Iman Under Colonial Rule (1914-1960)

The colonial administration in Iman area, like in other parts of Ibibio society of Akwa Ibom in Nigeria, led to the overthrow of the indigenous authority including the governmental machinery of law making and enforcement. This happened because the British colonial authorities abrogated many governmental institutions considered as being repugnant to the foundations of English law. One of the ways the colonial agents achieved its purpose was to rule indirectly through indigenous personnel. The policy was such that they appointed people of their choice and gave them certificate of recognition called “warrant”. The warrant entitled the holder to sit in the court from time to time to judge cases. It also empowered the warrant chief to assume, within his locality enormous powers. At the initial stage, the native courts were accorded executive, legislative and judicial powers.  To achieve the desired goal, the colonial authorities grouped Iman in Uyo and Eket districts. These districts were very wide and, to some extent, impinged on the existing lineage bond, alienated the people and generated conflicts among the alien groups that were grouped together. Also, new methods of taxation, policing, provision of social services such as education and health, infrastructure, etc., were introduced by the colonial authorities. Despite the oppressive nature of colonial rule, it led to the introduction of social infrastructure in the areas of education, health, etc. The paper benefits a great deal from archival records such as colonial intelligence reports, assessment reports and hand-over notes as sources of data. The author adopts historical analytical method in the writing.

Keywords: Colonial Administration, Indirect Rule, Warrant Chiefs, Native Courts, Iman Society.