All You Should Know About Arochukwu Local Government

Arochukwu local government also known as Arochuku or Aro Oke-Igbo, is a local government in Abia State and the third-largest city in Abia, its occupies major Igbo tribe in Nigeria. It is located in the present-day Abia state. Arochukwu local government headquarters lies along the road from Calabar to Umuahia expressway.

According to Wikipedia, it consists of 19 villages with an overall leader called Eze Aro. Arochukwu is a principal historic town in Igbo land. In colonial times, it was one of the cities in the southern protectorate covered by the British colonial government.

History

A clan of the Ibibio tribe was the first inhabitants of Arochukwu. These initial settlers established the early states of Obong, Okon, Ita, and Ibom. Many years later, when the Igbo’s (also known as Aro people) arrived, the younger brother of the ruling clan chief connived with them and the slaves in Arochukwu, to rebel against his brother.

According to Wikipedia, The first set of Igbos to arrive at Arochukwu was the Ezeagwu group led by AgwuInobia. On arrival, they tried to dislodge the Ibibio tribe who were the original owners of the town. This resulted in the Aro-Ibibio wars.

After trying without much success to beat the Ibibio clan, the Eze Agwu clan invited a priest named Nnachi from the Edda clan of northeastern Igboland and another group from the east of the Cross River through Nnachi. These people were identified as the Akpa people.

When the Akpa forces led by Osim and AkumaNnubi arrived, they helped the ezeagwu group capture the rest of the area. This formed the alliance of 19 new and old communities in the area known as the Arochukwu kingdom around 1650–1700.

The first king (or Eze Aro) of a unified Arochukwu was Akuma but after his death, Nnachi’s son’s Oke Nnachi took over and his descendants have the throne to this day.

Later in the mid-18^th century, the people of Arochukwu founded other towns within and outside Igboland. Through the influence of their shrine Ibini-Ukpabi and her priests, her military prowess, and her alliances with surrounding communities, Arochukwu established herself as a regional economic force to reckon with.

The economic advantage that Arochukwu had succeeded in building was threatened by the arrival of the British colonialists in the early 20^th century. As the British tried to control the economy of the region, the people of the region resisted it (especially the wealthy indigenes).

This resulted in the ANGLO-ARO war that happened from 1901 to 1902. Although the people of Arochukwu vehemently resisted the British forces, they eventually lost to the superior firepower of the British.

Arochukwu Local Government Chairman

Are you looking for the present and past Arochukwu local government chairmans, they are as follows:

Mazi Emmanuel Kanu (present)
Hon. Maurice Okoro (past)

Arochukwu Towns and Villages

Arochukwu originally had 19 villages that formed the confederacy all together make up the towns, they are subdivided into two (2) section and they are as follows:

Amaso, Amanmagwu, Ugwuakuma, Utughughwu, Ujari, Ibom, Agbagwu, (These villages are known as Imearo).
Amukwa, Atani, Amangwu, Asaga, Amuvi, Amankwu, Amoba, Oro, Obinikita, Isinkpu, Ugbo and Ugwuafor (these villages are known as Amuze).

Arochukwu Towns Zip Code

442002 is the Arochukwu local government area Zip Codes. This postcode covers all areas, streets, towns, and villages within Arochukwu L.G.A Map, Abia State, Nigeria.

Beautiful Places in Arochukwu

Looking for beautiful places/tourists attraction in Arochukwu. As mentioned earlier, Arochukwu dates back to pre-colonial times, and as such boasts several tourist attractions. The tourist attractions in Arochukwu are as follows:

The Palace of Eze Aro, Eze Amanagwo, and Eze Ibom.
The Historical Museum in Ujari, which has on display, slave trade artifacts such as chains, masks, and ancients padlocks, etc.
The Long Juju shrine of Arochukwu.
The slave trade routes, etc.

Tribes in Arochukwu

The Tribes in Arochukwu are the Igbos, the Akpa people, and the Ibibio’s. The Akpa tribe originates from the present-day Cross River state. The Ibibio tribe were the original occupants of Arochukwu until the arrival of the Igbos arrived.

Presently, the languages spoken in Arochukwu are Igbo, Ibuoro (an Efik-Ibibio language), and Nkari (an Efik-Ibibio language) while English is the official language.

Religions in Arochukwu

There are basically two Religions practiced in Arochukwu – Christianity and Traditional. In ancient times, most indigenes of Arochukwu were basically traditionalists and worshipped the Ibini-Ukpabi deity.

However, with the spread of Christianity across South-Eastern Nigeria, the Arochukwu kingdom was not left out, as many of their indigenes have been converted to Christianity.

Markets in Arochukwu

The most notable market among Arochukwu communities is the Arochukwu central market, located in Arochukwu. From pictures available on the internet, it seems to be a local market to cater to the needs of the residents of Arochukwu.

Like most African Markets, not much information is available on the internet about the market.

Arochukwu Culture

For the Culture and Tradition in Arochukwu, Arochukwu people are a culturally rich people. One of the custodians of their rich culture is the Ekpe society, a sacred society that originated from the east of Cross River. This society was very religious and played judicial roles in Arochukwu.

Another thing central to their culture was the Nsibidi, a writing system that has its origins in Arochukwu. Only members of the Ekpe Society understood it. A more popular writing system was the Uli, which was mostly used in the form of body art, to decorate the bodies of ladies and dancers.

Another factor central to the Arochukwu culture is the Chukwu Abiama temple, which was managed by the Aro Priesthood. This temple had a great influence on neighbors and allies alike, before the land was conquered by the British invasion and the subsequent destruction of the temple.

The Ekeleke masquerade also holds an important place in Arochukwu culture. Although introduced by the Aro’s in the western Niger Delta, it later spread towards the Oguta area. They are popularly known for wearing special clothing called “George”.

Finally, the New yam Festival of the Arochukwu people is a very important part of their tradition. All Arochukwu communities gather together to celebrate it, at a place known as AmikpeObinkita.

Any village that is absent in this festival, will be fined heavily by the king. The New Yam festival takes place in September every year. It is marked with various interesting activities and competitions from various villages to keep the people entertained and looking forward to each festival.

Arochukwu Shrine

Ibiniukpabi shrine is Arochukwu own shrine. Arochukwu were basically traditionalists and worshipped the Ibini-Ukpabi deity before the coming of the early Christianity.

Communites in Arochukwu

Notable Indigenes of Arochukwu.

The following are a list of famous people that are indigenes of Arochukwu:

Mazi Alvan Ikoku, OBE educationist (1900–1971).
Nwankwo Kanu, footballer.
Chidi Imoh, Athlete.
Alexx Ekubo, Actor and Model.
Nnamdi Udoh, Aeronautic Engineer.
Margaret Manson Graham (1860-1933), Scottish missionary nurse who died at Arochukwu.
Mao Ohuabunwa, Industrialist and Politician.
Benjamin Okike, Computer Scientist.

Conclusion.

I hope this article has answered all your questions on Arochukwu local government. If it has please leave a comment and let us know how it has been helpful.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions you would like to ask, or you simply have contributions to make, also leave a comment, and we will respond as soon as we can. Thanks for reading through.