Introduction
Oba Ewuare the Great( now known as the first of that name) of Benin have 5 sons of whom Crown Prince Kuoboyuwa was the eldest.Before he died,Kuoboyuwa had Prince Ihaman( Imaa) and Prince Obazuaye ( Obazu). Prince Imaa gave birth to Prince Uzuamvbi(Oyaibi),Prince Aribi and Prince Uzoyare(Oboh).Aribi died childless and Uzoyare(Oboh) founded Ihievbe Clan.The Eldest Prince Oyaibi(Grand Duke Uzuamvbi) had four sons namely,Uanhume(Founder of Uanhunmi),Owuno( founder of Ovbiowun),Oruamen(founder of Evbiamen) and Uulelovbuevbomuen(founder of Uule kindreds) respectively.In interpreting our customs in plethora of modern cases,our courts have proved that,it is the Edo tradition that,the first son( irrespective of the circumstances of his birth) assumes the Igie-Ogbe ( shrine,Azaa or custody of other traditional items or office) of the deceased father unless such roles have been apportioned otherwise intervivo( whilst the father was still alive).Cases that come to mind here are: Agidigbi vs Agidigbi,Okotie-Eboh Vs Okotie-Eboh,Lawa Osulal vs Lawal Osula. All these matters went to the apex courts.It is said that,Prince Owuno and Prince Oruamen were disinherited. This is clearly a misrepresentation of historical facts. None of them were not given portions of their father's properties and estate.Their father did the right thing when he named Uanhume his first son as the custodian of his Ikute( Oyaibi shrine) but named Uule his last son as the administrative head of his household. Owuno and Oruamen were merely bypassed ( for plausible reasons) for the position of leadership which was given to both Uanhume(priestly) and Uule(administrative). Uulelekpen( Uule the Leopard) and Uulelovbuevbomuen ( keeper of community) are the names Oyaibi called Uule. They were not given flippantly. Leopard is the royal totem of the Benin Ruling House while the second name clearly revealed the intention of their father. Grand Duke Uankhuechie was the Eldest son of Grand Prince Uule. His direct brothers are Princes Azian and Egor founders of Okpokhumi and Ojavun. It is this Uankhuechie that founded Afuze,which is indisputably the headquarters and Eguai of the Emai people. All the Presidents and Vice Presidents of Emai Council of Warrant Chiefs all came from Afuze ( precisely from Akhigbe and Onyiobi which are the first and second families of Afuze) while all the past 3 Oleijes ( Emai Kings) also came from Afuze and they were, Eboreime from Ikpegwai family,Ojealaro from Akhigbe Family and Ogedengbe from Onyiobi family. Now,how did the name Afuze came about?
HOW AFUZE GOT THEIR NAME.
When Uakhuechie became of age to marry,being a Prince,marriage for Benin Princes is usually not a trifle thing.It is an elaborate and complex arrangement. It is even a diplomatic weapon between two hostile nations. Anyway,it is believed that,Uankhuechie's marriage fits into the latter as he married Princess Ighan,daughter of the Attah of Idah( Igala),a neighboring kingdom that is belligerently tormenting the northern part of the Benin Empire. Though there is also another version that it was the daughter of the Onogie of Udo he married. The circumstances of the birth of his first son clearly supported the Igala Princess version. It is important to point out here that,at this time,all,Emai kindreds were still at Ugboa near Uokha. There is a tradition that,women should not go to the farm or River on market days. Princess Ighan was heavy with her first born and it is while she is with this pregnancy that she flouted that tradition and went to a river to wash some dirty clothes on a market day.( This clearly show she is a stranger not an Edo woman). Whilst at the river she found an Axe with a handle and brought it home.Everyone who saw it shouted abomination. Her husband had to do a lot of sacrifices to appease the gods of the land for her sacrilege.The Axe and the handle ( ukan) she found were tucked away at Uankhuechie's Azah. Eventually,Princess Ighan gave birth to her first son who is called Uze as a result of the mystery that has to do with his mother founding an axe on a tabboed day).
Prince Uze never found it comfortable growing up with this name. Other kids were making jest of him calling him..." Uze lare soi oran..." ( axe used in tearing wood). He is always sad whenever they mock him with his name. His father became sympathetic with his condition and came up with a solution. He called his household and relatives together and renamed his son Akhigbuze( Akhigbe for short) and rechristened Uze( axe) Ughuaman. Today,it is only Emai people that call 'axe' Ughuaman instead of Uze. Some years later,Uankhuechie,his wife,concubines and his sons left Ugboa and settled at Oke-Do at upper Afuze from where they later spread. They name their new settlement Afuze after Uze. Princes Akhigbe,Onyiobi,Ikpegwai,Ekeide,Iure,Uuakhuechie are the original siblings from which other families originated at Afuze. ( The last Uankhuechie is actually a nephew to Arch- Duke Uankhuechie. Probably because he shared name with him,he was very fond of him and adopted him as one of his children though he was originally of the Owuno's household.
Today,Afuze people invoke their deadliest Oath with Uze bi Ukan ( their mother's Axe and the handle). Both sacred items can still be found at Uankhuechie's Azah( now Ikute) of the Afuze people till date. The priest of the Ikute must be the oldest man from any of the direct children of Uankhuechie their father.
When Afuze began to develop as an independent community,there were inter-clans and inter tribal skirmishes and even wars around Afuze but no one ever dared to attack Afuze. Afuze later discovered that,the barriers to attacks on Afuze community is organic as the Elephants living in Afuze forests used to weave barriers around Afuze. 'IGI' is what Emai calls it. It is woven with grasses or shrubs. The story is that,once the elephants weave it and any intruder tries to or did infact breaks it,the elephants with attack and even kill the intruder/s. Afuze land and the inhabitants were safe from external aggressions. Neighbours started referring to Afuze as "Afuze li Inih"( Afuze the Elephant). The legend till now is when you try to invade Afuze,the elephants will come out from the bush and attack you. The Afuze people started revering elephants as sacred totems. Till date,the most senior Afuze man cannot eat elephant meat or see the dead body of an elephant.
By Ojealaro Friday
Culled from UFOP Facebook page
NB: Afuze is the HQ of Owan Local Government Area of Edo state in Nigeris
Comments
Post a Comment