Amaimo

Amaimo is an autonomous rural town located in Imo State, southeastern Nigeria. It is located near the city of Owerri. Amaimo is located in the North East of Ikeduru Local Government Area. It is bounded on the North by Ehime in Mbano LGA, on the South and East by Ugiri-Ike and Ahiazu in Mbaise; on the North-West by Inyishi and Eziama in Ikeduru LGA and on the South-West by Amakaohia Ikeduru.

Historical background

The present Amaimo autonomous community, as a typical settlement in the Igbo heartland, is a patrilineal society with a peculiar descent pattern and kingship system. The community is believed to have descended from two different sources to form a conglomerate of populous Amaimo communities with their peculiar dialects, gods, markets, priesthood systems and kingship patterns.

Amaimo is under a unique kingship system that is as old ad royal in comparison with those of AkabThe present Amaimo autonomous community, as a typical settlement in the Igbo heartland, is a patrilineal society with a peculiar descent pattern and kingship system. The community is believed to have descended from two different sources to form a conglomerate of populous Amaimo communities with their peculiar dialects, gods, markets, priesthood systems and kingship patterns.

Amaimo is under a unique kingship system that is as old ad royal in comparison with those of Akabo, Amakohia, Inyishi and Uzoagba - all in Ikeduru LGA and Owerri the state Capital- to mention a few . Since the tragic death of the amiable and peace - loving His Royal Highness, Eze Jude Ohiri Alaribe some nineteen years ago, the community has not been able to fill the vacuum created by his demise .

The history and name of Amaimo are inextricably related to the legendary passing of the Imo River through the town. Authentic oral evidence and impeccable traditional sources reinforced by empirical data support the following fact: In the course of its journey through many communities, the goddess of Imo River, daughter of the Ocean(Imo Nwa Oshimiri ) - made a figurative demand which our forefathers did not initially understand. She requested for a black son and a white son in order to settle here. The people wondered whose children would be sacrificed only to have a river, and so refused .

Much later, after the River had left the town, the elders consulted their oracle which revealed that the black and white sons symbolized a black ant known in the Amaimo dialect as “anyisha” and an egg respectively. Frantic efforts by the people to appease the goddess in order to have the River failed because the River could not reverse its course or direction of flow. This phenomenon or event seems to justify the presence of some riverine features like gentle hills and valleys in the town - AMAIMO which literally means the Imo way. o, Amakohia, Inyishi and Uzoagba all in Ikeduru LGA and Owerri the state Capital- to mention a few . Since the tragic death of the amiable and peace - loving His Royal Highness, Eze Jude Ohiri Alaribe some nineteen years ago, the community has not been able to fill the vacuum created by his demise .

The history and name of Amaimo are inextricably related to the legendary passing of the Imo River through the town. Authentic oral evidence and impeccable traditional sources reinforced by empirical data support the following fact: In the course of its journey through many communities, the goddess of Imo River, daughter of the Ocean(Imo Nwa Oshimiri ) - made a figurative demand which our forefathers did not initially understand.She requested for a black son and a white son in order to settle here. The people wondered whose children would be sacrificed only to have a river, and so refused .

Much later, after the River had left the town, the elders consulted their oracle which revealed that the black and white sons symbolized a black ant known in the Amaimo dialect as “anyisha” and an egg respectively. Frantic efforts by the people to appease the goddess in order to have the River failed because the River could not reverse its course or direction of flow. This phenomenon or event seems to justify the presence of some riverine features like gentle hills and valleys in the town - AMAIMO which literally means the Imo way.

Socio-Economic life

Traditionally, Amaimo is an agrarian community with subsistence farming as the major occupation of the people. Located in the tropical forest region with evergreen vegetation most parts of the year, Amaimo is blessed with much arable land. The chief crops cultivated by the people are yams by the men and cocoyams by the women with the assistance of the youths and children. Some other staple foods crops like “Una” -the three-leaf yam-are also cultivated, as well as plantains, bananas and cassava.

Livestock farming is also undertaken to supplement to supplement the main crops. In addition, the town is noted for the production of high quality unadulterated raffia palm wine as well as the celebrated “up-wine” also known as “Nkwu-elu”. The popular Ikeduru palm wine in hot demand mainly in the state capital and elsewhere is the handwork of Amaimo wine tappers.

With the coming of Christian missionary Church - School in Amaimo at Amuzu in 1915, the community has presently 8 primary schools, two secondary schools, three vocational schools and Nursery schools. The town has a high concentration of academicians, intellectual icons, architects, medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, professors; captains of commerce and industry as well as top brass politicians and military personnel etc. . This high caliber of personnel has helped tremendously in the economic transformation of the community.

Administration

Amaimo was originally called Okpofe it is made up of 8 villages namely Egbelu, Amuzzo, Umueze, Umuirri, Obodo, Umuofor and Amachara. From the pre- colonial and colonial periods in history, through the pre- and post independence era down to the wartime and present period, the destiny of Amaimo community has always been administered by astute and tested social engineers who had excelled in handling the affairs of their respective Villages .

Because of the Large and expansive area of the town, the early colonial masters, for their own administrative convenience, created two artificial divisions(based on proximity) called the “IBE AMA” or literally SECTIONS. Thus Umuri, Egbelu and Amachara became Amaimo East while Amuzu, Umueze, Obodo and Umuofor became Amaimo WEST . Like all such artificial creations, the system did not stand the test of time as it later collapsed like a pack of cards . The Amaimo Town council was the central body ruling the town. It produced prominent leaders like Frederick Ekenta, Anyanwu Agwu, John Ukonu etc. all of blessed memory. By the early fifties, the Amaimo Improvement Union (AIU) emerged as the apex umbrella Union of the town. The body has accelerated the pace of progress in the town. It has also produced some popular and patriotic leaders such as

Name	Village of origin	Field of Endeavor
Prof Esther Ofoegbu	Amachara	Professor of Medicine University of Nigeria
Kingsley Onye	Obodo	Former Junior and Nigeria national football team star
Prof Lucian Chukwu	Egbelu	Professor of Marine Biology
Prof Placid Njoku	Umuirri	Former Vice-Chancellor Federal University of Agriculture now Michael Okpara University of Agriculture
Vitalis Ahanaonu	Egbelu	Renowned Philanthropist

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References

1. "Amaimo Autonomous Community in Perspective " https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ktihqsZ8zClitAYAVk0zuDH7scLHXGeuwNf2LH2DM0Q/pub