OUR FORGOTTEN CULTURAL VALUES (South Eastern Nigeria in perspective)

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The natural society can be described as a system where ethics, tradition, culture and norms are interwoven. It was a system where everyone lived as brothers and sisters, where all families were regarded as one. The expression of love and concern for one another were common. Men interacted and mingled freely with each other , incidence of cruelty, wickedness to one another was rare because of the fear of erim (an irrevocable blood relationship in a linage that prohibited doing evil to one another in a community), who judged on such issues unquestioned. Therefore, murder cases, killings by poisoning were not openly announced because of the negative consequences that perpetrators of such heinous crime suffered. There was an instance of an old man who was caught red-handed as the one behind the early and mysterious deaths of some promising youths in the community. The killer was found guilty and banished after being judged at Isi-ala (shrine) which was the ancestral village shrine which every member of the village held allegiance to in the land. The old man was lifted and carried shoulder high to his mothers kinsmens village (Umere-nne), where he eventually died of frustration. His corpse was brought back to his village and buried unsung like a fowl. Secondly, the curse of ancestors may harm and kill perpetrators of heinous crimes in most cases by the road side near the village for committing abomination. However, these are cultural and traditional events and beliefs that happened several decades ago when life was much easier and there was relative peace in communities. At this period, a mans success was measured by the number of plots or acres of yam barn he possessed or amount of sales made throughout the year, his agility at climbing a number of palm trees within a short time, ability to
1

harvest a large quantities of

matured palm fruits for oil production and consumption or for

commercial purposes as the need arose, his ability to build huts in a wide compound such as his obi, with separate huts for his wives and visitors.

CHAPTER TWO WELCOMING VISITORS Visitors could be men and women from distant communities, who came seasonally in search of jobs. They could reside in a household to work as palm tree climbers (Ndi-ogbunkwu) or to create farm heaps (Ndi-ogu-ukwu) and as yam/cassava plantation clearers. Also a mans ability to feed his household during the period of joblessness added to his esteem as a man. It was often arranged for the visitors such that some special days of the week were set aside to work collectively in the masters/madams farm where they were served quality food daily consisting of utara meal with a jar of palm wine and a bowl of ugba. Naturally, it was not easy for any fully grown man or woman to leave his or her household and stay with an entirely different family that was far away. Someone who was accepted, accommodated and adopted by others who were not related to him in any way must be very humble, must be of good character, not be a stubborn person, must be a person who could mesmerize his hosts through his or her amusing character. The person must not be arrogant, nor traced to any criminal act even if he was a prince. This was one of the most important ways how he or she was able to accumulate

enough money to solve the challenges that forced him to leave his family to sojourn and work painstakingly for other people in a distant land. Ironically, most of the visitors were most times wealthier than their hosts as they were sometimes more visionary. Some of them had been able to give their sons and daughters university education, others have raised enough money to add to their businesses while some had been able to build big houses in their own villages much more than what their hosts have been able to do even

though they pretended by assuming they were wretched ordinary laborers trying to fend for themselves even when they still went about carrying out the main purpose of their sojourn. What pretence! No wonder it was professed by the old people that a traveler is more comprehensible and wiser than a white haired old man. Hosts who decided to accommodate visitors also took some level of risks. Some visitors could be deceptive, vicious, people of questionable character, looked and watched out for opportunities to strike
3

on their hosts. This was a weighty crime. There was an instance where a specialist farm tiller/ heaper (Onye ogu-ukwu/onye-oke-ogu) lived with a household for five to six years while he pretentiously ran all worthy and unworthy errands and carried out all sorts of menial domestic chores. In fact, he so much mesmerized the household and was inducted as a member instead of being a visitor. By exploiting his hosts good nature, he had access to all parts of the house including all separate rooms. However on a particular day, he picked madams inner room key, duplicated it by stamping it on a bar soap, went to the city to mold and duplicated the key. He went into the house and gathered all monies madam kept for the church as a church treasurer and rearranged the place neatly without any sign of misdemeanor. The same night, while relaxing outside the house after dinner in the moonlight with the whole household, he displayed his usual antics of humorous and clownish way of dancing and sangnnemufu- okpa gi eheronu-u, nnemufu-akwagi-ehereonu-u, nnemufu-aru-gi-ehereonu-u, meaning madam, your legs, mouth, your body, even your wrappe r all are naked and widely exposed. Everyone of them laughed sarcastically and rolled on the ground, unknown to them that he was actually indirectly sermonizing on their house situation. At the end of exercise, he informed his hosts of his intention to briefly visit his village to see his family. They bade him good bye on Saturday morning with some gifts. It was the next day which was a Sunday afternoon when madam wanted to keep some cash in the treasury box, as usual, that she almost fainted in shock as she realized that her visitor had stolen the church money in her possession. That was the reason he cajoled that her mouth, legs and body were all opened the night before, but they were ignorant of what he meant because of poor reasoning and confidence. The second instance was an ominous one. A certain palm tree climber stayed over twenty five years with a household in the village. He refused to go back to his village and eventually became a compulsory kinsman in his host village. One day, he became very sick and all effort to cure him by his hosts failed. Even on his sick bed, he refused to be taken home to his people. The sickness became very severe and he unfortunately died. His hosts sent emissaries to his people to come and pick his corpse, but they refused until after several days when the hosts had no alternative than to call his village members who helped in burying him in the village cemetery. Seven days after the burial, the kinsmen of the dead came with machetes, bows and guns to demand for the corpse of their relative. When they were shown where body was buried, they inevitably exhumed the corpse but everyone ran
4

away because of the strong stench from the decomposed body. Because of the fact that the dead man had started decaying, his whole body was already covered with wounds. Superstitiously, the pregnant wife of the host to the dead man during that period gave birth to a mysteriously abnormal child with wounds all over his body such that nobody could touch him. The child was believed to be the reincarnated dead man. There was another instance where one of such visitors stayed with a sensually hot blooded widow who used him for all sorts of errands because she was satisfying his sexual desires all nights such that his co-visitors and villagers alike jealously attached a jeering funny nickname to his name such as oje-ma-orie-e/oje-ma-ora-a, meaning, being recklessly used to be served food and sex throughout the night. He always responded to such jeers in a questionable manner like enyere-wusi-iri/enyere-wu-si ira-a, meaning Were you given food and refused to eat or were you offered sex and did not oblige? However, there was a day funds were raised to take home the corpse of one of the visitors to the village who had died and he didnt have a dime to contribute. Instead, he started shouting at the top of his voice osu-u-negbu, osu-u-negbu and at the same time shaking his head, meaning, this sex, this sex can kill man. A responsible man leaves home as early as 6.00am working assiduously, plucking and harvesting crops all day in the farm, to return at 7:00pm in the evening. This is the kind of man who finds it difficult to make out time to eat food in the farm. He prefers sitting at an airy corner of the farm for fifteen to thirty minutes to snuff his nose with tobacco and sharpen his machete, as he sees eating as time wasting in the farm. To him, eating is just a necessity to live, not living to eat the food of a sluggard. A mans influence is also measured in the community by the number of concubines he keeps outside his immediate family. For as risky as the game of keeping concubine is, it was still a competitive and enjoyable business for the old school. Village life speedily changes into different stages as thus:

CHAPTER THREE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES Marriage was honorable and as colorful as heaven itself, where young people came around to enjoy one type of food or another that were not commonly found in the old community. Such foods could be rice, ugba ( African oil bean) which were shared round in spoons, drinks which were served to two or three people for a glass of Mirinda or Tango on the day of marriage. When the new wife was about to be taken away to her husbands house, after some long argument by the in-laws and village elders, some special native songs and church chorus are sung. For about one and half hours, the new wife will be kept in the inner room to listen to the admonition of her mother on the ethics of marriage. Before long, she came out to be taken to her new home. The girls mother cried while her friends consoled her saying, Dont cry again kwanu, it is alright, we thank God this is not a case of death, but just a normal journey of marriage Her mother cried for several reasons: (A) She had missed a second wife who took care of the kitchen and satisfied everybody in her absence, or when she was sick or tired. (B) She was afraid if her daughter would ever endure like herself and hold to the advice given her to be able to stand and weather marriage storms that are eminent and not to run away or run back home to them on the slightest provocation. For there was an instance that a father in-law instructed his son in-law when he brought his new wife home saying, Son in-law, please dont remove her teeth with blows, even if she did what a woman had never done before. Before the son-in-law could chip in a word, he continued, Son in-law, could you believe that I have never raised my hand to my wife ordinarily, not to talk of slapping her even after thirty five years of marriage? On hearing this, son in-law was irked and almost responded rudely saying, Father-in-law, you have spoken well, no problem, but supposing that the quality of the life or character in her mother is not rightly found in her, would I still be expected to do like you?

QUALIFICATION FOR MARRIAGE: Getting married was a game of chance for those involved, since courtship (prior studying of each other) was not involved. In those days, marriage was fantastic and interesting because of the joy and pride to those involved. He is marrying and she is being married to so and so. No wonder the old saying, that a girl soon outgrows who gave birth to her unto who married her. Marriage rites was a slow transaction that naturally stretched up six to eight months, as it involved all traditional rites to be done on especially agreed dates between the two villages or communities. But the gap must always be spread to about two to three weeks interval as there were days avoided for marriage

discussions. Marriage was respected, not the buying and selling transaction obtainable these days when a wife is married and taken home on the same day. However some people still ironically abused the business of marriage. For some men marrying a wife could stretch for one year or more because they are not organized. This is a shameful act. There was an instance a man wanted to marry a young village girl who was a virgin, but was unknown to him. Each time he came down from the city, he would go straight to the father in-law to pay homage or carried out one assignment or the other just between him and the father in-law. However, the father in-law cautioned him of lacking cultural values and demanded to see his relatives. He replied that since his father in-law-to-be had been seeing him for some time, he believed the relatives he was demanding to see were not necessary. This continued until the father in-law vowed never to welcome him in his house again unless he came with his family members. He reluctantly consulted his kinsmen concerning the issue and they accepted to accompany him, but requested that he should examine and intimate them of his capacity to take a wife to avoid a shameful marriage. He assured them of his financial capability. On the day of payment of dowry, after the usual haggling and quarrelling, a compromise of N15,000 bride price was agreed on, which was to be placed into the in-laws hands. The oldest kinsman in the grooms village who was present signaled to the suitor to see him outside for discussion. He then asked, stretching his hands to collect what he (the groom) had for his in-laws, ololoo-bia-zim-ihe-ijiro-gbue-agu (Praying mantis, please show me the weapon you killed the tiger with). He squeezed N4, 000 into the elders hand. The proud old kinsman was flabbergasted and was
7

in state of dilemma. He felt as ashamed as to how to present that kind of money to his in-laws after so much boasting. It was as if to command the earth to open its mouth to swallow him up and take him straight home to his house. He however added N1,000 to the amount to make it a round figure of N5,000 and presented it to the in-laws with shame on his face. It took a whole year for suitor to complete his marriage rites by paying stipends to make up the bride price. His in-laws were disgusted by his attitude. To avoid the stigma that their very honorably, homely daughters marriage was abandoned, they persuaded him to perform the last marriage rite of mkporu-nwuye, meaning, wife collection. He was not able to purchase a trunk box for his new wife to keep her clothes. This meant that mbijo-utara-naamalite-na-mbu-u (whatever went wrong has its roots from the beginning). Parents had to rally round to borrow from a sister, but meant that marriage may not be through. When the couple got home the next night, the husband wanted to know (make love to) his wife for the first time. While removing his trouser, the new wife sighted his penis which was very large and long, fidgeted, rushed out through the door and ran away from home that night. When she got to her parents home, she was nervously shouting mama mama- no-no-no, he wanted to insert a very big snake into my private part..if you doubt me, you need to see it mama -a, her breast heaving as she protested. There were some girls who were not naturally lousy, but badly behaved in the village. Leaving the village to the city, they became overwhelmed by city life and got impregnated in the process by irresponsible men. Even though this might be unplanned, it did not prevent them from marrying other men in the village, especially when they are beautiful women. They still got married to be responsible wives because of the fact that the new suitor never knew the man responsible for the previous pregnancy. But there was an instance when a particular girl was playing ajakara (a very popular jingle girl). She was so sensually radical that almost every villager knew about three to four men who had had a romantic relationship with her at particular periods . Fortunately, it never stopped her from being committed to carrying out her parents errands and domestic chores. She was equally intelligent and brilliant in school. At some point, an ugly but successful village man sought her hand in marriage.

All marriage rites were carried out at one stage and the other. On the day scheduled for her final journey to her husbands house ila-di, one very funny incident took place. She was being led out of her room amidst tear-shedding group, including her mother and younger sisters. They are part of the crowd accompanying her who sang a song indicating the new bride was being led to the grooms house. The song goes thus: Obu-nwunte-e, nwunye-e, OsujiI,nwanneanyi-I, nwanyi-I, onye-amuru-una0lankpaa, ogabu-u, onye-e-Mbaise-e .This song expresses the saying that a girl soon over-grows the one who gave birth to her and embraces the one who marries her. The song meant that she is Osujis wife; our sister who was born in Nkpa community now belongs to Mbaise people for ever more. On getting to the front of the house, the suitor (husband) stood up from the midst of his kinsmen, walked to the direction of his new wife, put his hand into one of his pockets and brought out some coins (in pennies and three pence toro ) . Each time, he rumbled the coins in his hands and all round new wifes laps and buttocks saying, Okonkwo, I have henceforth removed your penis from my wifes virgina, Stephen, I have henceforth removed your penis from my wifes virgina, Amadi, I have henceforth removed your penis from my wifes virgina, Charles I have henceforth removed your penis from my wifes virgina. In the process, he had mentioned four men he knew who had removed their penises from new wifes virgina. Each time he mentioned each of the concubines name, he dropped the money (coin) on a bench nearby. There was uncontrollable laughter and jeering at the incident by the bemused crowd as the new wife covered her face with her palms shamefully. Coercive Marriage: Perhaps because of the level of illiteracy, some parents behave in a daft manner. They fail to

understand that it is not every man that must be married. Some men could be eunuchs due to one reason/ incident or another .Therefore, they never bothered themselves to impress any woman due to shyness or personal belief. There was an instance when a man was persuaded to get a wife by his parents. For about six months after marriage, the husband did not for once ask his wife how are you? or ever touched her at bed time. He even laid on the bare floor to avoid his wife all through the nights, while his mother was expecting the wifes pregnancy.

One day, his wife put up courage and complained about the situation to her mother in-law who yelled and cried. She asked her son: Please my son, are you well? ...... Is your man -hood working?......... I mean does it rise up at all? Her son answered in affirmation, Mother, it does. She went berserk saying, Why dont you want me to carry my grandchild before I die? or dont you know how to start or how to do it? He kept quiet, writing inscriptions on the floor thus confirming to his mother that he does not know how or where to start off the art of love making. During one night before bed time, the mother held her sons hand, dragged him to the door where his wife was pretending to be asleep while anxiously scratching her body and listening joyfully as her mother in-law was roaring and commanding her husband. Common, go inside and perform your responsibility as a husband. Demonstrating to him on how and what to do with his wife lying on the bed, she warned him still: If I do not hear you do it, I will be standing here listening and will not let you and your wife out of that room even tomorrow, until you do it. She stood there until she heard her son started shouting is this how it is o o mum? Mum, come and help me, mum mum-m come and help me, I want to come down and urinate o, I want to come down and urinate o o, for it is coming out of me o. It is coming out of me hotly o. His mother answered, it is because you never knew how to do it well. Begging him, she said nnadim (Fathers daddy) nwokoma (Hansome man), nnanna (great grandfather), please dont come down, urinate inside your wife for she needs that your urine seriously No particular age is deemed ideal for marriage, but an only male child of a household is an express qualification for early marriage. To have a good name within the family setup, marriage was often recommended. For example: 1. A family that has no trace of theft 2. A family that has no trace of murder 3. A family that has no trace of poisoning in the past, while avoiding: a. A family where members die early as a result of ancestral curse(s). b. Abortion and issues of early child bearing (ime-okwa) are common. c. A family that has a history of reoccurring madness

10

These are the major issues that debarred families from marrying especially from close families. For as long as there was no trace of generational relationship in the lineage, marriage was contracted. Marriage was very interesting with individuals that are closest, for women who were born and married in the same village had a special name of pride ada nwanyi or amuru-luru. The women saw themselves as special women from those married outside the community, especially where boarding of vehicles or train were involved. They were often called ndi-ugbo-pataru, meaning wife who is carried by train or vehicle. Interests That Influenced Marriage: There are many criteria that often influenced families/individual homes that went all out to seek other families or persons in marriage. These include: 1. A strong man who had the ability to do extremely well in all village activities such as a good farmer who has a good number of yam farms, cassava farms, cocoa yam farms, all separated from each other is generally seen as an assurance to taking good care of a wife and children. He would also be able to climb as fast as possible a number of palm trees within a minimum time.

