Recently Gov Udom Emmanuel was received by the Ibibio Nation at Asan Ibibio. Accordingly there was a program printed for the occasion which included a brief history of the Ibibio people. In tracing the origin and possible composition of the Ibibios the writer reportedly traced the origins of communities from "Akpayefe in Bakassi to Andoni in Rivers State" as composites of the Ibibio ethnic group. This vast radius included the Oro people. There would be nothing wrong with this if it is a fact. Most of us must've read the reaction of the President General of Oro Union over that clause.
The respected President General frowned at the inclusion which referenced or included Oro as part of Ibibio ethnic group. Reactions from notable Oro people on social media were in complete agreement with the PG's action.
The PG said emphatically that Oro "disowns Ibibio ethnicity". I respect his opinion on this issue given his background and position. He is a respected historian and the rightful person to do that rejoinder and timely too. I commend his gallantry. However, I hope the respected President General would permit me to make a little contribution both as an interested party as well as a social commentator.
Late Prof Uya and Chief Manson Akadu are few authors that have made very giant efforts at putting together the history of Oro people. That of Prof Uya was far reaching. In his work he traced the origin of Oro to Usak Edet (Usangele) in Cameroon. This was without prejudice to the works of Robert Mckeon, Talbots's as well as Ford and Jones who did theirs on the Ibibio history.
According to Wikipedia, The Ibibio people occupy the palm belt in the southeast Nigeria, and are regarded as the most ancient of all the ethnic groups in Nigeria. Robert McKeon wrote that the Ibibios are probably the indigenous natives from whom most small tribes of Qua Ibom and Calabar are descended. The early settlement of the Ibibio in the area led to the development of a number of sub-clans, notably the Anang, the Efik, and the Oron. The word sub-clans in this context referred to smaller tribes or nations. Talbot in his part suggested that by 7000 BC permanent settlement of some of the ethnic groups in Ibibio land had already begun and noted that the Ibibio language is probably the most ancient of all the semi Bantu languages.
The same Wikipedia reported that the actual origins of the Efik people are unknown, but oral traditions provide accounts of their migration from Igbo and Ibibio territory (to the north-west of Calabar) to the present location. They sojourned from Nubia through to Ghana and then Arochukwu in present-day South East Nigeria. After staying there harmoniously as guests for about 400 years (11th - 15th century), they left after a disagreement with the Aros. The bulk of them left to Uruan in present-day Akwa Ibom State, some to Eniong and surrounding areas.
The account of Wikipedia put Oro migration at around 2370 BC from the same Usak Edet and claimed their journey took them through northern Nigeria through to their present location. Like the Efiks the writer claimed the Oros are related with the Ibibios and Annangs.
Available evidence indicates that the original homeland of Ibibio is at Usak Edet (Isangele) in the Cameroon which is also what Professor Uya cited for the Oro people. According to Ford and Jones, the Ibibio settlement of Isangele now forms a small tribe in the Kumba Division of Cameroon. Upon leaving the Cameroon territory, the Ibibio arrived at their present location following two major directions. Probably about 7000BC one group reached Nigeria by an overland route and settled at Ibom (Arochuku) there they erected the famous shrine now known as the Long Juju of Arochuku. From Ibom some of the Ibibio people spread to Abak, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, and other areas of what is known as the mainland of Cross River State. Other Ibibios came to the mainland by sea. These include the Uruan, Oron, Eket, and Ibeno people. The split of the sub-group (now called Efiks) from their kinfolk the (Uruan), seem to have started by about the sixteenth century. Talbot, who for many years conducted anthropological research among the Ibibio, suggested that the Efik started to claim a separate identity by about 1600 AD. This almost tallied with the time the Efiks where said to have left the Aros.
It is on record that all the nations within present Akwa Ibom plus Efiks claimed their origin one way or the other from Usak Edet (Usakadi in Oron language). One indisputable fact however is that non of them has been able to trace their origin before 7000 BC when the present settlement was said to have began. Does this link them together? The reader should determine for himself based on the aforementioned historical accounts or produce alternative historical data.
Judging from evidence based on cultural and traditional similarities, skeletal frame, complexion, cuisine and linguistic inter-mixture, these people show very little difference from each other to support strong differences in origin or umbilical cord. However, the relative cultural and traditional nuance maybe attributed to differences on date of arrival from Usak Edet, means of arrival (whether by land or by sea) and historical association and the different tribes and culture each group interacted with on their way to this land.
While this historical writings (which are yet to be disputed with superior facts) traced these tribes to common ancestry, experiences on ground and other sociopolitical considerations negate the history. Any attempt to ignore that fact would be to try to simplify the challenges Oro people face in Akwa Ibom State especially in the hands of their Ibibio brothers.
Let our Ibibio brothers be honest to themselves and to God Almighty and tell the world if any tribe with common ancestry would treat the other with the humiliation and marginalized-isolation the Ibibios have treated the Oros since Akwa Ibom State was created. A typical Oro man in Akwa Ibom seem to have no right and whatever little benefit extended to him seems calculatedly offered him as underserved favor. Oronians who find themselves in government work extra hard to convince their Ibibio brothers of their desire to make the union work but the more they tried the more suspicious the Ibibios get and the more isolated the Oro man becomes.
I stand to be corrected I have never witnessed any government at the state level where an Oro man is included in the core "kitchen cabinet". No Oro man has enjoyed a major contract in this state since inception. There is all sorts of unfounded stereotypes and prejudice against Oro which has made the Oro man seems hostile. Let me quickly mention that the present government led by Mr. Udom Emmanuel is doing a lot to close this gap but how far it would go would be determined by time. The good news is that he understands the fact that building enduring future would require more inclusiveness of every strata of the society. And he is leaving no stone unturned but that is not the focus of this writing.
Despite the common ancestry (if any) the different groups have over time deveined unique identities which must be respected and preserved. Not withstanding, this writer would like to stand with the President General, Oro Union. For if the discovery of common ancestry would lead to further marginalization or any attempt to erode or subsume the unique identities of any of the ethnic groups be it Oros, Ekids, Obolos, Ibenos or Annangs by the dominant Ibibio group, it stands rejected. If it would lead to clear recognition of the importance of brotherhood, cohesion and justice then such history is welcome.
I recalled a story of an old King who dreamt that he lost all his teeth. He called the palace priest to help him with interpretations. The priest told him the sad truth that it means that all his children would die and leave him. He ordered the priest executed and called the palace wiseman who told him that the dream meant he would live long and outlive all his children. The king promoted the wiseman. Technically both of them had said the same thing but the problem was the mode of communication.
Perhaps the problem might have been the way the historical facts were presented or the inference therefrom. Maybe the proper way to put it would have been that based on historical facts for now, all the ethnic groups are traceable to a common ancestry.
However, the collective outrage from Oro should signal to their Ibibio brothers that the schism created by their attitudes against their Oro brothers is deepening and needs to be checked. I am sure the Ibibios would not want to be unfairly treated at the national level where they also form minority. Let that expectation reflect at home.
Oro's reaction may just be a big question mark. "What kind of selfish brother are you?" But the fact that Joseph's brothers selfishly sold him to slavery didn't erase their blood line. If it was true that Ibibios-Oro have a common ancestry then that is what it is; no amount of rejection would change the history, but if is not then it is not.
James Abang Writes From Atte-Okiuso Village, Urueoffong/Oruko LGA.
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