Obizi Traditional Institutions Administration

HRH Eze Sir Barrister Stephen Obinna Azubuine was born into the Azubuine family of Umueze Eziala Obizi on October 2nd, 1952, by the late Mr. Nelson Ebomuche and Ezinne Regina Azybuine.

He completed his primary school education at St. Andrew’s CMS School Obizi, now Town School Obizi. He then proceeded to Ife Grammar School for his secondary school education. His ambition for further education was temporarily truncated by the Nigerian/Biafra civil war (1967-1970). After the war, he went back to Ife Grammar School and completed his secondary education with flying colours.

At the end of the civil war, he secured employment with the then National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA). Because of his loyalty, commitment to duty, and high sense of responsibility, he was sent for a course in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland, where he obtained a diploma in Power Engineering and Production.

Being not satisfied in his area, he sought and gained admission and proceeded to the University of Benin, where he completed his course and obtained a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration. Still, with an unquenchable desire for academic and professional excellence, he went back to his alma mater to read law. At completion, he proceeded to the Nigeria Law School and was subsequently called to the Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2003.

In the course of his public service and professional career, he held many positions. He handled many responsibilities traversing many areas of his diverse disciplines in power engineering and production, administration, and legal service. He retired from the service of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) cum Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the year 2009 after thirty-five years of meritorious service to the nation. He established a legal firm, Nwuru Chambers, where he is the principal partner.

He is a man of many parts: versatile, focused, and highly committed to excellence. He is an ardent Christian and practicing Anglican. Due to his unwavering commitment to the things of God, he was licensed and commissioned a Lay Reader and later invested as a noble Knight of St. Christopher (KSC) in the Anglican Church.

In cultural and social circles, he never lagged. He served many organizations and associations in different capacities. He was the president-general of Umueze, Eziala Obizi kindred, Home and Abroad Union, Chairman of Otu-Umunna Igbo Cultural Association, Ezinihitte Onyeaghalanwanneya Cultural Association, and Mbaise Cultural Association, Sapele, Delta State. He is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association, all in Sapele, and a legal adviser to many associations and groups, including Mbaise United, Sapele, and the PHCN Pensioners Association, Sapele.

When the stool of the Eze Obizi became vacant following the death of Eze (Engr.) W. U. Uwakwe, in the Obizi traditional way of doing things, the lot fell on Eziala village to produce the Eze. Among many interested candidates, including High Chief Ebere Iroapali, Chief Charles Orji, Chief David Osuagwu, and Mr. Young Agada Onyenegbutu, he emerged as the people’s choice. He was subsequently crowned as the Obizie V of Obizi, with Sir Nze Jonathan Sinulo as the Traditional Prime Minister and Onye Isi Nze.

He is married to Lady Elizabeth Azubuine (Agbakwuru) and blessed with six children. As a man of peace, he maintains good and cordial relationships not only with his counterpart in Obokwu, Eze Carnice Osuagwu but also with the rest of the traditional rulers in Ezinihitte Mbaise, whom he also serves as the Secretary of the Council of Ndi Eze Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA.

As a man of destiny, he enjoys an abundance of goodwill from Obizi and beyond, and his period on the throne has again set Obizi in the direction of sustainable peace and progress. He is tactically addressing the security challenges that attended the reign of his predecessor, Eze W.U. Uwakwe. His reign is attracting government attention to Obizi. Presently, the menace of gully erosion and landslide affecting Eziala and Umuire villages are now being addressed through World Bank assistance. Similarly, Obizi was strategically included as the Master of the ongoing construction of Mbaise-Ring-Road, and his period has witnessed the solar street lightening from Ogwumabiri in Umuosisi to Umuchima Eziala through Afo Obizi, thus making the night journey in the area less hazardous. Other progress includes the Ultra modern Health Centre built by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and the Palm for Palm Reproduction Programme. It is equally worthy of mention that under his reign, a new administration was ushered in the leadership of Obizi Home and Abroad Union (OHABU) etc.

