e) Umuowushi who remains the last-born son of Thi, the ancestral founding father of Umuihi land. This order is in ‘senioribus prioribus’. All organisations including the Umuihi Town Union, age grades, churches, associations within the geographical boundary of Umuihi are virtually members of this socio-cultural, entity. All establishments including economic organisations are members by right of’existence within the community.

HEADQUARTERS

From time immemorial, the Orie-Umuihi central market area has been the traditional headquarters of Umuihi Autonomous Community. The area is seer by the people as the ‘forum romanum” and the recognised venue for the
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Ngbuwa-na-azu’ i.e., queuing behind the contestants in respect of the traditional method for the selection and eventual coronation of an Eze-elect; as well as tie use for the conferment of all other traditional Umuihi titles to deserving eminent citizens and guests. Here too we have the market assembly halls of and recognised age-set in Umuihi community. The venue also accommodates the two major Umuihi local shrines of the Oturugo and Aja-ana deities.

The Ikoro royal drum, the drum of the heroes and the great, the concrete symbol of military powers or of great Umuihi warriors of the ancient times, is kept custody in this cultural arena. There lies, 100, the “Onugaot’ sanctuary or holy of holies of Umuihi, where the Eze-elect takes the Oath of Office during the enthronement ceremony. All these socio-religious impact provides the Orie-Umuihi market environment the compact stage and the atmosphere that make the Umuihi man and woman to develop an instant historical feelings of the past generations of hi people. Hence the Orie-Umuihi market area is the focus of communal faith, values and sentiments as well as a place where people feel the symbolic presence of God. Anything that seems to interfere with this belief is naturally quickly resented and may even produce a dangerous reaction from our traditionalists.

ADMINISTRATION

The Umuihi system of government is an exactitude of traditional instiutions of Eastern Igbos of Nigeria. Each of the present five constituent villages are under an Ezeship with the Ezes Cabinet/Ihi-in-Council, supported by the Umuihi Town Union (UTU), the Age Grade associations and youth movements.

The executive local authority of the community is vested on the Eze, the ‘One-
¡si-ala Umuihi’ as the No. 1 citizen who occupies the Ezeship stool of honour and respect instituted by the common will of all citizens of the community. The title ‘Thi of Umuihi’ is vested on the Eze being the head of all traditional institutions in the community, and he is seen by his people as the custodian of cultures, custom and traditions of community. Under the current dispensation, the ‘Onye’isi-ala’ of the community is His Royal Highness, Eze Sir James Chikezie Ovuike (KSC), the Ih: I of Umuihi Autonomous Community.

UMUIHI POLITICAL SYSTEM

political syster refers to the was min oich people are organised and controlled in order to achieve the common good of the community. And corante, one finds in different parts of lebo and different political institutions, instaring combinations. In the same way, the details of Igbo traditional government vary from place to place, but its characteristic nature is always the same.

The political organisation of Umuihi traditional government is an extension of the social or family organisation. The muihi political organisation is furthermore segmentarily based on village political units. The smallest unit in the segmentary political system of Umuihi government is the extended family with a common lineage. Several extended families form a ward, and many wards constitute a village. Each ward is made up of sections and each section consists of a number of extended families whose compounds are close together.

The above, expanded to cover many extended families, is exactly how the compound is administered. The eldest man in the direct line from the founder of the compound is the nominal head. According to Isichie (1976:22), the most universal institution (among the Igbos) was the role of the family head. He was the oldest man of the oldest surviving generation, in the family, of in the quarter. He would settle family disputes, and command respect and revenge, because he controlled the channel of communication with ancestors” Where the family head is found to be unsuitable for this duty due to age, ill-health, insanity, etc., another man of stronger personality will take his place, or possibly his younger brother, in the family council. These council meetings g° according to no rules of conduct and frequently break up in disorder due to the spirit and traditional practice noticeable in Igbo land. “Give everyone a chance” is their accredited motto.

In the family council, everyone has a right to speak; the people applauding popular proposals and shouting down unpopular ones. Everyone, as usually happens during formal meetings by the various Umuihi age-groups, must be given hearing even though he may both have anything substantial to contribute. Such an assembly is considered the Igbo man’s birth-right, the guarantee of his rights, his shield against oppression, the expression of his individualism and the means whereby the young and the progressive impress their views upon the old and conservative. This is why the spirit of democracy prevails in Igbo assemblies and there is contentment on each member. (Igbo Philosophy P. 43).

ii. The Village Council

The village, composed of many compounds, is administered by a body known as the Amala or Ndi Amala or council of elders. This consists of the head of all compounds in Umuihi and the leading men of the town. This is why the “Igbo government has sometimes been called a gerontocracy, but not all men had an equal say” (Isichie 1976:22).

The head of the senior compound is the first man in the town (e.g., hi-Ukwu and is known as Onye-Nwe-Ala (the man who owns the land or Nwa-Nna-Anyi-Ukwu (the son of our ancestor) as was the case with Okoro Ihi-Ukwu in Umuihi community. Both names are stated to have been in use since earliest times, but the former was in more general use. A compound head is called

In Umuihi community, there are 14 administrative wards but the five constituent villages do not have equal number of wards because some villages like Umuowushi have more lineages than others. Again, the best way to understand a segmentary system of government is to begin by thinking of one big family, from grand-parents to grand-children, who start a village and farm the land nearby. As time goes by, this family grows bigger, sons become father, and grand-children become grand-parents. As this happens, the original family unit breaks up into a number of self-governing parts, or segments, led by heads of new families within the group.

But all parts stay held together in common loyalty to their founding ancestors (see Chapter 3). This loyalty is strictly maintained by their religious beliefs, and by their understanding of how their ancestors wished them to behave. The village government is therefore held together by ties of kinship and religion (Davison et al, 1965:114). So it is in Umuihi Autonomous Community of Ihitte/Uboma local government area of Imo State.

Onye-Is-Amala (the man who is head of the council). This name must be dearly distinguished from “Onyc-Isi-Ala’, which has been used in the past for head of town, and has led to some confusion. A member of the Amala is calor One Amala (one of the council).

