History
Mbaise Popularly known as country Five ( Mba- “Clan” Ise- Five)
The name “Mbaise” is made up of five villages but today due to increase in population is now changed to be five clan in place of village; namely Oke uvuru, Agbaja, Ahiara, Ekwerazu and Ezi Na ihitte. Mbaise is made up of three local governments in Imo State, namely Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte Mbaise.
Agbaja and Oke uvuru clan is made up of Aboh Mbaise Local Government, Ahiara and Ekwerazu makes up Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government while Ezi Na Ihitte makes up Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government.
Annual Mbaise Cultural Festivals:
Iri-ji Mbaise, Iwa Oji Ezinihitte, Itu Aka Nguru, Eyiri Eyiri Obohia, Iri-ji Oru, etc.
Religion Of Mbaise
Mbaise people are known to be Christians, mainly dominated by Catholic, followed by Anglican, Apostolic and other Pentecostal churches. Mbaise has one Catholic diocese known as Ahiara Diocese; Ahiara Diocese is recognised in Rome as the Ireland of Africa, reason being that Ireland is the only country that produces highest Catholic priests in the continent of Europe while Mbaise is the only diocese that has the highest number of priests in Africa approximately 5000 indigenous priests despite after 7years of no ordination in the diocese.
Education
In 2019 Imo state is ranked number 1(one) in Nigeria, (argue with your Google). When you come to Imo State today, Mbaise is number one in education. It is obvious that no family in Mbaise that doesn’t have at least a graduate.
Government and Politics:
Since independence of Nigeria, right from 1960 Mbaise has produced so many military leaders and politicians like: Air Commodore Ochulor (Rtd) who served as former Military Governor of Delta State, Senator Tony Anyanwu, Senator Bright Nwanne, Senator Chris Anyanwu, ND Ukah, former governor of Imo State in the person of RT. HON. EMEKA Ihedioha, who was also the former Deputy Speaker Federal Republic of Nigeria, former Speaker Imo State House of Assembly Barr Noel Agwocha, HON Nnanna Igbokwe, late Hon Independence Ogunenwe, former Deputy Governor, Dr. Ada Okwuonu, etc.
Bravity of Mbaise People:
Mbaise are known to be brave because of their history. During the arrival of British colonial masters to Nigeria, northern Nigeria comprises of Fulani and Hausa coupled with Yoruba. South West Nigeria was the first people to became weakened and accepted the British. But when the British came to Igboland, Mbaise was the last to accept the British because our warriors were strong and was unable to accept the British colonialism due to our culture and belief coupled with the information they got then that the British were taken our men for slave trade. The leader of the British that came to Igboland was Douglas. Then Arochukwu people of Abia State was having inter village war, Mbaise people then don’t want British colony so the warriors decided to guard Mbaise environs in order for the British not to enter and take over their land and make them second class in their own house. Douglas sent a spy known as Dr. Stewart on a bicycle ride to discover the people of Mbaise from there trace way to Arochukwu, Abia State. When Dr. Stewart entered Mbaise, he was captured and killed by Mbaise warriors and then they buried him and hanged his bicycle on one of the trees at Umuosisi Obizi Ezinihitte Mbaise. After some days Douglas and his troop were worried over what is keeping Dr. Stewart. Douglas then led his troop to Mbaise land, and meanwhile late Dr. Stewart was making note drops while on his way before he was captured and killed. When Douglas discovered that Dr. Stewart was killed and he was unable to understand Mbaise communication. He went back but later returned back to Mbaise with war. According to history he killed too many Mbaise warriors known as “ogu danglis” by Mbaise people and in return he lost so many of his men. After the war he made it known to Nigeria that Mbaise people are devilish and can kill humans and eat them as well.
The Role of Mbaise in Nigeria Civil War
The Nigeria Civil War will always be incomplete without Mbaise. During the Civil War, late Odimegwu Ojukwu came to Mbaise because of Mbaise history to solicit support before declaration of the war. When he heard that Mbaise people were strongly behind him, he stayed at Mbaise and declared a war known as “Ahiara Declaration.” It was on this note that late Ikemba Ojukwu came to Mbaise at the year 2003 with tears in his eyes that if he didn’t come to Mbaise to say “thank you” before he dies, that he might not make heaven. Have you ever asked yourself why Imo State was formerly known as “The land of hope” before it was changed to “Eastern Heartland?”, it was because of Mbaise braveness and history.
Hospitality and Unique Sense of Belonging:
Mbaise are known as friendly people with unique sense of belonging. Mbaise clan’s unique ways of celebrating Xmas and party have proved our hospitality and much more. Mbaise are loving people
Hostility between the Mbaise inhabitants and the British developed during the Aro War, which was a major route taken by the British soldiers as part of the invasion to fight Aro. It was claimed that the military often harassed the local inhabitants of Mbaise.