2. For a man to be extremely handsome was an express ticket for quick marriage as many women/girls would always pester, hustle, and fight over who won his interest.

3. For a man to be extremely tall is another qualification. For there was an instance of an old mother of six girls who vowed never to give out in marriage any of her girls to a short man,

notwithstanding how rich, handsome or hard working because she greatly had flair for tall people, not minding how ugly .

But her peculiar interest failed to pay off for giving out her second and third daughters to men who already had two wives. This was a big mistake as some of them shared husbands with rivals who were very dangerous and dealt with them through witchcraft, and fought over who dominated and influenced the polygamous homes such that her grand children hardly progressed during her life time. Her fourth daughter was given out in marriage to a very tall handsome but lazy man who stayed in panya (Equatorial Guinea) as a laborer working in a cocoa farm. After a stay of 25 years
11

in the country, he returned with a bicycle as the only property he had which he rode home when visiting his in-laws. When returning back to his destination, the old woman and her daughters will all come to the door and view his huge physique with a lot of admiration. But regrettably, this handsome man was very lazy that he could not even separate two pregnant women engaged in a fight. He neither knew how to farm nor how to climb a palm tree or how to direct a yam stem sprouting from the heap on the ground. He also didnt know how to climb a mud house to change the rotten raffia roof. Instead, his wife did all these. In fact, the only thing that was a taboo for his wife to do on his behalf was climbing and cutting a palm fruit from the top of palm tree. But the only thing he could do well was only to eat, ride his bicycle about town and impregnate his wife in exchange for feeding and caring for him. The old womans selfish interest boomeranged as she had to allocate her cassava farms to her daughter yearly to ease the stress she went through so that she did not die of struggling and living a stressful life due to wrong marriage. 4. Another criterion is the ability of a man to throw his opponent to the ground in a wrestling contest. This can easily influence old school marriage. But this has its side effects. a. The wrestler may have physical strength, but may not be an intelligent man b. He may not be a very hard working husband c. He may even be a habitual drunkard or a fool 5. A popular family name could also influence marriage. This was very common among families that had popular names. But marriage that is contracted on this basis may easily go wrong if the expected qualities known and ascribed to such families are found missing either in the man or woman. Thus a man or woman may end up marrying a foolish and lazy person amongst the members of the influential family. There was an instance that will explain this well. A village girl and her parents accepted marrying a city man from a popular and wealthy family merely by viewing his photograph. Unfortunately, the man was the only never-do-well in the very family who have cost the rest of his siblings so much fortune to uplift him to an average standard as they alternatively supported to marry a wife for him as a last resort. However, for the number of years that the marriage lasted, there was never any moment for celebrations such as Christmas or Easter when the man was able to give cash gifts either to his mother or father in-laws in the village no matter how small. Neither was mother in-law ever
12

invited for once to his house in the city to take care of her nursing daughter/mother after giving birth to a new baby. His mother in-law was always protesting at each time she heard the news of child delivery by her daughter. She would say, the previous one I have not seen, yet they are delivering almost every year; Jishienu ike (You have done well). A day came when there was a simmering feud that resulted in a quarrel between the two fathers-in-law in the village. The womans father told his in-law (mans father), how unfortunate am I? I came to a very rich stock barn, stretched hands for a fat goat or sheep, just to grab an ordinary he-goat whose foul-smelling stench will follow me all the rest of my life Ironically, a man or woman of fifteen to eighteen years of age who is not yet thinking of getting married or respond to his or her mothers constant persuasion for marriage is an abominable young man or woman. This is often so because bringing up children early matters so much in the olden days. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages for a father who married a wife for his son perhaps because he (son) was not capable of marrying for himself because of age or financial constraints. The lady/girl who was being married to him may be much older or of the same age group thereby resulting to lack of respect in the marriage. For example, there was an instance when a man called his wife dada (aunty) as a result of wifes overbearing influence over him. So wide was the gap in their age that the husband was always shy of whispering or touching his wife at night during bed time. This might obviously lead the man to polygamy for when he is older and wiser would certainly want to marry a much younger wife. For the mere fact that he calls his wife aunty could leave their children confused as they might not know what to call their mother like other children who called their mothers aunty, mama or nne. Some of the children ended up calling her (their mother) aunty just as their father does while others called her by her name such as Juliana or egobekee (Dollar, Pound or European currency). Ime-Okwa (Accidental or Early Pregnancy) Families whose daughters are noted for this type of attitude are hardly married on time because they are regarded as uncontrollably wayward girls. Philosophically, it is expected that this bad attitude may continue to the next generation if she eventually gave birth to a son or daughter. They may also give birth to children out of wedlock. What a replication and dishonorable worthless life of the village!
13

There was an instance of a sixteen year old teenager who was impregnated by a provision seller who is also a village kinsman almost as old as her father as a result of lust. She often went to receive provisions from the mans shop ranging from body cream, milk, sugar, chocolate drink, cash etc. Coincidentally, the two men were ex-soldiers ( both the kinsman and the father of the girl). While the father of the pregnant girl cut a piece of broom which was sent to the offending kinsman Ogu to warn and threaten how he will definitely terminate his life (the offending kinsman) if eventually his daughter dies during pregnancy, the offending kinsman was also thinking of what steps to take to escape his kinsmans threat. A day came when the pregnant girl was rushed to a hospital to deliver her baby. Between three to four hours of labour, the nurses on duty tried to pet and pamper her to encourage her for safe delivery, while she was wriggling in pains and almost bit off th e nurses fingers. In return, she was given a good slap and beatings while she cried and shouted ota gbuelam-woo-o, ota gbue-lam-woo-o; meaning the baby is biting my anus-o; it is biting my anus--o. Some elderly women who went to visit her for encouragement told her, Agnes, everyone is begging and encouraging you to deliver your baby in peace and you are shouting it is biting my anus; if you suffocate this baby to death, do you have another one lurking in another corner of your stomach?. Unexpectedly and unknowingly, some comedians in the village turned Agnes response into music thus: Agines- i-muo-nwagi-o-e-e-h, Agines- i-muo-nwagi-o-e-e-h, Isi-i- notagbue- lagie-e-u, Isi-i- notagbue- lagi-e-e-u, obu-imugbueya-oforozo-e, e-e-h? Eventually, because of the long period of labour, the child could not survive the stress which resulted to still birth. The father of the girl at night stealthily took his local gun and tip-toed to his offending kinsmans house to burst his skull as threatened. But his kinsman had observed him coming from afar in the dark night and ran away through the back window. Ironically, those sets of girls who cannot find husbands to marry them eventually remain in their parents home and end up becoming a bad influence to young men in the village by indulging in early sexual activities and continuously give birth to illegitimate children from irresponsible men including strangers. If eventually she remains unmarried, she may ultimately attach herself to an old man who considers sex as a taboo because of his age, but could still accept the girl as a body warmer whom he could caress with his fingers when the need arose.
14

Distant Marriages: This is the marriage that involved distant communities which are accessed by traveling kilometers either by road, rail or by foot. Here, someone could be sent to investigate secretly from the two villages if there were records of serious or bad illness ever suffered in the families of each spouse which might re-occur in future such as: 1.Leprosy 2.Epilepsy 3. Incidents of madness in the family linage 4. Such families never had in the past abominable records of murder, poisoning or theft. Positive affirmations of such issues may mar the marriage proposals. Good and well behaved girls are never married too far off because old and young men alike often watched their character for recommendation. As soon as suitors showed interest, they would only be asked to be patient until the girl sat for her Primary Six School Leaving Certificate Examinations. Only the badly behaved ones were allowed to marry distant husbands as disciplined parents and family members often wanted all marriage rites done quickly so that the bad behaved daughter disappears from their presence to her husbands house. This was the price they paid for their recklessness. (Onye-Mbuba) Middle-Man After all findings are made and before the marriage ceremony is conducted, a lucidly outspoken middle man was selected by the grooms relatives amongst the brides village men who would stand to defend his family by making sure that they are not unjustly cheated on rites of marriage and obligations expected from the grooms family. Ndi-Mgbam False Tale Bearers These are the group of people who go about secretly to all levels to both families of the intending couples bearing false tales about the spouse-to-be, notwithstanding the distance involved. This is done just to create disrepute, degrade and dehumanize one of the spouses in order to demoralize the other from marrying him/her and impair the marriage proposals.

15

There was the case of a step mother in a polygamous household who went to the in-laws family where the son of her rival was marrying just to tell them that children from her rivals household were all fools and never-do-wells in the society and that they (the girls parents) will regret ever accepting to give out their daughter in marriage. No wonder on a day the two rival mothers were quarrelling, the wicked step mother made some strong abominable statements by openly telling her rival, you are a woman of ten sons, but only one of my sons surpasses them all. As a witch doctor, she knew what she was manipulating against the rivals children by going to the seas, to the moon and sun and coming back to make sure that she actually frustrated and suffocated her rival off-springs, hampering their efforts and forcing them into ludicrous situations in the society by blocking their future without making any progress in life. However, because the in-laws-to-be insisted on marrying their daughter out, she quickly initiated the incoming wife into a marine spiritual kingdom marriage, owu nmiri, whose demonic influence on the new wifes attitude quickly frustrated her husband out of his comfortable employment . Under such harsh situation of adjustment and re-adjustment by trying to secure another employment opportunity for the second time, it took him twelve years of unbearable condition which forced the owu-nmiri (Marine spirit possessed) wife to abandon the marriage, artificially justifying what the evil step mother insinuated and affirmed earlier in the eyes and minds of the in-laws and the society that the family of her rival were The never do- wells Marriage Proper This age long institution which is as frail as a fragile glass, called marriage, with its characteristics, is an interminable journey. It has built and marred many men. For there were as many men and women as possible who were desirous of getting married, but still there were fewer husbands and wives available. In the past when there was no courtship, a mere instruction from parents to a son who resides in a distant land, like, come and see a wife, she is from a good home, would make him to run home as soon as possible, while introductory activities will took place and other marriage rites were arranged and streamlined to different dates. Young men of the grooms village were seen carrying jars of palm wine and other items such as bags of groundnut, rice, salt and so on to the
16

compound of the bride on each agreed date of discussion. Marriage has been naturally a secret pact where two persons of different backgrounds took the risk of living and tolerating each other for the rest of their lives without knowing what was secretly wrapped in their attitude since they came from different backgrounds. Marriage is one of the sweetest, but the most conscious business for the most desired and admirable kind of husband and wife. Men are anxious therefore for a wife who will take care of them through old age and not on the contrary because of their commitment to marriage. Therefore age differences have always been an issue for concern. A man must be quite older than his wife to achieve this desire. It is an established fact that every eligible bachelor/spinster wants to marry the tallest most beautiful /handsome man/woman on earth. But unknowingly to them that, that extra ordinary desire is enmeshed with many short comings, which are discussed later. In the olden days, the real wife was that woman who could compete effectively with other women. A challenging woman of all seasons with a good number of cassava/cocoa yam farms in the village. Most importantly, she never jokes with her husbands stomach for food. No wonder an old saying goes a real woman, an Amazon, is the woman who knows the language of her husbands belly and still ask her of some financial help for a particular serious family issue. She went in and comes out with something, without knocking at her friends door. This is the choice of every strong man. Such women were rare and not cheap to come by. This is the oso-di-akpa-aku, odozie-aku, omaraobi-diya, meaning husbands wealth gathering/strong partner and natural heart preserving wife. For any situation, she was consulted in the absence of her husband and will equally suggest or took actions that was close in measure to how her husband would have handled the situation if present. She was not Obiageli or Obiaga-amu , meaning just came to eat with you or to raise children for a husband to train. She may not be very beautiful or tall or so sexy because of her masculine kind of nature. She may stop at rearing one or two children only, but ever ready to see them through school to university level even if her husband passed on. She could also take disciplinary measures on the children. If the husband is not a reserved type, (very sexy), she may quickly approve his getting himself another woman without much grudges.

17

But a lazy woman is the woman who would always flaunt and readjust her wrapper twenty times continuously in the presence of an overworked and tired husband by trying to arouse his sexual emotion. She tends to compensate him sexually for her physical lapses. She cleverly induces her husband with sex in a speculative manner for pregnancy to take place in the months of March or April so that she will escape the hassles of competing with other women in the months of January and February when she would be nursing her new baby as an excuse for escaping the early farming season and therefore not able to make a good number of cassava/ cocoa yam plantations like her other mates in the village. A lazy/slothful wife is an adulterous wife. She loves sweet mouthed cooking. Therefore she is exposed to looking out for extra satisfaction from outside men in the guise that her husband is unable to meet her sexual demands. She would frown and complain when asked to participate in activities that could affect her sleep as she does not want to experience any hard life in the village. A lazy woman who cannot afford to prepare a bowl of utara for husband as dinner was termed a lazy sluggish woman since a husbands feeding regime was shared weekly or seasonally among the wives in polygamous set ups. There was a case of a woman who after serving her husbands dinner each night (because it was her turn to do so among the several wives), her husband also demanded for roasted corn and kernels which were also consumed. However, on a particular night the wife protested and angrily asked her husband, why do you always disgrace me by eating corn and kernels after dinner during my turn to serve you? The husband replied, go away you lazy and sluggish woman, it is because you never fed me well; or have you at any time offered me utara that I cannot finish during dinner no matter how hungry I am?. He wife answered, how will I feed you well, if a whole basket of utara is laid in your stomach would it still be enough for you or dont you know that I have many mouths of nine children to feed for you? This statement annoyed her husband the most and he quickly countered her, sharap, your stupid mouth, dont you know that the quantity of food my children consume is commensurate to the amount of work they do; if your portion in my farm is not enough, you can as well solicit from your parents and kinsmen for more land for cultivation which can be shared among you and your sons and see if they will not clear the bush and cultivate several heaps on about two or three plots of cassava plantations on the same day.

18

CHAPTER FOUR DICOURSE ON SOME FEATURES IN THE VILLAGE Feeding Habits Certainly, home menus change in variation. From January to September when new yams were harvested is called unwu (hard starving season). At this period, there was no particular food is frequently eaten in favor of the season until new corn which came around June/July before the new yam came up. This was the time when men placed value on their kind of wives who could make utara (fufu) available for dinner every day. Only the men called di-jis (yam husbands) brought out dried yam from the barns, either for food or sale in the market before the new corn and ugbohoro (a kind of vegetable), because yam at that period could be very expensive. This was why some very stingy farmers brought out yams that were already rotten or about to spoil for consumption. Some yam farmers were called oru-ji-neriede. These were the farmers who were mean and miserly and preferred eating cocoa yams much more than yams. By May or June new corns were harvested which were usually consumed with special ugu (vegetable) leaves popularly known as ugbohoro. These farm products when consumed helped to improve the nutritional content of family diets. Large quantity of corn were cooked in big pots coupled with an equally full pot of ugbohoro, poured out with red oil into a big native bowl called abalaba. The whole family members will then sit round the bowl, each with lumps of the boiled corn in their hands, eating and sweating profusely while trying to outdo each other on the hot menu. It is advisable that this type of menu can only be enjoyed when eaten hot. It was not eaten cold or alone. Eating Habits Some people are very fast eaters who could consume a bowl of fufu within two minutes, while some slow eaters did the same thing much longer up to one hour. People like that were considered lazy. Some men cannot swallow a ball of utara without accompanying it with a piece of meat, fish or molded melon hiding under the utara. And so before the meal was eaten halfway, no piece of meat or fish would be left to complete it. These types of people are called ndi-ngwongwo-ofe and it was traceable to great hunters or butchers and their sons and daughters. This was like a habit in some people
19

called usa-anu who cannot eat any meal, no matter the quantity, without something chewable to accompany the meal. It was a very bad habit because such person easily stole another mans meat from a set trap in the bush. Some people hardly ate decently or neatly. They ate like so much in haste, unmindful of the type of clothes they put on. ndi-odo-nri. They ate like a convict recently released from the prison. This was another habit prevalent among the youth. Therefore some of the youth who were slow eaters preferred to eat on separate plates. However, sharing the food sometimes resulted to conflicts even in the presence of their host. After eating on specially celebrated days, all men (villagers and visitors) went drinking from house to house in jars of palm wine sent to the village and merrily discuss on relevant and irrelevant issues with fun. Some will eventually under the influence of intoxication divulge their household secrets. A man who had just married a third wife was describing to his co-drinking village men how large and bulky the laps of his new wife were and that after carrying and turning or manipulating her this and that way during the night, he ended up with malaria fever the next morning. But unknown to him , one of his kinsmen who was a chronic womanizer started chasing the new wife the next day, enticing her to submission so as to have a feel of what her husband had described. While making love to the woman, they were caught red handed and news spread round the whole village immediately. Other men blamed the husband for expressing publicly how new wifes legs and laps looked like on bed. Child Bearing And Upbringing There was a kind of discrimination practiced in the old school. Every male child born into a family in the village was always welcome with a gunshot. Then women would be heard shouting oma-m-e-e, oma-me-e, oma-onye-ikom-m heralding the birth of a male child in the family. Only the oma was mentioned for females which made them a bit inferior to males. However, thanks to the recent womens liberation, emancipation and empowerment programmes which were fairly recognized by the men folk even though no woman would wish to remain in her fathers house because of the assumed influence of women liberation. No wonder the old saying onye-apari-amaghi-shi-ada-nneya-bu-obia, which means only a fool never knew that her aunty is a stranger in the family.

