EASTERN OBOLO, IBENO AND ORO ARE NOT IBIBIO
By Dr John Ukpatu PhD
Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro are not IBIBIO in Akwa Ibom State but they are Obolo people (EBI OBOLO) and they are part of Obolo nation (IDO OBOLO). Colonial records referred to the people as Obolo-Andoni [17]. Therefore, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro are neither Riverine Ibibio nor Delta/Coastal Ibibio as claimed on page 12 of the souvenir programme of the reception in honour of His Excellency Deacon Udom Emmanuel organized by the Ibibio Nation at Asan Ibibio on May 10, 2017. [18]
Although, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro people are presently integral part of Akwa Ibom State and share close ties with their Ibibio neighbours in their current State due to creation and location but they remain Obolo people(EBI OBOLO) in origin, history, culture , occupation and belief system. Being part of Akwa Ibom State is the act of God and this does not destroy their ideal identity as Obolo people. Chief O. E. Isong was correct when he wrote in his private paper: the Orons, Obolos, Ibunos, Effiat and Okobo are blood relatives [19]. From the foregoing, there are three prime truths that are therefore evident.
First, it is clear that the element of Ibibio in Obolo origin, which is currently being popularized in Akwa Ibom State in recent years, has no foundation in historical facts. Second, the insistence on classifying Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro as Ibibio is an anthropogenic design and manipulation to subtly subvert the people’s true ethnic identity, to corrupt their genuine peoplehood and to alienate them from their honest historical root and nucleases. Thirdly, this Ibibio recent historical element in Obolo history seems to be a renovated account, unpopular description and unaccepted version in the OBOLO historical account. Obolo does not proclaim ethnic purity. No group can. They acknowledge the presence in their midst of products of ethnic exchanges from earliest times as well as others who arrived and mixed with them through commercial pursuits but this cannot change the Obolo ethnic configuration and origin. Uwem Akpan, 1988, in his book “Ikono: The Cradle of Ibibio Nation” and cited by Edet A. Ukpong, an Ibibio historian asserted that the Ibibio migration into Nigeria was part of the Bantu expansion from their original home land, Usak Edet, along the Nigeria-Cameroun border where they moved along with the Oron of Obolo stock…” So, the description of Oron people as water-borne Ibibio by Oto-bong Uwah, in his book “Ibibio Nation: History and Culture, p.8” is derogatory on the status and origin of the Obolo people. Also the attribution of Oron, Ibeno, Eastern Andoni, Effiat as Ibibio sub-groups is an erroneous acclamation in Ibibio history and incongruous annexation of the Obolo people into Ibibio origin (See Ibibio Nation: History and Culture, p.8-9).
Fortunately, scholars had cleared the air about the element of Ibibio in the Obolos. For instance, the story of the Ibibio Union: its background by Sir Egbert Udo Udoma (1923) [20] stated thus: ‘Ibibio has common boundary with Andoni people, Obolo or Obodom with whom they share close affinity as neighbours’. This statement by Sir Egbert Udo Udoma (1923) further confirmed that Obolo people are not Ibibio. According to Jefferys, 1931, p. 2 [21], ‘the town of MKPANAK in Ibeno is said to be an off shoot of ALABIE (Agwut-Obolo). This town was called by the IBIBIO “Afaha Obudum (Ama Ebi-Obolo)”. These further x-rayed the fact that in the early years of colonial rule, the Ibibio never disputed MKPANAK in Ibeno as Obolo territory and the claims of Obolo, Ibeno and Oron as distinct ethnic groups in Nigeria. Also, Prof. Eyo Ita of Mkpanak Ibeno, Former Head of Eastern Nigerian Government wrote thus in 1949[22],: ‘It is an open secret that the Obolo people are the Oron, Okobo, Effiat, Mbo, Ibeno, Eastern Obolo and Andoni’. Similarly, in his Local Government Reform in the Calabar Province (1949), Mr. R. A. Stevens[23] pointed out that Oro and Obolo were extremely unwilling to be dragged into a predominantly Ibibio unit in which they feared, they would be swamped.
