Abatete
Abatete is a town in Anambra State in Nigeria. Abatete is bordered by Uke, Ogidi, Abacha, Oraukwu, Alor, Ideani, Eziowelle, Umuoji. It is located in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. It is made up of four villages: Nsukwu, Agbaja, Ogbu and Odida. Its people are one of the Igbo speaking peoples of Eastern Nigeria. Abatete, like most Igbo communities, has a rich cultural heritage. Okolie Otie was indisputably the ancestral father of Abatete, Umuoji and Nkpor, but his origin is still unsettled. Otie had three sons: Edeogu, Ora and Ideke. Edeogu his eldest son married Mgboko eke, and they had nine sons: Viz, Nsukwu, Agbaja, Isiuzo, Akwa, Azu ogwa, Mputu, Odida, and Ogbu in that order.
Ora married and had a son he named Oji. When Oji had his own son he gave him his grandfather's name. Oji's descendants are known as Umuoji. The first village in Umuoji is Eziora as a reflection of their grandfather's name. Ideke's descendants are known as Nkpor. Edeogu the father of Nkpor. Edeogu the father of abatete proudly referred to his nine sons as (Igwulube-otie-denoting the plurality of his children). Over generation Mbateghete was corrupted to Abateghete and to Abatete with the advent of British rule. Out of nine sons of Edeogu only four survived to form the four pillars of Abatete namely: Nsukwu, Agbaja, Odida and Ogbu. Isiuzo clan had group into a quarter but was driven out of Abatete due to constant feud.
In 1904, the British administration through the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria based in Onitsha sent a Gun Breaking expedition (Otiji Egbe) to Abatete as a prelude to imposing imperial rule. Armed surrogates posing as peacemakers were deployed in all the four quarters of Abatete. At first, they pleaded with the natives for assistance to subdue a troublesome neighboring community. They requested that every gun owner assemble at the market square with their guns. Most natives took the bait. What happened next shook the foundation of the town. Suddenly, the soldiers unleashed their superior firepower and burnt down market stalls and shrines. Capitulation was complete. Native guns were confiscated, stacked and set ablaze. As the fire smoldered so did the pride and power of Abatete.
In 1905, District Officer in charge of Onitsha asked the four quarters of Abatete to select their warrant chiefs. Agbaja selected Eze Omaliko-Atulee Ekusa of Ezimuku, but Ogbuefi Omenyi Anaekwe begged to differ. He reminded, “King makers” that Omaliko deity would be deeply troubled by the trappings of office of the Warrant Chief. His argument prevailed and Ogbuefi Anaekwe was selected to become a Warrant Chief. Chief Onwadiebo Nebuwa Ezekwe, the charismatic grandson of Ebube Ogu, the progenitor of Nri lineage in Nsukwu was a favorite son and well credentialed to serve as Warrant Chief. of NsukwuChief Eze-Elisiaku Anyaegbu was selected and appointed Odida Warrant Chief. Otiji Egbe expedition was traumatic to Ogbu people and that bred mistrust of white men. Rightful titled chiefs declined nomination for Warrant Chief, and Chief Uduezue Omaliko volunteered and thus became a Warrant Chief by default.
The first church/school was built in 1908 by a Catholic Priest Rev. Father Ward at Agbaja. Chief Anaekwe sought and secured the approval of the project from other Warrant Chiefs. In return, quota system of equal representation on admission was instituted. It allowed 50 boys from each quarter of Abatete to enroll for classes. Penalty for tardiness/absence was one fowl for each transgression. But other Warrant Chiefs from Nsukwu, Odida, and Ogbu watched with disbelief as the loot from extortion of yam, fowl or goat for missing Akwukwo. Anaekwe went exclusively to Chief Anaekwe, despite the fact that most of the fines were coming from their district because of distance to the school. The Warrant Chiefs of Nsukwu, Odida and Ogbu met and decided to get even by inviting the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S) to build church/school in their own backyard. There was a catch. They had to pay teachers salary of 6.00 pounds.
