Ikot Udoma

Ikot Udoma is a village in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State.[1][2] It is one of the villages under Abikpi (Ebikpi) sub-clan of Eket Offiong clan. It is bounded by Afia Nsit, Ofriyo and Odoro Enen villages to the north, Ikot Ibiok and Mkpok villages to the south, Idua Village to the west and Ata Idong Ikot Usoekong village to the east.

History

Ikot Udoma is a very old village said to have been founded in the 15th century by Udoma (Udo Ama), the son of Ekpitat.[3] As a part of the Abikpi Clan, Ikot Udoma people trace their migration route from the south western part of the Camerouns through Okposo in the riverine part of former Eket Local Government Area to Idung Udo village from where the Abikpi people dispersed to Ikpa village, Ndon Obong near Ikot Usoekong and Iko Eket village. From Ndon Obong the people settled at Ikot Udoma[4] and Afia Nsit villages while some people crossed the Ubium creek to Nduo Eduo and other places. People of other clans also settled at Ikot Udoma, e.g. Afaha Eket, Nnama and Abighe. Of these only Afaha Eket people are still living in the village with the Abikpi people.

Composition

The village is made up of four lineal groups known as "ekpuks", i.e. a group of related families tracing their origin to a common ancestor. These "Ekpuks" are Ekpuk Ndito Asamudo Nnua Edem, Ekpuk Ndito Inyang, Ekpuk Nung Ekang (Afaha Eket) and Ekpuk Nung Assam Ekanim. These four "Ekpuks" are divided into ten families namely, Nung Edohoeket, Nung Nkamiang, Nung Asamudo Otu, Nung Akpedem, Nung Isonguyo and Nung Ekid Okpo (Ekpuk Ndito Asamudo Nnua Edem), Nung Inyang and Nung Ikott (Ekpuk Ndito Inyang), and Nung Assam Ekanim (Ekpuk Nung Assam Ekanim Akpasam) and Nung Ekang (Afaha Eket clan). The village now has a cosmopolitan outlook which is reflected in its increased population and the varied ethnic composition. A good percentage of the population is made up of non-indigenous people who have settled in the village in the last twenty years when Eket witnessed increased population due to the expanded operations of Mobil Producing Nigeria.

The village is led by a Village Head who is supported by a Town Council made up of representatives of the ten families. The current Village Head is Chief Sampson Simon Obot, a businessman and grandson of late Obong Nkamiang Asamudo Nnua Edem, Clan Head and Chief Priest of Abikpi Clan in the nineteenth century. Chief Obot was selected by the kingmakers of the village in August 2017 but was accorded recognition by the Akwa Ibom State Government on November 7, 2019.

Religion

As indigenous African people, before the advent of Christianity in the area, Ikot Udoma people practised traditional African religion under which "Akwa Abasi Ibom Onyong" (meaning the Great God of Ibom who dwells on High) was recognized although sacrifices and libations were also made to a pantheon of deities and ancestors. The principal deities of the village were "Idim Ntied" for Ndito Asamudo Nnua Edem and "Ibit Ayu" for Ndito Inyang. Various cults and secret societies were widely practised and celebrated, e.g. Ekpo, Ekpe, Inam, Ekong, Idiong (for men), and Ebre and Iban Isong (for women). Slavery, human sacrifice, the killing of twins and the banishment of twin mothers were a few of the social and religious practices that the Christian Missionaries, e.g. Mary Slessor, Samuel Bill, etc and the nascent colonial administration contended with in the last decade of the nineteenth century, e.g. the colonial military expedition to the village on February 7, 1899[5] which led to the destruction and burning of houses and the loss of priceless elephant tusks and other valuables. Up till today, the villagers still remember the "white man's" war and the atrocities that were committed.[6]

With the advent of Christianity arising from the founding of Qua Iboe Church by the Rev Samuel Alexander Bill at Ibeno in 1888, Ikot Udoma became a bastion of Christianity early in the twentieth century, especially with the establishment of Qua Iboe Church in Ofriyo village which served the four neighbouring villages - Ofriyo, Ikot Udoma, Odoro Enen and Afia Nsit commonly known as Idong Iniang (Four Towns). Today the village has many churches and ministries, namely, Qua Iboe Church, Faith Terbanacle Congregation, Christ Apostolic Church, The Church of Christ, Assemblies of God Church, Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel Church, The Apostolic Church, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Glory world International Gospel Centre, Abundance Life Ministries, etc.

Education

The first school in the area was the Primary School established by the Qua Iboe Church, Ofriyo which served the four villages. The School was taken over by the Eket County Council in 1964 and is now known as Primary School, Idiong Iniang, to reflect the commitment of the four villages to its existence and progress. The first school to be sited in Ikot Udoma Village was the UPE School along Ikot Ibiok Road which was established by the Eastern Regional Government in 1957. The Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme of the Eastern Nigerian Government failed and this school did not grow beyond Standard 5 before it was downgraded to the status of a Junior Primary School (Primary 1 to Primary 3).It was merged with Primary School, Idong Iniang, in the early 1970's. The site of this historic school has since been re-possessed by some of the villagers. The village now has several Secondary and Nursery/Primary schools, e.g. Community Secondary School, Idong Iniang (jointly established by the Idong Iniang Welfare Association and the four villages of Idong Iniang), Excellent Comprehensive Secondary School, Dayspring High School, Donema Nursery School, Victina International School, MC Prime Montessori Nursery School, etc.

Health Care

The only government-owned health facility in the area is the Polyclinic at Afia Nsit village which is run by the Eket Local Government.

Commercial Activities

Several business undertakings provide catering services, entertainment and relaxation, e.g. Modern City Guest House, Tinkle Fast Food, Octagon Event Centre, etc. The IDEMGH-LINK GROUP OF COMPANIES was recently established in the community to provide services in the oil industry. Numerous small-scale shops and stores in the village anchor commercial activities but there are also locked up stores at Udua Obo which used to be a daily evening market patronized by the four villages up to the 1980's. Ikot Udoma used to be the home of By the Grace of God Motors, which operated luxury bus services between Eket/Ikot Abasi and Lagos. The company has since closed down.

In the 2000's the Akwa Ibom State Government established a Low Cost Housing Estate in the village.

'"Agriculture'" The villagers practised subsistence farming since the founding of the village. The shift method of farming was generally practised whereby three locations were cultivated over a period of one year or two and then left fallow for about five years while the farmers shifted their farming activities to other locations. This method allowed the soil to recover and regenerate itself naturally as fertilizers were not known in those days. This farming method was possible because the population was small and farmlands were numerous. The names of some of the popular farmlands include Ndon Obong, Akai Uyo, Atemfe, Anigh Idua, Edi Ite, Mbukpönö, Udua Akwöng Nno, Nweb, Ndiöng Akpe Udögh, Akai Udua, Iko Akpe Eka, Abia Udök, Idim Anigh, Ndon Akpe Udim, Iko Nkukruk, Atama Idang, etc. With the advent of western education and white-colour jobs and the resultant population explosion in the village, most of these farmlands have now become residential areas, thereby depriving the indigenous people of farmlands.