The working of the Amala or council of elders can most clearly be shown by taking an example. Let us suppose that one of the men from Amakohia community killed a man or woman from Umuihi community. This will form almost the sole topic of conversation when men gather together at the Orie-Umuihi or Eke-Umuihi market squares, or some other social gatherings. All are of the opinion that something must be done about it, either as a revenge or a means to bring the culprit to book. The head of the Umuihi community is moved by this public opinion to send out a boy to inform all the compound heads telling them that a village meeting is to be called on such a date to see what can be done to ameliorate or resolve the issue at stake.

Soon after the receipt of this news, each compound head (Onye-Isi-Amala) beats his drum or wooden gong to summon the compound. When the majority have gathered together, he explains the object of the meeting and hence throws it open for the members to contribute what they are able. When the object has been fully discussed about two men are chosen from among the leading men of the compound to carry their views as well as accompany the head of the compound to the village council at the Ori-Umuihi market square. This is the origin of ‘Ogbako Umuihi’ or what we know today as the Umuihi Town Union.

At the appointed time and day, the three men selected from each compound meet at Orie-Umuihi market square to discuss what can be done such as sending a memorandum to Amakohia council of elders or their leaders. At the Village council or Ndi Amala Umuihi, whatever response they receive from the Amakohia elders will make those of Umuihi elders withhold or expedite action in this regard. As a matter of fact, when the council of elders is in session at the Orie-Umuihi market square, the various compound heads with their companions keep in groups at different points according to the constituent villages/wards in the community.

As in every such collective situation there must be one man presiding who is ‘premius inter pares’ – the first among equals, so it is in Umuihi. By the honour of being the maximal lineage in those good old days, a man from Umuokoro village, probably the oldest man in Umuokoro Thi-Ukwu family addressed the audience.
Indeed, this was the actual position of things when lhi-Ukwu, Okoro Ihi.

Ukwu, Icheku Okoro, Ajaero Icheku and Nwokeke Nwelle, all of Umuokoro Thi-Ukwu maximal lineage held the leadership mantle or the ancient hi stool of rulership in Umuihi community very many years before the arrival of the white man with his new system of government.

Hence, with the ancient cultic staff of authority – the Ofo-lhi, the Okoro Ihi-Ukwu dynasty had traditionally organised this great community after the manner of a priestly family and had performed the attendant sacrifices to our local gods.

Hence there was a well established traditional form of government in Umuihi long before the advent of the British colonial rule in Nigeria. However, the institution of traditional rulership in Umuihi has undergone many transformations or changes throughout the years of our people’s existence.
It is important to note at this juncture that the social structure of Umuihi Autonomous Community today gives it a position to cope with the political problems, to reflect the origin of the society and to preserve its perpetuation.

As we had earlier noted in chapter three, Umuihi community has five constituent villages which are further sub-divided into 14 smaller units or wards. Each of the five villages has a Council of Elders which partly constitutes the Nzes, Ichies and traditional Chiefs for the good governance and administration of its members.

TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN UMUIHI IN THE COLONIAL AND POST-COLONIAL ERA

It needs not to be over emphasised that the colonial administration in Nigeria which generally tended to incorporate traditional rulers into its political structure, considerably decreased the powers and characteristic image of our past Umuihi traditional rulers. As far as history and memory can acquaint us with facts of the facts, after the reign of Icheku Okoro his son Ajaero Icheku (a heir to Icheku) took over the reign of power in Umuihi community.

Chief Ajaero Icheku was a great warrior and a tyrant. He was married to about 36 vives. Our informants stated that he was fond of selling his dishonest and unfaithhful wives. including his children. into slavery as a way of checking promiscuity and other misdemeanors in the family, It was during the reign of Chief Ajaero Icheku that the white man first arrived in Umuihi community with his new form of government. Hence measures to meet the exigencies of this period in which the white man was placed on wanting to set his colonial administration in this corner of the cosmos, prompted him to take pains to discover people with some semblance of traditional authority as chiefs.

Although the white man was anxious to appoint anyone with real claims to power. the then traditional ruler, Ajaero Icheku being very old in age, and upon inquiry of who was the head of the community, presented his brother Nwokeke Nwelle as his son and successor to reign of power in Umuihi community. As a consequence, Nwokeke Nwelle changed his name to Nwokeke Ajaero in order to retain the traditional Ihi-Stool of rulership.

Chief Nwokeke Nwelle (1914-1920) reigned for a short time. During his tenure in office, the white man began to construct an in-road from Okigwe to Umuahia via the Abadaba lake. The Amala Umuihi feared that the construction of such a road might pass through their community. To this end, the Amala contributed some amount of money for the chief (Nwokeke Nwelle) to appeal to the white man to redirect its course of lest the local shrines of their gods might be devastated. But in the process of trying to claim the rebate after a while, the Amala received what they considered as an unusual insult to their persons by the then first lady of the community, Nwanyi Lolo Nwokeke (Nwanyieke), the chief’s wife. The Amala unanimously felt that such an invidious act received from the first lady was effrontery and thus intolerable.
Hence they became intransigent and intractable in their reactions and thus the consequent decision to have ‘no portion in David’ (1 Kings 12:16).

Hence Chief Nwokeke Nwelle ceased to be the traditional head of the Amala Umuihi and the entire community.

The next successor, of what was known as the first Umuihi warrant chief, was Nwokonkwo Eke (Olugie was his mother’s name’ The people of Umuokoro village and the entire Umuihi community jointly nominated him as the next successor because no one nom Umuokoro Ihi-Ukwu kindred was readily prepared at that point in time to take over the stool of rulership which was denied their brother, Nwokeke Nwelle. It was in this connection that Nwokonkwo Eke from Umuonyirionwu kindred, became the next traditional ruler.

Chief Nwokonkwo Eke (1921-1947) was chosen to ‘go for his people* because of his salient experience in life by then, coupled with his intelligence and some understanding of the European way of life. These amiable qualities as one who had the courage to tackle government affairs with the ten colonial masters implicitly prompted him to accept the stool of rulership which he held for many years.

However, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. A serious dispute incident on power tussle or rivalry arose between the house of Nwokeke Nwelle, the deposed chief, and the house of Nwokonkwo Eke. The situation nearly claimed lives due to the use of spell or certain forces by both families.

Under the prevailing situation at that point in time, an in road to peace and unity began to be felt among the two houses when Chief Nwokonkwo Eke intelligently and diplomatically sent the Amala Umuokoro or council of elders requesting for mitigation of the prevailing circumstances. To this end, Chief Nwokonkwo gave way for the ex-leader Nwokeke Nwelle to act as the judicial warrant chief for three months after which Chief Nwokonkwo Eke would take up judicial cases for another three months. In the course of such a compromise and eventual manoeuvre of the mitigating circumstances, Chief Nwokeke became suspicious of an impending trick by the reigning warrant chief to claim his birth-right of keeping custody of the Ofo-Ihi cultic staff since Chief
Thi-Ukwu lineage.

Nwokonkwo Eke did not belong to the royal priestly family of the Umuokoro
Unquestionably, the thing of traditional rulers in Umuihi is a thing of history, dating back to the days before the colonial era. In those pre-colonial days, each village in Igbo land recognised the worth of a dynamic village leader who commanded the respect and reverence of the people. According to Isichie
(1976), “Igbo political institutions were designed to combine popular participation with weighing for experience and ability” (. 21). Such were the good qualities of chief Nwokonkwo Eke to rise to power in Umuihi.

Equally so, and by right, such a leader must have a royal blood in him, he or his ancestors must have founded a village and be the son-of-the-soil Nwa-Diala). He should not at one time or the other have been a slave or a stranger by accident or birth. He must have fought one tribal war or the other, and he should have been vast in the tradition of his land such as knowing how to offer kola-nut in the traditional Igbo way and the proverbs and myths related to it.

Besides, he must know the tradition of ‘Igo’ or ‘Isu-ofo’ of Igbo land. Such families, in accordance with Igbo tradition, pray not to die on ‘Eke’ market days was and is still regarded as wicked or shameful death and a curse to the royal family (Nwakonye 1983:134).

Orie’ is a special day for the Igbo man to die to show that the cause of his death is not suspicious. This is because ‘orie’ is a special day of sacrifice for the ancestors. To die on such a day is to be victim and a blessing to accompany the ancestors back to the spirit world. So he has died a happy, good death

“Onwu chi’ (Igbo Philosophy, P. 47).
Equally too, most villages in Igbo land in the past maintained rotatory kingship amongst descendants of the royal families, and even now most would wish to continue. Hence often times one comes across hot litigations, quarrels and numerous petitions to the government when contrary recognition is anticipated for any kingship. To avoid this, government is always well advised to make correct appointment.

This is necessary because the dissolution or weakening of the office of traditional rulers in Igbo land today naturally generates tension, if not open clash, between them with their supporters on the one hand, and some people who think in terms of hereditary kingship rather than rotatory kingship. In Africa as a whole today, the modern trend is towards the dissolution of hereditary kingship or monarchies (Nwakonye 1983:135).

For instance, the method of kingship or the selection of a head chief (Eze) in Umuihi which in the past was done on hereditary basis and which, of course, rotated amongst the descendants of Umuokoro Ihi-Ukwu royal priestly family has been disrupted with the advent of the white man with his new form of government. Today the venerated custom of selection of a traditional ruler in Umuihi is carried out by means of ‘Ngbuwa-na-azu’, that is queuing behind the contestants qualified to vie for the post of Ezeship. This was the procedure adopted in the case of the seven contestants who vied for the post of chieftaincy after Chief Nwokonkwo Eke’s reign, viz: Chief Nwokonkwo Eke. who recontested along with some other judiciary warrant chiefs (Ndi-Mpekele-Akwukwo) during his tenure of office; Chiefs Nwokeke Ovuike, James Ononiwu, Lazarus Konkwo Ovuike, Osuagwu Okpobiri, Jonathan Ajaero and one Ukaegbu of Umudiaba – Umuihi in 1947.

Chief Lazarus Konkwo Ovuike won the contest. But the deposed warrant chief, Nwokonkwo Eke, lodged a protest to the then resident (British) district officer at Okigwe for which a second election was conducted before long. In the second batch of the election, chief Osuagwu Okpobiri won the chieftaincy stool in 1948 which he held till his death in 1968 during the Nigeria civil war
(1967-1970). The chieftaincy stool therefore remained vacant for ten years after the death of Chief Osuagwu Okpobiri (1948-1968) until the Imo State government’s White Paper on the report on the committee on chieftaincy matters approved many things some of which fall in line with the institution of Ezeship matter in Umuihi community. Pertinent there on was the criteria approved as the basis for the identification and selection of traditional heads of autonomous communities in the state.

To this end, during the selection of the current Eze or ‘Ihi’ I of Umuihi, three illustrious sons of Umuihi: Dr H U O Welle Nwokeke, Mr J C Ovuike and Mr Ben Ogo vied for the office of the lhi chieftaincy stool. In the interim, Mr Ben Ogo stepped down honourably for the other two contestants. The custom of ‘Ngbuwa-na-azu’ was then followed and eventually Mr J C Ovuike won the election and hence he was declared the “[hi’ I of Umuihi Autonomous Community.

Today, His Royal Highness, Eze Sir James Chikezie Ovuike (KSC), the hi I of Umuihi Autonomous Community in Ihitte/Uboma local government of Imo State, Nigeria, is the paramount traditional ruler or ‘Onye-Isi-Ala Umuihi’
(1978). With this accession to the throne of Ezeship, Umuihi today has a standing title to the stool of rulership as the ‘Thi’ of Umuihi land.

Indeed, the accession of the current Eze to the office of rulership marked a new stage or, rather, was an epoch-making in the history of Ezeship in Umuihi Autonomous Community. Since the governance of the community rested on him, lots of novelties have been introduced into the hierarchical position of traditional rulership in Umuihi.

Hence, in the traditional political system of modern Umuihi, the Eze has a graded cabinet. He rules with titlemen – Ndi Nze, Ndi Ichie and Chiefs as his partners in progress who further act as his trusted advisers or mentors, often consulting these images of aristocracy and using them as enforcement agencies.

