Eket Street in Umuahia Charles Ajunwa writes that though the north may be far away from the east, Eket Street in Umuahia, Abia State, has become a melting pot where there is a boom in intertribal marriage between the Hausas and Igbos

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 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.
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