IMPACT OF COLONIALISM ON THE UZERE PEOPLE
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Justification of Research
Aims and Objectives
The Scope of the Study
Research Methodology
Literature Review
Chapterization
Endnotes
CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ISOKO AND UZERE
The Geography of Isoko Land
The Origin of the Uzere People
Traditional Socio-Political Organization of Uzere
Government of the Uzere
The Ovie
Customary Mode of Seletion And Ascension to the Throne
Qualificaiton
Presentation
Crowning
Death of the Ovie
Otota of User
Odio-Ologbo
Oletu – Ologbo
Sub-Community Council
Village Council
Administration of Justice
Cultural Activities
Burial Rites amongst the Uzere People
Eni Festival
Marriage Institution
The Religious Belief of the Uzere People
Economic Activities
Endnotes
CHAPTER THREE
The Advert of the British
British Occupation of Uzere land
The Era of Treaty Making
Conquest of Uzere land
Indirect Rule in Uzere Land
Taxation, Forced Labour and Slavery In Uzere Land
Christian Missions under Colonial Rule In Uzere Land
Endnotes
CHAPTER FOUR
Colonial Rule and Social Institutions In Usere
Ethical Demands or Cultural Pressures?
The Establishment of Schools By The British
Lost Of Power by the Uzere People under British Rule
Effects of Colonialism on Mission in Nigeria Positive Effects
Formal education
Negative Effects of Colonialism
Endnotes
CHAPTER FIVE
Colonial Rule and Economic Activities in Uzere the
Pre-Colonial Economy
European Trading Companies
Effects of Colonial Rule on the Economy of the Uzere People
Roads Development in Isoko land
Market Development
Currency
Trade and Prices
Oil Economy
Endnote
Conclusion
Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
Women constitutes a significant factor in the economy of any region and the Isoko region is not left out. The Isoko region which is in the tropical rain forest area of Niger Delta, experiences high rainfall and high humidity, located entirely within the mangrove and fresh water areas of the zone rely heavily on fishing and food crop farming as the major occupation.1 The Isokos are a unique and delightful people, a distinct ethnic group made of seventeen clans namely:
Aviara
Ellu
Emede
Emevor
Enive/okpolo
Erowha/Umeh
Igbide
Irri
Iyede
Ofagbe
Oleh
Olomoro
Okpe
Owhe
Oyede
Ozoro
Uzere
According to a census conducted in 1999,isoko are a total of about 500,000 people.
The Isoko farming population is formed by a large population of women. The main economic activity is food crop farming and the staple food crops includes cassava and yams.3 There is also the widespread production of palm oil and palm kernels.4 The Isoko women engage in trade of foods crops for cash to meet other basic household needs.5 On market days, it is common to see Isoko women peddling their assorted goods around neighbouring villages.6
The Isoko people never found a single social or political unit; local communities remain autonomous.7 Both men and women are grouped into age grades, each with particular responsibility.8 The duties of the women’s grades include the ritual surrounding fertility and childbirth and control of the market. Young boys perform single communal tasks; adult men do major community work and are the fighting and the executive unit of the village; older men form the nucleus of the village council.9 Membership in certain title organization is available on payment of fees and is an important source of political authority.10
Parents perceptions of the benefits of male and female influenced their preferences due to gender discrimination. The Isoko society basically is a patriarchal and patrilineal system characterized by the dominance of men virtually in all spheres of life. Women in traditional Isoko society were expected to be “sub-servant” to their husbands.11 Men’s views on family matters and production took the upper hand over that of women.12 The social norms which supported these gender relations were culturally transmitted from one generation to another through the process of socialization.13 From childhood a girl internalizes these social norms, including those that defined women’s status as sub-ordinate to those of men. Female autonomy was virtually non-existent.14


Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim and objectives of the study include:
i.    To examine the origin of the political structure of the Isoko people
ii.    To also examine the roles played by women in the political development of the Isoko society
iii.    To assess how the roles of the women affected the political organization of the Isoko people
iv.    To examine the events that led to the changing role of women in the polity of the Isoko society.
v.    To examine how the political growth of the Isoko society affected their organization; socio-economic and religious organization.
vi.    To examine the general overview of the political, social, economic and religious organization of the Isoko society.