The ongoing conflict culminated in the death of Dr. Stewart on 16 November 1905, who was travelling by bicycle from Owerri to Calabar, to serve as a medical officer in the military. On passing through Udo, he reached Ezinihitte where he was confronted by the inhabitants who thought he was Douglas, the despised District Commissioner.
He was taken to the central market, Afor Ukwu Onicha, where he was killed, with his body parts cut into pieces and shared amongst the villages. As the story goes his bicycle was tied to tree to prevent it from travelling back to Owerri..
The resistance of the Mbaise natives to the British colonial control, was one of most heavily fought war in the Igbo province. It was the fierce confrontation during the early British colonial era, which created the negative image of Mbaise people as dangerous. The negative image continued to develop during the colonial era and was spread throughout the region. The region was frequently patrolled by British troops.
From the advent of the colonial period 1900, the British system of administration, governed the Igbo Mbaise region by “indirect rule”, through intermediaries. They established native courts with administration units and loyal warrant chiefs to carry out their directives. The “indirect rule” imposed on Mbaise had no regard to existing Igbo structures in particular the patrilineage ( ụmụnna ), the cornerstone of Igbo structure.
The “ụmụnna” defines the arrangement of every individual in a family structure and describes their social position in the community.The British also had disregard for titles, social groups and age grades, which often afforded status and influence within the democratic structure of the Igbo village.
Memo by the Major H.C. Stevenson District Officer, submitting report of Mr G. I. Stockley, Assistant District Officer
In 1931, an intelligence report on the study of Ekwerazu and Ahiara, Owerri Division, was written by Mr G. I. Stockley, Assistant District Officer. The report which was certified by the Major H.C. Stevenson District Officer, amongst other challenges sought to address the problems of the internal administration.
The region which was volatile, came under the jurisdiction of the Nguru Native court, which was destroyed on 10 December 1929 during the Women’s Riot. The report noted that there had been three distinct attempts to address the administrative shortfalls in the region, all of which had failed.
The report proposed to merge Agbaja, Ezinihitte, Ekwerazu and Ahiara into a federation in the future, the first time such an administrative structure had been formed.
In 1943 the merger of Agbaja, Ahiara Ekwerazu, Ezinihitte and Ovoro was completed under the Native Authorities Ordinance No.17 of 1943.
Mba (village/town) ise (five) was created from the five communities or clans which emerged from the British, colonial, native courts. The native courts were located in the
Ekwerazu – Uzuaku-Obohia in the North
Ahiara – Orie Ahiara in the North
Ezinihitte – Itu in the East
Oke-Uvoro – Uvuru in the South
Agbaja – Enyiogugu in the West
Most of Igbo land including Mbaise resisted the British colonial rulers in many ways, manifesting in a series of violent wars and battles. The Women’s War of 1929 was the breaking point, which redefined the history of colonial administration in Igbo land and the entire Eastern Nigeria. In 1930, the British set up a commission of inquiry, which documented gross failings and fundamental flaws by the colonial administration. The report led to urgent reforms, which created “native authorities” under the Native Authority Ordinance (No. 43 of 1933).
The formation of councils removed the practice of the warrant chiefs and spread authority among council members. Every clan under the Owerri Province formed part of a council, which gave rise to the modern day Mbaise.
In 1905, the location of modern Mbaise came under the Owerri district which was created 1902, with Harold M Douglas as the first District Commissioner. In 1897, Douglas arrived in Nigeria and was a major contributor to Aro expedition. The people knew him as a brutal autocratic ruler. He was a hard task master that used punitive military action to punish anyone who opposed his authority. He was renowned for physically assaulting any Igbo person who failed to follow his orders.
With Douglas in charge of the newly created Owerri District, the colonial administration established district officers, government houses, courthouses, warrant chiefs and road construction. Using forced labour, Douglas was keen to construct a road network, which opened up the hinterland to enable easy trade access for the British administration.
From his appointment up until to 1906 when he was transferred to Onitsha, Douglas had constructed over two hundred miles of roads in the Owerri district. As a notorious man he became known by many names such as the road-building whiteman (Beke ogbu ama) and beke ojoo (bad whiteman). It is speculated that Owerri, having the best road network in Eastern Nigeria, was the reason it remained, the only major, colonial city in the region, not connected to the rail network by the British colonial administration.
Following 1960 Nigerian independence, three local government areas (LGA) were created from the five clans as part of the new Imo state carved out in 1976, from the former East Central State. Ahiazu Mbaise LGA from Ahiara and Ekwerazu, Aboh Mbaise LGA from Oke-Ovoro and Agbaja and Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA excluding Umu-Ohiagu and Isu-Obiangwu which merged with Ngor-Okpala.
