HIGH COURTS

ABA HIGH COURT

CALABAR HIGH COURT

ENUGU HIGH COURT

ONITSHA HIGH COURT

UMUAHIA HIG COURT

UMUAHIA MAGISTRATE COURT

NATIVE COURTS

ABA-NA-CHAZU-NATIVE COURT

AGBAJA DISTRICT COURT

AGBAJADC

IGBERE NATIVE COURT

WESTERN ISU NATIVE COURT

OBOHIA NATIVE COURT

UGWU-NA-AGBO NATIVE COURT

Before the creation of the Ministry, most of the functions given the new Ministry were performed by the Lands Department and the Survey Department respectively under the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Development was an amalgam of the two Departments. The Ministry had three Divisions, the Lands, Survey and the Town Planning Divisions.

The Ministry, through its executive divisions, was responsible for the control and management of state lands, acquisition of land for Public use, registration of all deeds for the state land and all private land acquisitions. It was also responsible for the provision of maps and plans for urban and rural development. The Ministry provides maps and plans needed by other arms of the Government. It was also responsible for town and country planning, and preparation of Regional Master Plan for development.

Records of the Ministry in the custody of the National Archives are mainly general correspondence covering the activities of the Ministry.

On the 16th July, 1949, the Eastern House of Assembly adopted a memorandum which set out to replace the Native Administration sysfem by a system of Local Government based broadly on the English model. The first Eastern Regional Local Government law was passed in 1950. Since then other Local Government Laws were introduced i~cluding the Law of 1955

Prior to 1st of September, 1956, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was responsible, among other things, for local government matters. On that date a new Ministry of Local Government was established and most of the miscellaneous functions hitherto assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs transferred thereto. Thereafter the Ministry of Local Government became responsible for Local Government affairs only.
The Ministry had three Divisions, the Administration and Political Division, responsible for Local goverament Bodies, Provincial and Divisional Boundaries, Recognition of Chiefs Law 1956, Land Acquisition by Local Government Bodies, Local Government Laws, Elections and numerous other matters relating to Local Government Affairs. The Finance Division was responsible for local pay and allowances, Audit Reports, Contracts, Estimates, Loans grants, tenders and numerous others. While the Personnel Division was responsible for Local Government Service Board, Local Government Association, Joint Consultative Council, Trade Unions and Local Government Bodies, Training, Regional Efficiency Test 'and Local Government Staff Regulations.

Prior to the creation of the Port Harcourt Municipality, a Port Harcourt Council was established, by the Port Harcourt Town Council Ordinance of 1948. A Township Advisory Board was also constituted. The Town Council became operative on 1st January, 1949. In 1955 the Port Harcourt Municipality was created. It had a Mayor and a number of Departments

Records of the Municipality are mainly general correspondence on the general activities of the Municipal Council.

The Igbo-Etiti District Council was created on 1st April, 1954. The authority of the Council covered twenty-eight Local Council Areas. The functions of the Council, as spelt out in the Eastern Region Local Government Law of 1950 and the Subsequent amendments, included, responsibility for primary and secondary education, health care delivery, rural postal services, markets, slaughter houses and the maintenance of rural roads and bridges.

The Councils records which are mainly general correspondence also include judicial records from 1928-1945.

MINISTRY OF WORKS (EASTERN NIGERIA)

Until October, 1954, the Ministry was called the Ministry of Development, but in September, 1956,
the Ministry reverted to its old name, the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry was responsible for all activities of the Public Works Department except those relating to roads, bridges, foreshores and piers, for which the ministerial responsibility rests in the Ministry of Transport. It had concurrent responsibility with the Federal government, for electricity, gas, professional qualifications and water power, while it was the agent for the Federal Public Works Department and the Post and Telegraphs Department, excluding the allocation of telephones.

The records of the Ministry are mainly general correspondence relating to all aspects of its activities.

DEVELOPMENT FINANCE COMPANY

The Industrial and Agricultural Company (IAC) Limited was established as a joint venture between the Eastern Nigerian Government and the Commonwealth development Corporation in 1959. It was
established to assist in the Industrialisation of the Region.

In October 1966, the Company changed its name to Development Finance Company (Eastern Nigeria) Limited. Again in July 1967, the Company changed its name to Development Finance Company Limited. In 1977, the Company folded up.

The Agency was established by Decree No. 39 of 24th June, 1970. This Decree ousted the Interim Administrative Council Decree No.1 of 1967. and the 1967 Amendments of the Decree. The Eastern States Interim Asset and Liabilities Agency was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to dispose of the assets and liabilities of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria then split into three states, East Central, Cross River and River States.

The assets to be disposed of include the assets of the former Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (1948-1967), (E.N.D.C.), and the assets and liabilities of the defunct Agricultural Development Corporation (A.D.C.), 1970-1972. Records entered here include records of the Agency itself. The Agency inherited the records of the former corporations to enable it carry out its statutory functions. All the records are described as ESIALA RECORD GROUP

In 1846 the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was established in Calabar. The Mission later spread its activities into the hinterland of the Eastern Provinces. In 1900, the United Free Church of Scotland merged with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland which was known in these areas as the Chur-eh of Scotland Mission (CSM). The Mission was responsible for the missionary and educational activities of the Church in many parts of Igbo and Efik lands. In 1953, the United Free Church of Scotland was succeeded by the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.

As was.the custom of the Missionary bodies then the administrative records of the United Free Church of Scotland and its antecedent were deposited in the Church of Scotland, Department of Overseas Mission in Scotland. Only a few volumes of the 19th century records of the Mission are preserved in the repository of the National Archives of Nigeria, Enugu Branch.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES CALABAR

The Calabar Office of the National Archives of Nigeria in Cross River State of Nigeria was estab lished in March, 1986.

The office is open to the public from Monday - Friday between the hours of 8.00 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. except on public holidays when the office remain closed. Bona fide searchers are expected to bring along with them letters of introduction or identification and passport photographs which is affixed to the registration card.

The records holdings of the Calabar Archives at present cover the period from 1890 to 1986. Only record grouped are presently open to searchers.

CONTACT ADDRESS: The Director, National Archives, 5 Esinghi Street,
Amika Layout
Calabar.
Tel:- 087-223962

The Calabar District was first created 1906 when the Lagos Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria were merged and Provinces and Districts created. In 1914 when the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated, Calabar remained a district made up of six clans, Efik, Odot, Udet, Ekoi, Okoyong and Ejagham. Each clan was administered by a Native Authority which replaced the old Native Court System. In 1954 following a new administrative reorganisation, the Calabar Urban District was replaced by the Calabar Division. The new division was divided into Calabar Urban District, Western Rural District and Central Rural District Council.

The Calabar District Records are part of the records transferred to the National Archives at Enugu. Coded- CALPROF. They are mainly general correspondence but include some cartographic and pic. torial materials. Among the maps is the one compiled by late Herbert Macaulay in 1890.

Other interesting cartographic materials include maps of the country traversed by the Okigwi Northern Hinterland Expedition in 1903, Aba District, 1903, and Yoruba from the Colony of Lagos to BORNU.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR AND PRODUCTIVITY