477:
308:
46:
152:
called Ekwem Arugo. With
British influence and colonization in the early 1900s Owerri town was the headquarters for Owerri Division and later old Owerri Province. Also, when Imo State was created on 3 February 1976, Owerri city was chosen as its capital. On 15 December 1996 Owerri city attained municipal status.
175:
Foods usually eaten during this period are roasted old yam with oil bean salad and corn porridge meal, signifying the first meal the founding father of Owere ate upon arrival at the present day Owere. People from far and wide come to the city to witness this occasion and celebrate with the indigenes.
171:
Every year the indigenes of Owerri celebrate a festival called "Oru Owere" which is also known as "Oru Eze" (the king's festival). It usually spans between the month of June to mid August. According to tradition, the actual date of commencement is determined by the Oha Owere. It is a period of peace
187:
Within the municipality, the Elders
Council is called “Oha Owere”. These elders mediate in disputes over land and housing matters. In accordance with Owere tradition, from each kindred only one person emerges as an Oha. When an Oha council member dies, the next person following by age takes up the
151:
Before the advent of the
British in 1901–1902, Owere town (anglicized Owerri) was and still is today made up of five villages namely – Umuororonjo, Amawom, Umuonyeche, Umuodu and Umuoyima (collectively known as Owerri Nchi Ise). Historically, the indigenes of Owerri trace their ancestry to a man
188:
position as an Oha, and is thereafter initiated into the Oha Owere
Council. The appointment of an Oha according to Owere tradition is a divine appointment, hereditary, non-contestable and does not rotate, just as the village headships, and paramount rulership within Owerri Municipal.
172:
where disputes are easily settled without a third party intervention. During this period of togetherness Owerri indigenes celebrate its founding. The festival kicks off at Ugwu Ekwema (Ekwema's hill) 'Community Civic Center' after the breaking of kola nuts by the Eze Owere.
111:. It has an area of 58 km² and a population of 127,213 according to the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 460. Owerri city sits at the intersection of roads from
168:
The Eze is assisted by village heads (each representing a village in Owerri Nchi Ise); altogether they form the "Eze in
Council" and help manage the affairs of the town.
496:
501:
160:
The traditional ruler is the Eze of Owerri. The recent past Eze was H.R.M. Emmanuel
Emenyonu Njemanze (Ozuruigbo V), who died May 4, 2016.
296:
476:
96:
32:
179:
It is important to note that Oru Owere is not new yam festival. The indigenes of Owerri do not celebrate the new yam.
274:
289:
241:
282:
351:
58:
79:
136:
490:
436:
341:
112:
461:
421:
381:
376:
366:
361:
356:
466:
391:
346:
336:
264:
World Owerri
Peoples' Congress (n.d.). Owerri Municipal Council. Retrieved from
263:
242:
City
Population (n.d.). Owerri Municipal (Local Government Area) Retrieved from
312:
120:
100:
70:
63:
252:
451:
446:
406:
386:
401:
371:
140:
128:
116:
104:
51:
431:
426:
322:
124:
108:
75:
218:
Chief
Onwuagwumba Eke, (Traditional Chief Priest/Onye isi ala Owere)
416:
411:
396:
253:
Encyclopædia
Britannica (1-9-2009) Owerri, Nigeria. Retrieved from
132:
441:
143:. Eke Ukwu Owere market is the main market in Owerri Municipal.
