Throwback Times present catalogue of all the towns in Anambra State. However, most of these towns are by history related to one another. Furthermore, the name Anambra was an appellation corrupted from Omambala River.
Omambara River (Osimiri Omambala in Igbo language) or Anambra River clearly flows 210 kilometres (130 mi) into the River Niger. The river is the essential feeder of the River Niger below Lokoja. The flow of the Ọmambala River is released into the Atlantic through various outlets forming the 25,000-square-kilometre (9,700 sq mi) Niger Delta region.
Furthermore, the River covers part of Anambra State and Enugu state in local Government Areas - Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum and Uzo Uwani. Moreover, the River was named Omambala by first settlers which means "Something that is large or expanded"
Factual Explanations:
There have been different versions of history of Omambala without substantiated and fact-base evidence, however, until research from Akukoeri proved beyond emperical writeups. On this ground, It is obvious that our Ancestors had lived shortly in Ethiopia, around the Valley of Omo River (in Ethiopia) – a crossroads of migrating ancient tribes of Middle East into the region of East Africa and a place where some of the missing children of exile Isreal found themselves and dispersed thereof.
Short Notes:"18 countries made up Middle East. They are Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.""19 countries made up East Africa. They are - Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Somaliland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe"
According to Umueri Oral tradition, On Arriving at the Confluence of present Omambala River, the settlers on seeing the huge River named it “Omo-mbala” implying a very huge River (Literally meaning larger or Bigger Omo River).It was from Omo-mbala, it became known as “Omambala” and was modernly corrupted to Anambra by the Murtala Administration in 1976 all in effort to permanently delete the historical name that would point historians to our noble history of origin.
Dabawu, the leader of the settlers according to Umueri oral tradition offered sacrifice to God, some claimed he used his mystical power to move the huge River back to its present location. And God answered him as the huge sea shrinked and moved to its present location, thereby throwing up more uplands where many villages in both Aguleri and Umueri today dwelled. Till date, the “Oku Omambala” (Source of the River) is still located at the Ugume Umueri, very close to the Tomb of Dabawu in Ugume Umueri. The trace and path of the river to Omambala are still evident unto this day.
During Dabawu Festivals, elders of Umueri & part of Aguleri assembled and recounts the mysterious deed of this legend that many have come to identified as Eri. It’s therefore important to point out that this oral tradition frowns at the fallacy that Eri migrated to Omambala. The pieces therefore intend to correct the false tales and put the story straight that, it was Eri descendants led by the Mystical Dabawu that veered into Omambala valley. The early settlers conscious of this fact, that their Progenitor did not make it to the new found land referred to the days he lived with them as ‘Ube Eri’, ‘Mgbe Eri” “Oge Eri” etc, and the area as UMUERI CLAN
It was also a known fact that the Biblical Eri became an Ancestror (Dead) when his descendants were in Wilderness (Number 26:16). During the Census of isreal, the Erites were among descendants of Gad that had a total population of 40,500 which implies that the clan of Eri would be having an average of 8,000 or more descendants at the time of the Isrealites Census as captured in the book of Number 26. Hence there is no historical reasons why such a man with such number of descendants would be alive and the reference to his name as an ancestor confirms unarguably the fact, that he was no longer alive.
List Of Towns In Omambala (Anambra) In Alphabetical Order:
Abacha, Abagana, Abatete, Abba, Achalla, Achina, Adazi-Ani, Adazi-Enu, Adazi-Nnukwu, Agbudu, Agukwu-Nri, Aguleri, Agulu, Aguluezechukwu, Aguluzigbo, Ajalli, Akata, Akili-Ogidi, Akili-Ozizor, Akpo, Akpu, Akwaeze, Akwaihedi, Akwaukwu, Alaohia, Alor, Amaetiti, Amansea, Amanuke, Amaokpala, Amawbia, Amesi, Amichi, Amiyi, Amorka, Anaku, Atani, Awa, Awba-Ofemili, Awgbu, Awka, Awka-Etiti, Awkuzu, Azia, Azigbo
Ebenator, Ebenebe, Ekwulobia , Ekwulumili, Enugwu Otu Aguleri, Enugwu_Aguleri, Enugwu-Agidi, Enugwu-Ukwu, Enugwu-Umuonyia, Eziagu, Eziagulu Otu Aguleri, Ezinato, Ezinifite-Aguata, Ezinifite-Nnewi, Eziowelle, Ezira,
