POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN EKWUSIGO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE, 1996-2020

Abstract

Many Igbo communities have engaged in closely knit relationships since the precolonial times. Communities in Ekwusigo engaged in such inter-community relations. This study discusses the political and economic relations in Ekwusigo, the uniqueness in the nature and patterns and how it has gone a long way to shape the history of Anambra State where Ekwusigo is located. It is important to note that there is noticeably general lack of interest on the part of scholars to document this important part of the history of Igbo Land with reference to political and economic relations. This lack of interest in the nature and patterns of political and economic relations in this area of study was one of the reasons embarking on this study is invaluable. The study observes that the political and economic relations in Ekwusigo from 1996-2020 were multifaceted. It includes, the political activities, embedded in unique political ideology, diplomatic relations and economic relations based on communalism. The market centers a place for selling and buying of goods and services encouraged inter-community relations in Ekwusigo. Using the Interdependent theory, the study emphasizes that the political and economic activities promoted and strengthened the bond of inter-community relations in Ekwusigo, it further enhanced mutual understanding through interaction, exchange of resources, and political ideas, all these were for sustainable co-existence of the communities. The study concludes among other things that each of the communities in Ekwusigo is not self-sufficient, but each provided one thing or the other which others had not, the resources available in one environment may not be available in the other. For this reason, they depended on one another in terms of provision of their basic needs for survival as captured in the principles of interdependence. Primary and secondary sources of history were consulted. The historical method of narrative and description were used. The qualitative methodology was used in its analysis and presented chronologically.