Pre-Colonial Oraifite
In pre-colonial Oraifite, the Obi performed some economic functions. On the advice of his counselors, he regulated the conduct of trade and fixed a particular day for each of the markets in the town to ensure that no two major markets were held on the same day. It was also the duty of the Obi and his chief priests to inspect the Nkwo market (thelargest market in the town) early, on Nkwo market days to remove charms or juju if any that might have been secretly placed there by the enemies of the town, to harm the people in the market. The obi also ensured that the market people and their property were protected both on their way to and from the market. Traders who could not carry away all the goods they purchased or chose who could not sell all that they wanted to sell on Nkwo market day or any other market day in the town, could keep them at the Obi’s palace till next market day. The Obi of Oraifite, in return for the economic functions he performed, derived a lot of economic benefits in cash, and at times, in kind from his people. He received on a regular basis, presents of food, especially yam, and cocoyam, palm wine, meat and highly valued animal skins particularly chose of tigers, lions and leopards. As noted earlier, he was also given a fair share of the fines paid at the central court over which he presided. He received a sizable proportion of the animals slaughtered at the shrines of the major deities in the town. Any titled man capped by the obi paid ili-ego-naasato (One Naira, eighty kobo) to him in addition to providing him with a fowl, a goat and kola-nuts. According to tradition, Ozo title aspirants had to pay (ihu) homage to the Obi before being allowed to take part in the AfiaOzo ceremony which every ozo titled man must perform on an Nkwo market day before he was recognized as a full member of the Ozotitle society or before he was addressed as Onye-nze (one who had taken the 0zo title). The Obi of Oraifite, like the Oba of Benin and the Obi of Onitsha, had no absolute control over land in the town. The land in Oraifite was communally owned by the people. The Obi was only a trustee of the land, and he ensured that every member of the community was allocated as such of the communal land as could keep him and his family. The Obi orany other member of the community could not alienate any part of the communal land without the consent of the people who owned the land.
The Obi’s Military Functions
In Oraifite, in the pre-colonial period, it was the duty of the Obi todefend the territorial integrity of the town and to protect the people and their property. There was however, no standing army in the town todefend the people against invaders. Consequently, in times of war, all able-bodied men on the orders of the Obi, turned out with their weapons in defense of the fatherland. The citizen army was led by the OgbataOnubawhowas responsible to the Obi for their Military activities. During major wars, mercenaries were often recruited from Ohafia, Edda, Abiriba and Abam in thename of the obi. Among the wars which Oraifite fought, with the help of mercenaries, included the Nnewi-Oraifite war, Oraifite-Akwaukwu war, and Oraifite-Ozubulu war. In negotiating for peace to end a war, the obi co-operated with his leading advisers and the members of the Oqbata-onuba who played an important role, to ensure that a respectable settlement was achieved.