Umuomaku a town in Anambra state is located in
Orumba south local Government Area, bounded in the east by Umuchu, west-
Umunze, North- Ezira, and then South- Enugwumuonyia. The land surface area lies
between latitudes 6o 18o N, and longitude 6o
52o E. it covers a total surface area of approximately 3,961 square
kilometers. The climatic condition is essentially wet and dry tropical
savannah, with the average mean daily temperature of about 69.80o to
80.8o F between September and January.
Historically, the origin of Umuomaku like that of many Igbo communities
that exist till today is surrounded with myth and Legends. In early forties
Umuomaku was part of what is known as Amanassa town. Amanassa comprises of the
present Umuomaku, Enugwumuonyia and Agbudu. In the first place, Umuchukwuokike
is the progenitor of Umuomaku, Onyi the progenitor of Enugwumuonyia and Dimori
the progenitor of Agbudu town, which migrated from Ebu in the Middle Ages. They
are three brothers and they emigrated from Ebu with their realtion Idegwu, the
progenitor of Achina town at the same time and from the same place.
Umuchukwuokike married his first wife from Umuchiama in Orlu and he gave birth
to Iboro. The sons of Iboro are now the present Umuomaku. Iboro gave birth to
Agatha, Ngada, Lagi, Isieke, and Dimagu.Umuomaku now comprises four villages
and they are: the family of Agathia and Isieke are now the present Umunambu,
the family of Ngada is the present Umungada, while Isiobi is now made up of
Lagi. Umuomaku and the younger brother of omaku with the part of Umuloria, they
now bear the name Okpober village. Umuokpulukpu village is made up of Umudimagu
and later emigrants who joined in later years. In addition, Iboro died early in
life and his wife omaku took his children and began to look after them she is
the one who later brought the children up ‘Tradition has it that any person
whose mother look after them will be known by their mothers name.’ it now
became known that the Sons of Iboro are now known as Omaku their mother’s name.
That provoked Enugwumuonyia and Agbudu to refuse to be known by their mothers
name and because of that they pulled out of what was known as Amanassa. Dimori
now became an autonomous community. Thus what was known as Amanassa now became
known as three autonomous towns of Umuomaku, Enugwumuonyia and Agbudu.
Umuomaku has
three villages which are as follows Umunambu, Umungada, and Umuokpulukpu.
Umunambu is made up of six wards that include Umuoka, Isieke, Umudu, Umudim,
Umuawuro, and Umuoha. While Umungada is grouped into four unites that are:
Ngodondiocha, Okpober oji, Uwuelendiocha and Umuaria. Lastly, Umuokpulukpu is
comprised of eight unites or wards and they are Umudim, Uluoila, Umuezeala,
Diobu, Umuou, Umumeoha, Umuokro-ochia and Okouo.
SOCIO- ECONOMIC
ACTIVITIES OF UMUOMAKU
Traditionally the people of Umuomaku like every
other traditional Igbo community have various ways of lively hood character tic
of them. During the pre-colonial period, the people of Umuomaku had a unique
way of sustaining themselves. Some of such ways include the following, crop
framing and livestock keeping, wine tapping, trading, basket and mat making,
cloth weaving, smelting and other crafts like wood carving e.t.c .During the
pre-colonial era, economic activities were done on subsistence basis and so
most products were basically for domestic consumption. Farming never the less
was the main and central occupation of the people of Umuomaku. The people
produce various staple food items which include white guinea yam- Dioscorea Clumetorium, Coco
yam- Colocasia esculents,
Cassava- Manihol esculenta,
Mazie – Zea-mays, Pepper- Capskum annum, Yellow yam- Dioscorea Cayenensis, among
others.
In those
early days, when there were no white collar jobs or any government
establishments for employment, the people depended so much on agriculture for
sustenance. The status of any Umuomaku man then depended to a large extent on
his great achievements as a farmer. Consequently, it was the great importance
attached to agriculture that made it to remain the matrix in which all other
indigenous economic are set. Another aspect of the people’s economic life is
animal husbandry. The community accords a lot of honors to a man who has large
herd of cattle, sheep and other stock like goats, pig, and poultry e.t.c.
Presently,
farming in Umuomaku has experienced serious setbacks as a result of
modernization. Many able bodied men and women who from the productive sector of
the population migrate from rural to urban areas in search of white collar
jobs. The effects are that only the aged people are left in the village, thus
leaving huge hectares of land uncultivated. But in spite of all these, the
people still produce abundant food for its teeming population and for export to
big cities. All these were mostly produced with the use of crude implements
which are still very much in use today in the area.
