Introduction and Description Of Umuimeka

Umuimeka has its geographical location in formerly Oforola community but now in Olaukwu Community Owerri West local government area, Imo State eastern part of Nigeria It takes about 30 minutes to travel from Umuimeka to owerri town by bus. From Health center of Ola Ukwu where the google map stopped in the community,(During the time of this publication, 2011) it takes about 17 electric pole gap to umuimeka and 13 pole gap from Olaukwu park to umuimeka. It also takes about 5-6 minutes of a normal trekking from the park. Umuimeka is one of the smallest villages in Olaukwu with well arranged buildings surrounded by trees that add to the serene village atmosphere and are generous with their calm and refreshing free breezes, therefore fashioned Umuimeka to become a gentle village. The main road comes from olaukwu running through Obosima. The nearest village is located some 2-3 poles from the village while the nearest community named Oforola is located some 24-26 poles from the village.

To experience the true flavour of the village and to describe its most important features, it might be best to put oneself in the position of some one coming from Oboagwa(the nearest village) on his right hand side as he walks towards the village, runs the road leading to Umuoduta and Umundom in the village. The houses in the left hand side of the road leading to Obosima are where Umujaraogu resides, featuring at the beginning at the left hand side the only church in Umuimeka then named Mountain on fire, two shops where cement and provision are being sold- situated in front of Ugwuegbulam’s compound, a newly built borehole- situated in the same compound mentioned above, another shop situated in the front of Anokam’s compound, the very first shop among the mentioned shops above that initially combines provision and bar drink but now mainly focus on bar business situated in a building at the front of Obiwumma’s compound, just a 7-6 yards distance from the shop is the “Obi onye okonye”- the palace of the eldest man in the village situated in the same compound mentioned above.

Please just follow me as we go back a little opposite the shop situated at Anokam’s compound, there is a roundabout build by the village youths situated at the centre of the village which forms a triangle that separates Umujaraogu and Umuoduta, the shop opposite this roundabout serves as a welcome reminder and centre of current events of a true pleasure. As we go to the road leading to Umuoduta and Umundom at the right hand side after Ohuruogu’s compound is the first ‘well’ build by the whites which is first village water source but no longer in use now, as we move a little bit in the left hand side is a provision shop, as we raise up our face we will see a mono pump generally called ‘Man power’ by the villagers situated at the front of Osuji’s compound this man power is also build by the white men which now serve as a general water source for the whole villagers.

Someone standing in Umuimeka can see little of Oboagwa the neighboring village.  Close to the village were several boundaries which separate Umuimeka from other villages and communities. In the south is the boundary between Umuimeka and Oboagwa, in the southeast lies the boundary between Umuimeka and Amaku village (through umuimeka farm), in the East is the boundary between Umuimeka and Avu community, in the West lies the boundary between Umuimeka and Umuadu village, and then, in the North is the boundary of Umuimeka village and Obosima community.

With all these boundaries, Umuimeka made the Earth to complete perfectly its round plan figure.
As we are returning from these boundaries we will remember that Umuimeka are patrilineal, and the live in compounds of varying sizes depending on the size of the lineage that makes up the compound. We also saw goats, fowls, barking dogs and some farm products, this really shows that Umuimekans rear goats, fowls, dogs which they use as security and also for hunting, the farm product shows that they do farm that is some of them are farmers.