BRIEF HISTORY OF NJABA LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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AREA ………………………….. 83,9439SQ.KM
CAPITAL ……………………… NNENASA
Nnenasa is conveniently located in the border between Okwudor and Nkume, along the busy Orlu Owerri Federal highway. It is sited within 15 km from Owerri, and 7 km from Orlu
POPULATION ………………… 87259
HOUSEHOLD-------18066
POPULATION DENSITY--------1039
MALES------37823
FEMALES------49436
URBAN
TOWNS
The Local Government has a number of sprawling towns namely: Umuaka, Amazano, Isiozi, Ugbelle, Achara, Ibelle, Okwudor, Nkume, Attah, Amucha, and Egwedu,
CLIMATE AND VEGETATION The dry seasons of December and January are always occasioned by mild harmattan, a scourge of cold wave springing from the Northern part of Nigeria, within the Jos plateau area and dumping its wave in the east part during the season.
The Local Government is heavilly re-enforced with huge rain forest and valleyed topography in most places between Umuaka and Okwudor. It is mostly dominated with the rainy season
from late April to end of September.This is however normal in most of the eastern parts of Nigeria especially in the Southern areas of Imo State. The Local Government is predominantly a farming area, with almost 80% of its population as peasants and petty traders. They mostly trade in finished farm products. The soils are fertile during the rainy season,that is an added adcantage, and mostly dry and damp during harvest season.
TEMPERATURE
Temterature is always humid at between 30 degree centigrade to 40 degrees in most of the entire year. In order words, 11 months out of the twelve months of each year delivers heat and acute humidity without letting out.The hottest temperature of all comes during dry seasons, between August and November of every year0C (mean
HISTORY The name “NJABA” is an acronym formed from the initial
letters of Njaba river. A river that originaly springs from Isunjaba town, and runs all the way to Oguta and then finally terminates into the famous Oguta lake. The area known today as Njaba Local Government was part of the then
Isu Local Government area created by the Civilian Government headed by Alhaji Shehu Shagari on May 27th, 1980. On 4th of February 1991, the then Military Governor of Imo State, Colonel Zubairu approved Njaba Local Government area
which then became part of the 27 local Government areas of Imo State created by the Federal Military Government of the
Late Murtala Muhammed.
Njaba Local Government was on4th of Febraury, 1991 created by the
Federal Military Government headed by General Ibrahim Babangida. It was carved
out of Isu Local Government area with headquarters at Umundugba. Before then, the administration of all the towns that presently make up Njaba Local Governement was being handled in Nkwerre. A town about 20 kilometers north of Nnenasa, the Njaba LGA headquarters.
CONSTITUTION
OF LOCAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES
The Local Government comprises of eleven Local and vibrant towns, namely:
Umuaka, Amazano, Isiozi, Ugbelle, Achara, Ibelle, Okwudor, Nkume, Attah, Amucha, and Egwedu.
BOUNDARIES AND SORROUNDING TOWNS The Local Government is bounded on the
west and south-west by Isu Local Government area with its towns of Amurie Omanze and Ekwe bodering Umuaka on the western side, while it shares its
southern borders with Mbaitoli Local Government area with Orodo as the overlapping town still sharing borders with Umuaka. The Njaba river it will be recalled coveniently demarcates Umuaka and Ekwe in the western borders.
Njaba Local Government is located east of Oru Local Government area with Awo Omanma as the nearest border town overlooking Okwudor. It
shares its common boundary with Awo on the western axis. On the north and, north-east, it
is bounded by Orlu Local Government, Umudioka and Umuowa communities in Orlu LGA are also sorrounding the northern axis.
THE NJABA BRIDGE AND GULLY EROSION
Njaba Local Government is home to the famous Njaba bridge where it was historically attuned that the 3 year old Nigeria/Biafra civil war ended. However, the river and the bridge that seperates the town of Umuaka and Okwudor has over the years tested its share of decay and decapitation. This is true in part because the road that links Owerri, the state capital and Orlu, another vibrant city by law belongs to the Federal Government. Based on that presumption however, it is the responsibilities of the federal Government to oversea the repairs and maintainance of the road. The federal Government has once claimed that it has most times allocated substantial amount of money for the maintannaice and rehabilitation of the road.What happens to all the money the Feds claim they have always allocated on the road, therefore becomes anybody's guess.
Gully erosion which is one of the major problems facing the Local Government today has eaten almost half of the entire road and bridge. The federal government has over the years kept closed eyes on this raod, thus causing its untold near collapse. This has therefore prompted the state Government of Chief Achike Udenwa to use the meager resourses at his disposal to improve the road network.
THE NJABA RIVER & SAND ESCAVATION PROBLEMS:
The Njaba River which
originated from the north-western part of Isu at Isunjaba, flows
south-westwards through Njaba and Oguta territories towards the Oguta lake, passing through the southern parts of Ukworji Umunnoha and Oguta Local
Government Areas. Other important rivers include, Imo River and Otamiri river in Imo State. Njaba river has over the years seen a massive sand export that continues to erode its banks and gullies. The illegal sand escavation businesses are being perpetrated by ignorant and mostly illitrate villagers who sell the river sands for building constructions and other purposes. The business is very sprawling and has over the years attracted some participants from other towns and villgaes. Today, a huge crater or rather a down slope measuring over 5klm in-deep has been created in the river banks. The Locals are however weary of the situation which sometimes claim many lives when floodings occure. The Local Governments authorities and indeed the state government have decided to close their eyes on the damaging issue. It is believed that the state and indeed the local Government also derive revenues from the sand escavation businesses.