278:
329:
197:
Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze (Ozuruigbo V) (late)
69:
57:
39:
23:
215:Eze Alexius Anumaku Njemanze (Ozuruigbo IV) (late)
209:Chief Ikefuaku Anozie Emeto, Village Head - Umuodu
203:Chief T.O.S. Oparaugo, Village Head - Umuororonjo
131:. It is also the trade center for palm products,
290:
206:Chief Herbert Mere, Village Head - Umuonyeche
8:
221:Oha Boniface Anukam, (Head of the Oha Owere)
212:Chief Cyril Ukaebgu, Village Head - Umuoyima
297:
283:
275:
20:
200:Chief Dennis Dike, Village Head - Amawom
234:
68:
38:
107:. Its headquarters is in the city of
56:
7:
497:Local Government Areas in Imo State
502:Local Government Areas in Igboland
14:
475:
306:
44:
1:
518:
473:
319:
86:
30:
18:LGA in Imo State, Nigeria
330:Local government areas
224:Oha Shedrack Obicheozo
97:Local Government Area
164:People and culture
484:
483:
156:Traditional ruler
90:
89:
509:
479:
457:Owerri Municipal
311:
310:
309:
299:
292:
285:
276:
266:
261:
255:
250:
244:
239:
93:Owerri Municipal
50:
48:
47:
25:Owerri Municipal
21:
517:
516:
512:
511:
510:
508:
507:
506:
487:
486:
485:
480:
471:
325:
321:State capital:
315:
307:
305:
303:
272:
270:
269:
262:
258:
251:
247:
240:
236:
231:
194:
185:
166:
158:
149:
45:
43:
35:
26:
19:
12:
11:
5:
515:
513:
505:
504:
499:
489:
488:
482:
481:
474:
472:
470:
469:
464:
459:
454:
449:
444:
439:
434:
429:
424:
419:
414:
409:
404:
399:
394:
389:
384:
379:
374:
369:
364:
359:
354:
349:
344:
339:
333:
331:
327:
326:
320:
317:
316:
304:
302:
301:
294:
287:
279:
268:
267:
256:
245:
233:
232:
230:
227:
226:
225:
222:
219:
216:
213:
210:
207:
204:
201:
198:
193:
192:Notable people
190:
184:
183:Elders Council
181:
165:
162:
157:
154:
148:
145:
88:
87:
84:
83:
73:
67:
66:
61:
55:
54:
41:
37:
36:
31:
28:
27:
24:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
514:
503:
500:
498:
495:
494:
492:
478:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
418:
415:
413:
410:
408:
405:
403:
400:
398:
395:
393:
390:
388:
385:
383:
380:
378:
375:
373:
370:
368:
365:
363:
360:
358:
355:
353:
350:
348:
345:
343:
342:Ahiazu Mbaise
340:
338:
335:
334:
332:
328:
324:
318:
314:
300:
295:
293:
288:
286:
281:
280:
277:
273:
265:
260:
257:
254:
249:
246:
243:
238:
235:
228:
223:
220:
217:
214:
211:
208:
205:
202:
199:
196:
195:
191:
189:
182:
180:
177:
173:
169:
163:
161:
155:
153:
146:
144:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
113:Port Harcourt
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
85:
81:
77:
74:
72:
65:
62:
60:
53:
42:
34:
29:
22:
16:
462:Owerri North
456:
422:Ohaji/Egbema
377:Isiala Mbano
367:Ihitte/Uboma
362:Ideato South
357:Ideato North
271:
259:
248:
237:
186:
178:
174:
170:
167:
159:
150:
92:
91:
15:
467:Owerri West
392:Ngor Okpala
347:Ehime Mbano
337:Aboh Mbaise
491:Categories
352:Ezinihitte
229:References
313:Imo State
101:Imo State
71:Time zone
64:Imo State
452:Oru West
447:Oru East
407:Nwangele
387:Mbaitoli
402:Nkwerre
372:Ikeduru
147:History
141:cassava
129:Umuahia
119:, Aba,
117:Onitsha
105:Nigeria
52:Nigeria
40:Country
432:Onuimo
427:Okigwe
323:Owerri
125:Okigwe
109:Owerri
49:
417:Oguta
412:Obowo
397:Njaba
95:is a
76:UTC+1
59:State
442:Orsu
437:Orlu
139:and
137:yams
133:corn
127:and
121:Orlu
382:Isu
99:in
80:WAT
33:LGA
493::
135:,
123:,
115:,
103:,
298:e
291:t
284:v
82:)
78:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.