The administration of Umuaka is not the sole responsibility of the paramount chief. In fact the chiefs and elders perform their job with great assistance from the Umuaka Town Development Union, UTDU. This sharing of responsibility has not always been easy. To understand the progress of Umuaka we must understand Umuaka Town Development Union. But what is UTDU? What is its evolutionary history? What are its accomplishments? Its failures? Who are the personalities that have guided this organization?

The Umuaka Town Development Union was founded in the early 1940's with late Chief Paul Okoro Okwara-ojiaku as its first Chairman for a decade (Mazi Ojiaku, 1988). Along with other founding members such as late Frank Nwaka, Late Chief Durugbor I, late Nwanyanwu Mbaekwe, late Teacher Nwachuwabor, late Chief John Nwachukwu, etc. Late Paul Okoro-Ojiaku and his associates fashioned the UTDU into a formidable organization that contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the community.

One of the major accomplishments of the early Union was the development of our schools up to the standard six level. According to late Chief Basil C. Okoro (B.C. Okoro is an outstanding educator who served the UTDU in different capacities for more than a decade). Umuaka and Amaigbo had contested fiercely and bitterly for the location of the parish headquarters. Amaigbo won the battle and for a few years the priest visited Umuaka from there. By 1947, Umuaka became a parish under Father T.J. Marking.

Another major accomplishment of the early UTDU was the peaceful resolution of the land conflict/crisis between late Pa Chief Ojinnaka I and Umuaka, a crisis that threatened to destroy the town. According to Chief B.C. Okoro and others, it was late Chief Paul Okoro Okwara-Ojiaku, Ojinnaka's right-hand brother, who skillfully intervened and quelled the crisis. Umuaka became strengthened from this as it was able to purchase the land area now housing all of St. Mary's and Holy Rosary Schools. Ordinarily, the land area stretching from the Afor Market to the Community Hospital belonged to Uba originally.

In 1952, Peter Uzoma became leader of the Union and Mr. B.C. Okoro, its first educated auditor and record keeper. Towards the end of 1950's the mantle of Chairmanship fell upon Chief Luke Ahanotu while B.C. Okoro became the financial secretary. The single most important achievement of Ahanotu's administration was the birth of St. Saviour's Secondary School. Construction of St. Saviour's was marked with major problems. First each of the seven sister towns (Nnenasa) wanted the high school in its borders. But Father Dugan who was in charge of the construction of Catholic schools in the Diocese sided with Umuaka for its population, geographic size and central location. But internal problems arose about land.

Mr. Casimir Nwosu of Isiozi fought Umuaka over land. Chairman Ahanotu and the educated elite of Umuaka at that time, including late Chief James Nworji, late Chief D.C. Nwokedi, late Chief Nwanyanwu Mbaekwe, to name a few, mounted a formidable force. According to financial secretary, B.C. Okoro, Chairman Ahanotu personally financed the purchase of land from Casimir Nwosu particularly.

As a result of these early accomplishments of the Town Union, Umuaka has continued to forge ahead developmentally. Akatriots in Different cities in Nigeria organized branch UTDU's and were collectively called "Abroadians". Fund raising during the Biafra War led to the creation of Zone C, an organ for coordinating information, and late Mr. Mathias Amadike assumed its leadership. Meanwhile, the chairmanship of the UTDU fell on Mr. Nathaniel Iwuanyanwu (Akamere Bookshops).

In recent years, fund raising has taken a new dimension. Overseas citizens of Aka-land have mounted a united effort. In the USA, branch UTDU's are organizing fund raisers. The most recent and perhaps most successful to date took place in Dallas, Texas on August 6, 1994, where the Oghu Festival and Akah women dance attracted over 600 spectators and generated over five thousand dollars earmarked for the improvement of the Umuaka Community Hospital.

The success of the UTDU. Went beyond obtaining land and raising fund. As one problem was resolved, another cropped up. For instance, in the Biafra era, the scarcity of food was a problem. Food relief from the World Council Of Churches (WCC), and the Catholic Relief Organization, Caritas, arrived in Biafra and Umuaka in small quantities. Its distribution led to a rift between Reverend Father Bede Onuoha and Umuaka citizens.

Result? Umuaka created a Relief committee to ensure equitable and impartial distribution. This committee devised the magic formula called 3:2:1 which has persisted till today and is likely to remain a permanent fixture in Umuaka affairs. What this formula does is to assure equity both in problem solving as well as in rewards.

It divides Umuaka into three groups according to population. Group A consists of Uba, Isiozi and Amiyi. Each of these takes three shares of everything that is distributed in Umuaka. Group C consists of Amafor and Obeakpu and each of these receives one share. The rest of the town - Achara, Amakor, Ibele, Ugbele, and Umuele make up Group B, and each of them receives two shares. This formula has virtually wiped out conflicts between villages.

At the State Government level, political conspiracy and manoeuvrering by Amandugba, Amurie and Ekwe further galvanized Umuaka which spoke with one voice. As a result, late Mr. Herbert Dikeocha was propelled to the State House to represent Umuaka. Events moved rapidly.

Spearheaded by the Akah Town Development Union, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the NPN (National Party of Nigeria) recognized Umuaka as a vibrant economic and political center and consequently built a modern post office, an ultra-modern police station, and also authorized the community's first commercial bank (United Bank for Africa). In addition, water and electricity were approved.

Umuaka became the headquarters of the Njaba Local Government Area with Okwudor, Atta, Nkume, Amucha and Umutanze as member towns. When the Sam Mbakwe administration is Imo State attempted to remove the headquarters from Umuaka, the UTDU took the State Government to court. The case was up when the Federal Government of Nigeria was overthrown by the military and the new regime abolished all local government arrangements.

From this brief but detailed history furnished by Chief B.C. Okoro, a long time leader in the development affairs of Akahland, it is clear that Umuaka Town Development Union (UTDU) has always championed Akah affairs.