Scope of the Study
The study covers the whole of the Isoko society from the time of origin till the end of the pre-colonial period. In this work, the development of the political structure organization of the Isoko society is addressed. To place the work in proper perspective, it commences with the origin of the Isoko society, the origin of the political sstructure/organization of the Isoko society in the pre-colonial period and also the economic development of the Isoko people within the period. This enables us to examine the changing roles of women in the polity of the Isoko society within the stipulated period. The study examines the impact of the changing roles of women in the polity of the Isoko society. The study starts with the tradition of origin of the Isoko society and then to the overall organization (socio-economic, political and religious) of the Isoko society and laying analysis on the roles played by women in the development or underdevelopment of the Isoko society.
Methodology
In writing the essay a number of works have been consulted which range from primary sources to secondary sources. A good number of past essays, journal articles, newspapers and textbooks were consulted. The bulk of these works depends mostly on oral interview local tradition. Also contacted is the Ozoro and Emede community of the Isoko society, and journals by better life programme an arm of the local government. This publication, however, gives attention to the challenges of women in influencing the polity of the Isoko society and also the various roles played by women that led to the various organization of the Isoko people. It also looks at the segregation and discrimination faced by women of the Isoko society and how their reactions affected the course of the organisastion of the Isoko society.
Literature Review
Various people have appreciated the roles women play in the economy and have attempted to find out about its impacts whether positive or negative, its cultural perceptions through researches. It is for this purpose the present study had purpose the present study had undertaken a review of the relevant literature on the changing role of women in the polity of Isoko people and Nigeria at large. It would be of need to seek to understand the current status of women in Nigeria, using the Isoko society as a point of reference. Books consulted are not limited to works on economic development, social perceptions and gender, discrimination but emphasis also placed on books written by scholars on the segregation of women from education and the subordination of women to men.
Olufemi Ekundare’s An Economic History of Nigeria’s helps to buttress the gender segregation in the apportioning of duties in the Isoko society, stating wholly the duties of the Isoko women been primarily child bearing and control of market activities while the men were basically in charge of the overall welfare of the society. It is important to note that politically in the Isoko society women were seen as weaklings and hence, the less responsibility granted them in the political set up of the Isoko society.
Jessa Omokinioue Morrison (nr) expatiates on the irrelevance of the women folks in the political organization of the Isoko people” in the journal of Statistical Analysis, 16 where he further illustrates the gender value of both the men and women. Sexes of the Isoko xxxxx. The women of the Isoko society are seen as another acquired additional property of the man and as that does not allow the women any extended privileges besides producing and taking care of the men’s children and marketing the farm produce of the family and hence, the women are regarded as “sub-servants” to the men,
Also relevant is K.O. Dike’s book titled Trade and Political in the Niger Delta17. The book also helps in revealing the origin and system of trade and politics in the Niger Delta in relation to the Isoko people. The book expresses the low profile roles given to women in the political organization of the Isoko people. the book expresses the low profile roles given to women in the political organization of the Isoko society where women were not allowed to partake in the political formation or participation of the Isoko peope; been that they are under their various spouses (ie. The men and so should allow their husbands oversee all affairs of the family both internally and externally.
Dike, made obvious observations about the role of women in the commercial sector of the Isoko people, referring to women as marketers of the land. The further states that it is in one of the primary duties of the women to market the farm produce of the family and make gains that would hence, assist the family’s welfare.  It was in the economic organization of Isoko people that the women were more noticed and seen playing leading roles.
