King Onyeama

 

The Legend of King Onyeama n’Eke of Agbaja Waawa kingdom in Northern Igbo Land Nigeria.

There is a subgroup of Igbos called Northern Igbos. They are Igbos that currently occupy Enugu state but also own many towns in parts of Anambra and Ebonyi States.

They are called the ‘Waawa’ people. They speak a dialect of Igbo language in which the word ‘no’ translates to ‘waa’. This is an important part of their diction because when a Waawa man says ‘waa’, that’s it, no more negotiation can change their decision after that.

Perhaps, this is the reason they are called that name “Waawa” or “Ndi Waawa” which means “The never people”. The best delicacies of the waawa consist of food like peeled cassava, yam, Abacha and  okpa. Ogene and Igba are the best music of the waawa.

In the annals of history, a moment of great significance occurred when the term 'waa' resonated prominently. This event took place during a consequential meeting in 1908, where King Onyeama of Eke, a revered leader among the Waawa people, convened with fellow Igbo kings in discussions with colonial masters. 

Read the full story bellow:

Little Onyeama was 7 when his father died mysteriously around the year 1877. His father was the titled man from Eke who had several wives. But Onyeama was the one anointed to inherit the throne. Since the king was dead, a malicious man who maybe wanted to take the throne threatened to kill little Onyeama.

His mother sensed the threat and sacrificed herself by allegedly poisoning the man to death. She was then probably killed for doing so.

This left the little Onyeama as an orphan, his half brother had to raise him. He grew to be very wealthy, after which he bought his way into being crowned a warrant chief by the British in 1908.

This literarily means that he became the King of the Waawa people. This instantly put him into a power-tussle with the Obi of Onitsha.

In 1928, all major kings and chiefs in the old Onitsha province (including Enugu) and beyond assembled in Enugu to welcome Captain W. Buchanan-Smith. Buchanan-Smith was the recently appointed lieutenant-governor of southern Nigeria provinces.

When the Obi of Onitsha arrived, he occupied the vacant seat reserved for the ultimate king of the Igbo nation while all the other kings only sat on other seats.

King Onyeama arrived a little late with his entourage of security men and royal ‘Igba’ drummers (In Waawa culture, there is a certain drum beat and rhythm reserved only for royals, it is called “Igba ndi Eze’). When King Onyeama inquired and found out that the throne was being occupied by the Obi of Onitsha, he went beserk!

He was outraged that King Obi of Onitsha had the audacity to come occupy the highest seat in his domain.

He quickly ordered his security men to attack the Obi and dethrone him immediately! A chaotic scene ensued in which all the kings and the colonial officers tried to pacify King Onyeama of Eke to let King Obi of Onitsha retain the seat for peace to reign.

Onyeama was not having any peace unless he was the one on the throne, he kept screaming “Waa!”, which meant no. To seal the deal, he completed it with “Waawa!” Which meant “never!”. The Waawa people say the word ‘Waa’ with a nod instead of the traditional shaking of head when one means to say ‘no’. Onyeama made his move to leave and roared to everyone, “By the time I come back if that man is still occupying that throne, agu erie ya!”

That is, “the Leopard will eat him!”.

He got his way, by the time he returned, the throne was empty!

The Obi of Onitsha had stepped down for him. Redecorated again was the throne and then sat on it was the new King: King Onyeama n’Eke, nwa Özö Omulu Onwusi, Agu na-eche ibe, the Leopard that guards other leopards.

For being able to dethrone the Obi of Onitsha in front of the colonialists, all the other chiefs and kings of Igbo land, it can be argued that he is one of the most powerful if not the most powerful king of the Igbo land in modern history.

Obi of Onitsha must have figured out that he and his team were outnumbered and there were no backups since they were in a foreign land. He did what any smart person will do; let the throne be.

This did not take away from the legitimacy of the Obi of Onitsha as he led his own kingdom gracefully until he passed on.

Former Nigerian minister of foreign affairs, chief Geoffrey Onyeama comes from the same town and may have been related to King Onyeama.