Historical Background
Onuaboh was founded two century ago. Onuaboh community originated from Benin-Idu, we and Edo share certain items in common but our languages are not mutually ineligible. Another account holds that we originated from “Igarra” but is little evidence to support the claim, yet another account said that we are Igbo, we speak a dialect of Igbo and share series of things also our culture. We are also geographically separated only by River Niger.
Each quarter in Onuaboh Community has a leader precisely Okpala Uku is in charge of appeasing the community gods including his cabinets. There are three quarters in Unuaboh, which are Umugwor, Umuoche and Umuazu.
Location And Demographics
Onuaboh is situated on longitude 6.18°E and latitude 5.72°N located in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State. The population of Onuaboh is estimated at about 15,000 which include adults and children.
The community lies within the tropical rain forest area of the Niger-delta. The region experiences high rainfall and high humidity most of the year. The climate is equatorial and is marked by two distinct seasons. The Dry and Rainy seasons. The Dry season lasts from about November to April and is significantly marked by the cool “harmarttan” dusty haze from the north-east winds. The Rainy season spans May to October with a brief dry spell in August.
Culture And Custom
Language
The language spoken by the people of Onuaboh is the Delta Igbo language which is a derivative of their Igbo Origin. English Language is also used in the community especially “Pidgin English”.
Worships And Beliefs
The most predominant religion in Onuaboh is Christianity; many natives still practice pagan worship. This is evident in the several ancestral shrines that can still be seen in Onuaboh. In conclusion, the religious believe of the people of Onuaboh is a combination of Christianity and traditional religious practices.
Festivals
The festivals of the people of Onuaboh are Nwataweli, Ekpekutele, Ulor Ufejeoku, Anwu, Ise and Dianieze. Each of these festivals have different significance to the community.
Nwataweli: This is celebrated with the aim that is brings about peace in the community and also for increase in the yield of crops.
Ulor: To mark the successful brushing of land and planting of crops in the community.
Ufejeoku: This is a joint celebration specifically by different families. This festival last for seven days.
Anwu: This festival is for the conferment of heroic titles to deserving people in the community.
Ise: This is known as the festival for appeasing the gods of the land for a successful farming season and getting ready for harvest.
Dianieze: This is referred to as the grand finale of the whole activities of the year. According to the history of the land it is assumed as the traditional Christmas celebration of the community before the arrival of the colonial masters.
Food
The major food of the people of Onuaboh is pounded yam and with fresh fish pepper soup. The people also eat garri and other cassava derivative foods, rice and several other staple foods in Nigeria.
Dressing
The mode of dressing of the people of Onuaboh is very unique, the men tie one wrapper with a lace shirt, wear hat and hold a walking stick while the women dress by tying two wrappers on their waist, a lace blouse and a head tie.
Marriage
In Onuaboh, when a man sees a girl that he wishes to marry, he will go straight to the parent of the woman and will pay homage to the parents. If the girl’s parent agreed to give their daughter hand in marriage to the man, a will be fixed for the traditional marriage to be carried out. The man will have to buy a hat, working stick and wrapper to the father of the woman. The father will ask the man to pay homage to the members of his family and the girl’s mother’s family. They will also give a list of items to the man for the traditional marriage. The list usually includes palm wine, salt, cigarettes, drinks, etc.
Occupation
The people of Onuaboh are predominantly farmers and traders. The economy is tied to farming, fishing and trading. The major crops are cassava, plantain, yam, and corn.
Housing
The buildings in ancient Onuobah were predominantly mud houses built in three stages, by communal efforts, before roofing with thatches. These are gradually disappearing for brick houses with corrugated roof houses especially the modern houses in the community.
Taboos
Onuaboh people forbid the marriage to a close relative or any form of incest. Adultery especially by women is viewed as a taboo which attracts sanctions on anyone that commits it.
Health Status Of The Community
Factors Affecting Health
Son Preference: Greater attention is paid to the male child with the belief that they are more important as compared to the female child. This form of discrimination and one which has far-reaching implications for women is the preference accorded to the boy child over the girl child. They believed that the son is the one to carry on with the linage of the father when he dies. This practice denies the girl child good health, education, recreation, economic opportunity and the right to choose her partner, violating her rights.
Early Marriage: The prevalence of early marriage in the community is a great challenge as girls due to unplanned pregnancy. Another serious problem in which some girls are given away for marriage by their parents to rich suitors.
Food Taboos: The primitive practice of not giving some several cheap, proteinous food and meat to children. Especially it is believed children are not expected to eat “big” meat and eggs because it is believed that this will indulge them and they may start to steal.
Violence against women: So many women suffer from domestic violence from their husbands and relatives, inflicting in them several injuries.
Malnutrition: This is mainly associated with children due to lack of awareness of their parents on what constitute a balanced weaning diet, lack of knowledge and skill about the best use of locally available foods, making frequent necessary and unnecessary journey and leaving the child behind or stopping breastfeeding before the child is at least year of age.
Lack of Accessible Road: The road leading to the community is practically impassible during the rainy season. This lead to difficulty in the transportation of people and agricultural goods to the market. This greatly affects the economy of the people during the rainy season. Even during the dry season when the road is dried, the dust on the road is also harmful to head of the people using the road.
Resources In The Community Used To Solve The Problems
Social nnd Infrastructural Development: Onuaboh has a primary health facility and also the presence of traditional birth attendance who help in providing help to pregnant women during delivery. The rapid increase in health-care delivery services, both public and private, has contributed immensely in lowering infant mortality and death rates generally in Onuaboh.
Rich Agricultural Land: As a result of the presence of fertile soil in Onuaboh, there is availability of food from the farm. They also engage in trade of food crops for cash to meet other basic household needs. The present of good agricultural land make necessary food available in the community and helps in solving the problems of malnutrition.
Educational Infrastructure: The people of Onuaboh know the value of education and encourage their young to attend school. The people have been known to be very passionate about location of educational infrastructure in the communities, believing it is a mark of progress. Schools serve as a major means of educating the people in the community on issue bothered on lack of adequate knowledge such malnutrition and general awareness of this people and at the same time improves the health status of the people. There are numerous public and private schools in Onuaboh.
Industrial Development: Onuaboh has plenty of undeveloped mineral resources like coal, crude oil, lignite etc. The community is also known for the production of yam, cassava, and other staple foods and this has greatly contributed to the development of the community.
Law Enforcement Agents: The community leaders such as the Okpala-Uku, Otu Owai, Otu Olo, etc. help in the enforcement of laws and ensure that the rights of people are not violated and at the same time ensure that the people in the community enjoy good health.
Development in Commerce: The people of Onuaboh are dynamic people which is adequately reflected in the field of trading and commerce. The town its environs remains a major producer of a variety of major important food-stuff such as yams, cassava and garri.