Apart from these, his most significant contributions are in the area of peace. As a man of peace, he has built a bridge of peace, unity, and harmony in Obizi. He had addressed the cleavages in the Obizi Home and Abroad Union that saw the emergence of two parallel President General Chief (Engr.) Ignatius Okeahialam on one side and Professor Emmanuel Inyama on the other. With his leadership style, he was able to bring the two opposing groups into one, with Chief Ignatius Okeahialam as the substantive President General.

Similarly, he has also won the love and loyalty of his archrival to the throne, High Chief Ebere Iroapali, thus guaranteeing peace, unity, and progress in Obizi.

HRH Eze Walter U. Uwakwe, Obizie IV of Obizi, was the horn of Chief Andrew Jackson U. Uwakwe, a prominent warrant chief and one of the foremost Nigerian indigenous train drivers in the (1930s-40s). He was born in Umuire Obizi in 193. He was among the foremost Obizi sons who had the benefit of higher education leading to his early qualification as an engineer.

He attended Udo Group primary school at Onicha Ezinihitte, where he gained admission into the Government Secondary School Owerri. After completing his secondary school education, he was employed by the Nigeria Coal Corporation (NCC), Enugu, as a ‘Trainee Engineer’. From there, he proceeded to Mining Technical College Wigan, Lancashire, England, where he qualified as a mining engineer. He also attended the Coal Midland of England, where he was trained as a Colliery Manager.

His outstanding performance at Colliery Manager’s training and his subsequent certification was so spectacular that it was headline news in the Wigan and Midland newspapers. The British Government and the British Colliery Board reported the same and advised the Nigeria Government and Coal Cooperation to strategically place him at the head office with General Manager with a view to higher leadership responsibilities at the earliest opportunity. He returned from England in 1964 to assume duties at the planning department of the Nigeria Coal Corporation, Enugu.

In 1966, he was admitted into Authur D. Little University College Mass, USA, where he undertook a senior Management Course equivalent to today’s Executive MBA. In 1967, he returned to Nigeria during the civil war and joined the then Fuel Directorate on NCC. Through his ingenuity, the Coal Corporation was able to refine fuel, which enabled the Corporation and some voluntary organizations to prosecute the Biafran war efforts. At the end of the civil war, he returned to NCC as a Planning Engineer attached to the Planning Department.

In 1974, he became the Planning Manager of the Nigeria Coal Corporation. In 1975, he retired from the Coal Corporation and established an engineering consulting unit, where he operated as a consulting engineer.

Consequent to his laudable activities in his community, in 1980, he was conferred with the traditional title of ‘Nze Obinwanne,’ which entitled him to be a member of the Eze-in-City of Obizi. He was a member of the Board of Obizi Community Bank from its inception. He was a devoted Christian whose activities in the church were recognized by his being made a Lay Reader in the Anglican Church.

He contributed immensely, professionally and otherwise, to the development of Obizi. He became Eze’s elect on 9 April 2005 after Mr. Chukwuman Akaegbu, the only one who wanted to oppose him, reverently stepped down for him. He was crowned and enthroned on 21 December 2006 as Obizie IV of Obizi Autonomous Community to succeed Eze (Barr.) BSC Nzenwa, the Obizie III of Obizi.

His reign was marked by turbulence arising from a general insecurity of lives and properties that was not peculiar to Obizi. To check the menace, he approved the engagement of professional civil vigilantes to watch over the community. This decision later resulted in a community upheaval due to the alleged high-handedness of the security guards.

The result was the burning of the former Obizi Town Hall and the destruction of properties of some personalities in Obizi and Obokwu, including those of the Ezes of both communities, Eze W.U Uwakwe and Eze Carnice Osuagwu. The burnt hall was single-handedly rebuilt for the community by Chief Ignatius Okeahialam, then President General of Obizi Home and Abroad Union. Within the same period, due to a leadership tussle among the top management of Obizi Community Bank, the bank collapsed, and its building was also destroyed.

Eze Uwakwe died in 2008, barely two years after taking the throne, and was succeeded by Eze (Barr) Stephen Azubuine.

HRH (Eze) B.S.C Nzenwa was born into the Umuagbonu kindred of Amadi Obizi on Christmas day, December 25, 1927, to the late Pa Nzenwata Chigbu Agbonu and Madam Nneoma Nzenwata Agbonu. He was the last of his mother’s five children and the father’s twelve.

