Uromi

Uromi, originally known as 'Uronmun', is the most populated area in Esanland, settled by two waves of people. The first wave consisted of migrants from Benin and other outlying areas between 900 and 1400 AD. These early settlers formed a loose-knit community engaged mostly around farming and hunting and did not develop any stylized form of government; associations were instead based on kinship and occupation. Many of these early Bini settlers were fugitives fleeing persecution from the harsh rule of the Ogiso of Benin, and were wary of monarchical government.

The second wave of organized mass emigration from Bini was around 1460, during the reign of Oba Ewuare the Selfish. He attempted to stop the emigration of Binis to the present-day Esanland by building a moat around the City. Most of these immigrants during this wave were from Idumoza of Benin City.

At about the same time as this second wave of migration, Oba Ewuare sent his son to found a kingdom of his own. This son was the product of a liaison with a Portuguese woman. Although the boy was Oba Ewuare's first-born son, he was kept away from public view because he was half-caste; Ewuare could not marry the Portuguese mother and the half-caste boy could not be introduced as heir to the throne. When the boy came of age he was sent, with a retinue of attendants and an armed guard, to found a kingdom of his own. Upon reaching the settlement of Uronmun he was welcomed as a god-sent. The people there had never seen a half-caste before and his retinue of attendants gave indication of his regal ancestry. He was accepted as the first Onojie (king) of what had now become a sizeable settlement. Attendants were sent back to Oba Ewuare to inform him that his son had founded a kingdom at Uronmun and Ewuare sent them back with the message that the new king should bear the title Ijesan (the king of Esan). The name has over time been more usually written as Ichesan.

Uromi is a conurbation of villages divided into three groups, recognized as Okhiode, Obiruan and Obiyon.

A large percentage of the economy of Uromi is derived from local farming and trading, with some contribution from the government's budget. Uromi's productive farm output is mainly the result of its situation in a rain forest zone, its loamy soil type and its topography.

Uromi also has a good number of markets that provide opportunities for local farmers to trade their farm products. The Uromi Main Market has good, portable lock-up stores. Although officially market day is held at four-day intervals, the Uromi Main Market operates daily from morning to late evening. Across Uromi, there may be up to three markets in each village, with some village markets functioning at four-day intervals, while others trade every day.

Apart from farming and trading, other business transactions take place on a daily basis. In Eguare, there are many business offices both in the government-owned business sector and in the privately owned business sectors. Some examples of financial businesses include the Union Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), First Bank of Nigeria, Unity Bank, Zenith Bank, EcoBank, Fidelity Bank, Uromi Community Bank, and other monetary firms like the Uromi Microfinance Bank, etc.

Uromi is home to the Institution of Construction Technology and Management (NICTM) situated on Uromi-Ugboha Road. The NICTM provides a wide range of courses, including Computer Science and Civil Engineering.[5] Additionally, Uromi is also host to the Uromi Technical College located in Onewa Village.[6]

Uromi traditional religion has many similarities to the Bini traditional religion,[7] even though Westernization has caused Christianity and Islamic influence. And of course, this is because originally the Esans hails from the Benin Kingdom.

Esan religion has so many deities, which among them are:

Osanobua: which actually is the main and really Edo-Esan god. This name was adopted into Christianity as God, and thus the meaning and the translation for God in Esanland is Osanobua.

Eshu: This is the Esan trickster god. This god is related with the Yoruba and Edo myth. This name "Eshu" was also adopted into the Western religion, which is translated as Satan by Christian missionaries.

Osun: This is the Esan god of medicine. This is god can also be said to be related to the Yoruba deity (known as Osun). This is where the surname "Olokun" known as the "son of medicine" originated from.

The city of Uromi lies in north-eastern Esan in Edo State, Nigeria, located on longitude 3° 24' E and latitude 6° 27' N. Almost the whole of the city is covered with land.

Uromi is not a municipality and has therefore no overall city administration or governance but instead, it is run by the Local government council headed by a Chairman.

Uromi is not a local government but is the seat of the local government council governing the Esan-North-East local government area. The administration of the government of Uromi is divided into eleven (11) wards. Each ward delegates a Councillor who represents it at its local council election who is normally tenured for four years.

• Chief Anthony Enahoro
• Chief Tony Anenih[9]
• Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie
• Chris Aire
• Dr. Robert S. Okojie (research scientist, NASA)[10]
• Benita Okojie (Gospel singer, actress and songwriter)

The Uromi kingdom is a monarchical territory headed by a king (Onojie) who handles the leadership of the kingdom. The leadership in the Uromi kingdom is a hereditary monarchy system. The king is the monarch who rules with the body of chiefs who assist the king in the leadership of the kingdom.

The kingdom was installed in 1463 by the Bini Monarch Oba Ewuare conferring kingship on Ichesan (first Onojie of Uromi). Since 1463, the kingship has passed through inheritance.

• Esan-North-East
• Esan people
• Edo State

• History of Uromi. c/o Uromi Community Association New York[11]