Igbo Family History & Genealogy Records

Pa Isaac Ikegwuonu Onyeme (Elosiebo) was born in 1892. He started his journey when he went to live with Iweka of Obosi in 1916. His duty then was to carry goods mainly cutlasses on his head from Obosi to Afor Nkpor and Ugwuta for sale. Pa Isaac would always go to the farm for his master any day he did not go to market.

His moral behaviour and hard work so endeared his master, Iweka, that Pa Isaac was asked to be closing at 12:00 noon to come home and rest so as to act as his (Iweka) security man at night. Iweka's wife due to her interest in Ikegwuonu Onyeme devoted her time in teaching his English and Igbo alphabets, (such as A, B, C, D, and A, B, CH, D) This enabled him to be reading the bible and simple letter writing.

In the year 1917, Pa Isaac Ikegwuonu Onyeme went to work with Mill and Brother at Owerri NTA.

In 1918, he left for Aba and being the only Awka - Etiti indigene then at Aba, he engaged himself in the business of palm product. As a successful businessman then, he joined the OnitshaProvine meeting at Aba. Pa Isaac made sure that any Awka - Etiti indigene that came to Aba was encouraged to join the meeting.

Successfully in his business soon fetched him a house and he became a landlord, (a big name by then). He made sure that any Awka - Etiti indigene that came to Aba did not suffer frustration: instead, Pa Isaac would shelter him without renting. At a time he harboured over thirty (30) Awka - Etitians. 

He then organized a meeting of Akwa - Etitians living in his house. He was made the chairman. Due to the fact that each time they attended the Onitsha Province meeting, they would hear that Onitsha, Nnewi and Ozubulu had each got their own constitution. It was at this juncture that when they asked about the constitution, they were told that unless they called a meeting of home and aboard, it will not be possible to have a constitution. In view of this Pa Isaac Ikegwuonu Onyeme (Elosiebo) summoned a meeting of the Elders at "Azu - Oji". In that meeting, Pa Isaac introduced six other men including himself and their villages to the elders present and informed them of their mission.

At that meeting, one of the elders asked him whether the meeting of Home and Abroad he was presenting to them would not be how to remove Eke market or the shrine in their town. Pa Isaac explained that it was not their mission and took an oath that if along the line they discovered otherwise let them leave the other six men and hold him responsible. He went further and stated that if such a thing happens they should use a special type of rope called "Ekwere akuru agbu" to tie him.

 At this juncture, the elders accepted his mission and asked him to go ahead and start the meeting. After this, Pa Isaac Onyeme and the six men went back to Aba to tell the people there the outcome of their journey. On their new date for the meeting, they invited people from Zaria, Jos, Onitsha, and Aba. This gave birth to Awka - Etiti Improvement Union (A.I.U) and Late Chief Pius Okudo was elected as the First President.