He started his primary education in 1936 at St. Benedict’s Catholic School, Obizi, where he read up to standard one in 1937. In 1937, he moved to St. Domini’s Catholic Central School Onicha when St. Thomas Catholic School Eziudo, St. Benedict’s Catholic School Obizi, and St. Michael’s School Umuoma Onicah were merged that year to form what was then called St. Dominic Catholic Central School, Onicha, in Ezinihitte East Mbaise.

He remained a pupil of St. Dominic’s Catholic School, Onicha, from 1937 to 1941, where he read up to standard five.

Ripe corn is known for its looks. Going on to read standard six would be a waste, so he fired a shot at the secondary school entrance examination from standard five, and it paid handsomely. His success was particular, and the admiration was loud.

Consequently, he was offered admission into the prestigious Christ the King College (C.K.C) Onicha, which is now in Anambra State, from 1942 to 1945.

At C.K.C, Eze Barr. (Sir) B.S.C. Nzenwa (KSM) soared like an eagle and intellectually dwarfed all that had cause to compete with him. He was the epitome of academic excellence; hence, within record time, he got his Senior Cambridge Grade 2 Certificate with exemption from the London Matriculation Examination. Armed with this, he proceeded to Britain, sponsored by the Obizi community, and was admitted into the Council of Legal Education, Lincolns Lnn, London, where he studied law from 1955 to 1959. He was called to English Barr as a Barrister-at-law (BL) in 1959.

Because of his urge to serve his community and humankind and offer his professional service to the less privileged persons and community because of the peculiar circumstances and personal experience that made him study law, he returned to Nigeria in 1959 as the first Mbasie lawyer in recorded history—in appreciation of his gallantry and sacrifice, His Royal Highness, late Eze Innocent Nwachukwu Udoaku, the Ekwuenme 1 of Nguru Nwenkwo conferred on him the traditional chieftaincy title of “OPARA” Mbaise which literally means first son of Mbaise. He was also a holder of the customary title of Ezeji in the Obizi community.

However, before proceeding aboard for his legal studies, he worked with the Eastern Region Secretariat in 1946. From 1947 to 1955, he worked under the Northern Nigeria administration, where he rose to the position of Assistant Secretary. In 1959, he returned to Nigeria as a lawyer and established a flourishing private legal practice. In 1962, he became the first Nigeria Secretary/Legal Adviser of Nigeria Airways Ltd, a position he held until 1967, when the civil war broke out. Like a goldfish without a hiding place, he was appointed the Secretary/Legal Adviser of Biafra Airways between 1976/1979. He became the first Chairman of the Ahob-Mbaise Local Government Council. From 1977 to 1979, he was a Board Member of the Anambra/Imo River Basin Development Authority. Between 1979-1983, he served as a Board Member of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria. In all this position, the Mbaise legal luminary proved to be a trailblazer and left a footprint that time cannot impeach.

His Royal Highness, Eze Barr. (SIR) B.S.C. Nzenwa (KSM) and sports were like Siamese twins. He was a sports enthusiast. During his youthful days, he was a good footballer. Indeed, his age notwithstanding, he still had a keen interest in sports and followed sporting events all over the world. He was Chairman of Nigeria Airways Football Club from 1962 to 1967, Chairman of Rangers International Football Club Enugu from 1971 to 1976, Chairman of Spartans Football Club from 1976 to 1982, and Chairman of the Imo State Football Association from 1982 to 1989. He was a member of the National Sports Awards Committee and the National Sports Information Centre. In faraway Tanzania, he was a life member of Simba Football Club of Tanzania.

EZE BARRIATER (SIR) B.S.C NZENWA (KMS), after serving in various capacities and in many organizations, reverted to his successful private legal practice. He was the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Owerri Branch from 1982 to 1986 and also Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association Mbaise Branch from 1992 until he died. He was admitted into the prestigious council of the Body of Benchers in 2003.

In the church, EZE BARRISTER (SIR) B.S.C NZENWA (KMS) was a colossus. He married and wedded his wife BARNADATTE, who is today “UGOEZE” in the Catholic Church, on the 15th of April, 1950 at Ilorin. He was the first Parish Council Chairman of Holy Ghost Parish, Omega Obizi, a member of the Pastoral Council of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, and a Legal Adviser to his Lordship, Bishop V.A Chikwe, the Catholic and medalist in the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara.

