Azun Agbor, Azun Owa Dichotomy: What God Joined Together, Let Not Politics Put Asunder

Ewere Okonta writes on the communal issues that have wrapped relations between the people adjoining Azun Agbor and Azun Owa in Ika Federal Constituency, Delta State

In the heartland of the Ika Federal Constituency in Delta State lies a dichotomy that resists easy definition, but its implications reverberate across cultures, identities, and generations.

This dichotomy revolves around the Azun Agbor and Azun Owa regions, each unique yet synergistically harmonious, straddling separate local governments with a common unity binding them. The Azun Agbor calls the Ika South home, while the Azun Owa finds its roots in the Ika North East. 

The line dividing them is the old Lagos-Asaba road, yet their spirit is not so easily bifurcated. The Azun Owa extends from the Emuhun junction to the Orogodo River bridge, adjacent to which lies its geographical sibling, the Azun Agbor. Each area is proud to host its administrative headquarters: Agbor for Azun Agbor and Owa Oyibu for Azun Owa.

In my childhood, experiences of this dichotomy were scarce. My memories are painted with the vibrancy of unity, of a seamless transition from my village in Ekuku Agbor to Agbor. The labels of Azun Agbor or Azun Owa were latent in our interactions.

As a young undergraduate student in Enugu, bonds were forged in the crucible of shared language and brotherhood – the Agbor/Ika language was a clarion call, uniting everyone speaking it under a single banner of familial alliance. The identities of Azun Agbor or Azun Owa took a back seat, superseded by the broader umbrella of Agbor unity.

This profound sense of camaraderie, instilled from birth, endured, uniting us as a singular people, a unified nation under a divine providence. This idyllic status quo, however, was irrevocably disrupted by a blight that tainted our brotherhood from 1999 onwards. This antagonist was the force of politics.

The politicians, pursuing personal agendas and power mongering, exploited our differences rather than strengthening our unity. Their actions planted a seed of discord amongst us, causing a rift that obstructed our view of commonality. As a consequence of this manipulation, our unity was compromised.

Even the youth, traditionally seen as agents of change, have been pulled into this vortex of divisiveness. It is now a rarity to see an Azun Owa individual establishing a home in Azun Agbor, a disturbing trend to the success of the political divide. The unity that once defined us stands shaken in the face of this political interference.

This narrative, however, is not an epitaph. It is a call to arms, an appeal to bring to the fore principles that unite us rather than divide us. It advocates stronger intermarriages, encouraging harmonious relationships between both sides. It mandates the youth to reconstruct their mindset, to actively promote unity. It calls on the pillars of our society, the churches, to preach love, to help stitch together the torn fabric of our unity.

Let us remember that we are one people from one God, joined seamlessly by our shared heritage. Let us rise above the fray of politics refusing to let it put asunder what God has joined together. Let us reclaim our unity, rekindle the spirit of brotherhood, and redefine the Azun Agbor and Azun Owa dichotomy not as a division but as a celebration of our diverse unity.

*Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor*

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