Ibesikpo-Asutan LGA

The original name is Obio- Asikpo, until European and British officials who could not pronounce it the native’s way called it Ibesikpo.  Ibesikpo are among the seaborne Ibibios. In history Ibesikpo and Asutan are traced to the ancestry of Asikpo Nnakanda from Usakedet in Southern Cameroon. This man begat two sons namely Uruan and Ibesikpo. This is also backed up by the fact that Ibesikpo and Uruan do not eat Ndukpo (African black kite). In the course of progression there was conflict between Uruan and Ibesikpo at At Akpa Uruan were they resided. Ibesikpo being a farmer and hunter could not bear any longer and decided to pull out, leaving behind Uruan his brother, a fisherman. Ibesikpo left with his other kinsman who later established the dynasty known as Asutan Ekpe clan.

Ibesikpo had many sons but only eight remained alive. Their name were: Okukuk, Oku, mbierebe, mbikpong, Ikpene and Afaha. They now formed the present group of villages in Ibesikpo Clan. Each group had its own deity and theirs was no central deity among the people of Ibesikpo. The adventure of this kinsmen were resplendent with fierce and heroic struggles, marked by brilliant achievements. They however met with stunt opposition, wars and diseases amongst the people of Ibibio clans whose land they invaded. Ibesikpo first arrived from the coast to Esuk Odu (the first community the Uruan people arrived at too) from there they moved to Idu Uruan.  Ibesikpo was forced by means of living to move westwards in search of fertile lands for farming and remote calms, forests for hunting.

To say little, they conquered where they now occupy. Candidly, while the descendants of Ibesikpo spread northwards towards Uyo and Offot regions. The descendants of Asutan spread southwards toward Nsit region. The people of Ibesikpo and Uruan in precolonial times holds ancestral ties and meetings at Idu Uruan and Esok Odu as kinsmen. It should be note that within the Pre- c colonial period, emphatically, until 1930, there was no demarcation or clannish difference between these two brothers. Ibesikpo as a part of Idu Uruan with a common ancestry maintained their cordial relationship until the advent of European colonialism in Nigeria and the subsequent introduction of warrant chief system in Nigeria.