DECLARED MONUMENTS IN NIGERIA

Chief Ochu Kalu's House at Ndi Okereke Abam, near Bendel:
The Building is considered locally to be old: it was certainly erected before the Aro expedition of 1901 - 02. The approximate dates suggested by various members of the family vary greatly, but the general layout of the building and traditions linked with some of its rooms indicate its ancient origin.

Due to the poor quality of the local building earth, the original construction has been in many places replaced or restored on the original plan and this makes dating still more difficult.

Finally, certain irregularities in the plan seem to indicate that the present building has grown gradually and not necessarily has a homogeneous conception.

The core the building and its most striking feature is the central court, a fairly regular rectangle about 21x26ft. enclosed by four wings (about 12ft) This uniform width is due to the structural limitations of the roof construction although the east and south blocks happen to be divided into two paralleled rows of rooms. The roofs of the wings over hang only slightly the outer walls of the building, but project seven feet over the central courtyard thus forming four veranda roofs which collect rain-water into the central impluvium, and bordered with stones.

The water is distributed to the outside by an underground channel. This plan bears certain resemblances to similar courtyards in Onitsha and Benin, but it must be remembered when considering the traditions of Benin-Onitsha relationship, that the groups West of Cross River State have Owerri rather than Onitsha affinities. The most cherished and jealously guarded part of the Mgbaja is a small room in the east corner of the South wing, where ritual sacrifices took place. The room has three doors; the main door leading from the central court; a door to the ceremonial court and providing access for the Priest to his room in the east wing; and a door above the sacrificial alter at the back of the room leading to the cell in which the victim was kept.

The structure of the building is earthen daub on a wattle frame work. The caves of the impluvium roofs earthen work and the ridges by forked poles set inside the partition walls and part of their structural frame. There are three decorative doors, two of them richly adorned in the manner typical of Ohafia and imitating (not structurally) the panned appearance of the framed doors. In the entrance room in the West wing there is a beautifully carved post supporting the ridge beam and adorned with antelope horns.

Declaration:
Declared Monuments on 19th March, 1963.