HISTORY OF ISUOCHI

ISUOCHI 

Isuochi is located at Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, surrounded by sister towns that came together to make up its Local Government, “Umunneochi”. These are Umuchieze, Nneato and then Isuochi. Isuochi covers an area of about nine hundred and fifty square kilometer (950sq-km) with a population of over 2 million people. It is bounded in the east by Lokpa (Umuchieze) in Umunneochi Local Government of Abia State, Ugwueme, Awgunta and Achi in Enugu State. On the west boundary are Owerre–Ezukala in Anambra State, and Ihube (Okigwe L.G.A) in Imo state situated on its boundary with Ibii stream as the border. 

The people of Isuochi are naturally tall and huge. The tallest man in Nigeria, giant Alakuku happens to come from Isuochi. The people are hospitable, industrious and are predominantly peasant farmers; the men cultivate yam, while the women cultivate cassava and akidi. They are mostly Christians while some very few are traditional worshippers called “Onyemegbule”.

The major occupation of the Isuochi people is agriculture and black-smiting. The main agricultural food crops are cassava, yam, black beans and cocoyam. The Cash crops are palm nuts and cashew nuts. These also constitute the foundation of industrial activities in the area and there are also local stone mining activities centered on stones, and clay and pottery activities.

The people of Isuochi are descendants of Ochi, a warrior and wrestler who in search of a "healthy, stoneless and windswept” area for wrestling and other forms of sport, settled at Nkwoagu in the heart of the area called Isuochi. Ochi had a son named Isu who had two sons Ezi and Ihite. Ezi Isuochi is made up of Umuelem, Achara, Lomara, Amuda and Umuaku. Ihite Isuochi is made up of Ndiawa, Ihie, Mbala and Ngodo. These are the nine villages of Isuochi community. The community shares things in the following order - Umuelem, Ndiawa, Achara, Amuda, Umuaku, Lomara, Ihie, Mbala, Ngodo and. The Isuochi community uses the next of kin formula to share the kola nut. For example, any kola nut from Umuelem goes through any Ezi Isu representative to Isuochi. The same applies to any kola from Ihite Isu. 

Isuochi is a home of hospitality that accommodates visitors from different part of the world of which they have a way of preparing a special delicacy for their visitors, friends, relations and well-wishers which is known as iwu or tapioca (Isuochi welcome). Isuochi is a home for ALL.