Background
Osisioma Ngwa is a Local Government Area of Abia state of Nigeria. Its headquarters are located in Osisioma town.
It has an area of 198 km2 (76 sq mi) and a population of 219,632 as per 2006 census data of Nigeria.
The name “Osisi” means tree, plant or wood and the name “Oma”, means good, fine, beautiful in the Igbo language. Thus, Osisioma means: good tree or fine plant or beautiful wood. It is a name associated with tree and beauty which is derived from the popular ornamental flower tree called Delonix regia, a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, and subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of the world, it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English, it is given the name royal poinciana, flamboyant, flame of the forest, or flame tree (one of several species given this name) which is typically planted to decorate courtyards in houses in Osisioma Ngwa. A greater part of Aba city is in Osisioma Ngwa stretching up to Faulks Road.
Culture
Osisioma people generally make a living as farmers, traders, artisans and craftsmen. The typical Osisioma Ngwa men in the old days usually wear what is called “ọgọdọ”. Ọgọdọ is a type of white woven cloth tied around the waistline to cover nakedness and the women use the fabric as a wrapper to cover the body from chest flowing down to the knees. Contemporarily, just like most Igbo communities, men dress down in trousers and shirts with shoes, sandals or slippers to work, shop or office just like their female counterparts but the traditional male attire preferred for occasions and big celebrations in Osisioma culture consists of a special top called ‘Isiagụ’ and trousers of any colour usually worn with sandals or shoes and red cap to match.
Geography
Osisioma Ngwa is a flat land without hills or mountains and has a headwater located at Okpu Umuobo that runs through the thick forest cutting across into the city of Aba River waterside in Ogbor Hill. The river is a tributary of the Imo River located in the Southern part of Nigeria. Osisioma Ngwa shares boundaries with Ukwa West and Ugwunagbo in the South, Aba South LGA and Aba North LGA in the East, Isiala Ngwa South LGA in the North and Omuma LGA, Rivers State in the West.
Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway cuts through Osisioma Ngwa with the Aba-Owerri Road running through it from Aba Town Hall down to Olaz Oil filling station.
It has other major routes such as the NNPC depot road which leads to Osisioma Ngwa local government headquarters as well as Osisioma Police Divisional Headquarters, High and Magistrates Court and Ekeakpara market down to Owerrinta the boundary between Abia State and Imo State.
Economy
Agriculture is the major occupation of the people of Osisioma Ngwa. They are mostly subsistence farmers and grow Cassava, Oil Palm, Rafia Palm, Vegetable, Ube (Local Pear), Plantain, Okra, Maize, melon, red pepper, yam, and cocoa yam. Some people rear animals such as goats, sheep, fowl and occasionally cattle, but largely don’t grow crops or rear animals in commercial quantity.
Industries And Companies
- Tonimas Group
- Chemlap Nigeria Ltd.
- Udeagbala Holdings
- Guinness Nigeria Plc
- NNPC Aba Depot
- Valleumbra Nigeria Limited
- VON Nigeria Limited
- Pitason Nigeria Limited
- Nicen Nigeria Limited
- Clover Paints Nigeria Limited
- Adaobi Nig Ltd
- Geometric Nigeria Limited
- Polema Industries Limited, to mention but a few
- Chriveld Petroleum Ltd.
Autonomous Communities
Community leadership in Osisioma Ngwa is designated on the Traditional Ruler popularly called “Eze” which means King. The Eze is a person widely perceived to represent a community in its traditional religion and socio-economic development. The position of a traditional ruler is not hereditary and is subjected to the democratic process of nomination, selection, appointment and coronation of the eligible candidate among peers who contested for the post by the state Governor.
Various towns in Osisioma Ngwa LGA are divided into Autonomous communities which are spearheaded by a traditional ruler and they are as follows:
OTUOBI: Umuigbe, Umuokwaa, Umuokereke, Umugwu, Umuodu, Ovoro, Umuadiele, Umuehehe, Umuogwe, Umuokorocha and others.
Isiala Osokwa: Umuokereugo, Umuokere, Umuosi, Umuagwa, Umuohuonu, Umuegbe, Umuelekwa, Umuokpoo.
Mbutuoma: Mbutu Umugaa, Mbutu Isi Ahia, Mbutu Umuejije, Umuochuala.
Ibeku Ngwa Amaise: Okoro, Nkali, Ugwuala, Agwu, Akiri.
Mgboko Umuette: Umuikocha, Umuabuwa, Umuonyeichi, Umuelele, Umuafara, Osusu-Umuenyioma.
Amuzu Umunneokpu: Umuobasi-Ukwu, Njara Ukwu, Umuasomaji, Mbutu Ukazi, Umunwajere, Umuafornjara, Umunwankwougwu, Umuagbam.
Isiala Okpu: Amaiyi, Umuadiele, Ebere na Onwu, Umuodu, Umunwogu, Umunkarugbara, Umuagbam.
Ahiaba Alaocha: Amaugba, Umuonyembi, Umuamadi, Umuogine, Amawom, Umuekeji.
Okpuala Umugwor: Umuokwukwe, Umule, Umuokorocha, Umuajienyi, Umuiroma, Umuwomada, Umuadikwuru, Umunwokocha.
