THE TEN VILLAGES OF EMII TOWN IN ORDER OF SENIORITY
Emii is a town in Imo State in the south eastern part of Nigeria. The ancient Emii town is made up of ten villages as follows:
1. Umuorisha
2. Umudulu
3. Nkpehi
4. Mgbahiri
5. Umuolu
6. Eziala
7. Umuebeh
8. Ubaa
9. Umuawuka
10. Emeohe
Geography of Emii
Emii town, some six miles (ten kilometers) from Owerri town, spreads along a fan-shaped main road for a distance of over four miles from Umuawuka to Mgbahiri. Owerri is the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The greatest width from Umuawuka to Emeohe limit is two-and-one-half miles. This untarred road takes off from Egbu Owerri Market along the Owerri-Umuahia tarred road. The spreading shape of the town is a handicap to political harmony and probably has caused her dialetical heterogeneity.
Each of the ten villages comprising the town lies nucleated with thick bush farmlands separating them but so near enough that a gun shot fired at one end re-echoes in another. Except Mgbahiri, it is possible to cycle to each part of Emii without crossing a river.
The town is flanked on the North by Emekuku and South by Agbala. Enyiogugu and Obube mark its Eastern boundaries while to the West it is bordered by Egbu and Naze.
Emil has almost level topography broken only by the Okitankwo and Oramurukwa stream troughs.
The heavy rainfall and abundant sunshine, characteristic of the equatorial climates, and the two seasons – dry and rainy – of the rain forest, have caused the equatorial forest which is cleared quadrennially for agricultural purposes. The dry season is accentuated with brisk and crisp air, ringing good cheer, music from birds, and flowers sending their sweet smiles.
Like the terrain, the vegetation is almost monotonous with tamarind palm trees and “Elizabeth” plants dominating the sight while palm trees hold sway along the riverine areas of Emeohe, Umuorisha, Umuolu, Nkpehi, Umuebe, Eziala and Mgbahiri. These villages are the tappers of Owerri division palm wine, Dagwa Special (palm wine), which is staple everywhere. To compensate the eye in this loveliness is the Okohia Ode Emii forest – a typical Equatorial forest – noted for its majesty, reverential awe and sylvan loveliness. Here is the old home of Oche, the home of Emii and his immediate descendants.
Emii’s chief products are yam, cassava, cocoyam, palm wine and palm produce – traditionally the people are principally farmers and tappers. Professional hunters are very few but generally hunting is done as a hobby or pastime.
The people of Emii claim a common ancestry with Emekuku and Obube, Naze, Obibi, Umuekwunne and Nnorie all descendants of Oche. The affinity with Emekuku has led to suggestions that Akirioche Emii and Ugu Uzo Emeke have a common origin and history. Findings seem to belie this.
Apart from primary (elementary) schools and a Health Centre at Ubaa Emii and the Emii high/secondary school, there are no common important institutions in the town unlike at Emekuku where there are high/secondary schools, a big hospital and a historic roman catholic church. The presence of these institutions in Emekuku, a nearby sister-town, has naturally oriented the attention of Emii to Emekuku and partly explains the low development.
Acknowledgment
The “Geography of Emii” is adapted from the book “Akirioche Emii”, by Dr. A.A. Onyegbulaonweya Ohashiegbula, published in July 1980.