These titlemen act as representative of the various constituent villages/wards in the community.
While each Nze-man mans the governance of a particular ward in the village, the chiefs are the Eze’s lieutenants responsible for the good government of the entire community.
On their part the Ichies are sect of titledmen in the community who represent our ancestors and form a link with them; hence they are chosen from amongst the oldest men in the community. As elders of the community they serve as the people’s archives; and through them the memories of our ancient elders and early histories of our people get passed along.

Just as philosophers help in nation building, so are the Ichies community builders. They are the good mentors who look into everything meticulously and come out with the truth and better understanding and ways of solving any problem facing the people’s government. Thus the wisdom of the Ichie is beyond the ken of sensible knowledge.

EZE’S CABINET

The Eze has a graded cabinet which embodies some traditional chiefs, some Ichies and the entire Nzes from the constituent wards and villages in Umuihi community. The Eze’s cabinet is the traditional Supreme Council that makes important decisions. It constitutes the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of Umuihi government suffice to say that in the Igbo traditional government there is no separation of powers between the three arms of government. There is almost complete fusion of powers.

EZE-IN-COUNCIL

The newest name of the council is Ihi-in-Council. It is larger than the Eze’s cabinet. Hence in the Umuihi traditional political system the Ihi-in-council embodies the Eze and his partners in progress, viz: the Nzes, Ichies and traditional chiefs. They stand as symbols of justice which is the supreme guarantee of good government.

However, the governance of Umuihi community requires some implications for counselling. For instance, most times the weaknesses of the community arise from the personal inadequacies of the Eze and his subordinates within the Eze-in-council and/or cabinet. To some of the members of the cabinet, their chief contribution to the community may be their uncritical loyalty and obsequiousness to their political over-lord, the Eze of the community.

As the Eze is more concerned about his continued stay in office, he remains insensitive to well informed community opinion and to vital needs and priorities. Here leadership qualities such as the ability to initiate the necessary local measures, to improve and motivate subordinates and give them direction are conspicuously absent. The Ichies of the community, in this regard, must not allow themselves to be used as a weapon or tool for intimidation to their people.

For the shortcomings of our community looses the ability to mobilise and harness the support and resources of the local community for any worthwhile development project. This disability accounts for much of the stagnation plaguing our community today.
Some worthy advises or corrections in this regard are required from men of wisdom, like the Ichies, within our community. As a matter of fact, all our titled-men are images of aristocracy in the capacity by which they have been appointed or elected to office.

Hence we must note that the conferment of titles should not be seen as mere superficial affair for “a titled person is always connected with God” – the sovereign ruler of all the earth. To this end, titled persons must positively distinguish themselves in the way they conform to the norms or rules and regulations of our people bearing in mind the letters of Umuii constitution and constitutionalism. Hence they have to respect the dignity and honour of their status as titled-men. Indeed, those who aspire to lead must bear in mind the fact that they are servants and as such cannot ever be greater than the people, their masters

THE EZE

The Eze in the community is important not only as a traditional ruler who is the axis of the political relations of his people and the one in whom the various villages that compose the community finds their unity. He is also the symbol of their identity in traditional and cultural matters (Forde 1954:202).
He is in many ways the symbol of his people’s health and welfare. He is also with his council members the security and safety of his people, because symbolically the ruler is the heart of his people (Mbiti 1969:161).

The Eze must, at all times, stand for justice in dealing with the people. Part of his role as a leader is to be a friend of the people and protector of their positive interests. He should have the right to judgement, both of people and of situations and the ability to attract to himself the right king of lieutenants who can best further the interests of the people. The Eze must not only say but always demonstrate that the power he exercises is derived from the people.

Therefore, he is accountable to the people for the use he makes of their mandate. He should never allow his high office to separate him from the people. He must be fanatical for their welfare. A leader who serves his people well will be enshrined in their hearts and minds. This is the reward he can expect in his life time. He will be to the people the symbol of excellence, the quintessence of leadership.

TOWARDS UNITY IN UMUIHI:IMPLICATION FOR GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

Among the stock of human wisdom is the knowledge of the fact that there is strength in unity, as well as unity in strength. It is the sense of unity which reconcile and harmonise various interests and forces for the higher good and welfare of all (Iwe 1987:88).
In community life, to exist is to co-exist. Sociologists contend that man is basically a social animal. No man is an island. From birth to death man lives his life in society.

He cannot dispense with social life. He finds that he abhors solitude and craves for companionship; he cannot supply even his basic needs alone; he has a language which fits him for communication and co-operation; he cannot make progress in culture outside the society. It is in realisation of this fact that Aristotle remarked that any one who is unable to live his society, or who has no need of it because he is sufficient for himself must either be a beast or a god.

On the strength of the above footing, a society can be defined as an enduring union of a number of persons morally and socio-politically bound under authority to co-operate for a common good.
As the health of an organism, biological or moral, depends on the harmonious functioning of its constituent parts so also the health and progress of a society depend largely on its members’ sense of identity and common mission, common interests and common destiny. Through this consciousness is the sense of mission, goals and destiny that motivates unity and effects solidarity; without the latter no social mission or destiny can be realised.

Undoubtedly, socio-political unity must rest on appropriate sentiments and goals capable of sustaining sentiments and including unity. This preliminary overture is made to emphasise for the Umuihi citizenry the essential need for us to play enormous roles towards the generation and promotion of unity in our sociopolitical aspirations and communal endeavours.

‘UMUNNA WU IKE’

As our people say, ‘Umunna wu ike’, meaning that, the agnates are the source of one’s strength. It refers to the fathers agnates which are capable of tracing their relationship to a common ancestor. Accordingly, that one should be in good relationship with one’s patrikin is accentuated by the fact that the ancestors are the heads of the lineage who look after the welfare of all the living in the community and to be cut off the patrilineage means losing the protection of the living and the dead.

Kinship is therefore seen as the basis for survival, with “Brotherliness” providing the idioms in terms of which the reciprocal obligations of clan or lineage membership are conceived (Beatie 1972:112). Hence the ‘Umunna tie is to fundamental to the Igbo man that to be cut off from it is tragic. The watch-word which promotes this basic social unit common to all is no other thing than ‘unity’.

