A POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE OWHE PEOPLE 1896 – 1962

Author: OWHEFERE OGHALE MATTHEW

Abstract

This work is a study of the socio-political system of the Owhe people from AD 1896 to AD 1962. In recent years, there has been a crisis of leadership controversy between the office of the Osewho and that of the Odiologbo in Owhe clan. This leadership controversy is blamed on the interference of the colonial government on the traditional political institution of the Owhe people. Pertinently, this work examines the precolonial traditional political system and political structure as necessary prelude to ascertain the changes, alteration, and the challenges it underwent during our period of study. Investigation into the Owhe socio-political structure reveals that the leadership controversy is engendered by the imposition of colonial administration through the instrumentality of the Native Court System and the introduction of party politics into the socio-political life of the people. This largely more than any other factor, subverted the indigenous political organization. This seems to have provoked the rivalry, between the office of the Osewho and that of the Odionlogbo as most of the relevant observable in the smaller politics of the pre-colonial time has disappeared in the colonial arrangement. The research methodology used for this work includes the narrative, descriptive and analytical methods. Primary sources such as archival materials and oral interviews were conducted, as well as secondary sources were subjected to the above-mentioned methodology.

Supervisor: Prof. (Mrs.) Edith Osiruemu Odeka