Asa Amano: Umuogba, Umuaja, Umuanyaonwu, Umuekeme, Asa Umudioka, Asa Amoka, Asa Oberete.
Ode Ukwu: Umunkwocha, Umuagwu, Okpokoroala, Umunwankwo, Osokoro, Umuobia, Umuoru, Umunwankwo Diokpa, Ichi, Umunwarie.
Amator: Umuagbai, Umugwu, Amaogwugwu, Umule, Umuokoro-ukwu, Umuakatta, Umueneregbe, Umuchima, Umuagwu.
Njiko Umunna: Egbelu-Umuegoro, Umukaegbu, Umugwo, Umungwaba, Umunwakwo Asonye, Ugboekpe, Umuogbaraegbe, Umuaduru, Umuoru, Umuokoroafor, Umuihudinma, Umuogogo.
Amasato: Umungasi, Umuchichi, Umule.
Aro-Ngwa: Umuohia, Umuonyeukwu, Umuejie, Umuotutu, Umuarakpa.
Etiti Amavo: Umuegoro, Ule Nwaghinna, Umunwangwa, Umuosouhie, Umuokereke, Umunkaru, Umuonwunata, Umuchima.
Umuka Aro: Umuevo, Umunkoro, Umuokorouka, Umuevuka, Umuama, Umuangara, Umuekpele, Umunwabughiogu, Umuogbonna.
Political Districts And Administrative Wards
Abayi, Osisioma and Umungasi are the three major towns with Abayi-Ariaria, Umuojima-Ogbu and Umuakapara rapidly developing into towns. However, Osisioma Ngwa is divided into 10 wards and each ward has different villages in them and these villages also have kindred which are subdivided into clans and households called ‘onumara’. Thus, a village may be made up of 5 to 10 kindred and up to 20 to 30 clans and the household which uniformly constitutes what is called a village. The classification of these villages into wards was adopted by the colonial masters for effective administrative and political purpose and to ensure proper management and accountability. The wards are as follows:
Ama – Asaa Ward which comprises
- Amapu Village
- Amauzu Village
- Ibeku Village
- Mbutunta Village
- Umuagwu Village
- Umuihima Village
- Umuihioma Village
- Umuimo-Osisiasaa Village
- Umuimo-Amaogwugwu Village
- Umuimo-Egbelu Village
- Umuobasi Village
- Ekeobasi Village Square
Amaitolu/Mbutu/Umuojima Ward which comprises
- Ariaria Village
- Abayi Ogbuligba Village
- Umuechem Village
- Asamoka Village
- Mbutu Isiahia Village
- Mbutu Umugaa Village
- Umuozuo Village
- Umuikpo Village
- Oberete Village
- Ogbu Village
- Umudi Village
- Umuejijie Village
- Umuidigha Village
- Alaukwu-Asa Umumgbede Village
- Umuocheala Village
- Umuojima Ogbu Village
- Umuojima Okereke Village
Amasator Ward which comprises
- Abayi Village
- Ahiaba Village
- Umungasi Village
- Umule Village
- Umuode Village
- Umuochichi Village
- Umueze Village
- Umuocham Village
Amator Ward which comprise
- Amapu-Ife Village
- Amaogwugwu Village
- Umuagbai Village
- Umuoyoro Village
- Umuokiri Village
- Umuodu Village
- Umudike Village
- Umuokoro Village
- Umuigbe Village
- Umuokoroukwu Village
Amavo Ward which comprises
- Umuokorocha Village
- Umuekpe Village
- Osiloji Village
- Umuoyoronta Village
- Umunwankwoala Village
- Umuokika Village
- Umudaba Village
- Umuagbalugba Village
Aro-Ngwa Ward which comprises
- Obiekwesu Village
- Okpuala Aro Village
- Umuarakpa Village
- Umuekea Village
- Umuejie Village
- Umuoha Village
- Umuonyeukwu Village Village
- Umuotuo Village
Okpu – Umuobo Ward which comprises
- Amuzu Village
- Mgboko Umuete Village
- Umuobo Village
- Umuaba Village
- Umuagwa Village
- Umuara Village
- Uratta Village
- Amaekpu Village
Oso Okwa Ward which comprises
- Akpaa I Village
- Akpaa II Village
- Akpaa III Village
- Akpaa IV Village
- Amaiyi Village
- Amankwu I Village
- Amankwu II Village
- Amaugha Village
- OkpualaUkwu Village
- Umuaja Village
- Umuenyiukwu Village
- Umugala Village
- Umuncheagu Village
- Umunpata Village
- Umuobilohia I Village
- Umuobilohia II Village
- Umuohia Village’
- Umuokerete Village
Umunneise Ward which comprises
- Amapu Village
- Amauzu Village
- Okpuala Village
- Umumba Village
Uratta Ward which comprises
- Amapu – Igbengwo Village
- Egbede Village
- Egbelu – Owo Village
- Ibibi Uratta Village
- Obuzor Village
- Okpokoroala Village
- Umuochor Village
- Umuaduru Village
- Umuagbara Village
- Umueji Village
- Umueke Village
- Umueze Village
- Umuigwe Village
- Umuikaa Village
- Umuodu – Ehichie Village
- Úmuokorogbu Village
Kingdoms In Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area
Working on the lists of Kingdom(s)