AI reconstruction of Ohiaeri Ewuzie’s face
Ohiaeri family is a remarkable clan in Duruemeghara village, Umudurunna Abba autonomous community, in Nwangele Local Government Area, Imo State, Nigeria.
The family lineage started with Ohiaeri Ewuzie (pronounced OR-HEAR-REE A-WOO-ZEE-A), who was born around 1888.
Ohiaeri Ewuzie was a farmer, basket maker, and trader, as well as a prominent Ozo title holder whose title was Ihenyirinwoke (A Man’s Burden). His children described him as fair-skinned, disciplined, quick-tempered, and fond of speaking in proverbs.
Ohiaeri was one of the first Christian converts in Abba and worked as a kotima, a police officer, for the British colonial administration.
He married seven wives and had a large family.
In 1928, Ohiaeri left his original home and settled in Uzo Ikpa, deep within Osunkwo forest. This was a dangerous decision, as Uzo Ikpa was home to many wild animals, especially leopards. Ohiaeri protected his family by regularly beating a gong to scare the leopards away.
His fearlessness earned him the nickname Agubinikpa–The Leopard Who Lives in the Bush.
After losing a court case largely because he couldn’t speak English, Ohiaeri vowed that his children would learn the language. His decision to educate his children at a time when Western education was not widely embraced set his family on a path to success.
Ohiaeri’s first son, Jacob Muonurunko, was the first Abba indigene to get an elementary school education when he enrolled in Ihube Methodist School, Okigwe in 1918.
Benjamin Ohiaeri
Ohiaeri’s third son, Benjamin Uzoma, was one of the first Abba indigenes to work in the medical field. He was a dispenser in the 1930s, the equivalent of a pharmacist today.
The fourth son, Nathaniel Ekpe, was the first Abba indigene to obtain a secondary school education when he enrolled in Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), Onitsha, in 1928. He later became the first indigene to attend a university when he was admitted to Yaba Higher College in 1935.
The sixth son, Augustine Ezeka, was the first Abba indigene to be ordained an Anglican priest.
The seventh son, Josiah Udeaham, became the second Abba indigene to attend secondary school when he enrolled in DMGS in 1938.
The eighth son, Alexander Ejisimekwu, was the first Abba indigene to become a medical doctor. He obtained M.B and M.D degrees from Karl Marx University, Leipzig, East Germany in 1958.
The thirteenth son, Phillip Ubadorogu, became Abba’s second doctor when he obtained a medical degree from Kalinin State Medical Institute, Russia, in the early 1960s.
Ohiaeri Ewuzie died on October 1, 1930, leaving a legacy of boldness, foresight and strategic risk-taking.
His effort to educate his children would not have been successful without the support of his wives. Two of them, Elizabeth Edoro and Janet Ukwudie, played significant roles in the family’s successful transition to the modern era.
Some members of Ohiaeri family
Today, members of the family, known as Umu Ohiaeri, are found all over the world. They live in Nigerian cities such as Aba, Lagos, and Abuja, while many others reside abroad in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Members of the family include doctors, engineers, computer scientists, writers, and professionals in other fields. They are predominantly Christian and maintain a modern outlook on life. Nevertheless, they have retained important aspects of traditional family life.
The family compound remains in Uzo Ikpa, surrounded by trees and lush vegetation. The family continues to observe traditional rites during weddings, feasts, and funerals. Many members also use proverbs in their speech.
The history and culture of the Ohiaeri family mirror that of the larger Igbo society, and ohiaerifamily.org presents real-life examples of Igbo history and culture.