20

On the day of birth, village women will gather in the childs fathers compound singing and dancing to oghu-nwa (childs welcoming songs) like omam-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye, omam-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye-ye, omamye-ye-ya-ya-ye-e,omam-woo-chukwu-nyereanyi-nwa-a in circles. Some of the shy women will march left to right while following the next woman from behind. Neighbors including men at home will join in the dance and would bring all kinds of gifts, some cooking items and cash and most times the women will appoint cooks who will prepare different types of food that would be shared among themselves the next evening. Some women were gifted for bearing only male children but would equally desire to have females who would assist them in household chores when they grew up. However other women without such opportunity also prayed and wished to be like them. Some others only gave birth to girls as many as eight or nine in number. However, they often prayed and wished they could have a male child who will inherit the fathers name and property as all the girls will eventually get married and leave home. The old school family enjoyed bearing large number of children even if they could not be trained in school beyond primary school. The large number was desirable for farming purposes but it was believed that one or more of them might eventually be like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe or Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Some of the women had several incidence of miscarriage, uchi, while others never experienced pregnancy at all. Such women were called nwanyi-aga. Thus, their husbands had the privilege of marrying second wives because no man ever wanted his kin to share his assets when he passed on. This was the main reason why they were called oha-eri or aham-efula. Other groups of women never had children at all due to the husbands impotency or inability to impregnate a woman (nweke-ologboro). If this occurred, a mutual agreement was reached between the wife and her husband to appoint a man who will always sleep with the woman or the husband may authorize his wife to look for any man of her choice to impregnate her so that she could bear children. This was to remove the shame from a woman going back to her parents to live again after being married which publicly confirmed her husbands impotency Some womens children never survived or lived beyond a certain age while others died as soon as a younger one arrived. These type of children were called uchi or ogbanje, (mischievous children). It was believed that they decided in their secret world to always inflict agony by forcing tears out of parents.
21

The only remedy to stop this was for an old good-hearted woman in the compound to make up her mind to disgrace such child when it died again by dragging the lifeless body near a dust bin, mutilate it with a sharp machete and set it ablaze with all the items bought in anticipation of the new baby. Because of this shameful display on the child, as soon as the mother got pregnant again and gave birth, the child would definitely survive to avoid the harsh treatment and agony meted to the dead one. Growing Up Growing up in the village was a wonderful and joyous experience. A good child was noted and quickly spotted by the way he/she greeted and related to elders. A disciplined child dare not refuse the message of an elder. This confirmed the saying that a woman owned a child only inside her belly, but the moment it was born, belonged to all nwa-uju( Public son) . Secondly, a would-be successful boy was quickly observed by the way he shook his hands with elders. This was a very serious expression as such children grew under a mark of discipline such as fetching water or fire wood every morning and evening to widows or childless old women or widowers Many old women had some loved sons in other houses that could climb uha trees to pluck the fleshiest blooming leaves for preparing very tasty soup, reading and replying letters from their sons or daughters living in the cities. Therefore if in any eventuality the old woman missed or could not utilize her favorite boy, may become apprehensive because of the stress of looking elsewhere for another reliable young man to run errands for her. In most cases, such boys were often compensated with a lot of goodies. At every village market day, each and every old woman who had such young boy in her good record will return from the market with one gift or the other for him, ranging from African oil beans (ugba), African salad (agworagwo jigbo) with fish and crayfish spread on it, red oil akara (fried beans) with moi-moi and agidi. If unfortunately the young man fell sick, every old person in the village came together in unison, walked to and fro to the sick boys compound and prayed to their gods that the good boy may not die and also brought along one type of medicine or the other for the parents to administer unto him. Any boy/girl that refused old peoples errands were regarded as wayward irresponsible efulefu/onyeiberibe and in most times such pronouncement followed the young fellow for life as he may grow up with moral limitations and bad character. Thus it was said that the old peoples mouths are the mouths of the gods.
22

Responsible children were noticed by the way they assisted their parents in running errands or message that would quickly facilitate paying their school fees. They went with their parents to the farms as early as 4.30am and walked a distance of five to six kilometers and also brought home several tubers of yam from the farm or some palm fruit nuts from the bush path some of which were taken to distant markets for sale before preparing for school without hesitation. These were some of the reasons why most boys and girls of old time village never grew tall even when they were between the ages of thirteen and fourteen. A young boy or girl could be forced to carry twentyseven kilograms of an item or materials and trekked a distance of about five to six kilometers. Sometimes young pupils sat beside very big and large stones at home after school, cracking palm kernels for sale in the market. These activities helped to assist mothers a lot and that was why some of them were promised incentives to motivate their children to crack as much kernels as possible. For example, they may say, if you can crack a bushel or one full bag for me, between now and next eke market, which must approximately be one week ahead, I will buy you this and that. They did this in order to use the proceeds from palm kernel to augment or as subsidy for household financial obligations. However, there was an inherent danger in the assistance rendered by the kids. If scales from the kernels accidentally got into their eyes, they could go blind and would require fresh breast milk or fluid from a nursing mother to be administered into the eyes for rectification. The intense pains from the

administration of breast milk on the eyes may bring forth tears and the scales to come out at the same time from the affected kids. Amongst numerous children, a father knew that there is a special child amongst his children who behaved exactly like himself. He tended to give extra ordinarily passion on him or her over time. Some foolish parents had one common but wrong notion: they tend to have more likeness for the child who was a replica of any of them. However, a real man or father will not do that. He knew his child through character and did not matter to him if that child resembled him or his wife. What mattered to him was that he could see himself inside the child. If the man was once a wrestler, he would love to watch his son throw his mates down during wrestling contests at the village playing ground ,ama. He took delight in seeing his son beat up his mates during a fight. He would not condone a son who cried every time complaining that his mate has done this or that
23

to him. Otherwise, that son incurred the wrath of his father who would scold him and his mother together. In the old school, it was believed that every weak son resembled the mother. A father may say, must you resemble your mother this stupid weak son? Let me warn you, any other day I see you cry home because of any of your mates out there, I will cut part of your flesh and force you to eat it in my presence Next time the son took the risk to do something to improve on his personality for he would not stand the awe of his father to cut out his flesh and give him to eat. There was an instance of this scenario. A young boy was so weak that he was often beaten by everybody in the village including girls so much that even the boys he knew when their mothers were married to the village still beat him up. This continued until he was dubbed nsiko-ubeube, meaning that very soft bodied crab that has no vein, bone or strength. He had a particular sweet voice when crying such that often, one or two boys would want him cry so that they could make fun of him. On a particular occasion, one of his class mates did not allow him to leave for home after the close of school. The class mate dealt with him with blows on his body so much that while crying from the painful effect of the blows, he took a handful of sand and poured it into the eyes of his attacker which almost blinded him. It took frantic and financial effort of his parents before he could regain his sight. The attacker was away from school for two months. From then on, he was left alone and nobody bothered him any longer at school. Because of these reasons, such boys quickly grew up to semi adulthood, independently trying to do one thing or the other to make some money like their fathers did such as involvement in commercial fishing or helping their mothers in cooking of varieties of soup. On this basis, some youth in the village who were involved in fishing used several means to harvest their fish. They could use hooks with charms (Indian charms otherwise called otumokpo). This was the means where the man who conjured the charm would want to go separately to the other side of the river to exercise his magic freely unhindered. This was so because immediately he fixed worms or any other substance on the hook, will murmur the name or the kind of fish he wanted to harvest such as catfish, electric fish, tilapia and so on. Though he would harvest so much fish to the admiration of the villagers, but not without adverse effects:

24

1 He may sell many big fishes for so much money, but what he did with the financial returns realizable from his sales will not be attached to any tangible thing. 2 Any young person who started early to indulge into such acts must be into fetish activities and if carefully scrutinized, his father or mother could be an occultist, witch or wizard for the young man or son to know these incantations so early. Another indulgence was hunting for crabs in the heavy rains for sale or for consumption at home. The use of gamalin 20 to harvest large quantity of fish or move into the swamps to hunt for big crabs in holes or even set traps in the bush for bush meats were also some indulgence by youths. Some still engaged in traveling long distances to buy articles such as kerosene and bread for sale in the village or arrange with age groups, mates for bush or farm clearing or to produce heaps for crop cultivation either in their mothers farm or in the one that belongs to another woman for financial gains. A childs willingness to follow up these activities gladdened the parents heart which indicated that their sons or daughters were not lazy.

Feeding the Children Not all parents could provide enough food for their household all the time. Some menus like rice was specially cooked on special occasions like Easter Sundays and Christmas festivities. One could hardly find a family preparing to make stew on just any ordinary day. If any did, such household could be regarded as a useless and wasteful sweet mouthed household (onu-uto) who would sooner or later eat itself to poverty. For these reasons, some children from very poor parents were so undernourished that they could display some ridiculous and shameful character in their neighbors homes. They went about visiting neighbors homes uninvited in an attempt to perceive the aroma of good food during breakfast, lunch or dinner. They would sit, stare at family members while eating their meals and at the same time count the number of utara balls each member had consumed thereby constituting a nuisance They could murmur or cry if nothing was offered by their hosts. Such children were called ndi-akpiriogonogo (long throated people). This character was also found among the old. Because of this,

neighbors regarded such families as stingy and inhuman for neglecting the children of the poor despite their cries. There was an instance in the village when a very poor man harvested cocoa yam with the stem (head) to feed his family. The yam was consumed half cooked which resulted to stomach upset among his family members. Within a few minutes, they were all rolling on the floor due to intensive pains and shouting,
25

okpai-isi-ede, okpai- isi-ede, meaning trouble of cocoa yam stem. This continued until neighbors brought bottles of red oil for them to drink and the pains subsided immediately.

Attraction to Concubines As mischievous as the name sounds, men in the village still believed that there was nothing wrong with having affairs with different women despite the level of poverty and family challenges. They went about in the mid night looking for other mens wives for free sex. How do you know such men? He could be a playful man who liked to display affection to a child on the mothers laps pretending to be playing with the child. He could use the opportunity to whisper sweet words to the mother. He could boast about his ability to lure other mens wives for sex within the nooks and crannies of the village and damned the consequences of his behavior. Sometimes such illicit affairs resulted to having children out of wedlock that resembled or looked so much like them in one form or the other. Some may even confront the husbands of their concubines for daring to challenge them in having sex with their wives. Ironically, some reckless men tend to love the children born out of wedlock more than their real children at home. There was an instance. A man vowed that he would not invest a dime on his childrens education and other responsibilities. He believed that a mans contract with his wife terminated after producing children and that the aspect of training and paying for school fees should belong to wife. His reason was that women erroneously still lived up to forty or fifty more years after the death of man and as such enjoyed the children alone whom they did not contribute a dime towards their training and education. Instead, he preferred to support the education of his concubines children. He equally allowed children of his concubines to carry building materials such as zincs, bags of cement etc, meant for his childrens building to augment his concubines childrens building plans. But a man who knew his worth and values his family will not do such a thing. No penalty of any sort was ever meted out to the man caught on top of another ma ns wife especially if he was able to escape, while the woman could be forgiven or punished by the husband. There are several reasons why a wife could succumb to having extra-marital affairs. 1. For marrying a short husband, a foolish woman (wife) may want to have sex with a tall man. 2. Her husband may be ugly and wife may want to sleep with a handsome man for her to produce a handsome child (if possible)
26

3. An overworked and tired husband may not be able to satisfy his wifes sexual urge and so a foolish wife may take the risk of inviting her lover to her home for sex. 4. Greed for money and petty sweet things in the village such as provisions, meat, fried raffia palm tree maggot eruru-ngwo etc may lure a woman to having extra-marital relationships. However, there was danger inherent in this attitude, for if by par adventure or tip-off the husband was able to catch both lovers red-handed, they faced some dare consequences: 1. The intruder received terrible beatings from the husband. And if he pretended and proved strong enough to absorb the torturing and beatings, the angry husband may intensify his effort which may result to permanent disability if the lover does not seek immediate help from neighbors to rescue him. 2. But if alarm was raised, the secret deal between both lovers was exposed, and here, two things will surely happen: (a) If the woman does not run away, her angry husband may beat her up mercilessly and henceforth refuse her greetings and food. (b) A fearful wife may run away to her own parents home and wait for her husbands anger to subside even though the shameful news will go round the village before the next morning. One will find young and old people discussing on the issue to and from the river in the mornings and in the afternoons on their way to the bush to gather firewood for the next seven days. There was an instance of a young pupil who was often tormented by his mates in the school because his mother was caught with her concubine. They got to the extent of calling him by his mothers concubines name. He came home from school one day and asked his mother if there was such an indecent act in the past. She quickly sat him down, gave him the number of numerous married men and women alike from the upper to the lower section of the village that had done such things at particular times. The next day and having been equipped with the information, the young pupil on sighting any of his mates who had pestered him earlier, would quickly shout his or her mothers concubines name and mentioned the period of their immoral act. With this development he was able to silence all his tormentors and felt highly relieved. Any married woman caught for immoral act had some cultural marriage vows that must be done to pacify her husband and his kinsmen whom she insulted and to appease the family ground already desecrated.
27

The penalty for this could be minimized for a fearful wife who ran away to her parents but her kinsmen must accompany her with a jar of palm wine and a bowl of ugba African oil bean, richly prepared and presented to her husband and his kinsmen before settlement is established. After listening to the peace talks from in-laws, the woman will kneel down to beg her husband for forgiveness and must promise henceforth turn a new leaf. A shameless hard-hearted woman that endured the beatings has the followings to do to appease her husband and his kinsmen: 1. She must buy a hen and some tubers of yam to prepare hot pepper soup. 2. It must be accompanied with a favorite dish of (utara) fufu and egusi, olugbu or ukazi soup with ukporoko (stock fish). 3. A bowl of well prepared ugba African oil bean with crayfish and kpomo ( cow hide) spread on the top was served to her insulted husband and his kinsmen who would help to normalize the marital relationship. Her parents must also be present. Some of the reasons why men could not tolerate their wives who indulged in extra-marital affairs even though they could also be guilty of the same crime were as follows:

1. The fear of producing an imbecile and useless child from such immoral act who could be a nuisance and an embarrassment to the family. 2. The fear of producing a dullard and never-do-well that cannot attend school or alternatively learn any trade of any sort even if given the opportunity. 3. A child of questionable character may result from such a relationship with embarrassing character such as stealing and drunkenness which the family was not noted for. It was usually expected that a virtuous woman and her husband should bring forth very strong and intelligent children.

PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES (Ikwa Nsi Or Iwu Nsi) Forced In To Open Latrine This is a special ill-treatment meted out to thieves. The old school society frowned at those villagers who were caught secretly harvesting other peoples farm produce like yams, cocoa yam and cassava which
28

they did not participate in sowing. Some specialized in stealing of livestock such as goats, sheep and fowls from the ntuwo animal hut for sale or consumption. Though this ancient practice could be hereditary for one may have enough but still desired another persons farm produce or livestock. Hence when caught especially where there was an eye witness, the culprit was arraigned to the village market square where he or she was judged in the presence of the elders. Everyone present was allowed to ask him or her one question or another such that the society and relatives of the culprit do not have any feelings of misjudgment. There are two types of thieves: 1. The stressful/ hard pressed amateur thieves 2. The hardened hereditary thieves The amateur is a first time thief who was stressed and forced by hardship, hunger and frustration to have pulled up a neighbors cocoa yam, etc in a bid to have something to cook and eat with his starving children at home. They always cried off their heads in shame and awe surrounding such circumstances when arraigned publicly for judgment. The hardened ones are those whose names have been stigmatized in the annals of the societys history book of thieves. They have developed hard skin towards the ugly repercussion and the consequences of their deeds. In the event of any witness standing strictly against the culprit and the case established beyond reasonable doubt, he or she will be forced to go naked in the presence of the whole villagers. Sometimes, the culprit could be made to carry what was stolen on his/her head and dance round the whole village. The youths often raised a popular song for such thieves. For the amateur thief you had: tata abughigimbu-idimbu-ezu-ori. Koko-kaka-kom, idum-mbu-ezu-ori. Meaning, today was not actually your first day of having stolen as you claimed; you have been a notorious thief for a long time. For the hardened thief the young people often followed him or her with some beatings as a severe punishment. For example, a young lady named Mgbechi who was always arraigned on a yearly basis due to stealing one thing or the other in the society had this song: kpoba -mgbechi-mgbechi-l-e-e, kpoba-mgbechi-mgbechi-l-e-e, okunakpogi-nama mgbechi-l-e-e, eluwa-agalaigbagiochi-mgechi-l-e-e, kwafo-kwafo-yaburu-gioshi-uwa-gi-adighi-nma-a-o. Meaning,that the society was continuously

29

calling on Mgbechi for she was being invited to the village square; that the whole world wants to disgrace her because she always appeared in this same circumstance yearly as a shameless thief. Finally, he or she will be led to the village lavatory overflowing with excreta. The culprit will be commanded to enter and match round the lavatory which may measure up to his waist or chest, if short. The villagers will then disperse for fear of being splashed with excreta by the victim for ill-treating him or her. However, such treatment was very appalling, disgusting and unpleasant indeed. Conversely, it was very exploitative as most young boys penis often raised once they saw the naked body of a matured women treated in the same manner. Hence, most of them will put their hands in their knickers pockets trying to control their stiff manhood. However, this barbaric display was not in vogue in peace time. It was prevalent during war times to reduce incidence of theft due to hunger.

30

CHAPTER FIVE SCHOOLING IN THE VILLAGE

Schooling in a typical village set up had some side attractions. Every wise local farmer did not wish his children to be like him, battling and struggling with bush clearing and its wild beasts on daily basis while he admired the fresh look on the faces of his mates in the city working with oyinbos as railway workers (pitta-pitta). Some fathers were employed as road workers in the local government council who went about with their shovels, head pans and machetes, filling pot holes and clearing bushy grasses that were extending to the main road despite the daily low vehicular traffic. These set of workers were frowned at by the typical villager who regarded them as lazy sluggards who most times they were seen sleeping under airy trees beside the road. The typical villager wondered how much the local council could pay such an adult that would warrant him lazing away instead of going to the farm so that he can eat well, take care of his family and give his children good education since most men in the village registered their children at an early age of five to six years in school. This was done by forcing a childs head down such that their hands can run across their ears over the h ead as mandated and approved by the school head master who stood as an umpire in favor of the childs father (his farmer friend who gives him some yams) just in a bid to give their children the most deserved First School Leaving Certificate A class monitor was appointed from class one. He must be an extra ordinarily brilliant young boy (pupil) who could express issues in the presence of class teacher since he was always the first person to meet the teacher in the morning at their living quarters anytime he went to carry the teachers table and stool to the class room. He must not be a dunce; otherwise the teacher might dislike him. For this reason, he was equally feared amongst other pupils as he was respected like the chief priest of okija shrine who heartedly and fearlessly went in to see the much dreaded okija goddess at will. There is also a general school prefect who took care of school affairs. Before daily morning devotions, all pupils who got to school before 8.ooam were lined up after the final bell by the head boy while all teachers were expected to be out to handle the morning devotion in turns. After the devotions, the pupils sang: we-are-soldiers-s, soldiers-of-the-cross-s, by-the-name-of-Jesus-s, we-shall-conquer-e and son-n-talk-of-Alexander, son talk-of-f- Alexander-r, son-n-talk-of-Alexander-r, son-n-talk-of-Alexander-r-r, the-great-t as they marched to their respective class rooms. This was when
31

pupils appearance was scrutinized and unclean pupils were punished for keeping unkempt hair and unwashed or torn school uniforms, untrimmed fingers and feet nails. The school prefect was duly authorized to appoint some other grown up pupils to assist him in mounting strategic road and bush paths leading to the school premises to intercept lazy pupils for punishment those ones who always came to school at their own time and cunningly sneaked into their class rooms from the windows unnoticed. Pupils matched to the school hall every Monday mornings for general devotion where senior pupils in primary five and six were delegated to handle the devotion. One Monday morning, a primary six pupil who was regarded as a dunce was asked to handle the devotion with prayers. He was fidgeting, praying, and mumbling gibberish oyiri-oyiri-jesus, oyiri-oyiri-angels Oh Jesus, o-h-angels. Actually, he should have said o-yee Jesus, o-yee-angels. Because of this funny demonstration, his name was automatically changed to oyiri-jesus, oyiri-angels until he left the school. Special tests were given to pupils every Friday to test their level of competence. The highest scorer was usually given a cane to whip those who failed the test. At some other times, the teacher could be the one who punished them differently by giving portions of over-grown field to cut or to up-root trees in the school premises. This development made the dunces or never-do-wells not to attend school regularly on Fridays. There was the belief that village pupils concentrated more and excelled better academically in almost all subjects than those in the cities, irrespective of their non-fluency in English language. The only people in the village who spoke English language so fluently apart from teachers were the old retirees. This was the major reason why young pupils in the village sometimes ran away or avoided the retirees who often spoke to them in big grammar or asked them questions in English language they could not respond to. This was because most of the young pupils had neither traveled to nearest community by train or vehicle nor to the city for holidays either. Thus they often sat in admiration around any child or young person of their age group who came from the city and spoke the English language fluently. This was the reason why a primary four pupil was once sent on an errand to accompany a cousin who resided in the city to present a tin of palm oil to his own uncle in the same city so as to collect some money for his parents to be used for farming and for his school fees. During the journey by train, the pupils timidity was quickly noticed by the way he looked and counted trees and grasses in other communities as if they had different colors from the ones he was used to. If he had been alone in the train, perhaps a kidnapper would have used the opportunity to lure him away. It took his cousin some effort to distract the bemused boy, even with the heavy tin of palm oil on his head, who was consumed at
32

admiring the shining electricity lights and poles as well as the long traffic hold up of different cars and skyscrapers in the city. When they got to his uncles house on Sunday afternoon, the pupil met other uncles who hardly visited home, but have heard of their names one time or the other, all gathered for a village meeting to be hosted in the uncles house. As he sat at a particular corner of the room watching a programme on television, he was stunned on seeing a standing object rotating and distributing fresh air to everyone in the room such that he suddenly felt cold and slept off. When he got back home the next day, he tried to describe those scenes to his friends and mates and told them what surprised him most was a particular object at the corner of his uncles room that was rotating and distributing indiscriminately fresh air to everybody in the room, even to himself, a poor farmers son from the village. His friends and mates who had been to the city laughed him to scorn and made him to understand that the big object that was rotating and distributing fresh air was called standing fan. What a big fun to make out of village timidity. The other reason why village young pupils were more brilliant was that they had time table for everything such as time for preparatory classes (prep), time for playing soccer, and after school period, they still went to the farm to meet their parents for their lunch. Therefore, there was no time for misdemeanor as everyone knew each others right in the homes. No young person no matter how big or brilliant had the audacity to talk to grown up girls who were full breasted in school. Everyone wanted to excel in their academics. Only those of them who were undisciplined ran after women. Sometimes one or two of the boys did so with the influence of charms with the belief that the moment they were in a secret place and mentioned the name of any of the girls, immediately she appeared in a conjured manner. Most times it was the teachers who had relationships with them teachers and any teacher caught must be sacked by the reverend father when reported. After school and work at home or farm, some pupils engaged in playing soccer with their mates at the sandy village playing ground in the evenings. This is justified since some of them must have gone to carry out some manual work in the farm immediately after the close of school and bring home bundles of firewood. They must have also gone to the river to fetch water for domestic use by the household. Despite this, some fathers were still fond of going the playing grounds to flog their children with a cane at their backs for refusing to respond to their mothers calls like Chinma-a le-e-eh, Paulinousu-u-u l-e-e-e, often witnessed by the whole villagers, to come home and help in the preparation of dinner like grinding of local recipe called achi/ukpor or to pound utara for dinner. Sometimes passersby may stop to rebuke such a child for refusing to heed his mothers several calls.
33

This challenge was mostly suffered by women who had more male children who were often away from home to play soccer at the village square while their mother single-handed prepared dinner despite the stress she must have gone through at the farm.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Independence Day (October 31st) March Past The most unforgettable memory of primary school years in the village was the independence day celebration on October 1st when all the regional schools were billed to assemble at each local government school headquarters. Parents would squeeze some pennies into the hands of their children/wards who were dressed in their neatly washed and ironed white shirt and khaki school uniforms and trek for about five to six kilometers on bare foot through the community bush paths as early as 4.30am to their various school headquarters to take part in the march past programme. Any child who wore bath room slippers or leather sandals was regarded to likely be a child from the family of a renown chief or a local government councilor. The only benefit the pupils received was just to participate in the march past and the joy of being a partaker in the whole celebration of waving the Nigerian national flag to onlookers or co-celebrants and an independent day inscribed plastic cups shared to participants. The ceremonial salute during the march past was taken by the representative of the regional educational minister. However, there was an unfortunate incident. A stubborn primary three pupil for the first time in company with his elder brother left the village to the next distant community for the independent day celebration. They had walked some kilometers close to a point where the railway crossing signal was raised when his elder brother in the connivance with his friends frightened this young pupil. He was forced to believe that the raised railway signal indicating the approach of a rail engine was a sword that the railway spirits used to cut into two parts every first time visitor who failed to make some pledges or vows unto it. The young pupil while crying promised never to be stubborn or rude to his elders any longer if protected from the signal and also promised to surrender his own two pence to his elder brother who collected the money instantly. Apart from this, he was also made to give a complimentary military salute to the killer signal before proceeding on their journey. The young pupil occasionally turned his head to stare in awe at the signal as they moved on. They will have to trek back home resulting to swollen legs the next morning.

34

Announcement of third term school examination results As the lily flowers blossom in December, parents also came sitting breathlessly close to their children in the school hall in anticipation of the announcement of the third term promotional examination results and academic performance of their wards for the year. This was as a result of the fact that they did not have such opportunities from their parents who sent them to the farms every morning with basins on their heads to harvest farm products. Some brilliant children were so relaxed in the hall that morning, hopefully to make their parents proud, while the dunce among them fidgeted, and squeezed their bodies, praying that a ghost should appear to strike and kill the headmaster so that the promotional examination results could be postponed indefinitely to enjoy the Christmas festivities in peace. The headmaster arrives, walked into the hall majestically in his big trousers with the belt hanging between his big belly and chest. The school prefect (head boy) hits his ruler on the table kpom-kpom-kpokpokpom, kpom-m-m, followed by billienu-kele-nu (Stand up and greet) as the whole gathering roared in greeting ndewo-o-o-nnayiukwu-u (Good morning sir). The head master responds clearly or indistinctly, depending on his state of mind arising from the compiled results of the pupils performance in his hand. This was so because his career progression with regards to promotion or demotion depended on his ability to impress the Ministry of Education Board by producing very encouraging promotional and the First School Leaving Certificate examination results. He addresses the pupils and advises them not to abandon their books during the long holidays. They must always be of good behavior to their parents whom he had earlier addressed for their relentless effort in the payment of school fees and other necessities for their wards. He also advises the pupils to compensate their parents by studying harder to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and professors so as to be of great relief to their parents at old age. With regards to the main business of the day, the head master starts reading out the results from primary five down to primary one, mentioning the names of pupils with the first three positions. Then, he runs through those who made ordinary passes. Finally, he calls out the names of those who failed, especially those dullards who gave him a lot of headache in school, saying agwu ikwuagwu e-darada (You failed) etc. At this point, the parents of those who passed happily and proudly embraced their wards and discussed heartily on their way home. Some would pluck fresh lilly flowers by the road side which they
35

affixed on their hair signifying success in their yearly promotional examinations. When they got home that night, the mothers prepared special dishes to express their gratitude for their wards brilliance and performance in school. On the other hand, the parents of those who failed such as Agwu, walked home and rained abuses on their wards for not doing well. Agwus father was quarrelling with him one day saying: What you know how to do well is to consume utara meant for three people and start quarrelling and fighting with me or Ngbekee your mother. But one such dunce who had failed primary five examinations twice and whose name was not called by the headmaster, burst out of the hall, shouting, lamenting and ran home speedily saying ogabu-na-mu-bu Iwegbu-dakwara-ada-ozo? , meaning, Will it be that I, Iwegbu have failed again? He rushed into the house, took his palm tree climbing rope and his sharpened machete, ran out of the house again towards the bush to attempt suicide. Despite the fact that villagers ran after him, struggled and wrestled both the machete and the climbing rope from him, he still tried to let himself loose to fall down and die. He was rebuked for attempting to commit suicide just because his name was not mentioned by the headmaster. When the headmaster was consulted to find out the reason for such omission, he said Iwegbu did not even put a word down on any of his answer sheets. All his answer sheets were left blank; therefore, there was nothing for him to mark, not to talk of passing the examination. Communal Scholarship Sponsorship Anxiety was the language of missionary schools while seriousness and consciousness were the pupils delimitation. From independence till now, the categorization of the level of education has continued to change. It has moved from Standard to Class to Elementary system in the Eastern part of Nigeria to what is obtainable presently. It was not in all the local community schools that a pupil completed Standard six. Some village schools ended in Standard three or four. For this reason, some pupil went to boarding schools in another higher or upgraded community local school to complete standard six. It was in this circumstance that pupils came home during weekends and returned back on Sunday evenings with their buckets and pillow cases filled of food stuff and other necessities.

36

The resultant effect was that the pupils were directly employed in advance to work in ministries, agencies and conglomerates while still in primary six. Some of them became retired permanent secretaries, managing directors, chairman/chair persons of big organizations. Any brilliant student may secure a scholarship or the community could sponsor him in the university. Records of payment of school fees may be kept for him to pay back to the community in cash or in other ways as may be agreed on. The community did this through proceeds from farming and may generally agree to stop harvesting their collectively owned palm tree plantation for a year which was then cut down by all men, while the women assisted in carrying the fruits to a particular spot for onwards journey to the mill. Penalty awaited any man who defaulted. The oil produced from the palm fruits were sold in drums and the proceeds used for the sponsorship of brilliant pupils. There was an instance when two candidates emerged for scholarship awards in the community; each from the upper and the lower end of the village, having made distinctions in the First School Leaving Certificate Examination. The one from the upper end was sent overseas, graduated and came back home and got a good job with the government. Unfortunately he did not make any impact in the community. Rather, he was busy running after the wives of men in the community who saw him through school. He died unexpected and all he achieved was giving a few of his children university education. What a pity. The other candidate from the lower end went to the city, studied for his A-Levels General Certificate of Education Examination as an external candidate and passed in credits/distinctions. He got a job with the ministry as a clerk. Having enrolled in an overseas correspondent college and passed honorably, he was granted scholarship to travel abroad to complete his studies. When his poor peasant parents heard about it, they started crying due to poverty. His father took him to a cousin, an averagely wealthy man in the village, who vowed to fight relentlessly to see that his nephews dream came through. He invited the chiefs of thirteen other villages who all agreed to collect fifty pounds from each village that made up the community which was strictly complied with. The young man joyfully resigned from his employment and his colleagues organized a wonderful sendforth party for him. On the day he was scheduled to travel, he went home when he heard that some villages had contributed to his travelling. A wide portion of his fathers land was equally sold to raise some money. Unfortunately the same uncle, who vowed to fight for him, collected the money contributed,
37

went back to each village head and convinced them on how not to give a very poor mans son such a beautiful opportunity. This resulted to each donor collecting their money back. The young man was very disappointed and had to meet another uncle who offered him twenty five pounds. But because he knew the total amount of money he had on him could not meet his desire, he went back to the city and squatted in a friends house as he could not go back to his former employer. He later secured another employment in a newspaper organization as a journalist. When the first white men in Shell-BP Oil Company came for exploration, he was one of the journalists from different newspapers sent to interview them. He intimidated the leader of the delegation with questions he was not ready to respond to, but the journalist insisted. The man had lunch with some prominent Nigerians later in the day and thought it wise to enlist some courageous journalists as staff members. The journalist was invited, interviewed and given a lucrative offer. The white man was about taking him to United Kingdom when the young journalist insisted on informing his employers and to resign his current employment honorably. When he mentioned the development to his employers, his salary was increased threefold so as to retain him. Though the young man managed to work for his employer for one month, he was persuaded by the white man to leave as Shell-BP was planning to open a consulate office in the city where he would be the head. For the new position, he would be offered an official car and a beautiful apartment. Few years later, the young journalist was frequenting the United Kingdom and America on regular basis. Added to this, he was allocated a helicopter that took him to and from the city to his village on weekends. But he vehemently refused to do any meaningful thing for his community; not even an ordinary bore hole was dug until he died after a few years. Perhaps he could not to be blamed as this might be a case of tit-fortat.

