Nibo is one of the towns in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, it shares a common boundary with Awka, the capital city of Anambra state, hence part of the capital territory. On the northern flank, Nibo shares boundary with Awka town and Amawbia town. Both communities are separated from Nibo by the Obibia river. On the southern flank, Nibo shares boundary with Mbaukwu town, Umuawulu town and Isiagu town. While Nise town shares boundary with Nibo on the western flank. Nibo is one of the 179 towns that make up Anambra State.

Nibo is an ancient Igbo settlement. Like most Igbo communities, we have lived in this present location for thousands of years. The town is named after the progenitor, Nibo, who is said to be a brother to Nise. Both brothers settle on the same land, with no river demarcating them like it did with the other neighbouring towns. They also share the same culture and still acknowledges this relationship till date.

Nibo had four sons, and in the order of seniority they were namely, Ezeawulu, Umuanum, Ifite and Ezeoye. These sons of Nibo constitutes the four villages of present day Nibo town. Note that these villages have sub-villages, and the sub-villages have Umunna (a group of families united by paternal filiality mostly dating back to seven or nine generations i.e. counting backwards from present day). After the Umunna, exist a sub-Umunna, which is also based on paternal filiality mostly dating back to five generations, etc until it gets to family unit of man and wife(s) plus their child(ren).

Prior to the British invasion and colonialism, Nibo had no documented history. History was handed down from one generation to another through oral tradition, as a result many historical facts were either lost, misreported or misrepresented. The advent of western education provided opportunity for historical documentation through writing and electronic media. This is partly the aim of this endeavour.

Nibo like most Igbo communities of the precolonial era operated an egalitarian society based on the principle of equal rights and opportunities for all. There was no paramount ruler like it was common with other tribes and a very negligible few Igbo communities during the same era. There were social strata that was mostly based on natural distribution, such as age grade (ulo), women’s group (ndi inyom), youth group (Umuokolobia na Umuagboghobia), men’s group (ndi Diuru), Umuokpu, etc. There were also societies that were based on membership. These includes the prestigious Ozo Nibo Society, the Unongu (Nze) Society and the Onyekulie and the Masquerade societies. While membership into the first category was free to anyone fitting into the age bracket or social status, membership into the second category was purely based on financial involvement and meeting strict set criteria.

The Ozo society is very remarkable considering that it was an elitist group, it provided leadership role for Ndi Nibo, just like most other Igbo towns where it is practice. The Ozo society of that era was not only elitist but reverenced. Membership was a combination of factors, such as wealth, prominence, uprightness, impartiality, incorruptible, etc. Virtues which are mostly wanting in the ethos of this once most respected institution. Some members still uphold these virtues. Ndi Ozo acted as leaders of Nibo four villages. The Ozo title was firstly a village affair, hence Ozo Ezeawulu, Ozo Obumabuo (Umuanum), Ozo Urungwu (Ifite), Ozo Ezeoye. After taking the title and joining the Ozo society in your village, one then qualifies to continue with further ceremony as to join Ozo Nibo. It is worthy to note that some individuals never made it to Ozo Nibo, mostly for lack of resources. A school of thought has it that over a thousand centuries ago, Ozo was purely a village affair just like Unongu (Nze) is today.

That ancient aspect of our culture persist as one can only belong to His village’s Ozo society before joining the centralised Ozo Nibo society. Continued evidence of our historical autonomy and a prove of our unification.

Ndi Ozo while in the position of leadership, did so as a group. While the most senior by rank of who took the title first presided, he was just the first among equal. This arrangement persists as a leadership standard amongst the members of the society till date. Decisions were made as a group and no one individual had ultimate power. Their reign was acceptable considering their unblemished character. A culture which was eventually thwarted by the advent of colonial government with the appointment of warrant chiefs.

Colonialism came with brute force, reorganisation of leadership structure and introduction of new norms and religious beliefs. These were resisted by the locals until in some situations a neutral ground was reached while in most other situations, they were subjected to outright colonial dominance. The hitherto egalitarian society where every citizen was equal and able to air his opinion was subjected to a parochial leadership with the appointment of Warrant Chiefs. These Warrant Chiefs were sons of the soil, selected by the British authority to serve as representatives of the British government in administration, adjudication and tax collection within their towns. They were members of the prestigious Ozo Society, who were already having a quasi-leadership role as a group due to their elitist social status before the advent of colonialism.

In the late 1880s/early 1890s, the British colonial administration appointed warrant chiefs for Nibo. They include, Ozo Oke Ezekwem, Ozo Nnama Orjiakor and Ozo Ekwunife Ulikwu. They came from Ezeawulu, Umuanum and Ifite respectively and ruled over their villages and even beyond, up to Mbaukwu, Umuawulu and Isiagu towns. There leadership continued until 1929 when the Aba women riot compelled the British administration to consider the abolishment of warrant chief system and any semblance of kingship in towns, especially where they were hitherto non-existent. Instead of returning to the status quo ante, the British colonial administration introduced local administrators who were elected by the people rather than appointed by the British. Nevertheless, they were agents of the British colonial government.

