Date Published: 05/15/09

Ogwa: A clan in need of help by Anayo Onukwugha

The Ogwa Clan is in Mbaitoli local government area of Imo State. The clan shares boundary in the North with Amandugba in Isu local government area and Amauzari in Isiala-Mbano local government area of the state. In the South, Ogwa clan has boundary with Iho in Ikeduru local government area as well as Mbieri in Mbaitoli local government area. While the clan shares boundary with Atta in Ikeduru local government area in the East, it also have a common boundary with Orodo in Mbaitoli local government area in the West.

Apart from being an indigene of Ogwa Clan, I was born in Ogwa. I grew up in the clan and had both my primary and secondary education in the area, Community School, Uru/Umuanu-Ogwa and Umueze-Ogwa Secondary School, Ogwa, respectively.

Ogwa is one of the few clans in Imo State that have over 45 villages, which are scartered in five automomous communities, namely; Ibeama-Ogwa, Alaenyi-Ogwa, Umueze-Abazu-Ogwa, Umunneato-Ogwa and Idume-Ogwa. In accordance with the rich culture and tradition of Ndi-Igbo, the five automomous communities in Ogwa clan have traditional rulers and they are; Eze George Iheanacho of Ibeama-Ogwa, Eze Gordon Ejiofor of Alaenyi-Ogwa and Eze Stanley Ahaneto of Umueze-Abazu-Ogwa. Others are Eze Eddy Uwandu of Umunneato-Ogwa and Eze Alban Ejiakonye of Idume-Ogwa.

The clan has three secondary schools, namely; Ogwa Comprehensive Secondary School, Ogwa, Umueze-Ogwa Secondary School, Ogwa and Ogwa Girls Secondary School, Ogwa. It is on record that the three secondary schools, the Ogwa General Hospital, Ogwa, which is the only secondary health institution covering the entire clan as well as the Ogwa Pipe Borne Water Project, which dates back to 1950s were all self-help projects embarked upon and completed by the people of Ogwa clan.

Most of the primary schools scattered in the over 45 villages that make up the clan were either built through community self-help effort or by the missionaries, especially those of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, formerly known to the people of Ogwa clan as Christian Missionary Society (CMS) and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church.

As it were then, a lot of people in the clan found it difficult to leave the clan for schooling as the secondary schools and primary schools were enough and well equipped to take care of their academic needs.

But today, the story seems to have changed. Most of the infrastructures and other amenities that make every Ogwa son and daughter to be proud of the clan have vanished. The three secondary schools are now shadows of their own. With compounds overgrown with bushes and dilapidated structures, both teachers and students have abandoned the secondary schools and found succour in private schools that are springing up on daily basis in the clan.

The pipe-borne water project, which was the envy of neigbouring clans and communities have since packed while people now depend on the streams and boreholes as sources of drinking water.

One does not need to make mention of the Ogwa General Hospital, which has become a place of abode for reptiles as doctors, nurses and even patients have abandoned the secondary health institution. The only section of the hospital that is still functional is the embalmment centre.

The only major road linking Ogwa clan with other parts of the state, which is the Ama-Nwaozuzu-Iho-Ogwa-Orodo Road, is in a sorry state. Past administrations in the state paid lip-service to the condition of the road, thereby allowing indigenes of Ogwa to suffer in the process of coming in or going out of the clan. It is my prayer that the present government in the state will march word with action and rehabilitated the road.

Being a youth, I continue to wonder what the traditional and political leaders of Ogwa clan have done to ensure that these dilapidated infrastructures come back to their original status. When I say traditional leaders, I mean the five traditional rulers in the clan as well as the leadership of the apex pan-Ogwa socio-cultural organization, the Ogwa Federated Union (OFU).

When I talk of political leaders, I mean people like Dr. Josiah Odunna, Chief Rufus Osueke, Mr., Prince Onunwa, Barrister Julius Onyenaucheya, Chief D.D.Iwuoha, Chief Innocent Oparadike, Barrister Chibuzom Aghalibe and several others.

I believe time has come for people like Dr. Oduuna, who was the pioneer National Secretary of the All Peoples Party (APP) and Chief Oparadike, who was the Special Adviser on Information to former Governor of Imo State, late Chief Evan Enwerem to mobilize other younger politicians to find ways of bringing Ogwa clan out of its present pitiable state.

Now is not time to look at political differences or affiliations, but time to come together and attract development to Ogwa clan. Time has come for the government to come to the aid of the clan.

Onukwugha is the Coordinator, Greater Ogwa Heritage Movement (GOHM)