Chief Onwadiebo Ezekwe could afford it. He paid up and Christ Church was built at Olile-Nsukwu in 1914. Odida and Ogbu Warrant Chiefs pulled their resources together and got St John’s Church was built at Ogbu-ikwele. In 1930, both churches merged and moved to present location at Afor-Agu as Holy Trinity church. The churches did not come with schools attached. The young converts would have to attend school at a very far location at Eziowelle. It was afternoon school and at an appointed time the town crier would beckon the pupils to school with Ekwe:
- Gbaghalu ji,
- Gbaghalu ede
- Jebe akwukwo,
- Kpom kpom kpom
In 1937, Holy Trinity School was built incorporated and popularly known as Uno Akwukwo Afo-Agu. In 1929 St Dominic’s Church/School Agbaja branched out to Ekeagu. Its staff residence was built by Otu-Nkwali, Ogbu. New Africa school and later renamed Chukwura Primary School was built by great philanthropist Sir P. E. Chukwura and was commissioned in 1945. Holy Rosary Convent School was built in 1948 to enhance and promote female education at Abatete. Notre Dame High School, which started life as Lugard Memorial High School was built by Chief T. O. Morah and Chief S. Mbakwe of Abacha in 1958.
Girls Secondary School was built by the Abatete Social Club of Nigeria and was commissioned in 1979. The Warrant Chiefs in their wisdom brought to Abatete Church/Schools for salvation, education, and knowledge. But they never imagined the problem religious intolerance and zealotry would create. Thus, Abatete waded from one religious crisis juxtaposed with politics and greed to another for three decades. Every issue had religious undertone, it was either Anglican or Catholic, nothing in between. Never mind that at the time, majority were traditionalists, God was either an Anglican or a Catholic. Whether it was commissioning of maternity clinic or Igwe selection, myopic views prevailed. Abatete crisis reached a crescendo in 1959 when Eastern Region Government asked towns to nominate community heads.
Chief Peter Aroh Eze-Onyeka was unanimously selected for installation as Igwe of Abatete, but the Igwe designate had a problem: he was an Anglican extraction. Many Catholic faithful gave their blessings to Chief Onunkwo Ezenwayo for Igweship as a counter weight for an Anglican backed Igwe. Abatete was in quagmire with two Igwes, each with enthusiastic supporters. The animosity between the two camps produced sound-bites ‘Utala n’ofe’ ostensibly referring to Peter Aroh Eze-Onyeka’s camp while ‘Akpu aghaka’ referred to Ezenwayo’s chairleaders. Such was the situation until 1963 when the impasse was resolved at Ekeagu.
In 1976 the Anambra State government made a policy requiring every town to nominate a Chief for recognition. Nsukwu, Odida, and Ogbu nominated Chief P. U. Mkpume. Other candidates Chief J. C. J. Anaekwe and Chief Anisiobi also filed their nomination papers at Ogidi. Justice Agbakoba’s Commission of Enquiry was set up to resolve the issue. In the end Chief Mkpume was the winner and Anambra State government recognized Mkpume as the Igwe of Abatete. On Nkwo, Saturday June 9, 1990, Chief Patrick Ugochukwu Mkpume was conferred as the Igwe Edeogu 1 of Abatete.
Abatete has four Obis representing each quarter (in red below) and Ichies representing each of the 25 wards.
Abatete sits on a high altitude plane, hundreds of feet above sea level. The seasons swing between long periods of dry and wet seasons with a little touch dry harmatan. Natives are agrarian but early settlers were artisans. Because labor was needed for production on the farm, polygamy was a necessity. The more hands on the till, the better the production. In the middle of the 20th century, the natives started branching out to less labor-intensive and better paying jobs Driving and carpentry were at the head of the class. Then, they developed the technology of customizing vehicles. On merchandise retailing Abatete is a top dog. Today, Abatete excels in all fields, both public and private sector.
Coordinates: 6°07′26″N 6°55′35″E / 6.1239333°N 6.9262805°E
<Abatete: Political and economic history and some aspects of Igbo culture. Aba, Nigeria: C.C. Ndulue. (1993)>