Igueben: Difference between revisions

Igueben
Igueben
LGA and town
	Igueben Location in Nigeria
	Coordinates: 6°36′0″N 6°35′0″E / 6.60000°N 6.58333°E
Country	Nigeria
State	Edo State
Area
• Total	150 sq mi (380 km2)
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Climate	Aw

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Revision as of 10:57, 16 September 2021

Igueben is a local government area of Edo State, Nigeria. The headquarters is located in the town of Igueben,^[1]^{[citation needed]} which has an area of 380 km² and a population of 69,639 according to the 2006 census. The postcode is 310.^[2]

History

Igueben was founded around 1516 in the Southern region of Nigeria,^[3] during the reign of the Benin monarch, Oba Esigie (1504–1550), a warrior king.^[4]

War had broken out between the Kingdom of Benin and the Attah of the Igala Kingdom based at Idah, a town on the banks of the Niger River. Oba Esigie sent warriors in pursuit of men from Idah who had invaded Benin City ^{[citation needed]}. The Igala kingdom subsequently had to pay a yearly tribute to the Oba for this transgression.^{[citation needed]}

On their way to Idah, these warriors camped at a spot for several days before setting out on the final leg. Some months later when they had successfully accomplished their mission, they were returning home when they passed the same camp spot again. While resting there, they found that the remains of the yams they fed on during their outward journey had germinated and blossomed. Searching for food and water, they found abundant, succulent fruits and vegetables as well as many animals to hunt. The water from the springs also tasted good. They were very impressed with the fertility of the soil in this area.^{[citation needed]}

A further survey of the place showed that the landscape was flat and had no rocks or mountains. This, they thought, would be good for farming. There were many palm, coconut, rubber and walnut trees together with a variety of fruits like mango, orange, lime, guava, lemon, grape, pineapple, cashew, tomato, avocado, pear, wild berry, pepper, okra, melon, pumpkin, banana, and plantain. There were also a wide variety of vegetables like waterleaf which grew easily and quickly. They found that tubular root crops like yams, cassava, and sweet potatoes germinated and matured quickly.^{[citation needed]}

They knew that news of the discovery of this fertile land would please the king and decided that instead of going back to Benin, they would settle on the land and send their taxes back to him in the form of farm produce instead. They sent an emissary to the king of Benin to obtain permission to set up a new settlement in the area, ensuring that the king saw the advantages of a rich harvest and more crop taxes. After much deliberation, he granted them permission to settle and live there.^{[citation needed]}

To reward these soldiers for their effort and retain their loyalty, the king granted them the patent to engage in bronze casting for added trade. So they joined the Benin Royal Guild of Bronze Casters as the only ones outside of Benin City allowed to engage in bronze casting in the kingdom. Anyone else caught doing this was put to death or banished from the kingdom, his family disgraced forever.^{[citation needed]}

The new settlers perfected their craft of bronze casting and the production of the royal pestal^{[check spelling]} called Eben. They cast and sent the Oba an Eben each year to show their gratitude and loyalty for this benevolence. This was accompanied by-products from their harvest.^{[citation needed]}

The settlers later named the place Igue-Eben, which means a village or camp for producing Eben. Thus, Igueben was born.^{[citation needed]} The little settlement soon started to grow, particularly with the influx of traders from Benin city. They did business with distant lands toward the north-eastern axis from Benin city. Its trade with other areas began to thrive and it became prosperous.^{[citation needed]}

The area today

The village is governed by a traditional ruler called Onogie. The present Onogie is HRM Ehizogie Eluojerior. He, along with his council of chiefs and prominent traditional rulers, maintain law and order in an ever-changing westernized world. This governance system is the same as is used in the current monarchy of Benin and has been in existence since the earliest times in Benin's history.^{[citation needed]}

The indigenous people of Igueben are very hard-working, creative, industrious and fun-loving. They are a very literate population with most families educated to university level. They continue to maintain their cultural heritage from Benin, celebrating many festivals and ritualistic traditions.^{[citation needed]}

Their language is a unique dialect of Edo and Esan. They also use Pidgin English, which is a mixture of Portuguese, English and Esan. The majority fluently speak English due to their high levels of education.

Today, Igueben is endowed with numerous sons and daughters in various professions: doctors, lawyers, barristers, bank directors, businessmen and women, writers, poets, teachers, engineers, scientists, architects, nurses, technicians, politicians, advertising and marketing professionals, farmers, and some self-made millionaires.

Igueben consists of several towns whose suburbs conurbate seamlessly. Some popular towns are Eguare, Oyomo, Afuda, Idumeka, Idumonka, Uhe, Egbiki, Ekekhen Idigun, Idumogbo, Idumedo, Idumotutu, and Idumogo. A woman's town origin may be determined by how she greets her elders in the early morning. For example: "Latuse," "Lamogun," "Lagiesan," "Lani," and "Labheze" are peculiar to Uhe, Idigun, Idumonka, Idumeka, and Afuda/Ekekhen, respectively.

The people of Igueben are very sociable, showing deep respect for other cultures. This is particularly evident in their ability to marry freely into other tribes and cultures from both within and outside Nigeria. They also possess a deep sense of fidelity and social responsibility.

