ADMINISTRATION

NATIVE ADMINISTRATION.

It is worth explaining here that Igarra is traditionally divided into three main quarters, namely: Uffa, Utua and Ugbobo. The generalized term

"Ebah" - meaning upper - now used to refer jointly to Uttua and Uffa was derived in 1911 when residents of Ubobo Quarters relocated down from the hills while Uttua and Uffah continued to dwell up there. The residents of these two quarters were henceforth referred to as anebah - meaning upper dwellers. That was why the name Igarra Sale (Ugbobo) and Igarra Oke (Uttua and Uffah) were coined by the Yoruba interpreters who accompanied the first set of Europeans to visit Igarra.

Igarra native administration is characterized as an acephalous federation with the clans (Anda) as the federating units as reflected in the ‘clan based ownership of lands’, absolute power and control over their portion of lands, concentration of their members in specific parts of the community, reservation of authority and right by only the clan head to resolve disputes among their subjects, exclusive custodianship of traditional festivals and cultural rites by specific clans e.t.c.

However certain decisions that cut across clans were either provided through the joint decision of the clan heads or through the age group system which drew representative membership from each and every clan and played the joint role of legislature and executive as far as pan-igarra issues were concerned.

Although some have argue that there was and have been a centralized authority in the history of igarra native administration system, it is worthy to note that the kukuruku district officer who looked into the controversy then between “Ukanah Onagogo” and “Otaru Idanage” made compelling findings; that all members of the okunugbe Appeal court who were themselves traditional heads of their respective communities testified that Igarra from prehistoric times never had its traditional administrative authority centralized and vested on a single Individual.

That what people tend to equate with traditional rulership was village headship instituted by the Nupe overlords and later the colonial imperialist as system of indirect rule to the people of Igarra.

Even at this point village headship, it wasn’t confined to a specific clan but tied to the personality, influence and public image of such individuals of which they mentioned some names of past leaders cutting across various clans such as UMEME of Anona clan, OKERE from Eziodu clan, UKANAH from Eshimozoko or Anonyete clan having all reigned as village heads during the Nupe overlordship.