18/07/2025
Dear great sons and daughters of Ikwo Noyo clan, it is with a great sense of responsibility that I write to solicit for your cooperation towards making this project a worthwhile. Ikwo is one of the greatest Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State-dominating the political and educational spaces of the state. Unfortunately, the area remains the most undeveloped in terms of basic infrastructural development. As learned as the people, Ikwo has no comprehensive records of their historical origins, cultures and traditions. The stories of their origin are told orally without any documentation. Though, a handful of diverse texts and pamphlets especially by late O. O. Nweke and HRH Eze Oliver Eze do exist but none actually situated Ikwo history from a historical perspective.
Regardless of no attempt by early Igbo and non-Igbo historiographiers to document the Ikwo history as they did for Ezza and Izzi, Ikwo people have made no significant efforts to write their history. So, while prominent Izzi and Ezza men and other clans in Abakaliki Igbo further commissioned their people to write their histories, Ikwo still remains a clan without a written record. It is in this context that this symposium, needs to be *supported*
Meanwhile, it is further necessary for us to realize that the Implication of not having a written history for our children is dangerous and we need to take actions now. As we know, modernization is destroying the world especially the cultures, customs and traditions hence, I envision that Ikwo is likely to be vulnerable for such.
I am afraid that some elders with good knowledge of our history are dying, their knowledge about who we are, what we are and where we came from are dying with them. We need this knowledge for our children, the recent death of Chief Nabo and HRH Eze Olube Ekechi have created a vacuum. Our younger generation (s) can hardly tell the story of our origin. Ninety-five percent of our youths today including some elders cannot tell our relationships with Oshiri, Okposi-Okwu, Mgbo and Ehugbo Omaka-Ejali. They cannot explain why is there Ezeke idam in Eka-Awoke and Amasiri? Why is there Okpotokum in Kogi State and Echara Nkpoke in Ikwo? Why is there Agalegu in Ndufu Alike and Benue State? Currently, there is an argument that the Umuezeka-a kindred in Amagu has an ancient building in Mgbo. These need to be interrogated and it is for this reason, that this symposium will provide a platform to interrogate these concerns.
I therefore, enjoin all and sundry to support this project so that our history will not go into extinction. *We will need both financial and non-financial supports to make this project a success*.
Dr Amiara, Solomon Amiara
