Irete

History

The legendary story of the origin of Irete town goes back to one migrant named Nwaoha. Nwaoha has two stories regarding his place of origin. One has it that he migrated from Arochukwu via Ubomiri and settled at the region of the present Aboha village in Ohii. The other story has it that he migrated with his younger relative, Ara from Owaelu in the present Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area. Nwaoha is today the ancestor of the five communities that constitute Umunwaoha: 1. Ohigide: the first surviving son of Nwaoha (Emeohe died without an offspring). 2. Ogwe: the ancestor of Orogwe. 3. Egwu: the ancestor of Ndegwu. 4. Nkowu-ohia: the ancestor of Amakohia-Ubi. 5. Ubiam: the ancestor of Irete and the last son of Nwaoha. The various versions of the story of the origin of Irete all agree that Ubiam was the ancestor of Agu, who was the father of Eregerenwa, the Irete of today. Ubiam, the youngest son of Nwaoha was said to have received two main blessings from his father, which were to insulate him from the oppression of his elder brothers because Nwaoha believed that Ubiam was his father re-incarnate. Ubiam was said to have received from Nwaoha, the greatest and most revered spiritual staff of authority (ofo) named “Nwakparaku”. The Nwakparaku staff (ofo ukwu) besides being spiritually important, also endowed Ubiam and his descendants with political roles among the descendants of Nwaoha especially in the pre-colonial age. The second blessing Ubiam received from his father was the Ofo Nta. This staff is used till today during the Nta festival. The Nta festival is an annual ceremony among the five sons of Nwaoha. All the five sons of Nwaoha participate in the Nta festival in turns, starting from Orogwe and closing with Ohii. The political significance of the Ofo Nta to Irete vis-à-vis the rest of Umunwaoha was lost because of hate and acrimony by the other four brothers and their descendants against Ubiam as a result of his possession of the gift of Ofo Nta. They made desperate efforts to get back the Ofo Nta from Ubiam but, with the help of his elder brother Ogwe, Ubiam was able to resist the pressure. Ogwe led Ubiam to hide the Ofo Nta at Umuguma in Ara, where the daughter of Nwaoha was married to a man called Ugo. It is for this reason that till today, Irete takes the Ofo Nta from Umuguma every year in the company of his elder brother, Orogwe. It is as a result of his assistance that till today, the rotation of the hosting right of the annual Nta festival in Umunwaoha begins with Orogwe in compensation for his brotherly help. However it is important to note that today, Irete is the only community amongst Umunwaoha Ofo Ise that uses the Nta Staff of authority for its Nta festival. It is believed that other communities withdrew in anger as a result of differences and misunderstandings in sharing of the properties of their great ancestor, Nwaoha. To this day, Nwakparaku (Ofo Ukwu) and Ofo Nta, the two essential staff of authority of Nwaoha are still located at Umuogbunda lineage in Umueye, Irete. The lineage or succession of holding the two Ofos till date is as follows: i. Ubiam to Agu ii. Agu to Eregerenwa (Irete) iii. Eregerenwa to Eye iv. Eye to Orie v. Orie to Nwahihie vi. Nwahihie to Ukara vii. Ukara to Abiangwo viii. Abiangwo to Ogbunda ix. Ogbunda to Ekeh x. Ekeh to Iheme xi. Iheme to Ijewuonwu (the man who received Douglas, the white District Officer from Owerri) xii. Ijewuonwu to Ekwelibe (the father of the present Eze of Irete, HRH Eze Ethelbert C. Ekwelibe) xiii. Ekwelibe to Kelechi – called onye ishi ala – the present holder of the Ofos. Ubiam it was, who in a show of courage, patriotism and ingenuity killed with an improvised warhead and a machete, a [mythical] elephant that ravaged and terrorized the towns of Umunwaoha and its environs. History has it that he developed his own technology using a large quantity of gun powder, then stones wrapped in animal skin to serve as bullets, to produce massive warheads. The bullets were planted in a heap of yams with the gun powder stuffed in, then the tinder was lighted, which burned slowly. As the elephant swallowed the bullets along with the yams, the tinder ignited the gun powder and it exploded in the entrails of the elephant. The stones, which acted as war heads ruptured the inner organs of the elephant. When Ubiam noticed that smoke came out of the trunk and other openings of the elephant, he descended on it and with a well sharpened machete, beheaded and stood astride the fallen elephant to the admiration of his elder brothers. This earned him the appellation, “Ubiam ji mma gbue enyi”, meaning “the great Ubiam that killed the elephant with a machete”.

