CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Any study of land and people is essentially a study of intricate processes and stages of change which can be traced to the interplay of the dynamic characteristics of man and his physical environment. The above statement place that people must know not only who they are today, but importantly who they were in the past. The knowledge of their past and present would then inspire them to become what they intend to be in the future. Thus, the history of a particular people and environment is very important and has to be written based principally on facts and evident gathered. In the words of Otoabasi Akpan “History is not only concerned with past facts about a people, it is also the collective memory of a people. If history is taken out of the lives of any society, that society would be lost and its future would be bleak”1. Adding to this, E. H. Carr maintains that history consists of a corpus of ascertained facts2.
Facts to historian distilled from different sources such as oral tradition, oral evidence, archaeology and carbon dating. All these sources are interpreted and re-interpreted to produce history. The writing of history firmly based on fact reason being it becomes an identity of a society. David S. Sorenson cited in Otoabasi Akpan’s work argues that:
History provides a sense of identity, pride, grandeur, shame or impotence. Lessons from history sustain people in successive eras: they explain why things are so… All countries and all societies have their myths, rooted in history and designed to solidify support for goals that further the country’s purpose3.
To this end, the important end product of history to its ability of teaching man about particular attempt to relive their lives and conditions, avoid certain pitfalls while wonderful achievements of particular era could be nurtured and consolidated4.
However, it is observed that, most African societies in the pre-colonial past had sufficed little social change and that these changes established an important condition for the consequential development of the society.
Eno Ikpe et al, believed that the study of institutional histories are not popular among the Nigerian historians as such could demonstrate the relevance in the societal history of a country such as Nigeria. With great disappointment, the present generation especially (new African historians) does not place interest in knowing and writing their origin, let alone understanding who they lived with as their neighbours5.
The importance of African writing her own indigenous history can be gleaned from the remarks of Monday Abasiatta who emphasizes that:
Setting the record of African history straight, which truly is the first task, must be done by Africans themselves but not by foreigners who may have languages and many other problem6.
This led to great lost of historical information which ought to play the role of a guidance in the society. In the light of the above premises, it is quite important to examine the history of Ibiono-Itu people, their root and heritage, relations and deal between and among themselves.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
No human society is neither incorrigibly insular, nor irrationally impervious to external idea or internal influence or static and same is applicable to Ibiono-Itu people. This could be witness in the movement of people in and outside from a particular areas. These movement bring about exchange and certain cultural, social, economic and religious affiliations. This is true in the case of Ibiono-Itu people that have developed kinship among and between themselves and also various societies in Ibibio land.
The two until recent past existed as a clan in Ibibio land through tradition of origin, migration, trade, war, inter-marriage etc. has exposed the relationship patter of the people and also causes some cultural and social changes among this two.
However, there are some lingering controversies as to what impact and factor resulting from this relation, this controversies on the whole form part of the study.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The aim of the study is:
Identify the origin and settlement pattern of the Ibiono-Itu people in Ibibio land.
Examine the impact and factors of the inter-group relationship between Ibiono-Itu people.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study is to serve as a reference point on the origin and settlement of Ibiono-Itu people.
The study will also enhance the understanding of the new generation historians of the area on their relations as well as widen the historical horizon of the indigenous knowledge beyond this generation.
The study will greatly serve as reference point for research students of the Department of History and International Studies, Akwa Ibom State University and other institutions.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers but limited of all the sources for the re-construction of history, again focus on origin, migration and settlement of Ibiono-Itu peoples in pre-colonial period. Their relationship among and between neighbours, factors, influences, impacts, achievements and contributions to the political, religious, economic and socio-cultural development and wellbeing of Ibibio people even in the modern times shall also be discuss. However, the study limits its scope to Ibiono-Itu people, stated in chapter 2 of this work. Again, it would be mindful of the fact that a number of factors such as finance, time, environment and human factors undoubtedly contribute to the limitation of the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In dealing with a research topic of this nature, it is mandatory that appropriate attention be paid to previous studies and research exercise earlier conducted. Review of literature is not only made as a reference point, but it enables one to draw energies and inspirations in the conclusion. Several Ibiono historians, writers have written on Ibibio Ibom most especially the traditional ruling stool of Okukuship and its institutions both non have attempt writing on Ibiono relations with its immediate neighbour and most especially Itu.
Since inception of the world, no human can survive as an island without relating with other because by nature, after all they cannot have all their needs and wants thus for surviving, every human race needs to relate and exchange for sake of existence and sustenance. As noted by E. A. Ayandele:
No human society is neither incorrigibly insular, nor irrational impervious to external idea or internal influence whether those were cultural, ideological, religious, economic and political – nor have they been amateurishly unpracticed in the art of neighbourliness7.