38

CHAPTER SIX DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES Development Of The School Structure The movement of students from one class to another in the old school was fairly faster than what presently obtains now. This was because immediately after completing primary six First School Leaving Certificate Examination at the age of fourteen or fifteen, those who did not apply for the common entrance examination to continue their education in colleges and universities had the opportunity to pick up apprenticeship in the cities to acquire skills in vocations such as cabinet making, plumbing, welding and electrical works. Not all parents could afford university education for their children. Interestingly, most of the apprentice might have to reside in the house of their masters resulting to increased responsibilities of: 1. Ability to cope with the huddles of life and ability to cope with new set of people, running errands to senior apprentices as a show of loyalty and obedience. 2. Offering of personal service as a house help in the masters residence which included: a. Going to the market and cooking for the master who might be a bachelor b. General cleaning of the house c. Washing and ironing of masters clothes. The apprenticeship took between four to five years. However an apprentice who was considered good at his job may be retained by his master as a full time worker who will be paid stipends at the end of the month even at a young age of twenty years. Another class of students was those whose parents have not made provisions for. Such students traveled to cities to take up jobs as house helps in the homes of rich civil servants. Some of them who didnt have such opportunities ended up engaging in horrible jobs underwent harrowing experiences that were demeaning to young people such as: a. Working with a wicked wife, a house boy may be fed only once a day for disliking his face. b. They could also be used to hawk items for the madam of the house all day without consideration for their health.

39

These were experiences that they went through before the age of nineteen to twenty one. In spite of this, some of them were able to save some money with which they paid their fees through commercial colleges to acquire skills in type-writing within one to two years. They utilized such skill to secure jobs in banks and other organizations as accountants or confidential secretaries. This was more so because, before some of their mates who were already in the universities or colleges graduated from school, they had commenced work which was a source of relief to their poor parents in several ways such as :. a. Assisting in the sponsoring of siblings in colleges or universities. b. Inviting them for holidays seasonally. c. Buying yearly Christmas wares for their mothers since it was the tradition that a mother who did not put on a new wrapper, head tie, shoes and hand bag in the village during festive periods, as equally done by other women through the help of their children, was regarded as an unlucky mother who may have ended up bringing up otule-ehu/otule nkiti meaning, foolish and meaningless sons daughters. d. Building some block houses with zinc to replace parents detach or mud houses, thereby reducing the trouble they often went through during rainy seasons.

All these achievements were attained before the age twenty three to twenty five years before the thought of marriage came to mind. And within the said age bracket also an apprentice must have established his own workshop and competed with his master in terms of skill acquired thereby easing his familys burden in several areas. Some of them who were in school would have graduated to become lawyers, chartered accountants, lecturers, general managers and journalists. (Nmefu-Nkwu) Harvesting Of Palm Fruit Most times the villagers collectively agreed to set aside a large parcel of land in the village generally used for palm fruit plantation which was harvested by everyone on a particular date usually on yearly basis or as may be decided upon. A specific date was fixed when the whole villagers harvested the palm fruit plantation, processed in the mill and the final products sold to be able to make some money for solving one problem or another.

40

Therefore a law was enacted prohibiting any villager to secretly trespass on the plantation. To do that was regarded as stealing which carried severe penalty for any offender. In order to avoid anyone being cheated or left out, a certain amount of money was levied to be paid by each household to be able to participate in the fruit harvesting activities. Such money was usually paid into the village coffers. Any man who was not sure of his fitness or dexterity in climbing a number of palm trees within a space of time was entitled to hire a specialist palm tree climber. The specialist was paid according to the number of palm trees climbed. Not all the houses gained from this exercise as that depended on how many palm trees climbed and the volume of drums of palm fruits processed in the mill. Widows were equally entitled to hire specialist palm tree climbers as long as they were able to pay the community levy and settle a climber. It was a drudgery and very tedious job and that was why special food was prepared for the palm tree climbers. Relatives as well came around to assist to gather and heap the palm fruits on a particular spot. It was also a risky business as mishaps often occur. For example: a. A climber in a bid to be fast may miscalculate and miss his leg on the tree. He could fall down and die or become incapacitated for life. b. He may inadvertently cut his hand with sharp a machete in an effort to come down from the tree as quickly as possible to be able to climb another one that has up to eight or ten matured fruits all around it before someone else went for it. It was a thrilling exercise witnessed by the whole village in a vociferous and boisterous rowdiness.

41

CHAPTER SEVEN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS Igba-oru The Moon Light Play The moon light play was a product of nri-ogirisa (Children idling away in the mid afternoon at the playground). This was the stage where teenagers disguised as husbands, wives and children. As the husband went to the (bush) farm, he came back with some woods depicting tubers of yam and was welcomed by his wife who cooked at home with empty tomatoes tins; full of sand, water or even urine and assorted leaves which everyone consumed by just kissing the edge of the throat with the cooked sandy soup, since the contents were contaminated and could be poisonous. During such plays, a teenage girl of about twelve years turned aside from the play group, urinated into an empty Bournvita can, and for a long period silently play on her own and pour back the urine into her vagina. This act earned her a funny name, for immediately her name was mentioned came this song, so and so okpubiri mamirikpuba-nime-gbomgbolo-kpuba-nime-iheya(The girl who urinated into an empty tomato can and poured it again into her private part). This name stuck to her for several years. From here, it moved to the stage when children gathered all kinds of instruments such as empty tins of milk, bottles and iron which they hit at the same time to produce a sonorous but discordant admixture of sounds. They moved round the village in group constituting nuisance until the elders at home came out to warn them to desist from disturbing the peace of the public. Sometimes they blindfolded one of their members with a piece of cloth who will be accompanied round the village while dancing and singing ojuju-calabar. They expected to be offered some stipends from any house hold visited, but unfortunately, most of them will still be in the farm. Thirdly, they organized a neatly dressed junior masquerade known as ekpo. The difference between this ekpo and agaba is that agaba has a wider face, a dreadful larger sets of teeth and members/ followers specially kitted. For ekpo, only a carved beautiful mask was worn. It could be represented by boys or girls as occasions demanded. While dancing and singing about nwaekpom kota uka, onye -agbala- oso-o. Meaning, if eventually our ekpo dance should result to fight, nobody should run away The youth often disliked or hated any mother who held their wards back at home to run errands when they should be at the sandy play ground ama, to partake in the moonlight activities like running and hiding
42

behind houses and nearby bushes with the use of their local power source which is the onwa (the moon itself). But all these plays were not without hazards. At a particular night it was discovered that an orphan girl was found missing while hiding in the bush igba ndeko. All her playing group went round the nearby bushes that night shouting and calling her name , but there was no response. This unusual development prompted the curiosity of the villagers and every father took their machetes, dane guns and light made from bamboo stem and entered all nearby bushes to search for the missing girl. All of a sudden, after an hour of frantic search, a certain girl moved to a particular dark spot as the sparkling eyes of the missing girl met hers. She quickly raised an alarm which attracted other members of the search group. They all came back to find the orphan girl hiding under a small dark trees with leaves stuffed in her mouth. She was asked why she failed to answer when her name was called. She replied that her dead mother hid her there and stuffed her mouth with leaves and instructed her not to answer the calls. She also affirmed it was immediately her mother left her that her eyes met with her playmate resulting to her re-appearance. As a result of this horrifying incident, the entire play group disappeared in fright and never came back for a long time. The Radiogram This was the big radio with mahogany body that had two sliding doors which provided some sonorous vibrating sound. It was always brought home by city uncles who came to spend their annual leave ranging from three weeks to one month in the village. After the days school and having returned from the farms to bring home fire woods etc, and finally after the preparation and consumption of dinner, young and old people always gathered in the uncles room pretentiously listening to national news read in English language which they never really understood. But no matter how block-headed the young old school pupil were concerning books, the understood the N.T.A. (Nigerian Television Authority) national news jingles that took off with one very popular slogan which went: gbumgbum-gbamgbam-gbumgbum-gbamgbam-ofe-ogbono-ehela-mana-egusi-ka-oforu. Meaning that ogbono soup was ready, only egusi soup was not; after which still announced pum-pumpum-m, the time is 7 oclock, 8 oclock or 10 oclock depending on the broadcast period. The young people often enjoyed Congo and other highlife music that came from the radiogram.

43

A funny incident happened one day. An uncle had left a faulty radiogram in the village and went back to the city. Some months later, he sent a technician to effect repairs on the system. On the day of the repairs, the whole village gathered together to find out what was really inside the radiogram as there had been rumors around the village that some individuals permanently resided in the system, but wondered how they survived without food and water. On opening the radiogram, two hefty rats ran out while an old woman lamented: ewo-o, ihuru-si bekee bu agbara, emakwasiobu oke nani ka nwa beke-e wubaru na telebson ha na agu nabu nakwa ma anyi nagbajisi ukwu na aka. Biko si unu ekwekwala ha gbafulahu anyi Meaning, so it is ordinary rats that oyinbo people caught and put into the television that were playing and singing for them to be dancing with so much zeal; that the oyinbo people were just but spirits indeed She was still begging that people should not allow the rats to run away, otherwise who next would enter inside to sing music and songs for them even as the remaining observers busted into uncontrollable laughter.

Dancing To Music From Gramma - Phone The moon light night play was sometimes used to hold dancing competitions using music from grammaphone. Any parent who had this old musical instrument was regarded as a big chief or money man in the village. Young men would gather and dance to Ghanaian or Nigerian high life music such as: 1. You-dey-give-e-me-bottom-belle-cool-u-my-heart-o-o,you-dey-give-me-bottom-belle-cool-u-myheart-o-o. Bonshueazikiwee, bonshue-e-eh-eh-bonshue,awolowo-bonshue-e-eh-eh bonshue or 2. Father - nyere-e- nkita-okpukpu-u, father -nyere-nkita-okukpu-u nkita-gboboja-a mama-e-e, mama-ee, mama-e-e, mama-e-e, mama-e-e-e aye-h-h( The Reverend father gave a bone to a dog and the dog was barking), in his compound after dinner all night. The dance was exclusively for boys alone who would be jumping up, tumbling and twisting themselves while sweating profusely. Girls were only permitted to watch and admire the episode. Except they danced in secret, any girl found dancing with boys was regarded as an ajakara girl (a shameless reckless girl). An age grade in the village had banned and excommunicated their members who engaged in ajasco dance for medicine sellers in the market place.

44

Icho-ejula Searching For Snails At Night This happened when every grown up youth made fireworks from raffia palm trees (hard/dried) to enable them see clearly in the bush at night while searching for snails which they gathered into their bags. The snails were meant for food or for sale depending on the quantity gathered. This was also not without some risks as the young pupils were prohibited from calling each others names in the bush. This was because the spirits of the dead in the bush may hear the name of any young person called by his or her mate. The spirit may also repeat such names much later and if the victim responded, he or she may die after some few days through mysterious circumstances. It was believed that the moment a person answered his/her name at night without seeing the face of the caller, the spirits would seize the soul of the voice who answered. Therefore, men forbade to respond directly to their names when called at night. They rather preferred to answer indirectly by questioning the caller like, Who are you? Or who is calling? The search for snails at night was preferred at weekends so that young school pupils will not fall asleep in class room while teaching went on.

Ifo-Ero Picking Of Mush-Rooms In The Bush This is a particularly rich crop used as soup supplement which sprouts from the soil and spreads on the surface in the months of November and December. It is often used by the poor indigent women as a source of support for soup making. It was usually carefully picked, washed and added to soup with other recipes like magi cubes, and crayfish, the soup was often consumed with utara (fufu) by the household. Sometimes, it was equally plucked along with some big blind snails to make the soup richer. The blind snail was a kind of very big old snail covered by a whitish film on its face in the hot season as a result of old age. The snails fed on mushrooms and hence are usually picked in areas where there were large quantities of mushroom. However, picking mushrooms had some danger as some dangerous snakes like the viper usually coiled its body and quietly rested or hid under dried leaves during dry seasons in the bush. It could be very dangerous if stepped on inadvertently while picking mushrooms as a bite by the snake had no known cure. But before it bites its victim, it would give warning signals three times because it is not a violent reptile. Any one that was attacked by a viper was regarded as a wicked and vicious person who must have

45

done so much evil in the society such as poisoning his friends and relatives and performing witchcraft on neighbors and their children. Itu-Uriom The Use Of Gamalin 20 To Harvest Fish This was a means through which large volume of fish were caught. Gamalin 20 enabled big fishes and reptiles alike in the river to suffocate and also killed the smaller fishes with less strength. Sometimes the biggest fish in the river could be caught by a lucky young fellow to be sold to raise some money. Also the use of this chemical was not without its hazard. There was an instance that the king of the river, a very big crocodile measuring about 11/2 meters gripped a young mans laps, pulling him into its hole to be feasted on. Despite the collective efforts of all matured men around who tried to pull the man back, the reptile was also pulling the young man. The man was rescued but badly injured as the reptile had succeeded in chopping off the flesh covering one of his laps and was rushed to the hospital. The adverse effect with the use of Gamalin 20 was that any fish harvested with the use of gamalin 20 usually lost its taste and if not dried quickly gets rotten easily. That was a difference from fishes caught with the use of hooks.

Digging of Rabbit From Its Hole In the dry season, young men went looking for rabbit holes in the nearby bushes as every smooth hole was assumed to contain rabbits. Two or three youths dug any hole available and took the risk of putting their hands into it to locate the direction of the hole and at the same time unstuffed the stones, kernels and leaves while everyone around was on alert to prevent the prey from escaping. Much effort was applied to dig the hole as some rabbits might still hide inside except smoke was blown into it. Sometimes, rabbits might die in the hole due to exhaustion which required further digging. At other times, smoke from fire may force the rabbit to find another escape route and will be caught as soon as the leaves were removed. This was also not without its hazard. There were some instances when dangerous snakes pursued the rabbit out and occupied its hole. Hence digging the hole and inserting ones hand into it exposed them to snake bites. There was a case of two brothers from the same mother who went for rabbit hunting. Having dug very deep into the soil without feeling the movement of the rabbit, the elder one of them decided to put his hand into the hole. Unfortunately, a dangerous snake bit him. He pretentiously asked his younger
46

brother to do the same to confirm what he touched with the feeling that it was the rabbit. And as his younger brother unsuspectingly put his hand, with the inclination to catch the rabbit and take the glory, not only did the snake bite him, the snake angrily refuse leaving his hand and he forcefully pulled his hand out along with a big snake following it. It took them much shouting and crying aloud in the bush before elderly men rushed with frantic effort, held the snake and sliced into two parts, with the head on the young fellows hand. They later rallied round and separated the snakes head and freed the young fellows hand It was the grace of God that the younger fellow did not die, for it was strange for an angry snake to bite someone and still survive it, though it left the two brothers with withered right hands.This was why it was asserted by old people that any boy or girl who grew to maturity should slaughter a goat for celebration having survived deceit from fellow youth. Udara Picking Of Almond Fruits This is a very small beautiful yellow tall tree that grows like the orange tree. It has a very sweet taste and produces fruits during the dry seasons. It is found where villagers had earlier inhabited , that is their former homes uhu-ochie. For that reason, youths were not always left alone to go looking for it in sunny mid days because the spirits of dead people buried in the uhu-ochie (old home) hover within. It was not advisable to swallow its seed as it could upset the stomach. One day, a little girl of seven years mistakenly swallowed it, having picked some with her elder sister who frightened her that the swallowed seed would germinate in her stomach and spurt from her head and she would definitely be carrying a long tree about. The girl cried her heart out and looked at her face on the mirror imagining how she will look like carrying a tree about. However, her mother refuted the rumor eventually. Uzo-Nmiri Clearing River Path A special date was mapped out, always close to festival periods by all men. Portions were measured out to every man to complete, even the main river itself was also cleared of river weeds while the entrance and its vicinity were neatly cleared. After the exercise some big fishes were caught by some lucky men. Penalty awaited any defaulting man who was not seen in this task. In the evening a vibrant age grade or okonko was sent to collect a levy from the defaulting men. This was an interesting task as women who individually cooked special utara dish sent to the counselors house waited for the men to come home and entertain themselves. The women leader sat at the spot
47

where the foods were gathered to make sure no woman brought low quality meal which could be rejected. There were other activities that went on in the village where men displayed their prowess in one form or the other. Some were like initiations such as okonko and ekpe societies, specifically for men while others were attainable at old age as conditions for qualification such as ndi-okpofor for aged men and ndi-dimkpa-nwanyi for old women.

