AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPTUAL ISSUES AFFECTING LAND OWNERSHIP/INHERITANCE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF OGBE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY IN AHIAZU MBAISE OF IMO STATE

摘要

The concept of land ownership and inheritance especially among the people of south eastern Nigeria(igboland),right before the colonial period,has always been that of absolute ownership which bestows the holder with the power of alienation.Alienation connotes the totality of the right of disposal over a thing which is not only the most conclusive but also,the most valuable incidence of ownership.This is what gave land inheritance its value.However,over time,there has been a drift in the popular perception of land tenure,ownership/inheritance by the people as a result of the changing economic importance of land.Against this background,this study analyses the conceptual issues affecting land ownership and inheritance among the people of Ogbe community in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State,South-Eastern Nigeria,as it were during the historical/traditional era down to the contemporary times.The study used the anthropological methods,namely key interview,observations,and archival records in collecting its data.Analysis from the study reveals that most aspects of the land laws of the people including land pledging,communal ownership,land sales,inheritance procedure and gift land among others were gradually changing while some have become extinct due to the emerging social,economic and political restructuring of the nation in general and Ogbe in particular.