CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
Ubakala
clan is one of the five clans that make up Umuahia and one of the three clans
that formed Umuahia South Local Government. It lies between latitude 5025N
and 5043N and between longitude 7020E and 7035E.
It is about seven kilometers south-west of Umuahia township and bounded by
Umuokpara and Ohuhu on the West and North-West respectively and old Umuahia
(olokoro) on the East and Isiala-Ngwa North on the south.
Intelligence report on the community by British
colonial officers was prepared between 1931 to 1932 but, it is very shallow.
The clan occupies a geographical area of some 24 square miles and its
population density in the 1930’s was estimated at 460 persons per square mile.
They made adult population was put at 11,060 people but with the 1991
population census of 45,000 (though believed to be under estimated).
Nigeria has two seasons, the Raining and dry
season. In Ubakala, the commencement of wet season is March with peaks
occurring in July and September with a short slightly driver spell called the
“August Break” or little dry season” occurring in the intervening period. This
period is associated with the presence of temperature inversion at an attitude
of about 1,500 - 2,000 metres and lasting for two or three weeks in marked by
intermittent rainfall rather than the regular tropical down pour. The rainfall
in this period is consequently lower than in June, July and September.
The mean annual rainfall in Ubakala ranges
form 2000-2250mm per year and a mean monthly rainfall varies from 8mm in
December to 40mm in September. The mean number of rain days is also 156 days.
The mean annual temperature is about 25.50c to 26.50c the
maximum temperature occur in February and March at the end of the dry season.
The lowest maximum temperature occurs in July, August and September.
Nevertheless, there are legend and myths
about migration, settlement and seniority in Ubakala, which had been
controversial over the years. There is some point of interest in the listing of
the constituent communities in 1930’s and in recent times. They are:
1. Amibo
2. Umuogo
3. Nsukwe
4. Eziama
5. Amuzu
6. Mgbarakuma
7. Laguru
8. Umuosu
9. Avodim
10. Ipupe
11. Abam
12. Nsirimo
13. Umuako
A version of Ubakala oral traditional of
origin holds that Arochukwu is the original home of the founder. A man called
Ibom as the popular legend has it, had migrated from Arochukwu many centuries
ago found the Ubakala clan. He was accompanied to Amibo Ubakala by his wife. At
Amibo, Ibom and his wife had many sons who turn left Amibo and founded all the
other villages of the clan.
Another of this version has it that Uturu is
the founder of Ubakala. The man Uturu came to settle at a place called Apumiri
with his wife. They later started to bear children. The most senior of whom was
called Ibom. Later in his old age, Uturu left his home at the more central
territory at Apumiri to live between the homes of his younger son called Nkobu
and Nloji. This was the origin of the common proverb in Ubakala today which
states “Uturu new ala jeburu n’ ikwa, that is, Uturu owns the land and lives at
the corner.
There were two main deities in Ubakala that
are of importance. The Ala Ubakala deity that resides at Nsukwe and the
priesthood is also from Nsukwe.
The Ala Ubakala is the goddess of fertility,
of law and order in the clan, another deity in Ubakala is the Nkpatamiri,
Ubakala, that resides at Amibo and the priesthood. (Eze Nkpatamiri) is also
from Amibo. The deity is in charge of evil and good in the community. It is
also a water goddess.
The people of Ubakala community perform
festivals like New Yam Festivals, Ekpe festival, Okonko secret society, Abu
Nkwu festival etc. In contemporary Ubakala community, the people engage in
Christian religious worship. The type of family structure that is observed in
this community is the extended type. The extended family here is headed by the
oldest man in the family. The man takes the political, economic decisions of
the family. Each nuclear family is also headed by a man. And the man always
takes advice from the head of the extended family. In this family, a woman is
seen to play a domestic role and also takes care of the younger ones in the
family. The Ubakala clan family structure is spectacular. Their marriage system
is both endogamous and exogamous form.
The political structure of Ubakala clan is
democratic in nature, by which everybody in the community is involved in
political decision of the community through family representatives.
The economic system is traditional or
peasant farming. That is, their economic products are for immediate consumption
and little surplus for their own welfare. The people’s major occupation in the
old days was farming. They therefore produced crops like cassava, yam palm
produce, cocoyam, vegetable etc. In recent times, the people of Ubakala engaged
more in trading activities like textile, cosmetics, and food items. Many also
embraced western education.
In Igboland, agriculture has remained the
same, apart from geographical differences in lands, where in some places the
topography of most lands are hilly while others are table lands. However,
agriculture had been the mainstay of Igboland’s economy. Virtually everyone was
involved in it, before and during colonial era. Agriculture was lucrative and
attractive owing to the fertility of the lands, land tenure system,
availability of various sources of labour and types of crops that grew well in
Igbo land.
Agricultural development in Ubakala has not
differed from what it is in any other part of Igboland. Each family comprising
the husband, wife or wives, children and relatives formed an economic unit of
production and consumption. In Ubakala society many families become polygamous
to increase their labour force.
Farming in Ubakala was highly celebrated
that socio-cultural and religious activities were observed to honour and
appease the gods for bounty harvest. New yam festival was one of such religious
activities to honour the gods of the land for the year’s harvest.
During the pre-colonial period, agriculture
was a major economic activity in Ubakala, even though it was at a rudimentary
level. Various crops were cultivated – yam, cocoyam, vegetables etc. However,
the surpluses of these products were sold to the market. Barter exchange
commonly known as trade by barter was the medium of the trade.
The European occupation of the interior
revolutionized agriculture in Ubakala in the early 1920’s with the colonial
interest in agriculture, most crops mainly cash crops were encouraged. Cash
crops like palm produce, coco, rubber and cashew received European patronage.