His academic brilliance brought him to the limelight of the Obizi community, which was then in search of such talented people, and he became the first major beneficiary of the Obizi community scholarship programme. This led him to the United Kingdom, where he studied law. On his return, he brought himself out to serve the community. He was the President-general of the Obizi constitution and initiator of the Eze Obizi institution. He was the brain granting the autonomous status of the Obizi community by the government of Imo state. After the death of Chief Martin Odibo, Barrister Nzenwa became the second Isi Nze of Obizi in the cabinet of Eze R.O Ekenna.

Before ascending the traditional throne of Obizie III of Obizi, his peaceful political disposition was exemplary. Always loving and caring, he associated with the popular side at all times. He was never a man in a hurry for material gains. Eze Nzenwa was a man of equity who preached and practiced natural love. Eze Barrister (Sir) B.S.C Nzenwan had one philosophy of life that informed his successful leadership: “IHE RURU QNYE NYE YA,” meaning GIVE EVERY MAN HIS DUE.

During the reign of Eze B.S.C Nzenwa, Obokwu Village was granted Autonomous community status separate from Obizi, with Eze Carnice Osuagwu as their traditional Ruler. Similarly, Ekwereazu kindred in Azuahia Obizi was granted autonomy as a separate village, leaving Eziala alone. Based on this, Azuahia as a village nomenclature is now consigned to historical antiquity. Eze (Barr.) B.Sc. Nzenwa died on August 13th, 2003, and was succeeded by Eze (Engr.) Walter U. Uwakwe.

His Royal Highness Eze R.O. Ekenna, JP, was the Obizie II of Obizi and the second traditional ruler of the Obizi Autonomous Community. He was born into the Ekenna family of Umuawam Umuosisi Obizi in 1919.

He started his educational career at the Udo Group School and obtained the Standard Six School Leaving Certificate in 1936. Between 1937 and 1947, he did Vocational Training by correspondence in Tailoring, Building Technology, Secretarial Studies, and Public Relations concurrently at Bennett College, Sheffield, England. Specifically, between 1943 and 1947, he obtained a Diploma in Secretarial Studies, and in 1962, he attended a course on Local Government Administration and Community Development.

He was the Proprietor and Founder of the Eastern Commercial Secondary School at Umungasi, Aba, now Girls High School, Aba. Between 1955 and 1968, he served in various capacities as a Counselor/Chairman of the Works Committee, three times Finance Committee, and twice Staff Committee. He eventually became the Deputy Chairman of the Council from 1964 to 1967, when the Nigeria-Biafra civil war began. He had the popular Ekenna Avenue in Aba named after him.

As a humble and promising young man, he was raised and mentored by his brother, Christian Ekenna, a church teacher. For this reason, he became an ardent Christian and contributed immensely to church growth and development in Obizi and Aba, where he lived most of his life. He was the most prominent figure in the building of the Bethel Anglican Church in Obokwu.

He was a “Justice of Peace (JP),” an honor conferred on him because of his sterling qualities by the old Imo State Government. He was also Chairman of the Ezinihitte Mbaise Police Public Relations Committee, among other community-based organizations and clubs.

He was one of the leading lights and founding fathers of modern Obizi. He served in different capacities and communities that drew up the road map for the development of Obizi. He offered scholarships and assisted many sons and daughters of Obizi to realize their life ambitions in many years of human endeavor.

He was elected the Eze of Obizi in 1979 to succeed the late Dr. A.N. Ogbonna. He contested for the stool with the late Nze Jerome J. Odibo after Rev. A.C. Njoku stepped down as a mark of respect for the duo, whom he considered his seniors by age. Therefore, as a personal policy and mark of respect, he cannot see himself contesting elections with any of them.

His reign brought stability and once again put Obizi on the path of progress as per the vision before the war. Among the projects executed in his time were the rehabilitation of the Obizi market, the construction of the new police station, the Obizi motor park, the establishment of the Obizi Community Bank and the upgrading and reconstruction of the Obizi post office.

