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Ine Festival And The Development Of Issele-uku: A Historical Perspective
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 4]
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THE PEOPLE OF ISSELE – UKU KINGDOM
Just like it has been said above,
the people of Issele – Uku migrated from the Benin-empire, which means
that they are Binis. They are like an extension of the Benin kingdom in
the eastern extremities.
They share similarities in culture with the
Issele –Uku people. The people of Issele-Uku have similar events, such
as festivals, land tenures systems and even societies with the Binis.
The
Issele-Uku people speak the Ika-Ibo language, which we call the
“Enuaniâ€. The Enuani has more similarities with the Ibo language, than
it does with the Benin language, but this does not mean that we have any
thing to do with the Ibos. As we all know, the Ibos in their
adventurous nature, in the ancient days established friendly contacts
with the people of Issele-Uku kingdom more especially the Anams and the
Aguleris, mainly through trade and commerce.
…The constancy of the
association with the Ibos helped and influenced the change of Edo
language among the Issele-Uku people to the present day – Ibo – Issele –
Uku language of Enuain or the Ika-Ibo dialect, which is still full of
Benin words.4
Thus, though the Issele-Uku community still speak the
Ibo language, but they cannot and will never refer to themselves as
Igbos because they are very conscious of their Edo-Benin ancestoral
origin.
One other factor that influenced the change in language from
the pure Bini language to the Ibo-Bini (Enuani) or (Ika-Ibo) language
was marriage: through trade, the Ibos settled in Issele-Uku kingdom. Our
own people could not swim across the River Niger, so only the Ibos
could swim across, so they came and settle and then married from the
Issele-Uku people.
The people of Issele-Uku, are still very conscious
of the Sacred nature of the River Niger and its banks (ubom), hence the
yams cultivated on the banks of the great river “Ji ani olu or ji Anamâ€
do not require any further purification before they are eaten ‘Nso
adiasolu ubomâ€, neither were they used for the rituals of the new yam
festivals which is part of the ceremonies of the Ine festival in
Issele-Uku rather, the yams cultivated in the heaterland (Ji enu ani)
were used for the rituals of the new yam festivals.
ISI-ILE-UKU “ISSELE –UKU†KINGDOM. (LAND)
ISI-ILE-UKU,
which was the original name from Benin; but because of the change in
language is now referred to as Issele – Uku kingdom was founded by the
Binis in about 1230 AD by Oba Eweka I of Benin Empire and first Ogie of
the new kingdom, was prince Uwadiaie who was the second son of Oba Eweka
I.
The original name of this kingdom that was carried out of Benin
Empire – “ISI-ILE-UKUâ€, signifies relationship with the Benins and Oba
of Benin-city “Uku Akpolokpolo omonoba n’edo’5
When Oba Eweka I
created the new Benin outpost of Isi- lle- Uku, now pronounced
Issele-Uku, his main objective was to check and stop the influx of
people from East of the River Niger, and people from Igala land into the
Edo land West of the River Niger, for farming and fishing operations.
Also, to use Isi-Iie-Uku the new out post and kingdom as a defence out
post to the Benin Empire and more over, for expansion purposes.
Isi-Ile-Uku
was also to re-enforce the other Bini-Yorubas, of Ukwu – Nzu “Olukwumâ€
people and town founded by Oba Oranmiyan on his return to rule Benin
from Ile-Ife “Utteâ€. He was the father of Oba Eweka I of Benin. Infact,
it was at Ukwunzu that Oba Oranmiyan of Benin installed his Yoruba deity
– ORISHA – AKODI now called Onicha – Kodi by the people of Nkwunzu and
the environs and he instituted an OHEN now called Ohene: high priest to
worship and maintain the deity.6
Today the Olukwumis are bi-linguals,
speaking the same type of Yoruba –bini with their Itsekiris and user
their kith and kin, along with Issele-Uku, Ika-Ibo language up-till
present, the Olukwumis call strangers ISILE. This goes to confirm that
the first strangers the people of Ohakwuni came to associate with in
this area, were the people of Isi-Ile-Uku.
Prince Uwadiaie the second
son of Oba Eweka I was crowned Ogie ‘king’, by his father Oba Eweka I
of Benin Empire about 1230 AD. and sent to rule the Bini new kingdom of
ISI-ILE-UKU in company of warriors, a group of administrators, chief
other princes of the royal family of Benin from Ogbe. Ehaekpen, Idumu
inaleibiwe, Idumu Igun, Idumu Iken, Idumu Eribo, Idumu Ezemo, Idumu
Oliha, Idumu Ihamu, Idumu Isama, and Idumu Ugboka. Members of the royal
families of Benin were settled at Ehaekpen of Issele-Uku.
This Benin
quarters are still in existence in Issele-Uku, but the name have been
tilted, due to the change in language, and they are now called: Ogbe and
Idumu; Ishieakpe, Ogbidibo, Idumu – Inele Ebigwe, Idumu Uzu, Idumu
IKem, Idumu Ozonma,, Iduma, Idumu Onishe, Idumu Ihama, Idumu Isana and
Idumy Edemoka “Umu-edumoka†at Ogboli.
The land is very historic,
Issele-Uku, is sited in the former Bendel State of Nigeria. Benin city
was the state capital, while Issele Uku was in Aniocha, now Aniocha
North Local Government Area. The distance between Benin and Issele-Uku
is about 90 kilometers.7
Names of most Issele Uku people, especially
in the ancient days were in Edo or Benin names, this goes to show the
ties between the Issele-Uku people and the Edo-Benin people. i.e. Ogiwe,
Osakwe, Osiegbu, Osubo, Osu, Osegbovu, Omofoma, Usiofo, Idia Afumata,
Ofomata, Ikhimi etc.
As mentioned earlier, gradually the Ibo language
became more dominant, but it was the culture of the Binis – pegan
worship, chieftaincy, kingship tradition and craft that triumphed. But
linguistically, Issele-Uku Ika-Ibo dialect is today full of words, names
and titles that are of Benin origin.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 4]
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