48

CHAPTER EIGHT INSTITUTIONAL CEREMONIES Ndi-Okpofor-Aged Men. These were the groups of old men whose age ranged from 90 years and above who were regarded as the oldest and most respectable people within the community. However, being very old did not qualify one into this unique group. It was obvious that some old men were overtly diabolical, vicious and feared in the village so much that they do not belong to the group of revered old men. They are old men who reverence God and their ancestors by doing what is right and abstaining from evil of any sort. They were called the aka-nchawa people. Because of their age, experience and clear handedness, they were authorized to look into some much serious and crucial matters in the society which might involve loss of human lives through poisoning, witchcraft due to land tussle and other incidences that involved fratricidal cases in the society. And because of closeness to the ancestors, they were regarded as the highest institutions in the society, as there was hardly any kind of case they could not orally settle. If there were any difficult ones, they were referred to the isi-ala the community land head as the final court of arbitration. Here anyone who was accused of poisoning another and denied doing such was arraigned to the isi-ala where the case will be settled between the living and the dead before the okpo-ofors as witnesses. The accused must be naked in their presence, roll his hands at the back as was made to bend forward and pick a broken piece of kola nut with his mouth and eaten. If heshe was guilty of the offence for which he/she was accused, dies within one year, unless he or she had lived under some crooked means. The okpo-ofors would mention the name of their gods and ancestors for every judgment they had to make and therefore hardly told lies under any circumstances. They were given the local sanctimonious name onyetuzie-olaa (meaning one who directs correctly goes freely). However, if the accused was innocent of the offence, he or she will not die before one year lapsed. This was called obojo-ogha, meaning one who was wrongly accused. In that case, there were natural signs vindicating or signifying an accused innocent of an accusation such as: a. He may stumble into a local expensive soup making recipe called usu which spurts from the ground.

49

b. He may kill a wild animal or reptile such as a lion, python or an antelope with his gun or with his trap in the bush. c.The most popular one was that he may pick an eagles feather pierced by itself into the ground in the bush. The accuser in this regard organized a special and expensive ceremony known as face washing ceremony on behalf of the accused in his own premises (accused) and a stipulated amount of levy was also paid to the accused for embarrassing his or her personality. But if the person was guilty of the offence and feigns innocence so that he could continue to live by : a. Going to the toilet to eat some defecations secretly in the night b. Climbing paw-paw tree naked, and coming down with his head facing the ground in the night. There were still some natural penalties for these heinous deceptive attitude as he or she cannot deceive both men and the ancestor at the same time: He or she may lose a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter under some mysterious circumstances within a period of one year. In this case he or she had succeeded in declaring self the most feared person in the society. Ndi-Dimkpa-Nwanyi Old Women These were a group of women within the range of 80 to 90 years of age or above who were regarded as women liberation fighters of old. Their duties were among others, the perpetuation or reprisal of unjust treatment to the women-folk in the society. There was a case when an aggrieved man while fighting and beating up his wife, dragged her outside to the middle of the compound, tore her clothes to nudity, turned her upside down and pulled her legs apart thereby exposing her private parts in the full view of everyone. The group the dimkpa-nwanyi regarded this as an abominable treatment to woman-hood, fought the man back and demanded for a penalty from him to appease woman-hood. But the man proved stubborn and did not respond to their request. They took a drastic action against him. One early morning at about 7.30am, about ten of them went to the mans house and invited him outside for further talks. The unsuspecting man obeyed and came out. Suddenly, all the women loosened their wrappers and uncovered their nakedness. They also exposed their nudity to the sky and to the whole compound with each of them turning her head upside down idu-ike. The man was so embarrassed such that he found it very difficult to recount the episode to others. Immediately after this incident, he
50

was said to have seen his dead parents and all other relatives who had died long ago all coming against him. Out of fright, he quickly ran to his obi (hut), counted the monetary value of his penalty, and handed it over to the old women. He also begged them fervently to spare his life by leaving his compound as quickly as possible. (Ndi-Uke-Age Grade for Youth and Adults (25 years and above) These were one of the most feared and respected groups in the village set up. Age differences within the group were two years which must be adhered to before any woman considered having another child. Any woman who did not abide by the rule was regarded as a lazy one who was enamoured with pregnancy, and a child born under such circumstance tended to dislike his or her mother because of the deprivation suffered at childhood by not adequately breastfed before his or her mother got pregnant again. This often led to stunted growth in such children. Because of this, the village had birth records of all family members according to groupings. Each age group did a lot of things in common, even in competitive undertakings; they watched and emulated each others uke-nele-ibeya-anya-agbmgba (Mates and competitors), and anyone who did not emulate each other in positive endeavors was often regarded as being foolish. They undertook some collective tasks like clearing each others farm for planting and heaping during farming seasons. At a matured age of about twenty five years and above, each age group was expected to make their age grade known for recognition in the community. This ceremony was an expensive one as they were expected to host the entire community by providing food and drinks. Thereafter, they will be regarded and recognized as matured sons and daughters within the community. The membership of the group was very important, as each member must abide by its rules, otherwise could be excommunicated from the age grade. The danger of excommunication has to do with the fact that if peradventure such a person died, it was the age grade that ought to confirm the death, and on the day of his burial they were the ones to give the body a good wash as no other person had the right to it. This showed the importance of the age grade. The Okonko/Ekpe Cult Initiation The most prominent ones are: 1. 2. The okonko or akang cult The ekpe cult
51

These cults were only meant for men. Women were prohibited from membership. These were the cults where every father was expected to initiate his male children as prominent members. Any father who failed to do this is often regarded as a woman.. It took a lot of fortune for initiation rites into any of these cults. For okonko/akang cult, large quantity of yam tubers, a fowl, pots (not jars) of palm wine and certain stipulated amount of money were required, while for ekpe cult, which was the most senior and feared, a large quantity of yam tubers, a big dog, pots of palm wine (bigger than those of okonko) and stipulated amount of money were also required. Members of these cults regarded themselves with so much respect with regards to the secrecy of their belief in the cult. During the days for initiation rites, the general public was informed by beating the Nwofi (a wooden instrument) which creates a peculiar sound round the community. No non-member of the cult dared came out of the house or opened any window for fresh air or even urinated at nights because of the fear of experiencing the dreaded spirit of the cult and grave consequences to an ikpoo. Severe and strict measures were meted out to any non cult member who dared violate their rules. Bona fide members of the cult went round to create fear in the minds of non members by shouting what was known as ifu-ndu-u thus:ikpo-o-kpuo-o-o( Lazy men should go in and sleep). Ikpoo was the feminine name often given to a male non member of the cult. At this period, all major roads linking the village with neighbours were barricaded with umu (palm fronds,the fleshiest palm tree leaves), so that anyone who dared to cross was assumed to be a challenger of okonko. If such a person was apprehended, his eyes were blindfolded as an intruder who had to identify himself in the presence of members of the cult by showing who or what okonko or ekpe was really about by marking the sign of okonko on the ground or by signaling the sign in the air. He will be given some thorough beatings if he failed to convince them and may still be abducted until a message was sent across to his kinsmen who came to negotiate and settle the penalty pronounced on him according to the cults regulations. He was released thereafter. Several times new entrants into the cult were made to undergo some torture like: knocking of the head , beatings, slapping and spitting on the face. His enemies who may target him may even urinate on his body. To check all these oddities, new members may give young members of the cult some money to buy their loyalty in preventing them from going through these unreasonable ill treatments of unfriendly friends.

52

The greeting of the cult members went thus: oje-oje-oje-okonko. Oje-oje-oje-ife-ndikom etc. Ife-ndikom means exclusive mens activities. The greeter shouts hard while members respond, o-o-o-h, h-o-o-o with all fingers on one side of their mouths. Some Of Their Strong Laws A man who did not take palm wine or any other alcoholic drink or ate dog meat dare not attend their gatherings, as a strong penalty awaited him if offered a piece of dog meat or a glass of palm wine and refused the offer. It was regarded that he was avoiding okonko or ekpe, and therefore was forced to provide almost everything being consumed solely from his purse. Failure to abide by this directive prompted the whole members to immediately march, singing and dancing nge-gere-nge-gerengegerenge, mbim-bimm-bim bim-m to the cults music to his compound. And any livestock such as chickens, fowls, cocks or hens they could lay their hands on, whether belonging to him or neighbors were killed and roasted in a furnace with high intensity of heat and consumed with roasted yam. After dispersing, the man is left with much indebtedness to his neighbors. The ekpe music was much gentle, but the most dreadful due to vicious deeds. The rhythm of the music and the humming and murmuring was so fearful which frightened and forces non-members into hiding such as ekpe-o, ekpe-o oweayaya, ekpe-o, ekpe-o, oweayaya as their bell was severally ringing gbam-am, gbam-am,gbam-am following a dreaded voice that was asking and harassing ekpe-anyi-laga-ngoye-e-e-h,ema-na-egwu-atugbuela-onye-ulo-ya-kara-akrika-e-e-h-ee-h. Meaning, We so much pity the man whose roof is leaking due to rain. This was rightly directed to a particular man who had financial or land issues with his neighbor and became very restless. The leader of the group often enjoyed creating so much fear into the minds of those around by asking where ekpe was heading to. Men were often restless not until ekpe passed by their homes. This is so because as long as they (ekpe) sang and danced to ones compound, the man had to expend much fund to host it especially the payment of ukwu oruro which is paid as a fine to wash off their muddy legs from his compound whether as a member or non-member. However, preference is often given to a qualified member because he knows what others knew and thus cannot be unjustifiably treated. An unjust treatment may result to inviting a much stronger and ferocious neighboring village ekpe who would come to intimidate his village ekpe members and could be forced to pay twice the sum of money purportedly collected from him. But this

53

hardly took place as no nwadiala son of the soil would want his village ekpe to be intimidated or humiliated by a rival ekpe from another village. Finally, these societies were utilized in settling inter-personal quarrels and land disputes in the village. Two cult members may pluck a special leave known as ogirisi and greet themselves the cult way, in the presence of quarrelling villagers and dish out instructions that portrayed an end to the quarrel between them until the elders intervened when appropriate. There was once a particular imbecile who had a brain wave while dancing okonko music on his fathers burial day. The music was echoing ke-ke-kre-kekeke-mbi-m, ka-ka-ka-krakakaka-mbi-m, mbi-m, mbi-m, mbi-i-m . He was shouting and commanding okonko music players achi nkawa naa enu, achi nkwa naa enu maka na anaam acho nnam-nwuru-anwu na okonko-o-o, meaning that all musical instruments should be raised up high as he is searching for the face of his dead father in okonkos midst. Some men preferred initiating their sons to these cults than sending them to school or to learn vocational skills.

54

CHAPTER NINE VILLAGE CULTURAL FESTIVALS There are some other notable days for celebration in the village of old such as: a. Sunday market days: This was a market day that fell on Sunday day which attracted friends and relatives who were always prepared for the special occasion. b. Christmas days and Easter Sunday: These were special ceremonies or celebrations meant for Christians each marking a special remarkable event in the life of Jesus Christ. That is the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Family friends, relatives or in-laws visited a household with jars of palm wine, the women came with anuru-anu ose. This was a type of fried, dried and grounded pepper cooked with red oil meant for eating cola nut; ugba, African oil bean and kola nuts for the husbands in the household, and some cooking condiments like fish, salt, egusi (Melon) for the women This was a period when visiting friends, relatives and in-laws of the husband took close note of the kind of wife or wives their friend, relative or in-law married. Some women were so stingy and never provided good food to visitors. Such visitors regarded themselves unlucky to fall on the side of a stingy wife for serving food. Ikwa-ekwe Wrestling Contests Wrestling contests were notable in the village which was celebrated in the month of July. It was made colorful by the old and young as there were no age limits to be part of the contest, unless the very old who were excluded from the main action. In most cases, young men of school age were urged to take part as well as young married men from the cities. Very early in the morning on the day of the contest, fathers and grand fathers took big hens in front of their onu-mkpu which was a small mud house secluded at the extreme end of the compound, housing the chi, a household god. They would sit with a small leave in the middle of the room with hands folded, murmuring and making some incantations as a request to his chi after which he billows or scatters tuwai , a sound as loud as a busted balloon, while the leave scattered from the middle of his hand. He throws some four or five pieces of native cola nuts and alligator peppers into
55

his mouth which are chewed and spewed out p-u-u-a-a-a to the molded chi before slaughtering the hen tied beside him, spreading the blood and its feathers all over the molded chi within the mud house. Thereafter, he mixed and tied together a special leave ogirisi or plantain leaves, some grounded dried yam with akidi, a special kind of beans, to be baked without oil. The final product which is very blackish delicacy achicha is a veritable sumptuous dinner which is very delicious that one hardly believed that it was a whitish yam powdery substance with some other mixtures mixed together. This could be likened to the unleavened bread of the Israelites during their exodus from the land of Egypt. As the whole village and visitors alike gathered in the community play ground ama, after all visitors and guests had been entertained in the homes of their hosts, instrumentalists lined up to produce a rhythmic brain turning music with their wooden instruments. Each instrumentalist put on their native attire, hitting his instrument and sweating profusely to outplay one another while rendering kekekengororo, tike-tike-ngororom, kekeke-ngororor, kakaka-ngororom-m, idim-idim-m-idim-m-m. Very popular old women are not prohibited from dancing to this ekwe-ngba music Old men who were notable wrestlers danced to the melodious rhythm ndirindi-ndidim-m-ndirindindidim-m, with their wrappers tied to their waists, white singlets on their bodies and eagle caps okpu-okoko(most popular traditional cap in Ibo land) on their heads and expecting one of their sons who took after them on wrestling prowess to come out in the midst of spectators at the ama, for a likely challenger. And when his son came out, the old wrestler charged the more as he lifted up his palm frond, shook it at the back of his son who is knelt down while waiting for a likely challenger and at the same time boasted ceaselessly odi-egwu-abiala-o-o severally, meaning, the fearful young man dare not come out, for there is danger and it is going to be awesome. As soon as a challenger emerged, every strong wrestler will flex his muscles tightly at the challenger. In the process, the old wrestlers will stretch their legs, twisting their hands in the process and clenching their hands and teeth. Some of them will place their two hands on the head believing if it were one of them opposing the challenger, he would have used an uncommon step or style to throw his opponent down. No matter how long the bout takes, victor must emerge.

