A -TO -Z OF UJEMEN COMMUNITY IN EKPOMA REVEALED

A -TO -Z OF UJEMEN COMMUNITY IN EKPOMA REVEALED

By Ado Vem ,from Ekpoma,Edo State,Nigeria.

 

Facts are beginning to emerge on how the progenitors of Ujemen community of Ekpoma in Edo state got to the place of their present abode.

It would be recalled that the Ujemen Peace and Development Summit recently held a 2016 meeting ,the  first of its kind at Ujemen Primary School,Ujemen ,Ekpoma  beteen 26^th to 28^th march,2016.

In his address to the gathering at the event,The Protem Chairman of the Concerned Ujemen Citizens,Elder Moses Imomion Akpako  on the occasion of the hosting of the Odionwelle and easter party held to celebrate the community said that  it was with a great joy he was welcoming all the sons and daughters of the  village so as to deliberate on issues of common interest in the area.

He paid a glowing tribute to the initiators of the meetings that they were having as he reeled names like Messrs Omobude Sunday,Michael Omokhomion,Adebayo Irehorhude , Anolu Easter and Sir Omomua Edwin aside from those who responded to their calls at a very short notice.

He thanked that gathering for coming to play host to the Odionwelle ,Pa Willaims Ighodalo Itua and prayed that God will continue to protect all of them.

He noted that  the address will be a failure if he did not mention the presence of all sons and daughters who pulled their sons and daughters who pulled their hard earned resources together to make the day a reality.

Ujemen as it is know and called today was actually Ejemen ,meaning good place .it came to its presnt location many years ago and it is one of the main villages that constitue what is called Ekpoma or Ekuma before it was corrupted.

It has a common boundary with iruekpen ,ikhideu and Idumebo communities and actually is the ancestral home of the people of Ekpoma which can be traced to site and present location of the Ambrose Alli University.

Ujemen was originally made up of three big quarters and these included Idumohi ,Ugbevorun quarters and Uwenogbora and idumohi was made up of Odogbe,Idumugiede,Idumogho and Uwensumen and Uwenlenaba and Uwenmakaba while Uwenogbora and Idumebolo was regarded as one quarter then but because of the quest for autonomy ,today we now have seven quarters in Ujemen and these are Odogbe,Idumugiede,Ugbevon ,Uwenagbora,Idumebolo,Idumogho and Uwenmakaba.

According to history ,Odogbe was the first settler on the land of Ujemen ,then ,Idumebolo came through Uwenogbora to become one of the quarters in Ujemen .This particular quarter Idumebolo was great native doctor  and he came to Eguare to do what he was reputed for with his kinsmen.

When Uwenogbora saw the wonders performed by Ebolo .he did not let go and then gave a piece of land to him.

Ujemen has been led by so many Edionwele since inception,notable among them are Pa Ehinebo of Ugbevon,followed by Pa Aisekhailen of Idumogho after Aisekhailen  came Pa Okosun of Ugbevon and then Pa Odiagbe of Ugbevon whose reign was short lived.

Pa Odiagbe handed over to Pa Ehikioya Omofuma of Idumohi and at the demise of Pa Omofuma ,Pa Oghuma Omokhomion would have been the next Odionwele of Ujemen  but there was a controversy over his allegiance ,then Pa Ogedegbe Ehigiagbone of Ugbevon ,the great medicine man came in as the Odionwele  and reigned for many years.

At the demise of Pa Ogedegbe ,Pa Aisedion of Ugbevon took over as the Odionwele from him ,then came Pa Iruamenosen Okosun of Ugbevon as the Odiowele.

After Iruamenosen,Pa Ehovuomen Irehovhude [Aseza] of Ugbevon assumed the position of Odionwele for just nine months and then died suddenly.

The community was not to be left without a head for long as Pa Akhigbe of Ugbevon  soon assumed the headship of the community ,Ujemen.

When he joined his ancestors later,Pa Omogbeteren Ehikioya of Idumohi was to be the next head but could not assume the position due to ill health and he soon passed on.

Pa Oyinbo Inegbedion  of Idumogho assumed the head of the community as odionwele for some years before he too passed on.he was son followed  by Pa Akhidenor Ilenbiluan of Idumohi who was the the Odionwele for nearly 21 years and he joined his ancestors in the year 2013.