A CITY IN A VILLAGE: A CASE STUDY OF ABARIBA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY

This is the account of my latest visit to a community in the South East of Nigeria. Abiriba Autonomous Community as it is often called today, I was made to understand is the most beautiful village in the whole of Nigeria.

It is tagged Nigeria’s “Small London” by analysts after the order of the great Zik of Africa in the 50s who first named It so when he paid a visit there during one of his many campaign trips to the South East and it still remains so till date.

Suffice to say at this point that you may want to find out about this special community that is so accorded such a status in the committee of autonomous villages that runs through Nigeria.

To begin with, Abiriba is a village located in Ohafia Local Government Area in Abia State. It is a pride to the very people who live there as they do their business with ease and all the entertainment philosophies that make city life special are existent there.

Indeed,the community is a master class of infrastructural opulence and with what I can tell you, as a community, it is a place to behold with your family and friends.

Funny enough, I have heard of beautiful and well planned structures too at Mambilla Hills in Taraba State but sincerely, non can be compared to the palance of beauty seen in this place. I can confidently tell you that this place is synonymous to the masterpieces of old Athens, Epidaurus

It's people are highly accommodating and from what I have seen here today, the age long truths that has goes round that these sets of people are cannibals who feed on strangers is nothing but a fallacy of the highest order or have become an antiquated belief system.

The Abariba community has become a dome for business men who see it as a community that carry the rustic presence of peace,village life and city presence with the vigour of hope.

I believe you might want to see the Ogbuefi dance drama troupe in action.

The place is a place to be;a home away from home.

YoursSincerely