POWER TUSSLE: THE DOWNFALL OF UMUIHI

To be candid, the yester-years of Umuihi Autonomous Community, with particular reference to the latter part of the ’70s and the early and mid ’80s were beset with a sad or an ugly experience of local political turmoil, and, indeed, socio-political experiences rooted in power tussle – to knowing who is who – in the community.

At that point in time, everywhere within the community appeared to be truncated, disjointed, and even tended towards pakistanisation than ever before.
Everyone because messed in riddles of politics such that a political messiah was actually needed to create the Davidic kingdom for peace to reign in the community.

According to Nze Okorie (1992:1), a former president general of Umuihi Progressive (Town) Union,
“before this time, there were dangerous acts of
disunity, recrimination and discrimination reigning high among our leaders…” But thanks to goodness that within that historical socio-political turmoil which existed in Umuihi, joint forces of progressive movements for peace and unity came into existence both within and abroad.

These groups and many other individuals came to realise that Umuihi was beset by social and psychological problems that resulted from some political misunderstandings. Hence our citizens by then needed a psychological and even a pharmacological intervention to improve their mental health. With such therapeutic approach in view coupled with the bold steps taken by a nine-man Action Committee of the abroad members of Umuihi Progressive (Town) Union and other internal nocturnal assembled here and there within Umuihi, then arose the Action Peace Committee, APC, which gradually gave a cure to our internal political ill-health or differences, and, accordingly, the strategy brought what appears to be “a lasting peace?” in our community today; but suffice to say that we have to recall another adage that says, ‘Nobody should attempt to touch a lion (the king of beasts) by its tail, whether it is asleep or dead!”.

Thus, if Umuihi people may begin to learn to bury aside their ugly political yearnings or feelings, it can be assured of making a better and an enviable place where no man will be oppressed or suppressed, intimidated, and unnecessarily victimized such that justice, fair-play and equity may reign supreme in our community. It is in this way that other communities of Ihitte clan may learn to copy from us the examples for good living. For, according to Iwe (1991:89), the basic role of politics in any well meaning polity is the galvanisation of social forces and interests in unity, through the setting of goals, for the achievement of common welfare.

The Nigerian polity, he further asserted, is so conscious of the importance and significance of unity that, in the short preamble to its 1979 Constitution, it is entrenched as a firm and solemn national resolve thus: “To live in unity as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God…
Such a pursuit for unity ought to be the good of all well meaning citizens of Umuihi community. The vitality of Umuihi familyhood as a people descended from a common ancestor ought to lend us a hand to understanding the appropriate need for unity in our community.

VITALITY OF UMUIHI-AS-FAMILY

The vitality of Umuihi-as-Family, which this chapter wishes to emphasis upon, can only be effective insofar as all our individual families become authentic promoters of our cultural heritage: unity in diversity. In effect, it is in the family that you, fathers, mothers, children live, in the image of the Ihi family. It is in the family, the heart of nation that we learn to share and to increase in the love of God and of men. Accordingly, the extended lhi family is the sacred place where all the riches of our traditional converge. It is the task of you lhi families to bring to the heart of this extended family tree a witness which transforms from the inside of our vision of the world, beginning from the spirit of oneness, without forgetting the various tasks that are ours in society.

Luckily for us, our history has portrayed the co-operate existence of the Okoro Ejiehi and Ibeama family sections of which the union is not only indissoluble but (should be) perpetual. Hence security considerations must be borne in mind by those of our Eze-in-Council who are charged with the responsibility of the good governance of the two sides – “Umuihi I ‘awo’, so as to maintain a peaceful atmosphere of co-existence and a lasting peace in the community. Hence, it is essential that ill-will be not created to order to encourage a Pakistan in this great autonomous community of ours. All sections of Umuihi, from our history, are one people and the forces of history have shown that we have a common identity, common destiny, and a common ancestral origin. Hence any attempt from any source to create dissension or make any part of the community feel that it is different from others, should be depreciated. In unity is our strength and it is our goal for modernity.

IMPLICATION FOR GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

For common good and goal, there is a need for unity in Umuihi community.
The clamour for a separate autonomous nuclei or community, now an open secret, should be depreciated by our local leaders. For, if any side or group becomes truncated from Umuihi, it may lead to further inter-political convulsion when it is realised that this move may lead us nowhere. There could be a prospective inter-village strife if one section of this autonomous community decides to remain a separate entity. Let the reader witness what has been quite obtainable with the issue of state creations in Nigeria today; an ugly knowledge of boundary adjustments emanating from the geographical conditions of some states and other incident problem that are living examples by our very doors today. Hence, the splitting of any community goes with its attendant
problems.

My counsel therefore is to readdress those of them among our people who have been hail bent on making a mountain out of the molehill of the Umuiki constitutional crisis to be more restrained and constructive. It is my feeling therefore that those quarters must be held responsible for any breach between the Okoro Eliehi and Tbeama which nature has indissolubly united in a political, social and economic marriage of convenience. It is high time the five constituent sections of Umuihi community should begin to readdress themselves to the takes of crystallizing common communality, irrespective of the extraneous influences at work.

So, what history has joined together let no indigene put asunder. But history is a strange mistress which can cause strange thing to happen!
Umuihi Autonomous Community can no longer be regarded as a mere geographical expression. It is also a historical expression. The constituent villages and wards in the community have great traditions and a rich heritage of culture to uphold, protect and project to the outside world, which if allowed to exists harmoniously will continue to make Umuihi great and also enable her to take her prideful and rightful place among the seven communities (Mba-Asaa) of Ihitte clan and Imo State as a whole. Studying our ancient history, which goes back to our ancient ancestors, one is proud of the social, political and cultural background of the hi people.

Hence, we need to give peace and unity the chance to reign amongst us bearing in mind that kinship solidarity and communalism are the cardinal pillars of our traditional ethics as well as the ethical basis and sinews of our ideology and practice. We need to cherish and phold these as a means of grace from God.

