Country Nigeria Capital Uyo | State Akwa Ibom State Time zone WAT (UTC+1) | |
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Weather 25°C, Wind S at 3 km/h, 93% Humidity | ||
Ini is located in the south south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Location: Ini Local Government Area was carved out of the former Ikono Local Government Area and is bounded by Ikono, Obot Akara Local Government Areas of the State, and Abia State. It has a landmass of 320,451 square kilometres.
Representative: Hon.
People The people of Ini Local Government Area are of the Ibibio stock, and Ibibio, Itu Mbon Uso/Nkari languages are spoken.
Population
Males 52,644 and Females=46, 552 and TOTAL: 99,196
Profile:
Natural Resources Limestone, clay, gravel, fine sand, crude oil and iron ore. The forest region provides timber and firewood.
Commerce Because of the land expanse of the area, the people are predominantly farmers, producing such food items as rice, palm produce, cassava, cocoa, plantain, banana, etc.
As the nickname indicates - food basket of Akwa Ibom State - there are good potential for agricultural expansion. Activities by hunters are appreciably noticed. Ini Local Government are made up of Ikpe Clan, Ikono Clan, Iwerre Clan, Itu Mbon Uso Clan and Nkari Clan. Nkari, Itu Mbonu Uso and Iwerre Clan has ten gazette and recognized villages each, while Ikpe Clan and Ikono Clan have 52 and 43 villages gazette and officially recognized villages each. (Source: List of Recognized Villages and Clan, Akwa Ibom State Official Gazette, 2016).
Traditional Administration of Ini Local Government Area:
Ini local government area consist of ekpuks (Lineages/macro-families) which made up autonomous, recognized and gazetted villages/communities. The communities/villages are grouped into five clans of Ikono, Ikpe, Iwerri, Itu Mbon Uso and Nkara. The clans made up the local government.
The Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers law, cap 134 laws of Akwa Ibom State and the gazettes published pursuant thereto clearly list all the recognized Villages/communities and the grouped Clans. The System of Traditional Administration in Ini Local Government Area is the same like other Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State which strictly follows the ancient Ibibio Political System in which the highest political system was the Community (Obio/Idung) which have an autonomous Obong Idung or Obong Obio or Obong Ikpaisong. Several communities with close blood affinity usually formed a confederation and cooperation for the purposes of cultural and mutual cooperation in defence, commerce, cultural championship, etc. These inter-communal union of communities with blood relation is today recognized as clan. The clan today has official clan heads who are selected by the recognized Traditional Rulers of the Communities from among themselves. The traditional rulers laws restricts the authority of every Traditional Ruler to his gazetted Village/community and forbid interference of any traditional ruler in the administration of any autonomous or gazetted village/community.
The Paramount Ruler is the President of the Council of Traditional Rulers in the Local Government. He is selected by the Clan Heads from amongst themselves. Thus, the a Traditional Ruler is firstly the King or Ruler of his recognized village/community, before he can vie to the elected to the Office of Clan Head and further vie to be elected as Paramount Ruler. Thus if a Paramount Ruler looses his throne as a Traditional Ruler of his Community/villages, he automatically ceases to be a clan head and thus ceases to be a paramount ruler. Royalty in Ini Local Government Area resides in the ancient royal thrones which are in each of the autonomous and gazetted villages/communities.
When a paramount ruler joins his ancestors, another clan head is elected to occupy the office of the Paramount Ruler from among the existing recognized clan heads after the burial of the deceased paramount ruler. The paramount ruler is therefore the first amongst equals in the royal thrones of Ini local Government Area.
The current Paramount Ruler of Ini Local Government Area is His Royal Majesty, Edidem Apostle Nteong Udo Effiong Akpan (Who is also the Clan Head of Itu Mbon Uso). The list of recognized Traditional Rulers of all the Communities/Villages and the Clans Head are contained in the register kept at the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.