By Tony Nwankwo

Idima Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area, Abia State, is a predominantly Christian community. Infact, churches spring up at the drop of a hat. Yet, the community seems weighed down by its past. Local administrative and judicial institutions put together by its founding fathers that served them well have become decrepit and obnoxious. The traditional authority in the community has collapsed because those vested with the duty to adjudicate in the affairs of the people are either seeking gratifications or sabotaging the efforts of well meaning citizens in the area.

There are no basic amenities and the place lacks government presence of any kind. This has eroded even acknowledged revenue sources of the community. For instance, resources accruing from the Igboto Mma ceremony of Ugbogu and Biakpan Age Grade is tearing the community further apart. This age grade is in celebration having completed all requirements to set themselves free from communal task. Yet the funds, garnered by the men and women of the age grade have become the subject of local manipulation rather than be deployed to service local infrastructure.

Idima Abam was founded by Umenta Nsi and later assisted by Kamalu and Oloko Ironsi, traditionalists, who joined him to sanitize the dangerous forests that bordered the community. Today, the latter’s offspring inhabit the affluent Ndi Oloko Compound currently surrounded by other compounds as they prospered. As you read this, hapless elders now angle to sell off these ancestral homesteads to fend for themselves and sustain their diabolical practice. Reports on some of these practices are already with the Commissioner of Police in Umuahia.

Take the case of a fugitive, running away from the law in Aba. The petit fellow, Philip, was trading on stockfish waste in Ariaria Market. As a part of an isusu group, he made away with the traders contributions and disappeared. As the traders hunted for him, he headed to Obehie to hide and had recently returned to Idima Abam. Rather than hide his head quietly, he is creating more havoc and engaging in brigandage. The greater evil is the orchestrated sale of ancestral quarters by some elders.

There was a case at Ndi Oloko, where an elder whose alias is Ekwensu, chose to sell off ancestral lands of the founders of the compound, just to raise money to feed his family. Efforts made by those involved elicited his resorting to diabolical practice and summoning the fugitive trader to bear false testimony.

Idima, from her founding had had to fight for whatever civilisation it has. Serving as the last Igbo community bordering, Ibibio people of Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, they are hardly remembered by the Abia State government unless during electioneering campaigns by politicians as they solicit for votes. The Ibibios of Ikporom are the enemies next door. So, the community would do with a police post.

Recently, the Idima Abam Progressive Union, IAPU Lagos Branch, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to mandate his Commissioner at Umuahia to facilitate the creation of a police post for the approximately 150,000 population. The union said the community is prepared to provide whatever logistics that are necessary to make their dream come through.

In the statement, they recalled the brutal killing of former human rights activist, Mr. Chidi Nwosu of Ameke Abam, who was murdered by his kinsmen, in his country home. Nwosu had just been appointed General Manager of the community rubber plantation. He was reportedly ambushed by youths of his community who shot him dead, scooped his blood as the wife watched helplessly.

However, justice was recently served as a High Court judge sitting at Ohafia, sentenced the assailants, six young men to death by hanging. There are reasons to believe that but for the concerted efforts of community leaders, Idima could suffer the same fate, if not now, but in the near future.

Records show, for instance, that Idima only shares boundary to the North-west with Ozu Abam, yet a settlement called Ndi Ememe are now contesting for land even when they have no history to back this claim. According to records, Ndi Ememe was never a community with Ezirali, but like the name implies, these are descendants of people who came to celebrate (Mme mme) with other Abam clans at Okike Izu, in Amaelu.

After the events, some of them got drunk, slept over and remained. Today, they are contesting a large swath of land with the owners from Idima Abam. Records show that the area had been administered by Idima people from time immemorial. However these strangers are being buoyed by local chiefs from Idima who extort from them promising to support their quest, an invitation to anarchy where it not for the abomination and the consequence of reprisal attacks from youths who will be ready to lay down their lives for a just cause