This process which took place in the 1930s threw up Aaron Ezekwe the son of a former Warrant Chief, Ozo Oke Ezekwem and Joshua Nnama the son of another former Warrant Chief, Ozo Nnama Orjiakor into contest for who to become the administrator of Nibo. Note that Aaron had served as a police officer for the British in the Eastern Region of Nigeria while Joshua had served as Anglican Missionary. Aaron Ezekwe won in the election and became the British local administrator for Nibo. A position which could rightly be linked to the advent of town union leadership in Nibo. Aaron Ezekwe retained this position for so many years.

The emergence of Igbo meetings and subsequently Town meetings across various regions and cities of Eastern, Northern and Western Nigeria where Igbo people or Nibo people sojourned pre-independence culminated into the need to have a unified Nibo Union over time. What started as an ad hoc and irregular meeting of our citizens in their various places of residence, e.g., Jos, Enugu, Aba, Port Harcourt, etc, brought with it a new dimension to the already existing decentralised village and sub-village meetings. The need for a centralized Nibo Union was birthed over several years of biannual home coming by different functional branches to meet and deliberate on issues of common concern. Prior to this unification, branches of Nibo Union existed loosely, mostly independently and only see the need to pull resources together to chat a common cause at home when the need arises. In such instance, the branches appointed a chairman, often a chairman of one of the strong branches to serve as overall presiding officer. This was how the post of president general metamorphosed. Such position was held by Ozo Sam Osuana when the obibia bridge connecting Nibo and Amawbia was built. Note, he later denounced his Ozo title.

Before the nomenclature of president general was firstly adopted by the Nibo Union constitution 1983, the community had already adopted a leadership role. It was either the chairman Nibo Union or President Nibo Union. This was the case through the 1960/70s up until 1983, when late Barr. Ezekwe was made to step down as President for the Nibo constitution 1983 to take effect and election for the post of President-General conducted. Chief Akunne Nnama a businessman won Chief Raymond Aniemena an astute technocrat in that contest to become the first President-General of Nibo union. The position of a clearly defined administrative leadership position of Nibo has been held by many Nibo sons since the 1960’s to date.

This among other things gave rise to the appointment of constitution drafting committee and ultimately enactment of Nibo constitution. The position of a king was created and the king known as ‘Ezeike Nibo’, a name derivable from our progenitor. The position of Ezeike Nibo I, was therefore reserved for the progenitor.

The process of appointing the Ezeike Nibo II, commenced in 1977 but not without skirmishes as was the case with most other towns and communities. The fact of seniority amongst the four federating villages of EZEAWULU, UMUANUM, IFITE and EZEOYE was considered. The most senior EZEAWULU had the right of first appointment to the throne, but rather than appoint and present an individual, resorted to the choice of a posthumous recognition of Mr. Aaron Ezekwe. A move still considered as controversial and unclear by many. The community adopted this stance and posthumously adopted Aaron Ezekwe as H.R.H Ezeike Nibo II. This decision further pushed the position of the first truly Ezeike Nibo to a third position.

In sustaining our cultural heritage, upholding the sanctity of the Ozo title as handed down by our forebearers, it was agreed that for anyone to be crowned Ezeike Nibo, he must firstly take the Ozo title. In other words, the Ozo title became a prerequisite for one to become the Ezeike. The present Ezeike Nibo, H.R.H Eze M. C. Ngene happens to be the leader of Ozo Nibo, not because he is the Ezeike but because by ranking, he took the Ozo title before every member of the Ozo society who are alive today.

On appointment and installation of Ezeike Nibo III in 1977 in adherence to General Murtala Muhammed’s decree mention earlier, Umuanaum the village with the second position in the order of seniority selected and presented Mr. Jonas Okechukwu Onwuegbune M.A (Aberdeen). He was crowned by Nibo as EZEIKE Nibo III. H.R.H EZE OKECHUKWU ONWUEGBUNE, EZEIKE NIBO III was certified and recognised by the then military government of Anambra State as the traditional ruler of Nibo. It was truly the first of its kind, well celebrated and the very beginning of the position of Ezeike Nibo as it continues till this day. He ruled Nibo for seven years, from 1977 to 1984 when he joined our ancestors. It is important to note that when the slot came to Umuanum, the sub-villages of Umuanum; Umunono, Umuenechi and Uruana also narrowed it to seniority as culture demands. This was why Umunono the most senior of the three sub-villages of Umuanum took the slot. In doing so, they approved that the post be given to late Mr Jonathan Nwankwo a chartered accountant, but he turned down the offer for personal reasons, hence the selection of Mr. Jonas Okechukwu Onwuegbune.

In line with the traditional order of seniority as enshrined in Nibo constitution, the right to the throne automatically shifted to IFITE VILLAGE on the demise of Ezeike III. After observing the traditional period before announcing death and mourning the dead king, in carrying out their traditional/constitutional role of selection of a candidate to be presented to Nibo, Ifite in1986 presented Mr. Michael C. Ngene to Nibo as a chosen candidate for the throne.