He single-handedly built and donated the Obizi Town Hall in Afor to the Obizi community after the demolition of the old Ezeje Hall. He fought tirelessly for the reconstruction of the Udo Bridge and once single-handedly rehabilitated it because of its economic importance to Obizi.

He led the foundation and actually directed the traditional institutions in Obizi. As a man of peace, he appointed his key opponent to the stool, Nze Jerome J. Odibo, his Isi-Nze, the traditional Prime Minister, and his second in command.

He had a tradition of holding a thanksgiving service on the first of January every year in a church in Obizi before leaving for the Oji Ezinihitte annual celebration to ask for God’s guidance for the community for the year.

His Royal Highness Dr. A. N Ogbonna, Obizie 1 of Obizi, was the first traditional ruler of the Obizi autonomous community. He was born into the Ogbonna family of Umuchima, Umuosisi Obizi, on the first of August 1922.

After his primary and post-primary education in Lagos under the care and protection of his sister/aunt, Rebecca Ogbonna, he had a stint in the public service as a Sub-treasury Officer in Kaduna. He resigned voluntarily in 1946 and proceeded to Ireland in the United Kingdom to study Medicine and surgery. He returned to Nigeria in 1954 to complete the course and began his medical practice, largely as a humanitarian exercise. He traversed the whole of Mbaise and beyond, seeing patients and offering treatments for all manner of diseases and ailments at minimal and affordable costs. He later built a model hospital in Obizi, which he named after his aunty “Ogbonna Rebecca Memorial Hospital Obizi.”. He employed expatriate doctors to man the hospital the most prominent of them being Dr. Wissinger, a German.

In recognition of his unprecedented humanitarian services to the people, he was encouraged greatly by many, including the late Rev. Mark Ibe, to join politics, which he did. He eventually contested and won the election in a landslide into the Eastern Nigeria Regional Parliament and was later appointed the regional Minister for Commerce and Industry. It was under him that the Cement Industry Nkalagu, the Ceramics Industry Umuahia, the Shoe Factory Owerri, Enugu, Port-Harcourt Presidential Hotels etc., were established.

Back home, he took the development of Obizi as a personal project touching every aspect, both human capital and infrastructural developments. He sponsored and facilitated the entry of many sons and daughters of Obizi into many professions and careers both at home and abroad. Among those he sponsored abroad included the late Nze Shedrack Amuzienwa and Mr. Justus Uwaezighiozi.

He gave directions to the leadership of the Obizi Scholarship fund and formed development committees like the Madu-Iri Obizi, Obi—Oha Obizi, and Ndi Isi Aladinma Obizi. He attracted and initiated many development projects in Obizi, making his name to be synonymous with Obizi. Among projects associated with him included the Obizi water borehole, Obizi High School, and the Comprehension Hospital. He built the story-building vicarage here in the Archdeacon of Obizi Archdeaconry, is presently leaving for St. Andrews Anglican Church, Obizi, and was an instrument in the building of the present edifice of the St Andrew’s Church.

According to Sir (Arc) Reuben Maduike, the genesis of the new church building began when he gained admission to study architecture at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in the 1960s. Another Obizi son who was studying there then was Engr. Charles Orji. On the day of his community sent-forth, which had Dr. A.N. Ogbonna as the chairman. Dr. Ogbonna, in his speech, told him that the gift he will give Obizi when he eventually qualifies as an architect will be to design a befitting church building for St Andrew’s church Obizi that will be second to none.

As a result of the civil war, Chief Maduike left Ahmadu Bello University and later completed his studies at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus. At the graduation, Dr. Ogbonna reminded him of the charge, which encouraged him to take up the issue. This took him to the University of Nigeria Nsukka Library to search the encyclopedia of church buildings until he saw the picture of one of the Pro-cathedrals in London, which he later adopted and modified into what we have today as the new St. Andrew’s church building to replace the one built in 1938. It was from the design that the title “Pro-Cathedral,” which later became controversial and politicized, became associated with the church building, which still remains the biggest Anglican Church building in Mbaise Diocese today and was used in 1993 for the investiture of the first set of Knights of St. Christopher in the Diocese of Mbaise.

