The Genesis of Ohi Stool

The Ebira people are republicans. Before the advent of colonialism, each family unit was autonomous and completely independent of one another. There was no aristocratic class of people. It was for the convenience of the colonial administrators that a paramount stool by the name “Cheif of Ebira” was created around 1917. This stool was later re – christened “Ohinoyi” stool which had authority over all Ebira land.

Despite the above development, each clan in Ebira lạnd had her traditional head generaly referred to as Otaru’. Thereras therefore an agitation for the establishment of a paramount stool for Ihima.

This agitation started from the then Kwará State and did not see the light of day till the creation of Kogi State. In continuation of the struggle, the Ihima Welfare Association (IWA); the umbrella body that speaks for the people of Ihima raised a memorandum to the Kogi State Chieftaincy Review Committee in 2004 seeking for the creation of a paramount stool by the title “Adihima of Ihima” which the asked to be first class status.

The Kogi State Government therefore set up a Chieftaincy Review Committee which accepted the IWA recommendation leading to the establishment of the Ohi chieftacy stool in year 2004 via the following gazettes:

1. Kogi state legal notice No: 1 of 2006

CHIEFS (APPOINTMENT DEPOSITION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TRADITIONAL COUNCILS IN KOGI STATE) LAW, 2006

AND

2. Legal notice No: 2, 2006

THE CREATION/ESTABLISHMENT AND PROCEDURE FOR THE ASCENSION OFTHE STOOL OF OHI IN EBIRALAND ORDER 200

It is therefore clear that the agitation for the creation of a paramount stool for each district in Ebiraland started from Ihima, It was the recommendation of this Ihima model by the IWA that later culminated in the creation of “Ohi’ stool in Ebira land to serve as paramount chief over each district. The stool is to be rotated among the indigenous clans that make up the district to give all concerned a sense of belonging and promote cohesion.

The Ohi stool in Ihima was thus established with the first Ohi in the person of late Alh. Yahaya Ozomata Sadiku from Emani clan installed in the year 2006. After his demise in year 2008, it was the turn of Ure clan to produce the next Ohi of Ihima and the choice was Alhaji Ahmed Abdulraheem Ogido who was installed as Ohi of Ihima in the year 2008.

It is important to add that occupier of the stools of Adabara as Royal fathers have since been recognized and graded as Third clan traditional heads of their different sub clan lineages. Since his installation, the current Ohi of Ihima has brought about some innovations in the traditional stool. There has been created a new stool by the title of Ohi-Ireba. Those who are installed as Ohi-Ireba have the traditional role of overseeing the activities of the masquerades. They ensure that the masqueraders adhere strictly to the laid down guide lines to ensure that the crises that are usually associated with their festival are reduced to the bearest minimum if not comnpletely eliminated.

The Ada-Abara stool has also been created whereby each sub-clan of the six clans in Ihima is represented to cater for the needs of internal issues involving the clans and sub-clans.