If There Is One Community In Igboland Where Their People Practice The “Akuluouno” Philosophy To The Core, It Is Enugwu Nnem.
A Typical Son Of The Soil Who Has All The Properties In The City And Is Yet To Have A Mansion In His Village, Such A Fellow Is Seen As Akalaghori In My Hometown.
In Enugwu Ukwu, You Now Barely See Empty Plot Of Land Located At A Very Good Site Without Being Told That The Owner Is Either About To Build And Develop The Land Or Is Not Ready To Dispose Off The Land.
Most Ndi Enugwu Ukwu Enwero Zi Ana Ebe Anyi Ya Alu Uno. Some Of Us Are Now Relocating To Nearby Towns To Buy Land For Residential Houses. The Available Ones Are Very Costly. In Enugwu Ukwu Today, A Good Plot Of Land Is Not Lessthan 5 Million Naira.
History Has It That EnugwuUkwu Community Was One Of The Foremost Communities In Igboland That Got Their Community Connected To The National Grid Of Electricity Immediately After The Civil War As Early As 1975 Through Self Help Led By Engr R.N Okeke (The Father Of The Immediate Past Deputy Governor Of Anambra State) Who Then Was A NEPA Senior Official.
History Also Has It That Enugwu Ukwu Community Was One Of The First Communities In Old Anambra State That Constructed A Modern Civic Center In 1982 Commissioned By Former Vice President Arch Dr Alex Ekwueme Through Our Self Help Championed By A Foremost Contractor Late Chief R.O Nkwocha (Ide Of Enugwu Ukwu). Infact It Was This Modern Civic Centre Complex That Housed The Old Anambra State House Of Assembly Complex Immediately After The Creation Of Anambra State.
As Far Back As 1966, EnugwuUkwu Community Through Self Help Mobilized By Sen Chukwuemeka Udenze Constructed A Well Equipped Post Office Complex In The Community And Handed It Over To The Federal Government Of Nigeria.
Enugwu Ukwu Is Indeed One Of The Most Developed Communities In Igboland. The Self Help And Enterprising Spirit Of A Typical Igbo Man Is Totally Epitomized In An Enugwu Ukwu Man.
Politically, Enugwu Ukwu Is A Highly Sophisticated Community, Politically Speaking. Her People Started Participating Actively In Politics Starting From The Pre Colonial Era, When Our Former Traditional Ruler Igwe Osita Agwuna Played Politics Of NCNC, Zikist Movement And National Youth Movement Of Nigeria With Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, MC Addallah, Mogwugwo Okoye, MCK Ajuluchukwu. Agwuna In 1948 Delivered a Paper In Lagos Titled “A Call For Revolution” Where In He Asked Nigerians To Boycott All British Goods As Ways of Telling The Colonialists To Leave Nigeria And Grant her Independence. Agwuna Was Arrested By The Colonial Masters Immediately After The Speech And Jailed For Over 3 Years.
Many Enugwu Ukwu Sons And Daughters Have Held Strong Political Positions. The Town Has Produced 2 Senators, 1 Minster For Justice And Attorney General, An Ambassador, 3 Federal House Of Representative Members, A Former Deputy Governor, 3 Federal Permanent Secretaries, 4 State Commissioners, Among Others.
Academically, EnugwuUkwu is An Academic Giant Too As They Have Produced 3 Deputy Vice Chancellors Of Federal Universities, One Acting Provost Of Federal Polythecnic. We Can Boast Of 3 Senior Advocates Of Nigeria(SANs). We Have Over 87 Professors And Uncountable PH.D Holders.
Culturally, Enugwu Ukwu Is An Ancient Community With Rich Culture And Tradition. It Is An Aristocratic Town. They Have A Museum Called Obu Ofor Nri Museum. We Have Annual Cultural Events Such As Igu Aro Festival, Olili Onwa Asato Festival, Ipia Agba Festival. Enugwu Ukwu Community Has Traditional Titles Such As Ozo(Nkpu) Title, Oba Title , Nze Title, Etc.
Geographically, EnugwuUkwu Is Located On Top Of A Hill And Shares Boundary With Abagana, Nimo, Agukwu, Nise, Nawfia And Enugwu Agidi. Enugwu Ukwu Is Divided Into 2 Main Sections Of Ifite And Akaezi And Also Sub Divided Into 4 Quarters Of Ifiteani, Ifite Enu, Orji Na Urunnebo & Uruekwo Na Avomimi.
In All Enugwu Ukwu Has 18 Villages Namely; Ire, Urualor, Uruogbo, Akiyi, Enuagu, Umuatuora, Umuokpalanri, Umuatulu Ifiteani, Uruokwe, Orofia, Umuakwu, Orji, Urunnebo, Uruekwo, Avomimi, Awovu, Urukpaleke And Osili.
Today We Are Under The Traditional Ruler Of Igwe Sir Ralph Obumneme Ekpeh, Eze Enugwu Ukwu Na Igwe Umunri (Okpalanakana Ukabia IV).
I Am Proud Of My Hometown, Enugwu Ukwu.
Indeed Enugwu Nnem Amaka !
Akweke Francis Chidozie Okoye,
(Oyi Umunri Ji Di Ebube)
Wrote In From,
Abuja Nigeria
