Oro Religion

[1][2] Like their Ibibio and Efik neighbours, the Oron people recognized a hierarchy of a spiritual power culminating in the Great, Omnipotent, Omniscient and all-powerful Abazi Odung Oyong (God of the Sky).

[3] The special attributes of this God were that he lived in the sky from where he saw and judged all human actions; He is regarded as the creator of the everything, rewarding all good deeds and punishing bad ones, also being the source of life and death and manifested himself daily among the people.

However, this Omnipotent God was far removed physically and manifested himself through equally powerful representatives who are also designated Abazi.

Among the best ones whose influences went beyond their villages were 'Abanga Nlak Umume', 'Atiabang Okuku Township', 'Awai Uboro Oro', 'Ukit-eti Eyo Abasi', 'Atakpa Udung-Uko', 'Okpokim Edikor Eyiba', 'Enweme of Uba, Ubotong people', 'Etifit of Eyukut all in Enwang', 'Olughu Ubuoho of Eyotong'[7] Olughu Mkpok Okwong of Okossi, and 'Otokpor of Udesi' and so on.

Taken together, the Oron entire religious system of the Supreme God, the lesser god, the ancestors spirit, the various Olughu and Mbiams, the Ndem etc, served as an essential ingredients in the maintenance of order, law and social control as well as unifying influences among villages and clans that made up Oron Nation.

Oron Traditional Ritual Vase