56

The overwhelmed spectators will push themselves forward almost touching the wrestlers, but a guard who ensured that the crowd did not misbehave will swing his whip made of palm leaves at them to restore orderliness. Suddenly, boisterous and vociferous uproar from the crowd filled the air to celebrate the victor. One of the wrestlers had been knocked down while his opponent stood over him with hands akimbo watching him closely. He will be considered to have displayed aja-agbasa meaning the stronger had thrown his opponent flat on the ground without sand touching him. His fans, parents, friends and relatives will throng the scene, and lifted him up while some threw cash at him which his siblings picked up. Sometimes a bout could end without a clear winner. Some bouts could be between popular wrestlers from other villages challenging each other. A fight ensued when the stronger man who was not expected to go down easily was suddenly defeated. His village supporters may stir up trouble which may warrant people from the host village to quickly carry their musical instruments into their homes to prevent any calamity since they believe that spirits of some dead wrestlers were also present at the playing ground, thus any eventuality could occur. However instead of the looming crisis taking place, rainfall will suddenly start with heavy drops, kama-mgba-naputa-ogu-nmiri-zoo. This meant instead of a fight between the contestants occurring, the ancestors had used the instrument of rain to avert the impending calamity. Everyone in the arena ran helter-skelter to his or her various homes or villages. Iri-Ji New Yam Festival The new yam festival was one of the most popular and pleasurable ceremonies in the village of yesteryears which took place in the month of September. But before the new yam celebration day, the new yam must have been tasted secretly in advance in some homes. At the end of August, some would have brought home some tubers of yam, onye-akatala or onyeekwule, strictly covered at the bottom of his local basin abo into the house. This meant that nobody ever revealed to anyone the tasting of the yam before the celebration day. This secret and cautious handling indicated the confirmation of the old saying that went thus, ngwugwu ana ato ato adighinma imu emu, meaning that the new yam celebration is just next month, why be in haste as if one who would not be alive to participate in its celebration? Apart from that, the yam had not been washed

57

openly in the river. Hence the level of secrecy attached to it even though the yam will taste sweeter because of its unavailability from the market and at homes for about seven months. The yam festival was one unique ceremony that enabled every father to extend some generosity to the whole household, notwithstanding the level of his stinginess. They willingly supported to augment their wives financially to buy some soup items such as mangala fish, ukporoko and meat A sumptuous dinner was provided by each household while some young people kept aside chewable items like rounded melon, mangala, ukporoko (stock fish), meat, even achara and uha (Special leaves for preparing soup in Ibo land), in a separate plate which they gradually ate later. Those who did this were called ndi-nmu-mu. They were those people who hardly ate anything chewable once before it disappeared. Some youths were in the habit of regurgitating meat that had been swallowed because of the fear of not having another opportunity to such offer again. But those who engaged in this habit were regarded as ndi-nkooro, meaning a weakling. The celebration was a one day affair with sumptuous meal provided by every household so much that hunger disappeared temporarily from the village. Highly respectable and disciplined neighbors and relatives hardly visited one another on day of the festival as most people stayed in their various homes to celebrate, even though such visits could be made if the need arose. There was an instance when a man decided to visit his elder uncles house in the next compound accompanied by his dog. Unfortunately his uncles wife had prepared very big okporoko, sizeable lumps of goat meat, big mangala and other big fishes in a very wide, deep bowl, placed at a corner of the dining table to be shared later. However, because the household was so stingy and did not believe in giving out to others, immediately they sighted the visitor coming in, started hissing, sighing and protesting against him m-u-h-u-u, saying, this akpiri-ogologo ( long throated man) will not allow us to enjoy our own dinner in peace by staying in his own house especially today which is a festival day. The house owner suddenly remembered what to do so as not to give any piece of meat to his cousin. He quickly carried the full bowl of sumptuous meal and pushed it far under the bed. While his cousin seated after pleasantries, they asked him, ogbuu irohu-ukwu gi aro, meaning that he did not sharpen his legs well before visiting as they had just consumed all the chewables in advance, but he could partake in eating the molds of utara he met. The cousin responded o-h no problem, do as I have just done, kwanu. Funny enough, he was yet to understand the statement when visitors dog started sniffing around fim fim-m-m. It went straight, dived under the bed and started growling cham-m, cham-m,
58

gwum-m, gwum-m, gwum-m-m-, while enjoying its lucky catch of a full bowl of sumptuous meal to the consternation of the hosts. His cousin who was seated on the other side cheerfully encouraged his dog to carry go bingo, bingo go-on. The dog responded with a deep sweet growl w-h-u-u-u, m-h-u-u each time to the annoyance of the hosts. Blood-like tears dripped from the eyes of the hosts and did not respond to the funny jokes given by the visitor who was using such jokes tactically to buy time so that his dog could finish its meal. After about one and half hour of cracking of bones kwa-korororo-kwa-korororo, he beckoned to his dog, bingode-bingo, bingo-de-bingo, oya that is okay, lets go home now. Immediately he stepped out of his uncles house, he fell on the ground, laughed and said, oh, stinginess is not good, onye-aghara-nmadu-ibeya-na-agharu-nmuo meaning, he who would not give to a fellow man a small piece of meat, but will give to the devilish dog the whole thing. The level of hatred in the eyes of the uncle and family to his cousin was like asking the ground to open up and swallow him alive in their presence as a form of compensation. In the evening of the day of new yam festival, one often heard the echoing okonko cult music which organized all sorts of masquerades such as atu-mpi, nne-nmu and ebi to add some ambience of the occasion. Young people who had been initiated into the okonko and ekpe cults enjoyed running and shouting about, dancing, jumping up and down until they were exhausted before going home for dinner of the same meal they ate in the afternoon.

59

CHAPTER TEN YOUTH MASQUERADES Another beautiful memory was the masquerades that are part of festivities during Christmas and Easter Sundays. Village compounds looked cute with assorted colourful local paintings of different designs on walls drawn with charcoal. Visitors trooped into one compound or another belonging to relatives and ate whatsoever set of choices of food offered to them. The local boys put on cutely made native attires and slippers. Those from relatively comfortable parents may put on canvass often called chi-ejii-nukwu, meaning night never reaches the foot while their caps and goggle slipped down their nose. They also shot their local pistols known as egbe-nnunu into the air with bullets that were sold for a penny and inhaled offensive odour from every shot which was inimical to their health. No wonder it was often said that evil spirit never caught up with an innocent boy or child who knew nothing. Before long they will be gathered in a room with closed doors to kit up their masquerade in the house of the chief organizer. Thereafter, they moved to the street with their musical instruments which produced ogene (Specially made musical instrument) sound while other musical instruments rend the air. The frightfully dressed masquerade then appeared on the street with its ugly and dreadful face and a mouth full of large sets of false teeth, brandishing its sharp machete and a cane on the other hand and ran menacingly like a loosed mad dog dancing to the charging music alaru-e, alaru-e mmawule-e.(2 times). Alarue-agaba-dimegwu-e, nmawu-le, anyigakpoba ogene, kpoba-ejimofo-o, mmawul-le, unuahuna-ihe-oyimbo-mereanyi, mmawu-le. Tikokokokoko-tikoko-mmawu-l-e chased away only women and children alike, and finally went straight to the market square. From here it danced from one compound to another saying alagaa-domari-alanga-domari nwokendu-domar, nwanyindu-domariewu-nokuko-domari, meaning, on this ground, on this ground, men would be alive, women would be alive, goats and fowls too, while the young men who accompanied the masquerade will put on their mothers wrappers and white singlets and danced with the masquerade, collected whatever gifts households offered such as coins, cooked rice, soup, some meats or fish as the case may be. All edible gifts were then poured into a big bowl conveyed by one of the boys which was eventually shared at the end of celebrations.
60

Girls or women who knew the masquerades name or his person dared not call him by his name. There was an instance when a girl who was a class mate of the masquerade, (shared the same desk in the class), inadvertently called the masquerade by his name. She received severe beatings from members of the group and ended in the hospital. There was always a show of superiority when a group of youths are divided into two such as the upper and lower communities. There was always some threat to fight when their masquerades met at the centre of the village. Naturally, the conflict had to be tactically quelled by the elders to avoid situations that led to injuring one another which was regarded as an abomination because of the ancestral blood relationships between them. Their complaint was on the exploitation of their culture by the early European colonial masters. Omakekpu Special Girls Dance This was the old school girls most popular dance. The outfits used by these girls were so appetizing that most spectators gazed with awe. They would put on a special fanciful local hair style tied to forehead with their mothers wrapper while exposing only part of the hair and beautiful ear rings dangling from their ears. Equally tied are their mothers most expensive wrapper called judge with a piece of it also tied across their chest to conceal their breasts and exposing their belly and legs (including their laps) as their waists, legs, ankles, hands and necks were heavily decked with asi beads, singing : onye-galumu-eumu-igbo-o-e-h, onye-galamu-zuru-igwe-nye-lovu-u-me-esim-gbara-a-ukwu-u-ala-a-a. Meaning,

what a fun; he who wanted to marry me have bought a bicycle for my girl friend and asked me to walk about on foot; while the second music emphasized on flowers in relationship with cultural dance that went on in the old school society. Thus periwinckle-sim-lawa-a, e-h-h-sim-lawa-a (2 times).tiro-tiroo-egwu-nagba-noboanyi-tiro-ro-o-o. Dancing on the tips of their feet systematically to one particular direction each as led by the dance director who often blew her whistle fururu-fururu-u-fufu-u-fufufufu-o-o, while the beads helped to modify a uniform dance on the marching of their feet to a corresponding result of a mixing light sound that went cha-a-cha-a-cha-a, cha-a-cha-a-cha-a continuously at its rhythm as they waved their handkerchiefs each on one hand from left to right.

61

Most of them were indirectly spotted as potential wives by some secret admirers who had utilized the opportunity of the dance to x-ray the physical attributes of the girls. Having made a choice, they would challenge them for marriage not later than five weeks after the dance. However before then, such men would have displayed their affection by the amount of coins publicly sprayed on their choice of woman while dancing as a show of love. Igba-Eru This was organized by a small village in the community known as Nkpa-Ukwa village. It is usually like carved wooden mammy-water with a long hair and a big snake coiled round her body straight to the head. It was not a violent type of masquerade as the dancers who accompanied her were gaily dressed like a mermaid. Equally expensively dressed were the celebrants (villagers) who sang and danced to the melodious Eru music while gallivanting round the village throughout the day. They will eventually retire to the village square from where the masquerade took off for the celebration. Ila-Oso This colourfully celebrated culture was organized by the Amaedukwu village people. As a triennial

event, (three years interval) it attracted citizens from the works of life in the stipulated years of the event. This was a very interesting, enjoyable celebration and respectable cultural event in the community which had the Oyinbos (white men) coming all the way from western countries to watch the event comprising of some peaceful and dreadful masquerades and their mystical wonders. They often took pictures of the masquerades as memories of African routed cultural exhibitions to be displayed in their countries. ANCESTRAL MASQURADES Though men and women were watched dressed colourfully, singing and dancing to their different cultural music, the major event that beautified the celebration were the different masquerades that added more colour to the event: 1. The Nnenmu (Otherwise Called Ure- Nwanyi)

This masquerade is usually dressed in colourful Agaba attire, and in most cases peaceful and friendly. She would dance continually while waving her handkerchief left and right at the same time. She often acted like a spy surveying the vicinity for other dreadful masquerades.
62

2.

The Ohie/ Oti Apiampia (Whipper)

These masquerades usually came out in twos or threes. They were also dressed in attractive attire, but with canes in their hands to clear the crowd in the midst of the village Ama for other violent masquerades who might come around. 3. The Ogba Nelu /Nelu

This was one of the mostly revered masquerades on whom the ancestors bestowed their mystical prowess. This wonderfully decked masquerade Atu was normally decorated with pieces of glass (mirror) to cover her body from the belly, chest, back up to her neck. The pieces of glass that covers her body reflects like a flash light. She is usually mounted on a four or five meters wooden legs which are the means of walking, running, dancing while waving her white handkerchiefs all round the village square Ama without falling down to the bewilderment of spectators present . 4. The Ebi (Ekpe)

This was the very dreaded Atu masquerade that often carried two ancient dried human skulls (heads) with a sharpened machete on her head. Brandishing the machete menacingly, he would run, dance and charge forward violently from one end of the Ama to the other while singing Ke-di-kee-dim, Ke-di- kerenke e-dim, Kodi-Koro- Nko-dim, Kodikoronko dim, Kedim-kerenke-dim, Kodim-koronkodikoro-kodim-koronko-dim-m. She is often accompanied by a chant man who would run after her with a ringing bell Gboghom-Gbohom-Gboghomm to warn spectators of the awesomeness of the masquerade. The Atu masquerade was terribly feared and spectators voluntarily gave her some one to two meters distance while displaying her skill because the Ebi was licensed to kill. Permission has to be obtained from the local government/State police command prior to her appearance on the street to avoid any untoward occurrence as she often killed victims mistakenly. To avoid this, the chant man with the bell has a long rope attached to the bell and to the body of the masquerade that is often used to draw her away from spectators each time she was falling out of line as well as a cock on the other hand. The cock when flashed on her face was a means of pacifying her from getting angry each time noticed the music makers were not performing up to expectation or the chant man was performing poorly as she was being heralded woo-woo, woo-woo, woo-woo, Egbu-AraObara, meaning that the impact of her footings on the ground sounds
63

woo-woo.

Secondly, that she was the only Atu masquerade licensed to kill, just like the Oro masquerade in Yoruba land. More so, that when she kills, she also licked the blood of her victim as well. The signs that indicated she was angry were noticed each time she held and adjusted her heads violently as if trying to dismember each other. Actually, a careful and closer look by a spiritually gifted and intelligent observer among the spectators will rightly emphasize that the two heads were vehemently protesting that the body carrying them was not actually theirs. Notwithstanding the dreadful look on her face, any spectator that didnt have the courage to watch the Ebi masquerade was assumed to have missed the major event of the occasion. However, most of these ancient cultural activities relating to the use of masquerades have some embodied adverse effects on their followers so much that it affects the seasonal maintenance of such events. Any family or lineage that held or preserved the instruments or materials for the masquerade Atu, the first child of such family, Di-Opara or Isi, have some diabolic unspeakable misfortune to pay as a price from time to time. But that was when the community was still in ignorance many years ago as many families have abandoned such tradition and embraced the Church due to the spread of Christianity. However, some families still practice the ancient culture so that it is not completely allowed to die off and forgotten. Ifu Ahia Or Iza-Ahia This was usually organized by the people from Umuede village, comprising on four hamlets: (1) The Agbiyi people (2) The Obilaji village (Isieke people) and (3) The Okwaa and Onyima people. It was a triennial celebration which attracted citizens from all works of life, even from all parts of Europe who would not want to miss the cultural heritage that was equally imbibed by their forefathers of the first generation. During the celebration, a particular deity known as Ogudu was usually worshiped by her devoted followers while observers, spectators, visitors and strangers watch with admiration. The deity was in form of an empty dried rotten mahogany tree with an empty hollow body such as a large talking drum like Mkpere , with one end covered with animal skin.
64

It was housed in the front of the village central square with significant use of palm fronds which runs across all corners of the roof from one end to the other to conceal it from prying eyes. No matter how much one tries to look, the deity cannot be seen at any other season, as she permanently inhabits the center of the roof of the house until the day of her ceremony. On the ceremonial day, the carriers of the deity are usually very careful at their duty to avoid very unpleasant circumstances. Only two men who have male children were qualified to carry this Ogudu. Each one with a large tightly folded plantain leaves Aju will be attached on their white singlet, knickers and wrapper on their waists. Before then, they were thoroughly searched to make sure that none of them wore a ring or any substance in their pockets or a mark on their bodies. This is because it will be awful for any of them that ever underrated the Ogudu. Whosoever boasted how he would carry the Ogudu home to his fathers compound to be splinted and used as firewood will definitely be punished severely. As a starter, a chanter with a white fowl on one hand and palm frond leaves on the other throws eggs unto the roof housing the Ogudu. Serious chanting, singing and dancing goes on for about forty minutes. Not far off from the scene was also ceaseless heralding and praising of the Ogudu by the village Ikoro closely mounted to the community central square near the Ogudu house with the sound, Koko-Dididi, Kodim- Kodim, Koko-Dim-Dim, Koko-Dim-Dimm. Then an unusual noise will be heard as if a python was angrily tearing a bush path while racing after an escaping prey. Suddenly, the Ogudu throws itself grim-m, grim-m on the heads of the two men standing at ease in a straight line as in a military parade while backing the house of the deity. Suddenly, the two men carrying the Ogudu masquerade would firstly run menacingly to the market square like a lion escaping from the barrel of a gun aimed at it by a hunter tumble to the ground and immediately get up again because it is a taboo for the Ogudu masquerade to touch the ground as this could result to calamity within the community The male dancers from the village who are dressed in a war-like attire of judge wrapper, white singlet, eagle cap Okpu Okoko on their heads and Akparaja tied on their waists will be beating Akpatakpa drum while dancing and singing Unu Juarum-Nya, Unu-Juarum-Aya, Moghuru-Nmai, Unu-Juarum-Nya, Moghu-Ru-Nmi, Unu-Juarum-Nya, Moghuru-NmaiOke Ngwo-o and

