Journey to Ebonyi State

It started in 1906. A decade less a century was when the first steps leading to Ebonyi were taken.

In that year, 1906, our British colonial masters evolved a 24-provincial administrative structure for Nigeria. Then the area now constituting Ebonyi State was part of old Ogoja Province in the then Eastern Nigeria. Ogoja was the provincial headquarters while Enugu was the regional headquarters. Six administrative divisions made up that province.

In 1959, Abakaliki, Obubra and Afikpo Divisions were constituted into Abakaliki Province with headquarters at Abakaliki. Ogoja, Obudu and Ikom Divisions remained as part of Ogoja Province. During the civil hostilities in 1967, Gowon created twelve states in Nigeria. Abakaliki and Afikpo Divisions became parts of the defunct East Central State with the headquarters at Enugu while Obubra Division was excised to Cross River State. In 1976 when Murtala Mohammed increased the states to 19, Abakaliki Division was joined to Anambra state while Afikpo Division was added to Imo State with the headquarters at Enugu and Owerri, respectively. Babangida in 1991 increased the number of states to thirty. Afikpo Division found herself in Abia State with headquarters at Umuahia while Abakaliki division was appended to Enugu State with the seat of power still at Enugu.

October 1, 1996 is Ebonyi State’s birthday. On that day, after a really traumatic child labor, the long-sought-for Ebonyi State was delivered by General Sani Abacha. What a historic home-coming! The Israelites under Moses and Joshua took some forty years to reach the promised land. We of Ebonyi State doubled the years plus ten to get to our dream state.

In the process of actualizing the Ebonyi dream, Afikpo Division was variously part of Eastern region of Nigeria, East Central State, Imo State, Abia State and now – probably last – is an integral part of Ebonyi State. On the other hand, Abakaliki Division was part of Eastern Nigeria, East Central State, Anambra State, Enugu State and finally, Ebonyi State.

A brief analysis of this “sedentary wandering” of some 90 years duration shows that the old Abakaliki and Afikpo Divisions were under the same administrative heads for 69 years. The remaining 21 years only were periods we had to peer over some other peoples’ shoulders to know what was happening “over there.”

These few strands of history are very significant especially for those who think that the “Ebonyi Spirit” is a tall story. It is real and has been a moving and inherent one dating centuries back. Volumes of books have and will be written on the struggles for the creation of Ebonyi State.

We are aware that at certain stages, agitators for Abia State (especially in old Afikpo division) were at war with the exponents of Ebonyi State. All that is now history, as most of the Abia State advocates eventually got over to the mainstream of the Ebonyi Movement. It is a truism that healthy criticisms and oppositions have positive results and do influence even dictators to see reason for caution. Ebonyi is now home for all. It is the Salt of the Nation.

Fellow Ebonyians, it will interest the very ignorant ones in our midst to know that the ties between old Afikpo Division and old Abakaliki Division go beyond political accidents and associations. The ties are biological and have their roots in historical antecedents.

At this point we wish to refer you to the memorandum submitted by “The People of Old Abakaliki Province” entitled, “The Case for the Creation of Ebonyi State” (January 1996). On page 3, number 30, “Historical Antecedents” read the following:

Historical antecedents and archeological discoveries reveal that Afikpo was occupied by the prehistory “Egu” and “Nkalu” Igbo groups who merged and got assimilated by other immigrant Igbo groups from the Southeastern Cross River Basin. Some of these groups moved northwards to parts of Abakaliki area. One of the earliest settlers in Ezza was Ekuma Enyi, who hailed from the northern Afikpo village of Ibii. Legend has it that he married Ezekuna and the couple had two children, Noyo and Nodo. Noyo founded Ikwo and Nodo founded Izzi. Some Ezza groups moved eastward to Ngbo and founded Ezza Ngbo, while the population pressure and adventure led to some of the prehistoric natives of Afikpo to settle and found Nkalagu.

Dear reader and fellow Ebonyian, are you still in doubt of our ancestral relationship? Do not doubt again. Know that we have been one from origin. It was our former colonial masters who tended to polarize us with their administrative manner of divide and rule. Unfortunately, on independence, some of our self-centered politicians used their privileged positions to further balkanize us for selfish ends. Thanks be to our Maker we are back to base.

The base of our name, Ebonyi River, appears to water every local government in our darling state. It serves like the vertebral column of the human body. It is a natural nervous system holding us together. Our founding fathers made no mistake in choosing the name, “Ebonyi.”

Like the biblical Simeon, our progenitors and living leaders for Ebonyi State can delightfully thank God for seeing what they had wished to see and could therefore pass on without regret. The Moses of Ebonyi State, late Ezeogo Dr. Akanu Ibiam and our modern Joshua, Princess Alu Ibiam have cause to relax happily in their various states of existence for the promised land has been reached. It is now up to every Ebonyian alive today to ensure that the long-sought-for Ebonyi State will not be a replica of Nigerian Independence some 36 years ago. God bless us.