Nzuko Arochukwu worldwide, on 26th December 2014, surprised Aro with a rare gift: the symbol of woman Eze Aro called Queen Mgbokwo Udo Omini – Eze Aro (1799-1825). It was a wonderful reminder indeed and Aro must appreciate Nzuko for this rare thought, which led into deep research, which made it possible for Aro to revisit its history and we thank God for all the Aro Heroines in their rich history. Like I mentioned in Arondizuogu in 2000, during the All Aro National Conference of that year, when I presented a paper on the theme ‘Debris of a great past’, every family has a hero and that heroes found in each country must have manifested from his obscure family. I went further to suggest that families must endeavour to encourage or even groom their children to perform as heroes or heroines in any given generation.

Nnenne Mgbokwo Udo Omini (Eze Aro, 1799-1825) must have been compelled by Aro tradition and culture to occupy the ‘Holy throne’ when grown up and qualified men were not available. Aro elders of that period quickly found a solution in her. It happened in England when the present Queen Elizabeth occupied the throne of England just as Queen Elizabeth 1 and Queen Victoria before her. Were it now, some Aro would have gone to court – after using damaging propaganda – to contest it, to Aro ruin. Let us learn to practices traditions that make for orderly programmes and stability. I remember that the lawyers and even the judge at Ohafia High Court listened with admiration when the defending counsel in the Eze Aro tussle case included this in his defense (1988-31-5-1995). Greatness does not always come by useless violent disputes and noise, but by calculated careful plans of devoted and dedicated citizens of a country or kingdom, such as Arochukwu – particularly then!

In this article, I will attempt to mention a few other heroines and through them, illustrate that from time immemorial, Aro have always loved their women and valued them at all times and in all places. Without them, it would be futile to plan for the future, which was why in those days, families with more men than women either bought slave girls or did allow their few girls to live in their families even after their parents had performed their wedding ceremonies. This is one of the occasions ‘when Uzi is allowed’. As we were growing up, we were told that after the British-Arochukwu war of 1901-1902, the British believed that majority males in Arochukwu were slaves. They decided to ask most males to return to their original homes. The exercise was so serious that most males left here into hiding in such places as the plantation in Ito, Abam, Ohafia, Ihechiowa, Isu and in the Diaspora, such as Arondizuogu, Ajalli, Afikpo, Ohuhu, Abakaliki, Ovim, Ahaba, and Ngwa, Enugu and Anambra territories. Some went beyond Igbo boundaries to Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The women ably kept the homes and refused to disclose the hiding places of the men. My father told me that the heroine in their family was Ma Onyealu Abaa- Nnenne Oyiri Abaa, who kept Ndi Ukpabi Eze Obin in Eziukwu Agbagwu for us. He further told me that often, she toured such hiding places as Nunya, Ohuhu, Edda, Ezinnachi, Afikpo and brought daughters of her relations to Arochukwu and gave them out in marriage. Today we are proud people whose female relations and their families are found in most villages in Arochukwu.

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Mazi ndewo