Ejimokoro-Ejimokobia. The first song means that the Ogudu should be asked if she had consumed
65

undiluted palm wine from a male raffia palm tree while the second is just a boast. The village was boasting how rich she was blessed with young warring men. On the music that has charged the environment, the Ogudu could punishment anyone who doubts its ability and would remove Aju from the doubters head and make such an individual to dance with his naked and empty head until tears were forced out of his eyes. It is only when he started begging and signaling with hands for help that another man would take over from him. But in this situation, it was entirely the responsibility of Ogudu to decide on what to do just as the chanter flashed a white fowl by waving it on the face of Ogudu. The chanter went ahead by throwing eggs on her (Ogudus) body. She may still refuse to be pacified despite the fear of being transferred unto another mans head because of her plans to take the doubter to the some villages general lavatory or open latrine Ogwe where she would force the doubter to match on all corners within lavatory like someone matching on red sand while building a mud house just as his neighbours are forced to turn round only. Most times, he went on its knees in the graves of some dead great men to pay them homage especially when the doubter was in the front. The Ogudu lies on the roof for several minutes until eggs were thrown at her and a white fowl waved by the chanter. The Ogudu must at the same time enter every shrine for greetings. It may get angry when the drummers begin to show fatigue by producing unimpressive music as a result of tiredness by angrily killing the fowl that was waved at her. If this happened, it often took several hours to get another white fowl of same size that will accompany her home because of his refusal to obey the Ikoro that has been beckoning on her to come home as it was getting dark. Under no condition during stampede by spectators mistakenly run or walk across between men carrying the Ogudu masquerade. It was an abomination that attracted death sentence. Ogudu was finally sent home in the same manner it came out. This time, the two carriers would face the house in the same way they did at the initial stage. The level of confusion that heralded their outward journey also repeated itself when returning back home. Ogudu will not be pacified until she was finally taken the village diabolical/spiritual swamp that got flooded in the dried season but dried up in the rainy season. It contained big crocodiles and pythons
66

and other water beasts that were very old but could not be killed by hunters or by traps. The carriers are made to swim for several hours deep inside the evil swamp such that spectators may start weeping and had pity for the carriers as only their heads carrying Ogudu were left and not covered by the evil and beast infested swamp. The Mystic Palm Tree The culture will be incomplete without a mention made on the evil palm trees that are lined up between Lohome (by Leper Colony) and Nkpa on the way to Ama-Ediaba Nkpa that fired back gun shots and rockets to the Nigerian Army during the civil war. Awfully, these evil palm trees on other occasions were observed talking and laughing to their selves in the mid night by some late night travelers. We were told that there were some fetish activities made there by Nkpa forefathers that prevented the early Europeans from entering Nkpa.

Tax Collectors/Sanitation Officials: These were another powerful group of people within the village. The tax collectors were usually dressed in white shirts and khaki shorts whose main duty was to ensure that taxes were paid as at when due. However they carried out their duties in an undignified manner by harassing culprits even in their homes and farms and dragged them to the local office for default. Cultural practices in the olden days are similar with minor differences either in the East, West, South and even in some parts of Northern Nigeria. When environmental sanitation officials came around, the unscrupulous village councilor used it as an opportunity to embezzle village funds by lavishly entertaining them with richly prepared food and drinks. Apart from this, some money was offered for transportation back to their office. This was because if the officials were allowed to move round the village for inspection, the outcome was often dreadful because of the bad sanitary situation of the streams, toilets and gutters within the community. The whole village could be summoned to court where stiff penalties were awarded against them.

67

CHAPTER ELEVEN RELIGIOUS COMMITMENTS The wonders of old school church These were places where Christians who were not traditional worshipers or pagans went to worship God. There were always three major churches: 1 2 3 The Roman Catholic Church The Methodist Church The Assemblies of God Church

The Catholic and Methodist churches were known as orthodox churches. The pastor was usually called Ticha church and for him (pastor) to visit any home at that time was often compared to the visit of Jesus Christ Himself as he was highly revered by the villagers. Any home Ticha church visited would spare no money and time to prepare the most delicious meal that would be presented to him. Any pupil who might not be brilliant academically, but could stand in front of the congregation of young and old worshipers to sing in the church was highly respected also as several students didnt have the courage to do likewise. This type of confidence was often found among the children of deacons and elders in the church and in most cases, such children tend to score very high marks in Christian Religious Knowledge examinations. During Christmas festivities, several people from the cities travelled home much earlier to enjoy Christmas Carol songs by their church choir. An example of such carols is: achoghim iju, achoghim-ima-a iju, achoghim-ima-a, ebeisiri-bia-a, achoghim ima-a, achoghim-iju-u, ebeisiri-bia-a, ihemu-mara-bu-gini-I, ezigbonwannem-m,nyemakagi-I. Meaning, I neither want to ask nor care to know from where you are coming from; all I ask is that my beloved brother/ sister, give me your precious/loving handshake. They sang this song while whirling round and round and shaking each others hands. Annual Harvest And Thanksgiving Service. This was a very big ceremony especially for polygamous men who were pagans and who for once obeyed and respected their wives constant confrontation on them to attend church activities at least once for the year. Many came with tubers of yam, some with monies donated to the church. However, many of them never came despite the enticing aroma from the richly prepared traditional soup of egusi/achara, ukazi, uha and roundly molded melon known as nkpuru-mkpu/mbam(Grounded and
68

molded round shaped melon) and utara prepared the previous night by the women, accompanied with large quantity of drinks. The foods and drinks were conveyed to the church early in the morning . Sometimes quarrel ensued in the church on how the menu was served and eaten between the natives and amongst church members just like in Nzuko-Amala community meeting. The Assemblies Of God Church: There was what was known as early morning cries. An elderly member went round the village as early as 5.00am 6.00am urging villagers to repent cheharianu-ogezuola, meaning repent now for the time is up. Songs like obinatom-m, onyenwa-nyi-obinatomu-ut-o, obinato-o-m, obinatomu-uto-o are also sang. Sunday Service Every Sunday service was a joyous and interesting celebration that held everyone spell bond. Members sang joyously eluigwe-bualanzo-e, a-alanso-o eluigwe-e, a-alanso-o, onyenmehie-agaha-aba-nimeya-a. This was the reason why children of other orthodox churches were held in awe every Sunday morning on the way to their various churches while watching the Assemblies of God Church worshipers singing joyously and hitting their legs on the ground. That was their mode of dancing as they sang praises to God. This was why non-members of the church dubbed it ndi-nzogbunzogbu/ndi-nzo-ukwu, meaning the ground matching worshipers. Those who danced were called ndi-nmehie sinners. As they sang Holy Spirit inspiring songs like odikam-no-nigwe-e u-ugbua-a, odikam-no- nigwe-e u-gbua-w-o, ema-na-agaruwomu-jodan-n, eruwom-na-judia-a, odikam-no-nigwee, u-ugbua-a, some members cried, shed tears and spread their hands unto heaven. The presence of Holy Ghost was felt almost every Sunday by some members who twisted round, pushed through other members until he or she got to a particular member, exposed and boldly told him or her particularly serious sins or heinous crimes committed, ranging from adultery to fornication or stealing. No wonder penalties were placed on any member found to have committed a sinful act that was against the doctrine of the church by a verdict known as oche-azu back-bench. This meant that for a particular sinful act committed by any member, his or her membership of the church was relegated and will be offered a seat at the back rows for a period not less than one year, but not more than two years either, depending on the enormity of the sin committed. After a specific period, the sinner still underwent
69

cleansing before full membership of the church was to be restored. This was not common in other churches. One attribute of Assemblies of God Church was that their female members often found it difficult to inter-marry non-members who they saw as mere ordinary church goers despite the fact that the number of available bachelors in the church were very small as compared to the number of spinsters. Membership Of Church Choir Since most schools belonged to missions, it was compulsory that pupils were well brought up in fear of God. To do this, the things of God were imbibed in them such as membership in the church choir and regular attendance to church activities. It was compulsory that every grown up pupil belonged to the choir, attended choir practice every Saturday evenings to rehearse songs to be sang during Sunday service. The rehearsal often began with do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do-o, do-ti-la-so-fa-mi-re-do-o. The pupils were gifted with different voice sounds such as treble, auto, tenor, and bass. These sounds were combined to make a wonderful rhythm. There was penalty for failure to attend rehearsals on Mondays from the choir master who was also one of the school teachers. Members of the choir were expected to be role models in the community and should be well behaved in all circumstances. CHAPTER TWELVE BURIAL CEREMONIES As soon as the death of someone was announced, it spread so quickly and the reactions of relatives and community members became very pensive. Both old and the young came together to mourn the dead. If an elderly man died, the fear of the sound of gun shots and other dreadful activities involved often drove young ones to his or her grandmothers or fathers village until the burial ceremonies were over. If the dead was a church person, a sympathetic song is sang like, olemgbe-e anyamuugahu-nwannem-nwanyi-i ozo-o olemgbe-e ogabue-e-o-o, meaning when shall I set my eyes on my sister again, when shall it be, rolling on the ground. No young person had the courage to visit the next compound at night in such situation on an errand without holding a touch light or lamp, and no young man was brave enough to go out of the house at night either to urinate or went to the toilet because of fear of the spirit of the dead person. All the
70

as the dead is finally lowered to mother earth amidst wailing and

fetish activities involved in the burial ceremonies, especially if the dead was not a Christian was very sorrowful and it was a taboo by youths to receive gifts from the offspring of the dead at this period. Okwukwu Horror Situation: This happens when an influential old chief, warrior or okpofor died at a very old age of about one hundred and twenty years and above. Some of them kept slaves and when they died and about to be buried amidst heavy music and dance called okere-nkwa, it was said that one or two of the slaves heads were cut off and placed into the grave of the deceased (master) ,so that the dead man still had slaves to serve him in the land of the dead. The body of the deceased must always be placed on the head or heads of slaves already placed in the grave. These slaves were persons sold to distant towns unknown to them by their callous fathers or brothers without the benefit of returning to their ancestral homes. Some of those sold sometimes escaped from their masters and traced their ancestral homes where they returned to after several years. On the day of burial, some strong men from the deceased mothers village ibe-nne or umere-nne would come to the dead persons village dressed in war-like attire of wrapper, white singlet, eagle caps and palm fronds on their mouths and very sharp machetes known as akparaja, which they used to cut down plantain trees, cocoa-nut trees as well as goats, cows and fowls found on their way to the burial ground without being questioned. Different types of delicious foods are prepared to serve visitors who came to partake in the burial ceremonies. The Okere-Nkwa Dance In Okwukwu This is a tall tree with several branches found in the compound of a deceased, dressed in wrapper, singlet and eagle cap like a warrior. A cook will be tied to the tree while professional shooters are lined up, dressed in war-like attire with their dane guns and each was expected to aim at shooting the cook. This was to ascertain the greatest shooter of the season which was subject to the number of gun shots heard in that particular village on the burial day of the deceased. The shooters displayed special unique dance with their akparaja in their hands. This ceremony was not very common in other communities, but prevalent with the Arochukwus who organized expensive burial ceremonies for very old people.

71

However, a younger person or rich man who could organize this type of burial ceremony for his father must be very sure that his father also gave his own father such an expensive burial ceremony that involved the use of a cow and its blood in his compound. If eventually his father did not give unto his own father a closely related and expensive burial ceremony of such magnitude, the young man giving his father such befitting burial will die from an attack of the spirit of his grandfather as a result of jealousy. This can only be prevented if he was able to re-bury his grandfather before giving such expensive burial to his immediate father. Uguru Harmattan Season This was the cold season of November and December when the weather was usually cloudy, chilly and cool, a season when fruit trees such as pepper fruit tree, uha tree shed their leaves for new ones. At this time, one found women wearing Arabian dresses by covering their heads, ears and noses, leaving only the mouth to respond to greetings. The men provided fire furnace in their compounds every mornings with large logs of wood, where everybody came to sit round, spread their hands, legs and whole bodies in order to ease the impact of the chilling cold. The season was a season to harvest cocoa yam as the harmattan helped to dry the leaves indicating that cocoa yam was due for harvest (uguru mgbu ede). At this period most men roasted cocoa yam in the furnace from 7.00am to be consumed with freshly cooked black oil from the mill or might roast dried corns eaten for agupe-e uzo agupe-e onu, meaning to unbolt the door in the early morning when the husbands stomach was equally opened to receive food as some of them may have had a very tedious and onerous task with their wives the previous night, ima hali hali ( making love). Women frowned at their husbands when they lavished the dried corn preserved on top of their ekwu in the kitchen. They cherished husbands who ate more of cocoa yam than corn so that they could have seeds to plant in the next planting season. The harmattan season was also the best time for a man seeking for a wife to go all out for a fresh bodied beautiful girl or lady for marriage, for most times, the chilly cold left deep cuts on the mouths and legs of villagers deep enough to hold cups of water. It is in this case, it is said that Hamadan had carried the fellow away. It is common for people with rough bodies, both old and young, ndi ahu/aru nkavara. It is shared around to men and women, the old and young within the village.

72

THE ISI-URU OR MBARAM-OHIA/OFIA The head hunters During the harmattan season and before new yams are harvested, very brave and courageous youths who have been initiated into their age grade are given the mandate to hunt for human heads which are used as part of burial rites when a notable and influential warrior, or a king died in their village. The head could also be used for presentation to their community ikoro (Most feared wooden instrument in the village that signifies danger such as a missing person, death, war etc.) during an important festival in the community. They went into the bush in one or two either during day time, at night, in the hot sun or even in the rain for weeks or months with their sharpened machetes and two bags: one each for food and the heads they got. They usually hid themselves in caves or under thickly dark bushes awoliwo while waiting or searching for their prey (more heads). Women and young men were mainly their victims. They were caught as they steadily walked to the bush to work in their farms. With a heavy blow of machete on their necks, they were cut down immediately and kept in bags. There was no escape route for the victims since they were hardly recognized or noticed. Young women, men and newly married women never went to farm alone without being accompanied by the husband with his akparaja or dane gun at hand. Unfortunately, not all the victims went back home alive to their own communities as some fearless warriors from other communities often met them on the way home or hideout, killed them and cut their necks off which was presented to their own community ikoro . These other men are warriors rather than being referred to as an isi-urus A brave old woman could take some younger women to distant farms to harvest tubers of cassava as she took along her big dried stick ara-nkita which was hit on the ground steadily lim-m, tim-m, gbim-m as they walked along. The sound produced by the stick signified to the isi-uru that danger was lurking along the way which made them fearful of the old woman. This happened decades ago. CHAPTER 13 MEMORABLE MOMENTS:

73

In the typical village where no cars were commonly seen except on Easter Sundays and Christmas celebrations, the only four wheeled vehicles often seen were lorries called gwongworo meant for conveying produce and farm crops and nwigedu the lorries that ferried timber from the forests and farms to the cities. However, once in six months or thereabout when a vehicle owner managed to visit the village sandy play ground, one found young people moving close to the vehicle to perceive the smell of the paint as well as the tyres and also loved the smell of petrol and fumes of burnt fuel emitted from the car exhaust pipe. They assumed that anybody that could sit in the car with the wheels rolling on the ground instead of walking on bare foot must be a king indeed, almost like God himself. Eventually, as the car accelerated back to its destination, they would run into the bush corner and shouted joyfully byebye-e, bye-bye-e collectively as long as the cars noise was still faintly heard. What about airplanes? Nobody else was ever expected to fly in the skies apart from the then president of the country. So, when the typical village person heard the sound or saw an airplane in the sky, would quickly raise his/her hands up, waved to the unseen and unknown occupants of the plane which they believed must be the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. So they always shouted Bye-bye-o-Nnamdi Azikiwe-e, Byebye-o-Nnamdi Azikiwe-e Summary When tradition and culture, like a full moon and its glorious light are seriously and steadily waning and declining, danger and calamity are imminent. If our ancestral beliefs and cultural values are not embraced, it could lead to generational loss and a great disservice to our tradition. A shattered ethics is malleable and its reinstatement can be triggered off just by one single reformist. The lost glory is not unrecoverable, but the issue is, who will start the Cultural Revolution; you, me, the new or the old school? Is there anything worthy of admiration on the lives of the old school? If there are, then decipher, reclaim and cherish them so that they will emanate once more for two things are never weighed on the scale equally. A new broom could be a longer and faster sweeper, but the old one is the
74

overall master sweeper for its ability to know and master all corners of the room. A stitch in time saves nine.

75