WESTERN INFLUENCE ON UMUIHI CULTURE

Culture contact, with its consequent western impact on our traditional Umuihi life, is responsible for the rapid changes that have characterized and is still characterizing the Umuihi community today. This unprecedented situation has left an indelible mark which is responsible for the culture conflict between the Umuihi traditional life and the western culture of our most modern times.
These changes have, of course, influenced various aspects of the Umuihi social life, and have ipso facto affected the cultural heritage of Umuihi society today.

Talking of these changes, two major factors readily come to mind: these are the colonial rule and administration on the one hand, and the Christian missionary enterprise on the other, Shorter (1973:209) was right to point out that “The first myth brought by the European was the myth of white supremacy; the second was christianity. However, christianity was seen to be a ‘disunited decoration of western culture in the form in which it was brought to Africa”

Indeed, both factors – colonial west and christianity – can be said to be very much interdependent and related in their order of advert in Umuihi land and their motives and efforts to change the Umuihi social life. Yet it must be pointed out that they are distinct from each other in their primary motives. The colonial administration, as the first major factor, was concerned primarily with the introduction of a new form of government and with the expansion of British empire. The missionaries, on the other hand, were concerned with the envangelisation of our people. For them, this meant a liberation of the Umuihi traditional worshipper from the shackles of a spurious religion and all the superstitious beliefs. For both factors, colonial rule and christianity, social change was seen as ‘a condition sine qua non’ for effective achievement of their desired objectives.

Indeed, colonial administration greatly contributed to the social transformation of Umuihi society. Our people were tranquillized and made to submit to the impositions of the colonial administration. The white man dabbled into our local or internal affairs under different guises of settling disputes. It was in this way that the introduction of the European law system, completewith courts, bench and bars, profoundly modified the traditional conceptions of crime and punishment if not of right and wrong.

When the white man without invitation involved himself in local affairs, it was necessary for him to institute a body of persons who could see to his interests and to the effective execution of his orders and wishes. In this regard, the warrant chieftaincy and judiciary warrants (Ndi-Mpekele-Akwokwo) evolved; but the rule of some of those warrant chiefs in some parts of Igbo land were without traditional basis. Hence, according to Crowder (1069:226), “the warrants were sometimes given to people in return for services rendered to the government, and there was inevitably a tendency to appoint persons of intelligence with some understanding of European ways, so that the more pushing men tended to gain warrants although they may have had no hereditary or customary status”. The most perturbing thing was that the warrant chiefs rarely corresponded to those who in pre-colonial days held authority among their fellow villagers. As such there was lack of co-operation between the warrant chiefs and the people they governed.

In addition to political upheaval are other sub-factors; these are the social and economic upheavals. Urbanisation, technology, the communication revolution, religious and moral pluralism which this entails, have completed the cultural estrangement of our people.

The rural development projects which the colonial administration initiated have steadily been giving Umuihi villages a township touch, bringing people of different cultural background into our villages. The old way of life in the village is no longer the pattern for the Umuihi man today. The close link with nature by way of farming and hunting is drastically curtailed. Also new roads have been and are ever being constructed and these are giving the Umuihi villages a modern outlook. To this end, some of the ancient Umuihi routes are now going out of use, so much so that the celebration of the Mbom-Uzo festival connected with the annual and traditional clearing of these cultural routes are no longer being seen as very important.

This is examplified by the fact that sanitary inspectors (Nwaole Ala) from the local government headquarters, Isinweke, who make periodic visits to the villages or wards often times sent to the villagers to clear routes before the normal Mom-Uzo ceremonies, and as such, when the time comes for the performances of the rites and festivals that go with them, they are seen as unnecessary. Thus, most of these ancient roads, with the passage of time, have gone out of the vocabulary of most of our people in the villages. The major factors that contributed to the negligence of these routes, like the ‘Uzo Aja-ana’, are partly because of the western type of education and partly the christian missions who associate the preservation of this culture to the worship ‘other gods’, or the local gods.

Contributing to these changes are also some internal factors. The Umuihi people, like other Igbos, have a natural receptibility and disposition to accept change, and to adapt to situations, especially when these are seen as status-making. The great anxiety felt over the future of Umuihi culture is caused by this overdose of imported elements, this indiscriminating and spongy hostility which Igbos reserve for other tastes and other values. As one writer aptly pointed out: “Our own things we would like cherish. But they give us little confident. The foreign we find easier to embrace but they will leave us unsatisfied. Both individually and collectively we look like the proverbial bat-too black in origin to be ever white, too white by cultural alienation to be genuinely black”.

Thus, to this day, this lack of cultural identity has affected our most basic needs like food, drink, musical interests, dressing habits, language and of course, the entire Igbo life style. Inspite of this, the introduction of cash economy and its orientation towards money and its pursuits in the cities or urban areas is a source of radical change of emphasis from the agricultural economy to the cash economy. Accordingly, the extended use of western currency and opportunities to gain possession of it is one other factor responsible for the ecoromic and social upheavals in Igbo land in general in Umuihi in particular.

In effect, a large number of people, men and women, especially the youths are daily moving from our rural community life to the urban areas in order to make themselves useful in one type of job or the other. Hence the knowledge acquired by some young Umuih men and women working in the cities and returning to the village holds implications as regards the nature of the universe and the destiny and purpose of man which they cannot harmonise with the traditional world view.

They therefore tend to despise what the old men in the village cannot or will not make intelligible to them and appear to them as shams. This attitude and inadequate response to it has led to lack of respect for our elders and for our traditional values and institutions. Our younger generations are thus moving away from their roots and running into the wilderness of the cities. The consequent drifting away of the youths from the village into the cities has therefore contributed in no small measure to lessen the enthusiasm and intensity with which traditional festivals are celebrated in Umuihi today.

Mores, the younger generation again shirk unpleasant responsibilities like taking over family office of the keeper of the local ‘ofo cultic staff, or the rain-medicine and herbal culture as heritage. However, the total effect is minimised by the reassertion of the values as the young men grow older, begin to play a part and to have a stake in the culture.

