XIV

Source 📝

Place in Delta State, Nigeria
Onicha-Olona
Onicha-Olona is located in Nigeria
Onicha-Olona
Onicha-Olona
Coordinates: 6°22′16.26″N 6°33′59.86″E / 6.3711833°N 6.5666278°E / 6.3711833; 6.5666278

Ogbe-Obi6°22′39.08″N 6°33′46.60″E / 6.3775222°N 6.5629444°E / 6.3775222; 6.5629444

Ugbe Royal Qtrs6°22′40.58″N 6°33′53.08″E / 6.3779389°N 6.5647444°E / 6.3779389; 6.5647444
CountryNigeria
StateDelta State
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)

Onicha Olona town is a community in Aniocha North local government area of Delta State, Nigeria. ..Made up of six sub villages, namely; OgbeObi, Umuolo, Ishiekpe, Idumuje, Ogbekenu, and Agba. Each of the: sub villages has several quarters. Going by the——Federal ward structure, it is a political ward (Ward 4) in Aniocha-North LGA but by the "State ward structure," it is made up of 2 wards.

It operates a kingship system of governance wherein the Obi is the traditional ruler. The current Obi of Onicha-Olona is HRM Obi Christopher Uzumefune Diji. The Obi is assisted by the Obi-in-Council comprising titled chiefs of the community to administer the town.

It is a semi-urban community located about 35km northwest of the Delta State capital, Asaba, and approximately 13km North of Issele-Uku town, the headquarters of Aniocha-North LGA.

It has a total population of about 17,326 from the 2006 projected census. Children Under five years constitute 7.5% of the total population while Women of Child-Bearing Age make up 15% of the population and pregnant women 5%. The main occupation of the people is farming, while some people are artisans, others are engaged in trading and "civil service."

Onicha Olona is a distinct town by itself. Founded by a combined force of Princes, Nobles and Warriors, dispatched to the Ika region to carry out a military operation of capture and repatriate of the insurgent Ezechime who had rebelled against the Benin Throne. The group was led by Ogbele. A corrupted bini word called Onwere ~ Odionwere(Onwere is the oldest person in a clan).

Onicha Olona is not a part of the Ezechime clan by ancestry. But is a town associated with the Ezechime clan by proximity. Onicha Olona is located amidst towns of Ezechime ancestry.

Onicha Olona has no link whatsoever with the Igbo people as none of the founding fathers of Onicha Olona had igbo names. Or linkage. And no Onicha Olona family who can trace their lineage to the first generation of Onicha Olona founders can further trace their lineage to either Ezechime/any Igbo town or ancestry.

Onicha Olona speaks the Enuani language today, a distinct language by itself tho intelligible with the Igbo language. But distinct all together. But in our local dialect of the Enuani language, you can see serious traces of the Edo language in our dialect. As a matter of facts up until the 1980s people that are initiated into the various village groups like the Dibie group were able to speak the Edo language as a second language.

Onicha-Olona has a small River which it's source is from the three Animodua Stream Waters, known as "Iyi-Umuolo", "Iyi-Ogbe" and "Iyi-Ishiekpe. And a Lake, known as "Mili-Mkpitime" at the boundary of Isele extension (Isele-Mkpitime).

Oral record of a then living witness (Nwachi Odor), who was an adult youth in the 1900 when the changes occurred and died in 1966, has it that the community was known as Onici Olomina. But the colonialists in their writings, had it spelled Onica and Onitsha respectively, today it is spelled Onicha. They gave the river the name (Olona) contrary to its native name (Animodua). In their writings about the two Water Priest and Priestess they met in the community, they called the Priestess of Animodua "Ohene Olona" and the Priest of Mkpitime Lake was called "Ohene Mkpitime". They then remarked the Community with the River Olona, hence Onica Olona instead of Onici or Onica Olomina. The Isele extension which boundaries with Mkpitime Lake was called Isele-Mkpitime.

Onicha Olona is predominantly a Christian community with the two main denominations - Catholic and Anglican having the lion’s share. The traditional religion though still freely practised, has lost most of its adherents to Christianity.


The community is agrarian with both the men and women engaging in full-time subsistence agricultural activities. Naturally, many women augment their means of livelihood with petty trading whilst a few engage in medium-to-large-scale commercial trading.

The town is situated on plain low land in the rain forest geographical belt with very rich lush green vegetation and a good moderate climate with appreciable sunshine. Onicha-Olona, being in the rain forest experiences two climatic seasons namely the rain season and the dry season which makes it a place where agriculture thrives. The climate is arguably quite conducive and human-friendly.

Notable indigenes※

See also※

References※

Categories:

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