Location

Irete is a community in the Owerri West local government area of Imo state. It is made up of 18 villages. These 18 villages are sub-divided into three, namely: Ezi-Irete, Amaikpu and Umuoma. The indigenes of Amaikpu are seeking to reorganize themselves under the new name, Irete Ekiti. Irete is bounded on the North by Umuguma community, the East by Orogwe and Akwakuma, the West by Okwukwu communities, and in South by Ndegwu.

Irete has some prominent government institutions like the former Bishop Lasbrey Teachers' Training College (now Lasbrey Girls' Secondary School Irete), Irete Technical Secondary School, The Police Mobile Unit (Mopol 18 Owerri), The Prison command Imo state, The Prison Armed squad Training School, The Eastern zone Customs Headquarters, The Industrial Estate, Egbeada Housing Estate, which was built on land belonging to Irete, Graceland Estate, and a host of hotels, e.g., The Disney Hotel, Owerri. It is situated on the Owerri end of the famous and ever busy Onitsha-Owerri Road. A good landmark to reaching the town is the famous Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, which is situated at about one kilometer from the town.

The town also was the site of the old Colonial Court and Administrative Headquarters of the then Owerri Judicial Division, which was situated along the Irete-Umuguma road in Umunjo, Irete. A place presently called Ama-Court. The 18 villages in Irete have Umueye as eldest son of Irete in Amaikpu. Others in the Amaikpu axis are Umunjo, Umuekwune 1 and 11, Umueju, Umuohia, and Umunkweye. The last three are also called Umuoma-etiti. The villages at the Ezi-Irete Axis are Umuoyo 1 and 11, Umungada, Umuagwu, Umuelele and Umunwanlo. The villages in the Umuoma axis are Umunbe, Umuedi, Umuaku and Umuigolo. It is believed in some quarters that Umuelele first arrived and settled in Irete.

Politics

Politically, since the town is still undergoing the process of selecting its Eze (the Town's king) in the interim, the community is administered by the President general (PG), under the auspices of the Irete community development union (ICDU). The current PG is Mr. Stanley Ogbuewu, a retired Police Officer elected democratically in 2009. The Traditional head of the community is the "Onye isi ala" a man who is in charge of the community deity. The "Onye Isi Ala" in council adjudicates over disputes and civil cases in the community. At some level the "Ndi Oki" or the "Ndi Nze" also handles cases based on the issue concerned. At the village level, cases are adjudicated by the "Umunna", with the eldest man in the village being the final arbiter. The "Ndi Mgboto" (women from a particular village but married into another place) also play a prominent role in peace making in the village or the community. The town has produced many prominent citizens including Dr. Emmanuel Opara, a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Toronto and a Toronto District School Board retired educator, Dr Raph Ononogbo, an academician and librarian at Imo State University, Dr. Emeka J. Amanze (Agbara1), a US Army veteran and intellectual property law scholar, Dr. Petrus Ogbuehi, a consultant family physician, Rev. Sr. Imelda Opara, a nun in the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri. Other prominent citizens include successful businessmen, politicians, lawyers, engineers and pharmacists living both at home and abroad.

Groups

Some prominent groups in the town include "the Ndom- Aladinma", which is the ICDU's Women's wing, ICDU-USA. The "Otu Ndi Nze" title holders, "Otu Ndi Okii", group of eldest men in the town from the 18 villages. Irete hosts two Catholic Parishes: Holy Family Parish and St. Helens Parish. Additionally, it features an Anglican establishment, St. John's Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, located in Umunjo, alongside numerous Pentecostal Churches. The town is also home to various social clubs, including the Umunwoha Progress Club, Omenka Social Club, Legacy Organization, and Noble Club, among others. Irete celebrates several cultural festivals, such as Igba-Nta (a hunting festival), Idu Ama na Uzo (communal environmental cleanup), and Igba-Okorosha (masquerade dance), each observed during specific seasons annually. The town has its market day every Afor day in the Ibo calendar hence the Afor Irete. The Afor Irete Market square located in Umunjo is also seen as the centre of the town.