The Relationship Between Ubulu-Uku And Ozubulu
According to modern day research the most significant link between Ozubulu in Anambra State to her ancestral home in Ubulu-Uku, Delta State is the presence of Ezemu’s shrine at Ozubulu. Ezemu is the progenitor of Ubulu-Uku.
“The presence of Ezemu shrine erected by the priest of Ezemu from Ubulu-Ukwu is another strong symbol identifying Ozubulu with their ancestral home Ubulu-Ukwu.” Esther Wright (2017)
Ozubulu is one of the towns in the eastern Igbo territory that maintain Ubulu-Uku as its place of origin. The progenitor Ọza of Ụbụlụ, whose name the town bears, migrated from Ubulu-Uku approximately around the 17th century.
It is agreed by both Ubulu-Uku and Ozubulu people that one Ọza, a warrior was the leader of the group that left from Ubulu and founded the present day Ozubulu.
There were however, three other groups of settlers aside from Oza, namely; Akpulu, Ikono and Amanhike.
The suffix ‘Ubulu’ attached to the name ‘Ọza’ is derived from Ubulu-Uku, the ancestral home of Ọza. The Igwe in council of Ozubulu uphold that the name of their town is pronounced as Ozubulu from Ọza-Ubulu (Ọza of Ụbụlụ) and certainly not meaning ‘another Ubulu’ as often misinterpreted.
(Culled from; The Story of Ubulu Kingdom, by Esther Nwogwonuwe Wright).
According to a descendant of Umu-Odogwu Abbi, “The story of why Ọza left Ubulu-Uku (Idumu-Odogwu) where he held the title of Odogwu, greeted ‘abbi’ is well documented and passed down in folklore”.
Ozubulu sent seven man delegation to Ubulu Descendants Meeting held on the 22nd of August, 1987.
In 2017, the Igwe of Ozubulu also sent a delegation to Ubulu-Uku to attend the launching of the iconic book, “The Story of Ubulu Kingdom”.
Igbo bu Ofu!
© Enuani Cultural Forum
📸 HRM, Agbogidi, Obi Okonkwo Chukwuyem Ofulue (I), the Obi of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom (1925-1964)
– Obtained from “The Story of Ubulu Kingdom” by Esther Wright.