The second major factor, under the cloak of christianity, which has grossly affected and is still affecting the younger generation is the spread of western education. Evangelisation through education and educational establishments characterized the early beginnings of christianity din Umuihi community. The advent of christianity through the Niger Delta Protectorate, NDP, which later was married to the Anglican faith to form one body (CMS) after a mutual agreement, the rival of the Roman Catholicism, followed by the Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA, and other new Pentecostal churches, have all made incisive in roads that moderated and restructured the beliefs and practices formerly held sacrosanct in the traditional religion of Umuihi people.

Introduced alongside with christian religion in Umuihi was the Western education which the indigenes were more than prepared for it and they therefore embraced it with open arms. This has resulted in a wide range of christian influence and christian education which one cannot fail to observe throughout Umuihi today. However, the social influence of christianity in the spread of European notions of respectability and canons of civilised’ behaviours thus depreciated the indigenous way of life.

Since the missionaries were all Europeans or European oriented, culturally, a degree of westernisation was seen as necessary. The missionary school fulfilled this role, at least, on the side of a common communication and understanding. This attaches particular importance not only to monogamy but to wearing European clothes, following western eating and dietary habits, and adopting English names. Conversation also became a right of passage into a new and more desirable social identity and the desire for a new name and status.

The missionaries, however, under-took the business of education not only because they regarded education as good in itself, but because they found that they could not do their work successfully without giving their adherents as much of the formal learning as was required for the study of the sacred writings and for the performance of their religious duties which depreciated the indigenous culture. Thus had the christian missions changed the traditional religion and introduced mass literacy and the book revolution.

The 10 commandments and christian morality shifted the traditional accent from theft and treachery – oshinama to the hitherto relatively harmless area of sex. As Iwe
(1975:27) rightly noted: “The early planters of christianity did not seek to enter into the thought world and patterns of the African, into their religious psychology; their ethos and ethical conceptions and values. Struck and shocked by those gross and transient aspects of our culture, the missionaries shuddered and glossed over the positive merits of our cultural institutions”
Thus, the emerging generation through their education and christianization, are today having doubts on the older ideas and traditional belief.

They are quickly turning their backs on the mores and ethos commended by tradition and custom. It is in this way that indigenous faith has been largely taken over by christianity and this affects the much greater mass of non-literate people. This mistaken approach to the social and traditional life of our people by the present generation needs to be corrected.

The youth need to be taught that it is unfair for any people to swallow uncritically any other nation’s way of life to the detriment and negligence of their own traditional culture. There are elements, no doubt, to emulate and be proud of in the European culture but should that be at the expense of our own positive native culture? Its resultant effect would mean that our society is cultureless since we would never imitate a foreigner so well as to be identical with him. It has to be noted that the preservation of culture is never the worship of idols; our traditional culture is also a means of grace.

As Pope Paul VI (1967) pointed out in his Message to Africa, “The teaching of Jesus Christ and His redemption are, infact, the complement, the renewal and the bringing to perfection all that is good in human tradition. And that is why the African who becomes a Christian does not disown himself but takes up the age-old values of tradition ‘in spirit and truth’
Hence our indigenous christians should learn to begin to acknowledge, preserve and promote the values found in the areas of our traditional culture.

Here, we do not means to say that all its practices must be approved indiscriminately. No, they must be discerning, taking care to correct the misconceptions but they should not do this by simple imposition of what they think to be good substitute, if any, and when convenient. Hence, can our people accept the substitute without doubting down to their natural culture. The future of culture and religion in Umuihi however lies with the people of Ihi themselves and it only calls for a greater need for our educationist to begin to re-educate our people in the values and philosophy of Umuihi indigenous culture, and enviably to employ the use of cultural heritage in the education of the young.

As we may have notices from the foregoing pages, no one needs to be told that Umuihi culture is a ‘store house of the innovation for modern artists, writers, composers, poets and educationists. It is hoped that with the presence of age-grade organisations and all other cultural bodies or institutions, the important cultures in Umuihi some of which are today dying out due to some external and internal influences, will be resuscitated so that the cultural legacy of Umuihi people will be seen by the younger generations as a solid and real inheritance.

grace. As Pope Paul VI (1967) pointed out in his Message to Africa, “The teaching of Jesus Christ and His redemption are, infact, the complement, the renewal and the bringing to perfection all that is good in human tradition. And that is why the African who becomes a Christian does not disown himself but takes up the age-old values of tradition ‘in spirit and truth’
Hence our indigenous christians should learn to begin to acknowledge, preserve and promote the values found in the areas of our traditional culture.

Here, we do not means to say that all its practices must be approved indiscriminately. No, they must be discerning, taking care to correct the misconceptions but they should not do this by simple imposition of what they think to be good substitute, if any, and when convenient. Hence, can our people accept the substitute without doubting down to their natural culture. The future of culture and religion in Umuihi however lies with the people of Ihi themselves and it only calls for a greater need for our educationist to begin to re-educate our people in the values and philosophy of Umuihi indigenous culture, and enviably to employ the use of cultural heritage in the education of the young.

As we may have notices from the foregoing pages, no one needs to be told that Umuihi culture is a ‘store house of the innovation for modern artists, writers, composers, poets and educationists.It is hoped that with the presence of age-grade organisations and all other cultural bodies or institutions, the important cultures in Umuihi some of which are today dying out due to some external and internal influences, will be resuscitated so that the cultural legacy of Umuihi people will be seen by the younger generations as a solid and real inheritance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In our own humble opinions we hereby outline what we consider the essential prerequisites toward the development of our cultural history and radition which the Umuihi traditional government has to grapple with for a successful system of government within her geo-political entity, if kind consideration is given to the following recommendations:

