Oron (state) - History

History

The migration pattern of Oron people was similar to that of the Efik Eburutu people. In fact, Efik people regard the Oron people as part of the larger community of Calabar people.

History has it that the Ukpabang people migrated away from conversion to Islam to the east under Abang leadership. Abang arrived the Cameroons and stayed in the Usahadit area. There, Abang begot Do, Do begot Doni, Doni begot Oro and Obolo. Owing to dispute over farmland, the group later moved to present day Nigeria. It is from the Abang that we derive the name Oro Ukpabang. That is why there is a prevalence of Cameroon names as Akan, Ekang, Abang, Etong, Osung, and Etang in Oron today. Among the Oronians, there is a saying that the farthest point in the world is Usahadit which is in the Cameroon.

Some quarters also relate Oron and Efik people with Eket (Ekid) people because of very close dialect relationships, especially in the days of the Okpo Ekid. But today, many Oron people avoid such history, although they will accept the fact that they share the same ancestral history with the Ibono, who dwell among the Ekids. The relationship of the Oron with Eket is said to have gone sour when Eket under the regime of Brigadier General U.J. Esuene agreed to be a sub-group of the Ibibio Nation to gain political relevance and advantage. Brig. U.J. Esuene was also said to deny Oron people the opportunity to locate the Exxon Mobil first terminal in Mbo and Effiat

Oron people encountered Western education relatively early compared to their Southern Nigeria counterparts with the establishment of the Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar in 1895 and the Methodist Boys High School, Oron in 1905. These are the oldest schools in the history of Nigeria.