The Amanfo Duruokpalanne

Early life

 

HE WAS BORN ABOUTH THE YEAR 1862,  RAISED IN A LARGE POLYGAMOUS FAMILY AT UBACHIMA AWO-OMAMMA. BORN TO  MGBAFURU AND ODAJURU.(ODUKWU). MGBAFURU HIS FATHER, MARRIED TWO WIVES ; MGBORIE AND ODAJURU. MGBORIE HAD NZERUO,IHUGHA AND UFOEGBULEM. WHILE ODAJURU HAD NWARIBE,MBIANURU, AMANFO, NNOROMLELE AND NWAUDO (SISTER).AMANFO GREW UP STRONG AND BECAME A WORRIOR AND  MERCHANT. ODAJURU  THE MOTHER WAS A VERY STRONG AND INTELLIGENT WOMAN, SHE UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF WEALTH AND POWER AND BECAME THE BACKBONE OF THE POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF THE SON AMANFO. INDEED, BEHIND ANY GREAT MAN ,THERE IS A WOMAN!!

 

AMANFO WAS VERY WEALTHY, STRONGLY BUILT, WELL MUSCLED. HIS APPEARANCE COMMANDED FEARS TO THE ONLOOKER. HE WAS HUGE AND BIG IN STATURE. HE SNORED SO MUCH IN HIS SLEEP THAT IT COULD BE HEARD FROM A FAR . HE WAS MARRIED TO  57 WIVES AND SEVERAL CONCUBINES. IN THE DAYS  OF OLD, MARRYING A LOT OF WOMEN  WAS A SIGN OF WEALTH. IT'S A YARDSTICK  TO MEASURE WEALTH.

THEY WERE 40 WOMEN AND 17 YOUNG LADIES, A TOTAL OF 57. HIS WOMEN CAME FROM DIFFERENT VILLAGES OF AWO-OMAMA AND NEIGHBORING TOWNS. THROUGH THESE NUMEROUS MARRIAGES HE ESTABLISHED FORMIDABLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIS INLAWS AND WAS ABLE TO GET FIRST CLASS INFORMATIONS OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN OTHER VILLAGES AND TOWNS.HE  ALSO GAVE OUT HIS DAUGHTERS TO MANY VILLAGE HEADS IN AWO-OMAMMA AND OTHER NEARBY TOWNS, THEREBY BUILDING A STRONG NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT MADE HIM FAMOUS AND HIS ADMINISTRATION SUPERB. DURUOKPALANNE WAS  NZE N' OZO AND THE PIONEER HEAD CHIEF. HE HELD SO MANY TITLES IN THE CLAN OF AWO-OMAMMA AS A MARK OF RESPECT AND HONOR. HE ENSURED DISCIPLINE IN THE CHIEFTAINCY AFFAIRS AND MANTAINED CUSTOM AND TRADITION OF THE AWO-OMAMMA PEOPLE.  

HE REIGNED FROM 1884 UNTIL 1947.

 

HE WAS THE FIRST, MOST POWERFUL, WEALTHIEST AND INFLUENTIAL CHIEF OF AWO-OMAMMA, MOST ENIGMATIC. HIS REIGN MARKED THE END OF THE OLD REALM AND THE BEGINING OF CONTEMPORARY TIMES WITH THE REIGN OF CHIEF MM AMANFO THE FIRST SON. HIS WISDOM AND INTERACTION WITH THE WHITE MAN AND HIS ADMINISTRATION MADE IT POSSIBLE TO SPARE AWO-OMAMMA FROM BLOOD SHED.

HE WAS THE EVER FIRST AND THE ONLY NZE N'OZOR TO RECIEVE THE TITLE OF SUPREME WARRANT CHIEF FROM THE COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION AND WORKED WITH THE WHITES, EXCERSIZED AUTHORITY AND POWER, AND RULED AWO-OMAMMA PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN 53 YEARS.