Due to Dr. Ogbonna’s numerous contributions to the community, he was unanimously selected as the traditional ruler of Obizi in 1976 when Rev. A. C Njoku voluntarily stepped down for him.

AGENCIES OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT IN OBIZI COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORY OF OHABU

BY VEN SAM NJOKU, JP, VEN ECHI NWOGU AND CHIEF PAUL AGO

The evidences of modern development in Obizi are traceable to the advent of Christianity inObizi effectively, between 1917 ¬-1920, with the debut of the Anglican and Roman Catholicdenominations and later, the Seventh Day Adventist Church (Sabbath). Through these Churchdenominations, schools were built and the road to formal education was consequently openedin Obizi, kindling the sense of unity and strengthening the bond of common identity as well asevoking the drive and consciousness for corporate, communal and community development,howbeit, through competition, first among the church denominations, the respective villagesand extending to Obizi at large.

Traditionally, Obizi had five villages namely Azuahia, Obokwu, Amaudi, Umuosisi and Umuire.After Obokwu separated from Obizi and earned the status of an autonomous community,Azuahia was divided into two separate villages, Eziala and Ekwereazu, thus returing Obizito theoriginal five-village structure. Each of the villages was autonomous in their administration andcontrol, with their own traditional governing institution known as Aladinma, which was anassembly of all taxable male adults in the village in line with the corporate Igbo republicanpolitical and social administrative system. The Aladinma legislates and oversees the security,welfare and well-being of all in the village. It was headed by a chairman, usually the oldest malein the village who sits in council with the other elders from the respective kindreds and familiesthat make up the village. The elders representing each village were also the ones that meet atObizi central level whenever the need arose.

With the introduction of the Indirect Rule system of administration by the British ColonialGovernment, governing authority was taken away from the traditional council of elders andhanded over to Warrant Chiefs, who were appointed by the colonial government to representtheir interest in the respective villages in Obizi with one of them as the Head Chief orParamount Ruler. In Obizi the first Warrant Chief was Chief Iroapli Nwadioha. The essence ofappointing the paramount ruler or warrant chief and the other chiefs was to bring a centralizedpolitical and administrative authority in Obizi and this further ignited and deepened the senseof common destiny, as against when the conduct of corporate affairs in Obizi were handled atthe respective village levels.

From the late 1930s, there were accelerated tempo of development that significantly changedthe dynamics corporate initiatives and goverancein Obizi which initially centered around thetwo major churches in Obizi, the Anglican and the Roman Catholic, evidenced with the building,completion and dedication of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church ultra-modern state- of –the- artChurch building on December 22nd, 1938. This enviable achievement spurred the communityinto action, arousing the need for central Obizi development planning, coordination andimplementation projects and initiatives. By this the people took their fate in their hands withlimited attention the colonial political authority of the Warrant Chiefs. This imperativenecessitated the recourse to the Aladinma traditional administrative system with regularmeetings of all the village chairmen without prejudice to the political authority of the WarrantChiefs. It was against this background and radical internal reform that facilitated the foremostObizi community development plan initiatives including the scholarship programmes asconceived and executed.

By this time, the number of Obizi citizens finding their way and migrating to the fast growingtowns, cities and urban areas in search of greener pastures, either as government or factoryworkers, artisans or traders, contractors, businessmen or women e.t.c, began to increase inleaps and bounds. Among the towns and cities with most attraction then were Aba, Umuahia,Port Harcourt, Enugu, Lagos, Ibadan, e.t.c. With time in each of these cities, Obizi indigenesbegan to come together to form associations initially known as Obizi Town Union. Theassociation provided a platform for solidarity, social interaction and confraternity for thepromotion and protection of their collective welfare, wellbeing and social security as well as tosupport the development initiatives at home and in their families. These were in line with twoinherent Igbo cultural and traditional philosophies and ideologies: Onye-agha- nwanne ya (beyour brother’s keeper) and Aku-ru-ulo (Show your wealth at home)

From this period, the citizens began to see themselves under the control of two levels of administration and information management structures one at home, managed by the chiefs and the chairmen of Aladinmas and the other abroad, controlled by the respective Obizi town unions.

