Akwa Ibom Isong-ooo!

Historical sites and monuments dot the entire landscape of Akwa Ibom State. This is evidence of the people’s enormous cultural vitality and capacity for immediate response to facing new challenges. There is Stone Age, metal-smelting sites, bronze and terracotta figurines, ancient farming and fishing settlements and sites of abandoned village playgrounds, sacred groves and shrines.

There is also the traditional centres of religious ritual and group dispersal like the famous Akwa Akpa Island, Ibom and Asan Ibibio, Afaha Nsit and Obio Ibiono and early settlement sites at Enwang, Ididep, Isiet and Inua Akpa, Otoro and Esuk Oro with legendary landing beaches, pre-colonial water routes that leads to the ancient river beach market which agricultural produce, crafts, slave-trading goods, palm produce were transacted. The Portuguese and Aro Slave trading outposts and occasional troves of old manila currency still litter the hinterland of the state.

In addition to these are the abandoned landing jetties, prefabricated buildings and warehouses from the flourishing oil palm trade, a mark of the state being an oil-palm heartland which brought economic prosperity and opened the region to civilization. Akwa Ibom state as a land of historical landscapes is evidenced by the various pre-colonial and colonial landscapes and legacies in all parts of the state including slave trade routes, slave warehouses, Dungeons and Slave Masters lodges.

These relics are characterized by architectural designs, squat masonry district offices and government guest houses with elevated zinc pan roofs, open-walled and steep-roofed native court buildings, iron bridges and cottage styled masonry houses. A visit to the state will present one with nostalgic feelings of colonial presence and occupation. Namely;

The “Government Hills” at Itu, Uyo and Abak, which till date retains the feature of 20th century colonial administrative centres complete with the mangos and pear tree that are silent witnesses to the historical events and personalities that shaped the history of the era. This is also reflected in the local street names like Barrack road, hospital road, Brooks street, Liverpool street etc.

Women of Ikot Abasi, then a part of Opobo were actively involved in the famous women riot of 1929 over taxation and in protest againt colonial rule which culminated into the Aba Women riot of 1929. It was alleged that the protest was as a result of the new tax regime introduced by colonial officials in then Eastern Nigeria.

Women protesting against their inclusion in the head tax mobilized themselves from all parts of the region, some coming in canoes singing and chanting. On landing at the colonial administrative office they started chanting war songs. To quell the riot, the British officials asked the colonial police to open fire on the singing unarmed women which led to the death of scores of women.

To commemorate the bravery of these women who stood their ground and died for a just cause, a statue was erected in front of the Ikot Abasi Local Government secretariat which was then the administrative headquarters of the British colonial government. On every December 16, each year all Akwa Ibom women gather at the sight to commemorate the selfless sacrifice of these women.

Off the road from the hall of fame is the house in which Lord Lugard the colonial governor of Northern Nigeria Amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914, making Nigeria one geographical entity. It was also in this historical edifice which continues today to serve as an administrative office in Ikot Abasi Local Government, that General Olusegun Obasanjo the commanding officer of the Nigerian Army and General Phillip Effiong in January 1970 signed and declared a cease-fire that brought the Nigerian-Biafran civil war to an end.

Originally, the building itself belonged to the Royal Niger Company, the merchant traders who were given the Royal Charter to govern Nigeria on behalf of the British crown till 1900. This building served as their administrative headquarters. The building stands on short concrete pillars with brick walls and hardwood. Its corrugated iron roof sheets are still intact to this day.

Opposite the Amalgamation house is the one-storey cottage where Lord Lugard lived during the amalgamation period. It is said that the site was the first administrative headquarters of the region before it was relocated to Calabar.

Apart from the solid structure that is still comparable with modern structures, there were several colonial buildings in this area that served as courts, offices, residential houses and recreational centres. All these facilities are still intact as when they were built. One significant historical fact is that the area is situated at the bank oIf the Imo River estuary, a tributary from where King Jaja of Opobo was shipped into exile.

Down slow…
This was the last point of discharge of slaves into the waiting slave ships that eventually sailed them into slavery. It can be seen from the bank of the river lying closer to the shore-end of the river. The slave masters originally called the spot “Down Below” where slaves were lowered into huge ocean liners. The name was later corrupted by the locals to “Down Slow”.

The Itu River was a renowned slave trade route and the old jetty still stands. There are a number of old prison-like warehouses where slaves were kept to await shipment via the Itu River. The main lodge was the residence of the white slave merchants who occupied the area. This is a one-story house, much complex and beautifully constructed.

Mary Slessors Cairn
This is a monument erected on the site of the home built by Mary Slessor “the white Queen of Okoyong” as a shelter for twins and their mothers, whom she rescued from the evil forest where they were cast away. The floor of the old house is still intact and there is a long column of steps leading up to the site which is located on top of the Okoyong hill.

Qua Iboe Church
The Qua Iboe Church architecture at Atan Offot, Uyo which still stands in its aesthetic splendour is a relic representing the missionary zeal of self-supporting efforts of the people. The church was built through the efforts of local workers and contributions made by the people to ensure that evangelization along the Qua Iboe river basin and beyond was accomplished.