By Chef Sylva Ojemen
Unlike other Esan Kingdoms, Ewu is Unique basically as a result of its linear settlements. All the communities are located n a linear circle thus enabling communication, familiarity, security and access among the people in the various communities making up Ewu Kingdom.
This is a unique feature of Ewu land when compared to the geographical arrangement of other Esan Kingdoms. In Irrua for example, it will be difficult for an Agua man to be very familar with happenings in Ujabhole in the same Irrua Kingdom. Same goes for an Illeh man in Ekpoma Kingdom to be familiar with happenings in Iruekpen or Emuhi.
It is overwhelming how Ewu Kingdom is built around a linear settlement. In those days, vehicles coming from Ekpoma will enter Ewu through Idunwele and go round Eguare, Ehanlen and come out from Uzogholo to return to Ekpoma. This was also the rout of the old Flour Mill Road Train.
Infact, the people of Eguare knows exactly what is happening in Uzogholo, and if you raise an SOS or a Clarion call in Ehanlen, the Eguare people will re-echo the voice to be heard in Ukhiodo and Idunwele. Uzogholo will re-echo same to land in Eko.
We all know the various families in these settlements. When you mention the Enakhimion family, an Eko man will know it’s from Eguare. When you mention the Edokpa, the Uzogholo man knows where they are. We all know about the Ojemen family.
This is the extent of how God and our ancestors created our great Eilu.
It is important to note that the great cities of Eguare, Ehanlen, Uzogholo, Idunwele, Ukhiodo and Eko in this linear circle like a great stadium stretched to distant lands and suburban settlements as far as Waranke in Owan West. Idunwele Satellite Settlement of Oghordogbor is located near Illeh in Esan West LGA and also stretch as far as Ukhun covering Ogodogua, Ukpoban, Ukimi, Afuoko farm territory near Idoa and Ogukhun farm land near Ukhun. Ihenwhen, Eguare and Ukhiodo is the Eilu Entrance to the Vast Ogbeikhe Forest stretching as far as Waranke, Ibhie, Erha and Agbede. There is an Ewu satellite settlement at Eko Ori still existing till date. The Ehanlen Satellite town of Ukpe Eko Egbor shares boundary with Agbede.
In the distant past, Ewu was said to stretch as far as Iyerekhun in South Ibie covering all of Agbede.
Ewu is a core part of the Niger Delta Region because of it’s vantage location on the great Ewu Hill thus making Ewu an important hydrological center as the source of many rivers. Rivers naturally take root from a high mountain and flow down stream to join another larger water body.
Ewu is a host to 4 headwaters (a point where a river begins)
The Oraje River, Omobor River, Ori, and Ukpaga River and their tributaries span through many other settlements and communities. The rivers of Ewu waters the fertile rice plains of Agbede. There are some communities in Esan land that are not blessed with a single headwater.
Edion River in Agbede Territory has no single source, it is the confluence of all the Ewu rivers in the vast Ogbeikhe Forest that gave rise to the Edion River. The Edion and the Orle River confluenced in Anegbete territory called Ogo Orle to flow into the River Niger at Agenegbode and Anegbete Axis.
Ilushi and Agenegbode waterways are the remnants of river Niger joining the Atlantic Ocean in the Niger Delta.
There are tentative evidence of the presence of natural resources in commercial quantity in the vast Ogbeikhe Forest. Petroleum and Natural Gas are formed from fossils fuel over the cause of time especially in places with features are present in the vast Ogbeikhe Forest where ancient Eilu has ancestral territorial jurisdiction.
During the colonial era, Ewu was the administrative headquarters of all the surrounding land including Idoa, Ukhun, Jagbe in what was then known as the Elugbigbe or the Eilu 10.
These were the features and idea behind the setting up of the Great Ewu Rest House between ukhiodo and idoa by the colonial masters. Ewu Rest House is arguably the first hospitality facility in the Colonial Southern Protectorate.
The establishment of one of the foremost western styled educational center in Esan, the Ewu Government School in 1908, also attest to the vantage importance of Eilu land in ancient and modern times.
Ewu current neighbours like Idoa, Ukhun and Jagbe still look up to Ewu in economic and cultural cooperation, a relic of the ancient importance of Eilu. Idoa people refer to the Ewu Market as Ekiesan meaning Esan Market, evidently the first organized market in the entire Esanland.
Let’s build on this unique features of Ewu to actualize a great City planned by our forebears as a great center of civilization which our future generation will be proud of.