It was the fusion of the two structures that gave birth to Obizi Home and Abroad Union(OHABU). According to the late Eze R.O Ekenna, as revealed in the book,” Obizi, Home of Peaceand progress” by Venerable Sam Njoku, the OHABU formally came into existence in the 1950s,spurred by the urge for the development of Obizi. The main aim and purpose was to create asynergy between the home and abroad residents in planning and execution of developmentprojects and initiatives in Obizi and this was essentially the core objective of OHABU.

After the successful establishment of the OHABU and given the perceived strong economic andpolitical power of the abroad residents, the need for the harmonization and coordination of theactivities of respective branches of the Obizi Town Unions across the nation and in diaspora toalign them with the philosophy of OHABU, for the overall progress and development of Obiziwhere everyone was a stakeholder led to the establishment Obizi Central Abroad Union asanother arm of administration in Obizi with the coming together of the respective Obizi TownUnion branches in major towns and cities in the country.

As the late Eze R.O Ekenna, also revealed the first President General of OHABU was Mr. Jonathan Agada with subsequent others as follows: Mr. Paul Iweajunwa, Eze R.O. Ekenna, Sir Shedrach I. Amuzienwa, Nze Jerome J Odibo, Eze BSC Nzenwa, Chief Dennis Ibe, Sir Engr. Uzoije Uwakwe, Chief Ignatius Okeahialam (two times president), Professor Emmanuel Inyama (Interim President), Chief Ignatius Okeahialam, Chief Samuel O.S. Echendu (Interim President) and presently Dr. Ben Ujuatuonu.

Regarding the leadership on the Central Abroad Union, Mr. Jonathan Agada combined his position as the pioneer President General of OHABU and was also the pioneer President of the Obizi Central Abroad Union making way thereafter for other holders of the same position over time, including Chief Nelson Opara Onuoha, Chief Sir Engr. Uzoije Uwakwe, Chief James Ogbonna, Chief Polycarp Onuomah and Nze Emmanuel Ibe.

Some Obizi sons in some of the towns and cities that formed the nucleus of the Obizi Central Abroad Unions at its formative stage included but by no means limited to the following:

1. Umuahia – Mr. Jonathan Agada, Mr. Victor O. Agada, etc
2. Aba- Eze Raymond O. Ekenna, Chief SS Anosike, Chief Ismael Orji, Nze VS Enyi, etc
3. Enugu – Eze Walter Uwakwe, Chief Ferguson Ogbonna, Mr. Ernest Njoku, Mr. Charles Uwakwe, Nze Anthony Agada, etc
4. Port Harcourt – Chief Justus Nwogu, Nze Paul Ago, etc
5. Lagos – Chief SS Okezie, Chief T. Iwe, Chief Dennis Ibe, Mr. Jason Maduka, Messrs. Paul and Patrick Osuagwu, Mr. Vincent Osuocha, etc
6. Ibadan – The brothers, Nze Emeka and Chief Augustine Ohuka, Chief James Ogbonna, Mr. Joshua Onyekwere, etc ( the entire list is inexhaustible, please add more.)

With regards to strategic development planning and projects implementation in Obizi accordingto Eze R.O. Ekenna , two formidable and functional structures were very outstanding in thehistory of Obizi and the two organs were Obioha Obizi and Madu Iri Obizi. Obioha Obizi was theapex Obizi think tank, with power to envision and initiate development projects andprogrammes. The other was the Madu Iri Obizi which was a selection of just tworepresentatives each from the five villages of Obizi, charged with the responsibility of projectexecution, implementation and monitoring as initiated and authorized by Obioha Obizi Council.

While the Obioha Obizi played the kind of role that the Eze -in -council and the OHABU Executive is playing today, the Madu Iri Obizi was like a Committee project implementation such as present day Obizi Day or Orji Ezinihitte celebrations committees.

It is important to mention that by the 1980s, the name Obizi Improvement Union was adopted as a common title for all Obizi town unions irrespective of base or branch.

Incidentally, in the current 2016 Constitution of OHABU, Obizi Central Abroad Union was not given any mention in the constitution meaning therefore its abolition as a critical structure in OHABU operations.