In Onicha Olona, there were only two Ruling Houses by circumstance ie: Umu Ugbe and Umu Ozo-Omone (cousins) in Ogbeobi but the invaders in their "divide and rule system" changed the system in 1900, this led to the great bloodshear in 1901-1904, which the reporters in "British Invaders" said to be the second phase of Ekwumekwu War.
According to the report: "Ogbolu the brother of Chika was angry with the British for intruding into Onicha Olona Leadership system, he put up a fight against them, at this time, one of the leaders of already subsiding Ekwumekwu War "Dunkwu Isusu" a native of Onicha Olona was in Ubulu Uku with his friend after the first heat of the war.
When news came that war has ensued between Ogbolu and the British, he (Dunkwu) quickly came back to support Ogbolu and his kinsmen, he dealt much against the British in that fight and burnt down the British properties and houses in Olona, Isele-Uku, Ezi etc, he (Dunkwu) was later captured by the British through A betrayer in the town, who exposed the secret and the power of the fighters, Dunkwu was judged and executed in Abuano alongside three other great men of the town namely: Meye Isusu, Elumelu Okochi Mkpa-Anwu and Ochei Agodi, while Ogbolu (the brother of Chika) King designate after Chika's death and ten other men of the town were sent to Calabar Prison. Uzuka went and retrieved the body of Dunkwu Isusu and buried him because he died while fighting for Umu Ugbe.
As the British conquered and sent the elders of Umu Ugbe with their supporters to Calabar Prison, the nephews of Chika and Ogbolu left the town but one stayed to look after home, his name was Iyiegbue. Monye moved to Ubulubu and got married to an Ubulubu woman, Nwabuokei left his Idumuje wife and moved to Okpanam where he took an Okpanam woman who had a daughter for him, he also took an Igbuzo woman who had nine sons for him, the last of the nine sons was Erasmus Nduka.
Nwabuokei became a strong man then, he joined the strong traditional groups in Onicha Olona and tried helping Onicha Olona to get back to their feet but died in 1939 after helping Onicha Olona to secure the weekly Olie market when his beloved last son (Nduka) was 9years old.
Nduka began to worry his Mother to explain the things he saw and heard when his father was alive, his mother (Ngbor nwa Obi Eseagwu of Igbuzo), called on Nwachi (the godfather of Nduka), being from the second royal house of Onicha Olona and a close friend to late Nwabuokei, she mandated Nwachi to take care of Nduka and help him to know everything he may need to know. So Nduka grew to become the preserver of the history, custom and traditions of the people in his early years. He was a great light to many monarchs in the region as at 1960s to 1970s.
He struggled to get western education both in the conventional classes and correspondence programs where he had several diploma certificates including Law. While working in Enugu, he took up a correspondent course on Survey and Excavation with Bennett College because of his new job in Nigeria Cement Company, he worked with F. O. Mbadiwe & Sons Limited but resigned when he got a better job in Nigeria Cement company 1956, where he worked until he was asked to return home for special assignment, he returned home after Independent Celebration and became the secretary to the King (Obi Nwachi Odor), the king sent him to Lagos for Agric training and School Leavers Farm was established in Onicha Olona after the training in 1961.
Later on he was employed in Aniocha District Council as member of Tax Assessment Committee, also in Aniocha District Council, he was assigned to document the history and past events in the region and summit to the council. He got employed to work in Dumez Nigeria Ltd in 1965. He worked and functioned in various departments and committee both in government, Political Parties, especially in Action Group. He was a fearless fighter, in 1964 when the government of Mid-west planned for Caretaker Committee to take over District Council in preparation for Elections, he protested in letters to Benin City, objecting the appointment or nominations of such committee members by the ruling party without input from other Political Parties in Aniocha District Council. He also on behalf of the Royal Father's, protested in letters for Royal Father's to be included in government monthly allowance as to other government workers, he suggested that the royal father's should be made councillors (Advisers) to government and be placed on pay but the government decided to place the royal father's on monthly allowances, his king (Obi Nwachi) enjoyed this new development a few years before his sudden death in 1966, he (E. N. Nwabuokei) joined with good minded people, resolved that the king's brother (Pius Nwani Odor) should continue receiving the king's monthly allowance. Some, though not against Chief Nwani receiving the king monthly allowance but they feared the possibility of returning to earlier Monarchy through that means, which Nwachi had earlier fought to retain before RJ Hooks was used to stop him in 1920-1923 and ceded power to the present ruling class in error.
In 1961 Obi Nwachi requested from Catholic Mission a College for the Girl Child in Onicha Olona but was disappointed when the western government refused to approve a college for Onicha Olona because of the political crisis between NCNC and Action Group in the area, Nwachi sent E.N Nwabuokei to go for the School Approval, E. N. Nwabuokei played the politic required with Anthony Enahoro and Nduka Eze, then the school was Approved without government funding. The town met and raised the fund for the building of the school between 1961-1962. In 1963 after the building, the school was opened and Catholic Mission was invited to manage the school for the town.
He functioned in various area of the town Progressive to Development Union, both in the National and Home branch. He was a member of various committees in the town including development committee of Onicha Olona College which he was appointed in 1985, he was the Town Advocate, popularly called Lawyer Ukwu-Ofiolo, as he was often seen on barefoot. unless on special occasions, you can't find him on shoes or sandals, an enquiry into what might be his reasons for his barefoot movements, it was realized that his barefoot walk was a development in his traditional life and in his deepening walk into the realm of the spirit, as he had given a shift from his earlier faith in Christianity. He got to a realm he felt that mortals can't harm him anymore, all he was mindful of was to maintain his uprightness and integrity, not minding who gets offended, it was on this note that he named one of his sons "Oforkaogwudile" (uprightness and integrity is stronger than diabolism).
He embraced Christianity in his youth days and was baptized in the Christian Missionary Society (CMS), his diary proved he had great encounter with God, they were so committed in God's service, it got to a time that the church planned having a new building for church services, it was not imagined that a village as at then would afford to the kind of edifice that Mr E. N. Nwabuokei and Mr Humphrey Okoh was proposing, so Onwuama challenged them and brought police to stop the foundation, believing that it was going to be a wasteful art as he felt that the villagers wouldn't be able to complete the project, he wanted them to embark on achievable project, but Nwabuokei and Humphrey had no doubt about the completion of the project, hence the St Peter's Anglican Church Building in Abuano Onicha Olona today.
He later became member of various traditional groups in Onicha Olona, including Nkpalo group which he joined when they realized that the group was bent on holding to power in Onicha Olona. Before this time, many chiefs in Onicha Olona were not members of Mkpalo group but seeing that the group has seized the leadership of the town, many of them began to take mkpalo title in Onicha Olona, Bishop Gbuji encourage Christians to get involved, he made the town to draft format for Christians taking the title so they don't get into the idolatrous patterns. example of Chiefs who were not members of Mkpalo was Chief Okeibunor Azomuso (Iyase of Agba), who took the title of Mkpalo after 25 years as Iyase in Onicha Olona.
E. N. Nwabuokei was born in March 25th 1930 and died on the 2nd of February 2021, his Royal Memorial Tomb is in Idumu Ugbe Ogbeobi, Onicha Olona, Delta State Nigeria.
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