HISTORY OF OGOJA

Brief History Of Ogoja 

Latitude:   6.6584       Lat (DMS)               6° 39' 30N

Longitude: 8.7992       Long (DMS)             8° 47' 57E

Elevation (Feet): 830

Population Est.:  171,901

Zipcode:  550101

Ogoja is a big town in Cross River State, Nigeria.“The name Ogoja” is wildly used in Northern Cross River it is one of the Local Government Area in Cross River Its headquarters is Ogoja town  It has an area of 972 km² and a population of 171,901 at the 2006 census. The people of Ekoi are the major habitants of the city, the town was one of the provinces during pre-colonial independence. It consists of many tribes, which includes: Ishibori (This village has different clans like Uhmuria, Ikaptang, Ikajor, Ishinyema, Ikariku, Imerakorm) and Igoli as the central town. Mbube being one of the major tribes consist of different villages which includes: Odajie, Adagum, Ekumtak, Idum, Ojerim, Egbe,Nkim, Ogberia Ogang & Ogberia Ochoro,Oboso,Benkpe, Edide, Bansan, Aragban etc. their major source of livelihood is subsistence agriculture, basically farming of cassava, yams, palm oil, palm wine etc. Ekajuk, is one of the major clan in Ogoja Local government area. Divided into Ward I and Ward II, and includes major Communities such as Nwang, Ekpogrinya, Esham, Egbong, Nnang, Ewinimba, and Bansara (which are collection of a group of villages).

The city economy is majorly dependent on agriculture, the planting and trading of Yams, Cassava, Corn, Rice Palm oil and many more. Ogoja is home to the Federal College of Science. 

The influence of the early missionaries was significantly felt in the area, thus, Christianity is the predominant religion. The area is also endowed with different cultural value and some of them are revived and modernized to emphasize the cultural heritage of the people.

In aspect of education the Roman Catholic Mission was the first to penetrate the area through Calabar, the Eastern Headquarters of the Church. Thus, between 1906 and 1930, all the communities in Ogoja Local Government Area has felt the impact of the RCM and the Church of Scotland Missions. There are also notable schools like The Saint Thomas Training College established in 1948, Government Technical College which started as PTC in 1950, Holy Child Secondary School Mount Carmel, Annunciation Secondary School. There are also vocational institutes at Igoli, Adagon and Ogboja and the Women Education Center at Mbube.

Ogoja is well blessed with highly tropical climate, well marked by wet and dry seasons. The area is also blessed with food crops and very rich trees of different species. The area is also blessed with large quarry rich with by-product which could be used for industrial and commercial activities.

The oldest Primary school in the area, Saint Benedict’s was established in 1906 by the Roman Catholic Mission.

The Ogoja people have various market such as Ishibori and Ogboja in Ogoja Urban, Odajie, Idum and Ojerim in Mbube, Ogidi, Ukpa and Afrike in Bekwarra and Ndok, Aladim, generally they operate a five-day market.

There is also the the Okpe and Ogoja Ndem markets. Markets such as Ishibori and Ogboja operate daily. Items such as garri, beans, yams, maize and vegetables are all sold here. There are several super markets at Igli and Abakpa as well as several provision stores in all the communities.

OGOJA POLITICAL WARDS AND THEIR PULLING UNITS. 