Consequently, a protest by the Chiefs and Elders of Oron in 1928 as reported by Uya (1984) [24] disclosed thus: ‘we are not Ibibio people. The origin of Oro people has nothing to do with Ibibio rather with Obolos”. Professor Uya further wrote : ‘It is also significant that until very recently both Obolo and Ibeno people never accepted that they were Ibibio and even now they still insist on their separate ethnic identity as Obolo people (Ebi-Obolo).’ This could be the possible reason Obolo, Ibeno and Oro did not team up to form Ibibio Union when it was first proposed in 1923. It is true that Ibibio history, origin and migration enjoy great antiquity but it is equally true that other undisputed historical facts completely deflate the notion that Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro have Ibibio origin in Akwa Ibom State. This could also be the possible reason Dr. Effiong E.B Udunam, Former President, Oron Union initiatively wrote thus in 2017, “an attempt to subjugate Obolo, Oro and Ibeno into Ibibio nation is not historically correct. Oro is the brother of Obolo and has the Ibibio as neighbours.”Obolo is a tribal stock notably related to Ibeno, and Oro but only share close neighbourhood with IBIBIO. [25]. It is instructive to emphasize here that Ibeno people are more of Obolo than the Ibibio. Eket did not conquer Ibeno at any point in time nor Ibeno ever been in bondage as in slavery to the Ibibios to warrant them as slaves in recent years. Most of the Ibeno names are not those names from the immediate Eket surrounding areas.
Also, the “population census of Eastern Region of Nigeria 1953, Bulletin No.6 Calabar Province”, there were 205,908 Ibibio people counted in the 1952/53 census (Source: NPC, 1953[26]). This figure of 205,908 Ibibio people was exclusive of Oro, Ibeno and Eastern Obolo people of Eastern Nigeria Region and thus the Obolo people were not counted as part of the Ibibio.
However, there is no doubt that there are inconsequential Ibibio embroidery, minor Efik attachment and negligible embellishment in the Obolo territorial pedigree, but no matter the extent of acclaimed cross-stitch supplement of each branch with surrogate roots and derivative engraftments, all Obolo branches are from one root and are permanently linked, woven and knitted into one big and mighty IROKO tree called the Obolo genealogical tree which had existed for several centuries independently of the Ibibios.
Besides, the word ‘ORO’ is not an Ibibio dialect rather it is an Obolo dialect meaning ‘God, you do well for us’. IBENO is also an Obolo dialect meaning ‘Ibeme-enu’ or “Let’s come together”. Other school of thoughts says it is Ibenu which is still an Obolo dialect meaning (Our father says we should come together). Interestingly, the people of Ibeno speak Ibenu dialect of the Obolo language. Ibeno dialect of Obolo language is a bit distinct and largely unintelligible to its neighbours.
My point of argument here is that Ibeno did not acquire, assimilate, learn or develop their name from Eket. Specifically, Ibeno is an ancient Obolo territory with a distinct dialect of Obolo language and did not originate from Eket area rather most of the Eket people once lived in the heart of Ibeno before their migration to their present abode. The act of writing Ibeno as Ibino in some publications to sound as if it has its origin from Ibibio is an attempt to eclipse or corrupt her traditional name of Obolo origin of Ibeno. The truth is that Oro and Ibeno are prominent part of Obolo nation and form prominent part of the narratives as rallying points as well as melting pot for the Obolo people of ages. This explains why Obolo, Oro and Ibeno were in Obolo County Council and equally explains why Oro, Ibeno, Andoni (Obolo) and Ohafia formed the Obolo National Union in 1902 independently of the Ibibio Union of 1928. Thus, Obolo National Union of 1902 was 16 years older than the Ibibio Union of 1928. Besides, Oron union was formed in 1925, three years before Ibibio union was inaugurated on 28th of April, 1928 at the Qua Iboe church, Uyo. Thus, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oro are not Ibibio but have unimpeachable identity in Akwa Ibom State as distinct, indivisible ethnic nation with a common origin, history and destiny which cannot be damaged, degraded or eroded with virgin inversion, refined human colonialism, manipulated revisionism and malignant historical militarism.
Endnotes
17. Jeffrey’s report of 1925 on the tribes and clans in the former Eket District.
18. Souvenir programme of the reception in honour of His Excellency Deacon Udom Emmanuel organized by the Ibibio Nation at Asan Ibibio on May 10, 2017.
19. Chief O. E Isong’s private paper, cited by Uya 1984.
20. The story of the Ibibio Union: its background by Sir Egbert Udo Udoma (1923).
21. Jefferys, 1931, p. 2.
22. Prof. Eyo Ita , “ Letter of 3 May, 1949 to Ibeno Chiefs,” in Chief B. A. Enyina’s file, Ukpenekang-Ibeno, pp.72&78 and cited by Enemugwem, 2009, Obolo and the peopling of the Niger Delta.
23. R. A. Stevens in his Local Government Reform in the Calabar Province (1949).
24. Protest by the Chiefs and Elders of Oron in 1928 as reported by Uya (1984).
25. Oro is Not Ibibio, writes Dr Effiong Edunam, President General, Oron Union, July18, 2017 (The resurgence of Ibibio hegemonic impulse: Irritating claims in Governor Udom’s Ibibio grand reception sourvenir programme).
26. National Population Commission NPC, 1953.
Read more: https://oboloheritage.blogspot.com/2022/09/major-obolo-land.html
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