Carla: “ I am just going to wait for this one ”

There are several accounts of other migrations of some large family groups out of Ogidi who eventually settled elsewhere, for instance, the Umuanugwo in Njikoka Local Government Area, are said to have come from Umuanugo in Uru-Ogidi. The Umuanugwo were believed to be good hunters who in one of hunting expedition, found good spring water and settled there. Another reason for the migration of this group was attributed to fear of extinction and apparent hostility from other sub-groups in Ogidi. The source also has it that the Umueze-Aro in Uruezealo, Ogidi. It is not clear why they left Ogidi and settled in Umunya.

But it is gathered that one of the off-shoots of Umueze-Aro in Umunya is the Anyaeji Asubanze family are fully aware of their relationship with their kith and kin in Uruezealo in Ogidi, especially with David Okudo and Kenneth Onyekwelu families.

From all the various traditions discussed above, it has become very clear that some family groups in Ogidi migrated out of the town and settled either in nearby or far-away towns where they have prepared and formed their separate identities. It is necessary to note here that some of the reasons adduced for the various migrations out of Ogidi should be accepted with some caution since these events took place many centuries ago.

characters with honours. Minor cases are tried in the families Umunna- under the family heads

“Ndi isi Umunna”

There is also the Town Union known as Ogidi Union Nigeria, and the Igwe’s cabinet.

The office of the traditional ruler – is not hereditary. The Town Union sees to the development of the town and social amenities such as the provision of roads, electricity, water and many others. It is the responsibility of the Igwe’s cabinet to see to customary and traditional matters such as marriage, age grade formations, festivals, burial ceremonies and funeral, etc; cases relating to customs and traditions are settled by the Igwe’s cabinet while the Town Union settles criminal and civil cases and sees to the development of the town in general. Before the coming of Christianity, Ogidi people were traditional worshipers who practiced all sort of traditional rites in their worship. They had such deities as Oyi, Idemili, Aro, Ani, Okwuchi, (female deities, Ogbu, Ekwo, Ufiejioku, Ogwugwu and Ngwu). All of these deities had their shrines located at different places in the town. The chief deity was Idemili (Isi alusi) to which people went for confessions of sins and to obtain deliverance from wicked dead persons.

Beside Idemili, there are other stronger deities. Aro, Udo, Akpu, Oji. These were regarded as more powerful and dreaded by all. The others like Ebenebe, Erulu, Ogbu, Ngwu were regarded as having lesser powers but were dangerous and also dreaded by people. In the event of sickness of any kind of trouble in the family, the head of the family firstly consults the oracle to know the reason for the catastrophe. When he discovered it, he would appease the minor deities in the compound. But if this did not keep him, he would then move to the more powerful deities appeasing them one after the other. It was a general believe that the superior deities would accept his appeasement and his trouble would cease. The reason for individual

dealing with people. There was also strong belief that the gods did consult one another to decide on whom to destroy or save. It was only in exceptional cases that chief deity Idemili was necessary. Chief Igweagu Onyedi, the chief priest (Eze Idemili) told the researcher that

“this happened when the more powerful, gods untidily objected to accept the offering or appeasement of any particular family or person. If Idemili accepts the offerings and libations of the person, the trouble ends but if it rejects him and his offering; the result must be death or a more disastrous event because Idemili was regarded as the ultimate judge.

However, the setting up of shrines in families were for the purposes of protection.

It was only when the deities were angered that they could begin to react and appeasement would be in the form of offering of cooked food and a cock especially white one or goat slaughtered before the shrine. Kola nuts and palm wine are also offered to the deities. The blood of the animal is poured to the individual deity. Generally, the deities are venerated once in every normal condition annually. This was to honour them so that they would offer proper and adequate protection to the members of the family or the individual. Appeasement is only necessary when the deities became aggressive. In other words, the deities could love and hate. At the coming of missionaries, there was transformation with their interaction.

The Ogidi people are more or less agricultural people. They believe in agriculture for their sustenance. That is why the people venerate two deities, they regard as important, for the fertility of the soil. The deities are “Aro” and “Ufiejioku”. Before the planting season, these deities are venerated at village levels because their shrines are located at the village squares.

Before the harvest begins, these deities are again venerated to ensure that no harm is

these two shrines, one he- goat, one cock, eight big tubers of yam, four pieces of kola nut, one big calabash of palm wine and a lump of white chalk (nzu). These are presented to the deities who give directives on how the meat and food would be shared. After these two deities had been attended to or venerated by each individual family, then the Ani and the Ufiejioku festivals will follow. These annual festivals hold late October every year. The festivals are celebrated in families and they are occasions for rejoicing and merry making in which people thank the gods for sparing their lives from anger during the tedious planting season.