1. In order to create a new phase in the traditional government of our people, bearing in mind that a ship without a suitable compass is destined to drift aimlessly, the Imo State government took solid steps to ensure that each autonomous community in the state has a well-documented constitution governing its traditional rulership. To this end, it is the conviction of many of our community requires a comprehensive and systematically articulated legal constitution as a turning point in the history of Umuihi community as well as its spiritual animation and direction. The most populated community and the traditional historical giant of Ihitte clan, cannot afford to sail without a clear and easily accessible constitutional compass.
2. That it is fundamentally imperative that every Umuihi citizen should regard the law, particularly the constitution, as his refuge and priceless heritage.
   Disregard of the natural rule of law in the past inflicted serious wounds on our body politics and led to lawlessness añld violence. For the success of the individual citizen in life, moral discipline is imperative. The natural rule of law dictates that not the ruler and the ruled, elite and the masses, the have and have not should not be amendable to the provisions of the law of the land. This we understand as the supremacy of the law, this is the equality of the citizens in the eyes of the law. It further implies the equality of social opportunity. This is the spirit of the constitutionalism, the adherence to the letter and spirit of the constitution.
3. That there is strength in unity and as well as unity in strength. Our political unity is a communal idea; and motto for which much has been sacrificed to sustain. Hence the ideal of our communal unity must essentially be a political strategy and a means nd not an end in itself. Accordingly, a pious and rhetorical exhortation to communal unity and patriotism in the face of Onvi us an communal hypocrisy, political friction, social disorder, unpatriotic sentiments and behaviour and community, crisis and instability. Hence communal unity ought to be for the realisation of a higher political value namely the common good and general welfare of the citizens.
4. That meaningful measures need be adopted and enforced by our traditional leaders to convince all Umuihi citizens of the reality of their common and equal citizenship and of the ideal of communal unity and social integration. Thus can first foundations of communal goal and unity as well as patriotism be truly and practically laid.
5. That if the security and welfare of the people are among the primary purpose of our traditional government, no political regime can afford to ignore the security of the people’s life and property, be it as individuals or groups. A committee for a community ethical rebirth and orientation to this end and others need to be set up to redress the abnormalities.
6. The mediocrity in Umuihi leadership, appointments and elections to office which are today rooted in sectionalism, and at times on’villagearism’, if changed to solid criteria of excellence for leadership positions and important appointments the community shall ever be grateful to such a regime… Hence, based on our tradition, the natural inheritance or qualifications of certain individuals to particular positions in the community must out of necessity be recognised by our leaders.
7. That the operational motto of our traditional government and other organisations or associations should be one of probity, accountability and discipline for a firm and practical foundation to be laid.
8. That in a community where everybody is somebody nobody is anybody. Accordingly, the traditional ruler of Umuihi has to bring restraint in conferring traditional titles, particularly chieftaincy titles, on people. The proliferation of chieftaincy titles if unchecked would make the titles valueless. Hence those who aspire to take titles should have achieved greatness through hardwork; they should be thoroughly screened and the title be given out periodically to avoid dishonest persons from taking titles. Great titles of Igbo land should not be given to individuals without merit or proven character.
9. That a record of patriotic sons and daughters of Umuihi who have distinguished themselves and won the respect of the community should be kept as eminent citizens. Such eminent citizens shall include those in their descent living who have rendered outstanding services or made financial contributions towards the development of the community. Also services to the town union, donations or infrastructural facilities and practical participation in development efforts should be necessary qualifications for consideration as an eminent citizen.
10. That the growth of every society depends on the investment of human and material resources. Hence no socio-political system can operate and compete effectively in modern times without sound and relevant educational institutions as its foundation. Formal education as a social institution is therefore a process of manpower refinement characterized by the development of intellectual facilities, the acquisition of practical wisdom and the transmission of social values. Seen in this humanistic perspective, Umuihi parents must out of necessity begin to learn to promote and also patronise our only secondary institution, Nwaeruru Mbakwe Comprehensive Secondary School, Umuihi by sending their children to school.
11. That where some citizens or group of citizens or village or kindred or wards engage in any dispute likely to affect the progress of the community as a whole, directly or indirectly, the ward – Nze has to alert the Eze, the Ihi of Umuihi, for intervention; and where Eze’s cabinet deems it necessary any citizen or citizens may be appointed to mediate and find an appropriate solution to the problem(s).
12. Finally, it is further being recommended here that more researches be conducted on other areas of Umuihi life to elevate the history of the lhi people. This is a great challenge in the right direction to our educated elites who can begin now to carry out this assignment diligently without further delay.

CONCLUSION

Towards an inconclusive conclusion, the unforeseeable future of this great autonomous community of ours should be a matter to be pondered over by every patriotic citizen of Umuihi. What has Umuihi community in store for all her citizens and vise versa?
In any government of a people be it federal, state or local, its priority lies solely on the well-being of its citizens. However, for any good leadership in government, the counsel of philosophy is indispensable.

As we all know, man is the centre around which resolves all social developments. To this end, the task of building Umuihi is a task and a project for all. It is a shared but differentiated responsibilities of both the individual and groups – the person, family, age-groups, businessmen and women, teachers cum formatters, town union, the traditional government and the community at
large.

In this task, everybody is essentially and equally important, and you fulfill your part of conscientiously doing what you are supposed to do and at the opportune time. To achieve this goal, one things is necessary, viz: unity of being and purpose. Hence, united we stand, divided we fall. Cognizant of the fact that the task is not an easy one especially as Umuihi is composed of people with differential minds about themselves – still learning to understand themselves – our common purpose should be to build nd fortify these our differences in the common bid to building our community and the nation at large.
Like John Kennedy would tell his people (Americans), let us think of what we can do for Umuihi community rather than what Umuihi community can do for us.
Let us all begin to rethink, re-evaluate, and redirect our proprieties and hence contribute what we can to enrich and make our dear community – Umuihi

a little better as we of the modern age found it. What you are now in Umuihi and in your village, ward or kindred and family will be measured by the patriotism that you put in, so, let all hands be on deck to make our desire a dream come true in no distant time, albeit it is a life-long project. But the sky is our limit and in this regard, to leave memorable footprints now on the sands f time, hardly can we build Umuihi without the adequate dose of patriotism.

Hence, patriotism must be our watch-word in the bid to build a modern Umuihi. As Allport would say that it is never too late to become a ‘whole man, it is never too late to sit up building the Umuihi community of our desire. Our task is basically conscientisation, and for the task ahead we need courage and determination which will give rise to a just participation of all the social, economic and political processes. It will not only give rise to justice but also gives rise to Unity, Love and Peace which are essential ingredients for building an ideal community.