    Ekajuk I

POLLING UNITS

Playground, Bansara

Playground Egbung

Primary School, Ekwaro

Playground, Ewinimba

Primary School Mfom I

Primary School Mfom Ii

Playground, Ngbunafom

Primary School, Ntara

Playground, Ntara Waterside

Primary School, Eyanjul

Primary School, Emmandack

Health Centre, Nkpakna

Playground, Adigbo

       Ekajuk II

POLLING UNITS

Playground, Eshinjuck

Playground, Esam I

Play Ground, Esam Ii

Playground, Ekpugrinya

Primary School, Nwang

Play Ground, Mbarekul

Play Ground, Egoja Ndim

Playground, Egul

Play Ground, Mbock Junction

In Front Of Egim Ebo, Nwang Ii

Playground, Abuntak

 Mbube East I

PULLING UNITS

 Primary School, Nkim I

Primary School, Nkim Ii

Playground, Ogberia Ogang

Play Ground, Mpang Ogberia-ochoro

St. Peter's Primary School, Ojerim I

St. Peter's Primary School, Ojerim Ii

Playground, Ojerim Ereh

St. Francis Primary School, Ogang-ogberia

Play Ground, Igung-ojerim

  Mbube East II

POLLING UNITS

 Play Ground, Aragbang

Primary School, Benkpe

Playground, Benkpe

Primary School, Egbe I

Primary School,egbe Ii

Play Ground, Egbe-egbudu

Playground, Kesube, Egbe

Mpang Abang Play Ground, Egbe

Play Ground, Oboso Ereh

Primary School, Oboso Aragbang

  Mbube West I

POLLING UNITS 

Playground, Odama Egbudu-ekumtak

Lutheran Primary School, Ekumtak

Playground, Kadama, Ekumtak

Primary School, Mpang Abang Libie Ekumt AkJ

Play Ground, Owarakande Ekumtak

Convent Primary School, Idum

Play Ground, Abi Irruan Idum

Play Ground Mpam Mgbinyi, Idum I

Play Ground, Mpam Atam Idum Ii

Play Ground Abuekpu, Idum

Play Ground, Abuekpu

Market Square, Idum

Play Ground, Mpam Atam, Idum

Play Ground, Mpam Bekwel

  Mbube West II 

POLLING UNITS 

St. Joseph Primary School Bansan

Playground, Bansan

Playground Edide I

Play Ground Edide Ii

Play Ground, Mkpat, Odajie I

Play Ground Mkpat, Odajie Ii

Christ The King Primary School, Odajie

Play Ground Adagom Odajie

Market Square, Odajie

Play Ground, Asaba Odajie

   Nkum Iborr 

POLLING UNITS

St. Vincent Primary School, Alladim

Primary School, Igodor

Playground, Nfekpa, Igodor

Primary School, Ikandagah

Play Ground, Ikabe

Primary School Mbagide

St. Mark's Primary School, Ukpagada I

St. Mark's Primary School Ukpagada Ii

Play Ground Ating Ukpe

Play Ground, Nkpote Ukep

Ating Alladim Playground

Nkum Irede

POLLING UNITS

Playground Aburu Mbede, Ibil I

Playground Aburu Mbede, Ibil Ii

Playground Ishindane, Ibil I

Play Ground Ishindane, Ibil Ii

Primary School, Ibil

Play Ground Itung, Ibil

Play Ground, Ibil

Customary Court Nkum

  Ogoja Urban I

POLLING UNITS

Holy Child Convent Primary School, Agiga I

Holy Child Convent Primary School, Agiga Ii

Holy Child Convent Primary School, Agiga Iii

Garki Okuku Road

St. Ben's Dem Primary School Igoli. I

St. Ben's Dem. Primary School, Igoli. Ii

Maternity Hospital Moniaya

Near B.i.r. Office

Play Ground Ukamusha, Ishibori. I

Play Ground Ikaptang, Ishibori. Ii

St. Andrew's Primary School I

Play Ground, Ishibori

St. Ben's Primary School, Ishibori. I

St. Ben's Primary School, Ishibori. Ii

St. Ben's Primary School, Ishibori. Iii

St. Ben's Pry. Sch. Ishibori

Playground Ishibori

  Ogoja Urban II

POLLING UNITS

Ntol Comprehensive Secondary School Ndok

Ntol Comp. Sec. Sch. / Ndok

Playground, Ndok America

St. Theresa's Primary School Ogboja

St. Theresa's Primary School, Ogbaja

Play Ground Ogboja

Play Ground, Ogboja

Motor Park Abakpa

Play Ground Okende

Boki Road By Mech. Workshop Abakpa

Njerman Lane Abakpa

Play Ground, Adagom