By Dr. Chris Agboli

The entire geographical area known today as Ogwashi-Uku was a vast unknown virgin table land until 1300 A.D when a group of about fifty young men and women fled from “Bini” today’s Benin City due to the harsh treatments they were subjected to by the then Oba of Bini Kingdom. Those young men and women trekked about sixty miles eastwards and relocated to the present Ikelike Quarters in today’s Ogwashi-Uku. They named their new location, “Ogwa ehe” which in the traditional Bini language meant “healthy table land”

Ogwashi-uku people inhabit areas east of Ibusa and Asaba on the Lower Niger River in today’s Delta State. Its geographical matrix is also stretched to Ubulu-uku on the West, to Issele-uku on the North and to Ewulu and Nsukwa axis on the South, all these are fast growing Anioma communities of Delta State.

Political historians highlighted four major roles which Ogwashi-Uku played during the colonial era as follows:

i) After the formation of Ekumeku Movement by nine Ibusa young men in1883, Ogwashi-uku became the Movement’s Headquarters when the Ekumeku War broke out in 1889, the central command was located at Ogwashi-uku until the end of the hostilities in 1914.

ii) The British colonial administration established both the Royal Police Force and the Royal Prisons in 1914 to facilitate security measures in the entire region.

iii) Ogwashi-Uku became the then Royal assisted Headquarters of Asaba Divisional Native Authority—an administrative Headquarters of the present six Local Government Councils—

a) Aniocha North                       

b) Aniocha South

c) Ika North                                

d) Ika South

e) Oshimili North                        

f) Oshimili South

iv) Ogwashi-uku was the coordinating center of West Niger Movement after delegates from all the communities had held their inaugural meeting at Amai, in Kwale Division in 1952. An Ogwashi-Uku historian and politician, Chief F.H Utomi was appointed the first spokesman of the Movement. The Movement later became the offshoot of the present Anioma State Movement.

In spite of unique roles which Ogwashi-Uku played in socio-political development of Nigeria, the town remains a rural, squalid and criminally neglected by the past and the current Local, State and federal Governments. As members of Ogwashi-Uku Association in the United States of America and their associates assemble this week in Atlanta, Georgia for the Association’s 5^th Bi-annual National Convention and Gala Nite; such a grand occasion will provide us opportunities not only to socialize but to navigate through multiplicity of development challenges confronting Ogwashi-Uku and so deliberate on common grounds to move the town forward.

The project which is on the drawing board of the Association is the construction of a Multi-purpose Conference center at home. The Center will among others house a library, clinic and seminar/lecture halls. Our enlightened traditional rulers at Ogwashi-Uku have approved and encouraged us to undertake the project. Ogwashi-uku indigenes in the Diaspora have mobilized their efforts to execute the construction. I am certain that our benevolent associates will cheerfully assist us to carry out the project. By God’s grace and by meticulous cooperation from all men of good will, we can successfully complete the project in record time and so contribute our quota towards reshaping the social landscape of Ogwashi-Uku. YES WE CAN

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

God bless the United States of America

Dr. Chris N. Agboli is the Chairperson of the Washington Metro Chapter of Ogwashi-Uku Association USA