Eket Street in Umuahia, Abia State capital is renowned, but not for many things. It is the mosaic of peoples, ethnicities, class, languages, faiths, and cultures that the street has become.
In the past it was rare and considered a taboo for the easterners to marry the northerners, but all that is changing. The barrier posed by difference in languages, customs, cultural beliefs and values is giving way to harmonious relationship.

In Abia State, dubbed God’s own state, intertribal marriages reaches high heavens. Over the years the state has continued to encourage marriages between tribes to promote national cohesiveness and unity. And because of the peace and harmony that always exist in the southeastern state, people from different ethnic backgrounds are flooding it to settle down and carry out their legitimate businesses.
Umuahia, the capital plays host to many of these non-indigenes especially those from the northern extraction. The northerners or Hausas as they are called by the natives are domiciled in Eket Street where the Umuahia Central Mosque is situated.

Apart from doing their petty business on Eket Street, cattle merchants often used the street as a launchpad to different destinations. And because of the large population of Hausas living on Eket Street the natives nicknamed it Amawusa (meaning a place dominated by the Northerners). Over the years the northerners who settled down in Umuahia integrated well with their host community respecting their customs and traditions. And it’s now very common to see northerners in Umuahia and others residing in different parts of Abia State marrying from their host communities. Today, many children born from intertribal marriages are found in all the nooks and crannies of the state. Such children are bearing names common to people of Igbo and Hausa extractions.

Abdullahi Chukwuemeka Adamu, 18, who speaks fluent Hausa and Igbo languages, was draped in a white flowing gown, a pair of black shoes and neatly sewed red cap to match as he joined other Muslims penultimate Thursday, to worship at the Umuahia Central Mosque to mark the Eid El Fitri celebration. Abdullahi’s middle name, Chukwuemeka, given to him by his grandmother now stuck like a magnet.
Chukwuemeka’s father was said to have settled down in Umuahia about 50 years ago from his home state, Kano, as a trader and later married an Igbo woman from Ibeku, his host community. Despite differences in language, religion and culture, many northerners residing in Umuahia and other environs are getting married to women from the host communities.

One of such northerners married to an Igbo woman, is the leader of the Muslim community in Abia State, Alhaji Sarki Yaro Danladi Sarki who told THISDAY that it was love and not monetary gains that made him to marry his wife.
Alhaji Danladi who doubles as Vice Chairman South-east/South-south Northern Traditional Rulers said he was born raised in Umuahia.
“I was born and raised in Umuahia and I have spent 44 years of my entire life in the city. I have four children, three boys and a girl. My wife loves me and I love my wife too. In fact, it’s love that brought the two of us together despite our religious and ethnic backgrounds. For me the most important thing in a relationship is the love from the woman and the love from the man too. My father in-law and mother in-law and other relations from both sides supported our marriage without any objection.

“The relationship between the Muslims and the indigenes is very cordial and this is what made me to marry an Igbo woman. My wife is from Nkwoegwu while my mother in-law is from Umukabia in Ohuhu under Umuahia Local Government Area.
“When we paid Governor T.A. Orji Sallah visit at the Government House, he reminded us that our permanent home is Abia State, that our homes in Kano and other states in the North are only ceremonial. Abia State is my home. We celebrated the Sallah under peaceful atmosphere in Umuahia and that was the way Allah wanted it. The governor gave us 200 bags of rice and N1 million cash,” he said.

He continued: “I pray for peaceful co-existence because when there is no peace I don’t think you will see me here in Umuahia. That is why we preach peace and tolerance at the same time no side should be marginalised because we are all Nigerians under one father, one mother and one nation. That is what will bring peace. I don’t believe in tribalism, ethnicity and religious extremism. I don’t believe in anybody killing or hurting others instead we should all live in peace and I want peace to prevail in our country.

“Governor T.A. Orji is a Hausa man because any Ibeku man is a Hausa man and any Hausa man is an Ibeku man as far as Umuahia is concerned. Orji’s father grew up with our fathers and they did the same trade. The governor knows us very well and we know him too. That is why you see Orji doesn’t play with security issues of the state. Today, Orji has achieved 100 per cent security in the state. He loves everybody and he doesn’t play tribalism. He doesn’t know if you are a Hausa man, Yoruba man or any tribe at all. You can see in Abia, many councillors there are non-indigenes. The past acting chairman of Aba, Ambassador Okereogu is from Nkwere in Imo State. This government is exceptional, the man in the leadership doesn’t play tribal politics and everybody is accommodated in the state.
Danladi advised other governors to emulate Orji saying,“for peaceful co-existence we must tolerate one another. The governors across Nigeria must make their states home for all tribes with hindrance; Governor Orji has demonstrated that it’s possible. We should put religion and ethnicity aside and move the country forward.”

Another resident, Adamu Ibrahim Yahaya, 30, from Jigawa State was also born and brought up in Umuahia. Yahaya who is Secretary of the Hausa Community in Umuahia said he is now part of his host community.
“My father is from Jigawa State, but I was born and raised here in Umuahia. Just two years ago I married a woman I love with all my heart and she is from Mbutu Amangwo in Isiala Ngwa South. Our marriage had the consent of both families who solidly stood behind us. I am today a proud father of a daughter named Ngozi.

“We have become part of our host community and they have become part of us and to that extent we have marital vows among each other. Most of us married from here and we have co-existed well with our host community for a very long time. We don’t have any problem in Umuahia, it’s a peaceful place for any stranger to live and the governor has made it to be so. Since Governor Orji assumed office we have not experienced any violence here, we are liaising with him in terms of security,” he said.

To be sure, Dalandi claimed he has special likeness for food from his new home. He said: “Though I still relish some of our traditional foods from the north, I enjoy my native soup from Ibeku in Abia State. The Abians are very hospitable, they treat strangers with respect and dignity. This is the Nigeria of my dream where ethnic or tribal differences are put aside and people settle down in any part of the country of their choice with good ambience for legitimate businesses.
“Nigerians should embrace peace and love one another. Nigerians irrespective of ethnic diversity should respect one another’s religion and tradition in order to live in peace and harmony. During the eid el Firtri we prayed for our governor, Ochendo, who is exceptional among other governors. He has been supporting us in terms of security and empowerment.”

For Nasir Galadima from Taraba State who had been living in Umuahia in the last three years marriage across ethnic boundaries is helping to unite the country.
“I am happy to be in Umuahia, where I am already integrated. As I am talking to you now, I have that semblance of an Igbo man more than that of a northerner because of cultural assimilation and of course I enjoy all the immunities and privileges here in Abia. I am really excited about it and I think it is a model that can work anywhere in the country. “The people in Abia State are very kind. They relate well with people from other part of the country. We are enjoying the peace of the atmosphere and the kindness of Governor Orji to everyone with ethnic division common to other states.”

On his part, Governor urged residents to continue to respect the customs, traditions and religion of the communities where they reside. He also enjoined them to sustain the prevailing peace and harmony in the state.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/umuahia-abia-s-multicultural-metropolis/157061/