Facilities

Major facilities include the Igueben General Hospital, the Igueben Grammar School, the Igueben College, the Igueben Mixed Secondary School, the College of Education Igueben,^[5] the Union Bank of Nigeria PLC, the Uda Community Bank PLC,^[6] numerous primary schools, two major markets, and a Local Government Council Secretariat. Its rainforest remains largely untouched.

Economy

Igueben has a growing economy. The indigenes engage in the retail trade of manufactured goods, which are purchased from major cities like Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Lagos, Sapele, and Benin City. Goods traded include building materials, clothing, electronics, mechanical spare parts, etc.

The primary occupation in Igueben is farming. Local produce is cross-traded with the Northern parts of Nigeria. They sell food products peculiar to the savannah vegetation, such as tubular roots like yam, cassava (garri), banana, and plantain. They buy produce peculiar to arid areas, such as beans, onions, groundnuts, and potatoes. Foreign exports include palm produce, rubber, and timber.

Igueben is highly affected by urban migration as young and educated sons and daughters migrate to larger cities and abroad for more lucrative job opportunities. The many celebrations and festivals throughout the year provide occupation for many locals: advertising, catering, costume making, cultural dance, and event organization. The Igueben town is mainly an agrarian society.

Tourists attractions

Cultural celebrations like the Ukpe Festival showcasing masquerades, traditional dances, family entertainment and visits, are well worth experiencing. The Onogie's New Year Festival - Ihuan, which is similar to the Ukpe Festival, also affords further opportunities to engage with local traditional practices. There is potential for tourist attractions such as historical landmarks like the Onogie's palace and rainforest expeditions. These opportunities are yet to be exploited.

Educational Institutions

Igueben is home to different educational institutions, including the College of Education, Igueben, Wisdom Group of School, Igueben, and Eguare Primary School, Eguare.^[7]

References

^ "Edo state Local Government Head Quarters". www.edoworld.net. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
^ "Post Offices- with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
^ "IGUEBEN". Retrieved 2021-07-31.
^ "IGUEBEN". Retrieved 2021-07-09.
^ "Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus – Skills for Services". Retrieved 2021-07-14.
^ "Uda Microfinance Bank Limited". Directory. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
^ "Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus – Skills for Services". Retrieved 2021-07-09.

P. Girshick Ben-Amos The art of Benin (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)

Oral sources:

Hon. Barrister Patrick Aigbogun
Chief Sunday Aigbogun - Ebenzer of Igueben
Chief (Bar.) Abubakar Yesufu – Ogieneni of Igueben

External links

[1] "Edo state Local Government Head Quarters". www.edoworld.net. Retrieved 2021-07-08.

[2] "Post Offices- with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2009-10-20.

[3] "IGUEBEN". Retrieved 2021-07-31.

[4] "IGUEBEN". Retrieved 2021-07-09.

[5] "Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus – Skills for Services". Retrieved 2021-07-14.

[6] "Uda Microfinance Bank Limited". Directory. Retrieved 2021-07-14.

[7] "Edo State College of Education, Igueben Campus – Skills for Services". Retrieved 2021-07-09.

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@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 On their way to Idah, these warriors camped at a spot for several days before setting out on the final leg. Some months later when they had successfully accomplished their mission, they were returning home when they passed the same camp spot again. While resting there, they found that the remains of the yams they fed on during their outward journey had germinated and blossomed. Searching for food and water, they found abundant, succulent fruits and vegetables as well as many animals to hunt. The water from the springs also tasted good. They were very impressed with the fertility of the soil in this area.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}
-A further survey of the place showed that the landscape was flat and had no rocks or mountains. This, they thought, would be good for farming. There were many palm, coconut, [[Natural rubber|rubber]] and [[walnut]] trees together with a variety of fruits like mango, orange, lime, guava, lemon, grape, [[pineapple]], [[cashew]], tomato, [[Avocado|avocado pear]], wild berry, [[piperaceae|pepper]], okra, melon, [[pumpkin]], banana, and plantain. There were also a wide variety of vegetables like waterleaf which grew easily and quickly. They found that tubular root crops like yams, [[cassava]], and [[Sweet potato|sweet potatoes]] germinated and matured quickly.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}
+A further survey of the place showed that the landscape was flat and had no rocks or mountains. This, they thought, would be good for farming. There were many [[Palm (plant)|palm]], [[coconut]], [[Natural rubber|rubber]] and [[walnut]] trees together with a variety of fruits like [[mango]], [[Orange (fruit)|orange,]] [[Lime (fruit)|lime]], [[guava]], [[Lemon|lemon,]] [[grape]], [[pineapple]], [[cashew]], [[tomato]], [[Avocado|avocado, pear]], [[Wildberries|wild berry]], [[piperaceae|pepper]], [[okra]], [[melon]], [[pumpkin]], [[banana]], and plantain. There were also a wide variety of vegetables like waterleaf which grew easily and quickly. They found that tubular root crops like yams, [[cassava]], and [[Sweet potato|sweet potatoes]] germinated and matured quickly.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}
 They knew that news of the discovery of this fertile land would please the king and decided that instead of going back to Benin, they would settle on the land and send their taxes back to him in the form of farm produce instead. They sent an emissary to the king of Benin to obtain permission to set up a new settlement in the area, ensuring that the king saw the advantages of a rich harvest and more crop taxes. After much deliberation, he granted them permission to settle and live there.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}