Ichi, Ichida(be Charly Million), Ideani, Ifite Ogwari, Ifitedunu, Igbakwu, Igbariam, Igbedo, Igboukwu, Ihembosi, Ihiala, Ihite, Ikem-Ivite, Ikenga, Inoma-Akator, Iseke, Isiagu, Isu_Aniocha, Isulo, Isuofia, Iyiora Anam,
Lilu
Mbaukwu, Mbosi, Mgbakwu, Mmiata, Mputu(be Asam)
Nando, Nanka, Nawfia, Nawfija, NAWGU, Ndikelionwu, Ndiokolo, Ndiokpalaeke, Ndiokpalaeze, Ndiowu, Ndiukwuenu, Neni, Nibo, Nimo, Nise, Nkerehi, Nkpologwu, Nkpor, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Nnewi, Nnobi, Nnokwa, Nsugbe, Nteje, Nzam,
Oba(be ndị Nnem Ochié), Obeagwe, Obeledu, Obosi, Obuluhu, Ochuche Umuodu, Odiukwuenu, Odekpe, Ogbakugba, Ogbodi, Ogboji, Ogbunike,Ogbunka, Ogidi, Ogwu-Aniocha, Ogwuikpele, Ohita, OJOTO(be Nnaa), Okija, Oko, Okpeze, Okpoko, Okpuno, Omasi, Omogho, Omor, Oneh, Onitsha, Onneh, Oraeri(be okwuakam), Oraifite, Oraukwu, Oroma-Etiti,
Orsumoghu, Ossamala, Osumenyi, Otuocha, Owelle, Owerre-Ezukala, Ozubulu,
Ubaha, Ubaha-Akwaosa, Ubuluisiuzor, Ufuma, Uga, Ugbene, Ugnenu, Uhuala, Uke, Ukpo, Ukpor, Ukwulu, Uli, Umuawulu, Umuchu, Umuchukwu, Umudioka, Umudora Anam, Umueje, Umuenwelum Anam, Umuerum, Umueze Anam, Umuikwu Anam, Umuleri, Umumbo, Umunachi, Umunankwo, Umunya, Umunze, Umuoba Anam, Umuoba-Abegbu Anam, Umuoji, Umuomaku, Umuona, Umuzu, Unubi, Urum, Utuh.
Some descendants of some of the above towns stretch and settled as far as places today known as Southern Nigeria and other parts known as Middle belts, Igbanke in Edo and others. It is also pertinent to note that there are other countries where Igbo tribe are found. The list goes below:
1. Equatorial Guinea:
There are Igbo tribe in Equatorial Guinea. Official languages are Spanish, Portuguese, French and Igbo (as a minority language).
2. Cuba:
The Igbo language is still spoken in Cuba, along with the Efik language, but in a creolized version. however, In ceremonies of the Abakuá culture, you can see traces of the Igbo Culture.
3. Barbados:
Facts from Wikipedia noted that Igbo are also found in Barbados, the Barbadians frequently referred to Barbados as "Bim," a nickname for the island (Bajans). This word is thought to have originated in the Igbo language and be derived from the phrase "my people," which is bi mu (or bem, Ndi bem, Nwanyi ibem, or Nwoke ibem.
4. Caribbean:
Caribbean indigenes speak Igbo and Yoruba languages fluently, even though they are not related to any Nigerians. A foremost entertainer and music maestro, Tar Ukoh, says many people in the area speak Igbo and Yoruba of the 13th century. Till now he says, the Yorubas still play and enjoy their traditional Yoruba songs, while the Igbos feature their nmanwu, agaba and ekpe masquerades.
From those masquerades, they fashioned out a brand of music they call Wawanco. Their ancestors too were the exponents of the popular Calypso music which is an adulteration of Ka anyi soo nmanwu (let’s join the masquerade troupe).
5. Cameroon:
Cameroon also speaks Igbo and it is recorded that about 110,000 people (especially in the Southern part of Cameroon) of Cameroon speaks Igbo as their main language according to Evangeliser’s statistics.
6. Jamaica:
In Jamaica the Igbo were often referred to as Eboe or Ibo. Igbo people were taken in relatively high numbers to Jamaica as slaves, so it's no surprise that there's some Igbo language in the Jamaican Patois language.
In Jamaica, “red eboe” is used to describe people with light skin tones with African features. They also celebrate what is called “jonkonu Yam festival” popularly know among Nigerian Igbos as “New Yam Festival”.
Jonkonnu is a masquerade festival held in Jamaica which is attributed to the Njoku Ji or “yam-spirit cult”, Okonko and Ekpe of the Igbo.
Other Igbo speaking countries are listed below:
7. Dominican Republic
8. Belize
9. Bahamas.
Conclusion:
It is obviously that Omambala is the primary ancestral history of Igbo Kingdoms in different places (today known as Nigeria particularly in the East and South). However, most of the towns in Anambra State are related to one another.
Furthermore, the first settlers in Omambala, after naming the river as Omambala adores and workship the river regarding the river as "goddess". It is also very important to note that this article did not treat and history of Aguleri-Nri controversy. There are other countries across the world where migrants (some of which are today known as Igbo tribe) from the middle east settled.
Source: www.throwbacktimes.com.ng
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