Ewu

Ewu is a Nigerian town situated in Esan Central Local Government Area in the Edo State of Nigeria. The city, an Esan tribe, lies on 200 feet in the plateau region of central Edo State, 100 kilometres north of Benin City, the capital of Edo State, Nigeria. Ewu city comprises the communities of Eguare-Ewu, Ehanlen-Ewu, Ihenwen-Ewu, Uzogholo-Ewu, Ukhiodo-Ewu, Idunwele-Ewu, Eko-Ojeme, Oghodogbor, and Ukpeko Ori. Ewu is bounded in the north by Agbede, in the south-east by Irrua, in the south-west by Ekpoma. The Ewu-born playwright, historian and poet Saintmoses Eromosele described Ewu as 'The Holy City of Commerce, Industry and Hospitality' in his book, The History and Chronicle of Ewu Monarchy: Since 1440. The monarchy of Ewu is believed to have been organized by Oba Ewuare, at about 1460 (Common Era) and was associated with Bini princes and warriors who made it their garrison in their quest to subjugate cotton and fabrics producing Esan tribes, especially the once powerful Uzea kingdom. Prior to the coming of Oba Ewuare in the mid 15th century, the Ewu community was organized and governed by an ancient gerontocracy where a council of the oldest people called Edion administered the various communities that constituted Ewu, independently. But Oba Ewuare of imperial Benin Kingdom overturned the gerontocratic system of administration he met in his conquest of Esan land and enthroned some of his princes as viceroys in its place, and a Benin general Ozaine (a tradition renders his name as "Oza" became a viceroy of the Oba in Ewu and thus first Onojie of Ewu kingdom. These princes of Benin Empire checked the frequent rebellion and insubordination of the ancient, once powerful Uzea kingdom in Esanland, and co-opted the Esan kingdoms into the then fast-expanding Benin Empire., Notwithstanding the origin of the Benin Empire occupation of Ewu in about 1460, Ewu people have various accounts of oral tradition which trace their pre-Benin-Empire-occupation existence to time immemorial.