THE
CULTURAL AND NATURAL ENDOWMENTS OF UMUOMAKU
CULTURAL
The cultural endowments of Umuomaku include the
famous masquerade festival and other cultural festivals and events in the area.
About five centuries ago when the performance of the masquerade festival was
first staged in Umuomaku, although the history of the festival pre-dates, that
it used to be staged on Afor and Orie market day. The performance of the
festival has characterisly been heralded by large turnout of crowds in an
atmosphere of fanfare, pomp and pageantry. It has indeed drawn great attention
as elders of Umuomaku for the first time took unprecedented interest in
organization of the event. The festival is a spectacle to behold. It is about
the return of the dead to the living which they believe is a visitor from the
world of the spirit. That is why it speaks in funny nasal sound which usually
is the ventriloqual language of the dead. The return of Umuomaku masquerade festival
from the spirit world to visit the people on earth usually takes place in the
middle of March using the modern calendar.
Traditionally, the people of Umuomaku believe that the festival brings
fortune to the people and also ward off evils in the town each time they
visited. They also believe that the masquerade festival provides them with
their material needs and also ensures that peace and harmony resigns in the
area especially throughout the festive period. During the festival many
masquerades parade the square to entertain the spectators. The masquerades are
as follows: Ojembaenweilo, Obataosu, Ojanvu, Iduu, Oriumuazi, Ogbaoso, Ezemmuo,
Iyeagbaoku, Okoboro etc. from the moment the festival starts, the town will be
set agog and thousands of spectators, who had come to watch the festival from
far and near are thronged the square, marveling at the dance steps and other
displays of the masquerades. The spectators drive a lot of ecstasy from the
style of movement and the manipulation of staffs which makes the festival very
attractive and interesting to behold.
NATURAL EDOWMENT
Umuomaku is blessed with spectacular caves and rock
shelters, some with attendant waterfalls. The caves and rock shelters include:
a) Ikweawuwo(
rock)
b) Mmiri
Igwe
c) Ogbagwodogwodo
d) Mmiri
Okwute
These caves and rock
shelters have acquired certain qualities and characteristics which have
qualified them as a tourist attraction.
IKWEAWUWO (ROCK
FORMATION)
The rock shelter (Ikeawuwo)
is located in Umunambu village, a few kilometers north of Ndiocha village. The
rock shelter is formed of outcrop of sedimentary rocks it is colossal and over
towering in size. This shelter possesses spectacular rocky land scape that
continues to excite the imagination of any visitor to the site. The site is
located towards the top of a rather steep, rocky hill and because of the nature
of the stone debris which indicated that some stone tools were probably
manufactured there; it raised the interest of an Archaeologist Professor D.
Hartle who then conducted an excavation at the site in 1964. The site has
yielded a lot of artifacts including worked stone tools and potsherds.
In addition, the rock
which has the shape of a mortar is an underground chamber. Historically, the
villagers used the chambers as a hiding place during the inter- tribal wars. The
site has also attracted students from various Universities for a research
purposes
MMIRI IGWE (SPRING
WATER)
Water- base tourism is
a fascinating experience. Orumba south local government area can boast of many
beautiful streams, these streams are situated on various towns that make up
Orumba- south local government area which Umuomaku is one of them. They are
various streams in Umuomaku which are as follows; the popular Nwaegle stream,
Ubo stream, Awuwo, Uwausu and Mmiri Igwe. These numerous streams found within
Umuomaku constitute the best scenic sites and tourist attractions. Mmiri Igwe
stream is one of the natural attractions in Umuomaku, the streams comes out
from the rock, many researches has tried to locate the source of the stream but
none of them has come out with a good result. The stream is a spectacular
tourist attractions and it has attracted a lot of tourist from different
countries who visited the place to admire nature and also to take photography.
OGBAGWODOGWODO (ROCK
WITH CAVE AND WATER FALL)
The Ogbagwodogwodo cave
is so unique because it consists of water fall. This fall is usually intense
during the rainy seasons. Below the height of the rock is directly where the
water is splashing. The site is located along the road by the left if one is
going to Umuchu from Umunambu village. It formed one of the valleys that
emanated from the hill. The mouth of the cave has been half covered with sand
from the water splash. Also the entire site is covered with bushes due to inadequate
attention and neglect given to it. The cave also served as a hide out for the
villagers during tribal wars they also used it as a place to where they hide
war implements.
Having revealed the reach cultural and
natural attraction in Umuomaku which can be adequately harnessed to promote
tourism in the area, the socio-cultural and economic activity of tourism is
today seen as a discretion that requires the movement of people from places of
abode to places of interest.
Nice Info
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