Reginald Mba in his article, “women as economy pillars of Niger Delta”, provides information on the growth of the economy of Niger Delta in relation to the Isoko society. In his article, he praised the women for the economic development and organisation of the Isoko society and Niger Delta been that they are the primary figures when it comes to the trading aspect of the Isoko society. The position of women in Isoko society can hardly be described powerless. Women here constitute the nearest thing to any idea of a civil society, removed from the main-stream of the male dominated political establishment. It confers immense power on them, and they have done arexxx deeds with it. In 1927-1928, they threw the whole region into pandemonium and made life difficult for the colonial administration. The association of woman has been known to curse kings on their throne. It has compelled kings to trek great distances. There is no political authority in the area however powerful he may be that does not deal continuously with issues that affect women as a body.
The Isoko society did not allow women to be famous for great works of art, which is not the same as saying that they do not know about arts and crafts. For probably ecological reasons, however, certain crafts and skills such as iron smelting, bronze works, the manufacture glass beads, the terra cotta tradition, the textile industry, etc, are generally absent. Of course cloth weaving had trived in the Aboh area and had spread subsequently to parts of Isoko and Urbhobo  areas; but it had hardly established itself before cloths of European manufacturers stultified the industry. It is however in the domains of canoe making, salt production, ceramics, and the technological basis of the one palm complex of industries that the Ijaw, the Itsekiri, Urhobo and Isoko have proved their best skills.
From the foregoing, it is clear that many scholastic works on the segregation of women folks in the Niger Delta region, economic importance of women in relation to the Isoko society and the general roles of women in the society-economic, religious and political organization of Isoko society and Niger Delta at large have given different views on the subject of discuss but none has really thrown enough light on the changing roles of women in the polity of the Isoko people. hence, this study is justified because it looks at the changing roles of women in the polity of the Isoko people from an angle no one has research intensely into, and also trying to relate the roles of women as at the time of colonial role to the present day administration.
There would therefore, be more concentration on the evolution of the changing roles of women in the separate organization sector of the Isoko society and how it affected the development or underdevelopment of the Isoko society and Niger Delta region at large.
 CHAPTERIZATION
1.    Chapter one will deal with aims and objectives of the study, the scope of the study, the methodology and the literature review.
2.    Chapter two will deal with the emergence and background of Isoko prior to colonialism.
3.    Chapter three which is centered on historical development, deals with the area of agriculture, deals with the areas of agriculture, cultural model style of dressing in Isoko and marriage tradition in Isoko, traditional religion in Isoko and the Isoko traditions of hospitality to non indigenes
4.    Chapter four will examine the role of women in the polity of Isoko and challenges, social and economic and political impacts.
5.    Chapter five which is the concluding part of the work summarizes it
Endnotes
1.    A.D. Nzemeke and E.O. Erhagbe (eds) Nigerian Peoples and Cultures; 2nd Edition (Benin: Mindex Press, Ugbowo, 2002), p. 104.
2.    http://isokonewyori.or/history.html (accessed May 2, 2017).
3.    Jessa O.Morrison, “The Origin of Isoko People”, The Journal of Statistical Analysis, 2016, p. 2.
4.    Ibid., p. 3
5.    Ibid.,
6.    Ibid.,
7.    O. Ekundare, An Economic History of Nigeria, (London: Methian, 1973), p. 66.
8.    Ibid., p. 68
9.    Ibid.,
10.    Ibid., p. 69.
11.    Interview with Chief Solomon Macaulay 72 years, farmer, and chief of Emede Clan, at Emede on 5 May, 2017.
12.    Ibid.,
13.    Interview with Mrs. Evvelyn Othigba 56 years, teacher (Edo College) on 7 May, 2017.
14.    Ibid.,
15.    Ekundare, An Economic History of Nigeria, p. 67.
16.    Morrison, “The Origin of Isoko People”,  p. 3.
17.    K.O. Dike Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta (London: Oxford University Press, 1956), p. 102.
18.    Reginald Mba “Women as economic pillars of Niger Delta”, The Journal of Women Rights, 2002, p. 6.