Umunwanwa (Ozunangodo)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF UMUNWANWA by C.B. Ezekwe Umunwanwa is one of the seven major communities of Umuopara Clan in Umuahia South LGA of Abia State. The other major Umuopara communities are: Ezeleke, Ogbodiukwu, Ekenobizi, Ehume, Ogbodinibe and  Umuihe. In pre-colonial days Umunwanwa community was known as OzunaNgodo. It was so called because, the three hamlets answering 'Ozu', comprising: Umuobia, Umuawoli and Umuoke regarded themselves as a community, while Ngodo hamlet took themselves to be another community. Later, the two original communities united to have a common village square (Mbara), a market place, an annual dance (Ikoro), and other cultural festivals; and the unity was called Ozunangodo. However, Ozu people retained a separate spiritual head from the Ngodos. Like many other Igbo communities, the spiritual heads of both Ozu and Ngodo people were called 'Onye-Isiala'. The Onye-Isiala was believed to be the link between the living and their ...