In the area of food crops rice spaghetti etc supplemented our native food crops
like the cassava, maize, yam and cocoyam.
With this development, European staple crops
displayed our native food crops and discouraged local farm production. The
imported crops were cheaper compared to the local crops. Hence means of
livelihood through traditional farming was lost.
Market forces within the colonial era
displaced most initiatives as regard to agriculture and local food crops. Also,
in the area of cash crops, most crops were produced along the dictates of the
colonial masters. The kind of crops to be planted, the hectares of land to be
ploughed, the appointment of local agents who will buy such crops in the
interior and the prices were fixed by the colonial masters. Buying and selling
were monopolized by the colonial masters to the detriment of native farmers.
Convincingly, Europeans played down
production of our local food crops to raise the importation of staple foods
produced in the metropolitan nations and the production of cash crops in the
form of raw material that will service the industries of the European nations.
Crops as raw materials were bought cheaper and the finished products sold at
exorbitant rate in African markets.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Agricultural development in Ubakala from
1900 to the present has not attracted any attention but a lot of literature or
work in Ubakala had been done without any discussion on agricultural
development. Prof J.U.J Asiegbu in his book, Umuahia and their Neighbours,
dealt extensively on migration, settlement in Ubakala without the agricultural
activities and developments1.
Many other scholars have written on various
agricultural development programmes in Umuahia but they fall outside our scope
of study. Through constant efforts, we were able to get some facts about
agricultural developments in Ubakala through oral interviews of some farmers in
Ubakala and also traders.
Nwachukwu Nnamdi who rote on “the oil palm
Business in Ubakala 1846 – 1960” mainly discussed the oil palm trade in
Ubakala. However, palm oil is only a little aspect of agriculture in Ubakala.
It also deals on the relations between other areas as it concerns oil palm.
Various historical evidences have proved
that agriculture was one element that portrayed Ubakala in totality. It is also
a basic factor in the development of Ubakala incidentally, this all important
factor which is agricultural development have received less emphasis from
various writers or scholars on Ubakala community. The desire to expose this
neglected issues in the development of Ubakala informed the choice of this
topic. There are intentions to bring to limelight various aspect of
agricultural practices and development in Ubakala, its impacts, problems and to
some extent prospects.
This
work ill also serve as a compass in later development programmes based on
agricultural efforts in Ubakala clan.
Joseph okpara wrote about “The yam produce
in Ubakala 1889-1972”. He mainly discussed about the yam trade in Ubakala, yam
festival in Ubakala etc. The writer only concentrated on discussing the issues
about yam produce in Ubakala, how it was gotten, its assessment and the trade,
also about the yam festival of Ubakala. The yam is also a little aspect of
agriculture in Ubakala, but in that cause, it only deals on areas concerning
yam produce in Ubakala. Many writers or scholars have not hit the nail on the
head about the agricultural development of Ubakala community. These are the
reason why this work is very essential to work on and bring to limelight the
agricultural development of Ubakala people.
Afrigbo A.E “Ropes of sand; studies in Igbo
History and culture: writes that agriculture was the most important economic
activity in the pre-colonial Igbo society because greater sum of population
engaged in it either on full time or part time.
Jerome C. Wells in his book, Agricultural
policies and economic growth 1962-1968 observes that the diversity of
government activities directed at expanding free crops production could be best
interpreted as a research for new method of organizing the supporting
activities aimed at providing alternative means by which new techniques may be
disseminated, invested, promoted and
higher productivity attained. He agrees that the government plantation
farms represent one form of government effort in organizing and managing
agricultural production. It talked about the agricultural policies. He talked
about things government should do in other to foster agriculture in our
communities. He only stated the roles of the government towards achieving
agricultural goals in our communities and villages.
Nnamdi Edward wrote about “The Economy of
the Ubakala people”, he only stated few things in the agricultural sector and
talked about how to generate revenue for agriculture for the benefit of Ubakala
people. His book deals mainly on the financial aspect in the agricultural
system of the Ubakala people. He failed to discuss in his book other aspects of
agriculture which h I have also included in my work.
J.C. Aneme, “southern Nigeria in transition”
talks about the importance of yam Igbo agricultural economy.
V.C Uchendu, “The Igbos of Southern Nigeria”
described Agriculture as the Igbo staff of life.
All these scholars have written about
agriculture and its development but they have not also touched the area of our
scope of study.
AIMS/SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The aim of the study is to examine the
agricultural activities in Ubakala since 1900, bringing to the knowledge of the
reader the myth surrounding the success and impediments of agricultural
development in the area, trace the evolution of agriculture in the area since
1900, reveal some spiritual deities that guide the plantation of some selected
crops and celebrations attached to them such as yam, as well as tracing the
economic consequences of agricultural development as it affected other human
and material development.
This work would involve unveiling the lapses
that hindered agricultural development in Ubakala clan and attempt a suggestion
that could be employed to improve the standard of agriculture in the area. The
people of Ubakala is derailing from agriculture and the need to address this
situation is needed. This is the reason for writing this work. Researches have
been made on how to enhance and bring back agriculture in Ubakala and how it
can boost the standard of living of the people of Ubakala and Umuahia at large.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
At the moment to the best of my knowledge,
there is no comprehensive study on the agricultural history of Ubakala. This
research therefore is intended to bridge this gap by raising awareness on the
importance of agriculture especially in this era where the oil revenue in
Nigeria is dwindling.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study draws from primary and secondary
sources. Primary sources were drawn with archival material in Umuahia. The work
also had recourse to oral interaction which were supplemented with few secondary
sources, which included unpublished and published works, journals, projects and
some sources gotten from the area.