The Amanfo Duruokpalanne
Dynasty
Awo-Omamma-Oru East, Imo-State Nigeria
Awo-Omamma-Oru East, Imo-State Nigeria
THE COLONIAL AWO-OMAMMA
THE DECLARATION OF PROTECTORATE OF NIGER COAST IN 1802 GAVE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THE HOPE TO INTENSIFY EFFORTS FOR FURTHER DECLARATIONS AT THE HINTER LAND OF THE IGBO AREAS.HOWEVER, THE FALL OF ARO WAS A MAJOR BREAK THROUGH IN THE PROPAGATION OF BRITISH SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN IGBOLAND. THE CONQUEST STARTED IN BENDE, OKIGWE, OWERRI AND ORLU PROVINCES. THE INVASION OF UMUNNOHA TOOK PLACE IN 1803 FOLLOWED BY THE FALL OF AWO-OMAMMA WHICH WAS LED BY ONE MR. HM DOUGLAS. THE NATIVES USUALLY CALLED HIM "OTANGLAS" IN THE YEAR 1884.
THEY CAME TO AWO-OMAMMA VIA THE NJABA RIVER.AT THE RIVER, THERE WAS THE NEED TO TO BUILD A TEMPORARY BRIDGE AND NEEDED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE NATIVES. WITH THE HELP OF A MAN CALLED AMANFO DURUOKPALANNE MGBAFURU IN UBACHIMA THEY WERE ABLE TO CROSS INTO AWO-OMAMMA.
AMANFO NOTICED THAT TO FIGHT THE COLONIAL MASTERS WOULD MEAN SUICIDE BECAUSE THEY WERE EQUIPED WITH AUTOMATIC RIFFLES AND DANGEROUS WEAPONS. HE COURAGEOUSLY APPROACHED THEM FOR A PEACEFUL AGREEMENT. THE AGREEMENT WAS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT SHOOT AT AWO-OMAMMA. AWO-OMAMMA WAS DISARMED AND THE OYIBO GAINED ENTRY INTO AWO-OMAMMA WITHOUT CAUSING A LOT OF HAVOC.
THEY DEMANDED THAT AMANFO SHOULD COLLECT ALL RIFFLES FROM HIS PEOPLE. THE RIFFLES WERE COLLECTED AND STORED IN THE ULOAKU AMANFO.
THE ULOAKU WAS A HOUSE BUILT BY AMANFO. WHERE HE SAVES HIS MONEY AND VALUABLES. LATER THE MASTERS OUT OF FEAR, BURNT THE ULOAKU IN AN EFFORT TO DESTROY THE WEAPONS. THE WIVES OF AMANFO WEPT VERY BITTERLY OVER THE MONEY AND PROPERTY BURNT. AMANFO DURUOPKALANNE MBGAFURU WAS COMPENSATED WITH CONNECTING HIM TO MERCHANTILE ASSOCIATION AND TRADE BY BATTER SYSTEM. THE COMMON SAYING IN AWO-OMAMMA IS THAT AMANFO PREVENTED THE OYIBO FROM SHOOTING AWO-OMAMMA.
RULERSHIP IN ANCIENT AWO-OMAMMA.
IN THE ANCIENT AWO-OMAMMA, BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLONIAL MASTER, AWO HAD RULING BODIES OF ROYAL AND POLITICAL LEADERS WHO WERE RECOGNISED BY THE ENTIRE CLAN AS PRIMUS INTER PARES ( FIRST AMONG EQUALS). THE SOURCE OF IDENTIFICATION WAS THROUGH
A) ANCIENT SPIRITUAL PRIESTHOOD/WORRIORS.
B) COLONIAL MASTERS ( THE WARRANT CHIEF WHO WERE RECOGNISED NOBLEMEN).
1540 : DURUOTUTU WAS A KNOWN WORRIOR AND A SPIRITUAL HEAD OF THE AGWU ISI OGIDERE IBEYA. HE WAS WHEALTHY AND WAS A MONARCH. HE WAS TITLED. (NZE N' OZOR)
1620 : DURUEGBUSUO WAS A MONARCH, WEALTHY AND A CLAN LEADER OF AWO-OMAMMA.
HE WAS A TITLED NOBLEMAN ( NZE N' OZOR).
1701: EJIKE NWANERI. A MONARCH, NZE N' OZOR, A WORRIOR AND ARISTOCRAT.
1789: MGBAFURU. ARISTOCRAT, NZE N'OZOR, SPIRITUAL LEADER . WEALTHY MERCHANT.
1862: DURU OKPALANNE (AMANFO). NZE N' OZOR TITLE, FIRST WARRANT CHIEF OF AWO.OMAMMA. CUSTOMARY COURT PRESIDENT , PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF EQUITY DEGEMA, MEMBER EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATION DEGEMA. A SOLID MERCHANT. THE SUPREME CHIEF OF THE ANCIENT AWO-OMAMMA. THE SOLE REPRESENTATIVE IN GOVERNMENT IN JUDICIARY FOR AWO-OMAMMA IN ORLU AND OKIGWE PROVINCES. THE FIRST TRADITIONAL RULER OF AWO-OMAMMA ANCIENT KINDOM, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CUSTOMARY COURT ORLU, OKIGWE AND OWERRI.
1947 :EZE AMANFO 11 . DURU ONONENYI. ( MMEREMEGBULEM MICHAEL AMANFO). A FIRST CLASS CHIEF, NZE N'OZOR, THE LAST TRADITIONAL RULER OF OVERALL AWO-OMAMMA BEFORE AWO-OMAMMA WAS SPLIT INTO VARIOUS AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES,
1980: THE EZEOHA 1. ( OBIWURU JOHN AMANFO 111). THE EZEOHA I OF OFEKATA 11 AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY AWO-OMAMMA.
EZEOHA THE 11 WAS A POSTHUMOUS HONOR TO CHIEF ONYENAMIA CLETUS AMANFO WHO DIED BEFORE HE COULD BE PRESENTATION TO THE LGA .
1993. THE EZEOHA 111. EZEANOCHIE. (EMEJURU ALOYSIUS AMANFO V) OF OFEKATA 11 AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY AWO-OMAMMA.
2003. THE EZEOHA 1V.(NNAWUIHE BENARD AMANFO.). OF OFEKATA 11 AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY AWO-OMAMMA. HE SUCEEDED EZE EMEJURU ALOYSIUS, THE LAST SON OF THE LEGENDARY SUPREME CHIEF AMANFO AS EZE.
EZE BENARD AMANFO IS THE ELDEST OF GRAND CHILDREN OF AMANFO KEVIN ( DURUOKPALANNE).