Happy independence celebration to all Nigerians
https://soundcloud.com/106_3/nigerians-on-55th-independence-celebration.

This is our special Independence report, Nigerians say that it should not be businessa s ususal and urges everyone to start the change within.

BODYWORK BY Chidimma Nwankwo

Chidimma Nwankwo has a Ph.D. in Painting from the Department of Fine arts, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna state.

Watch out for this space as I unravel the inspiration behind the work....

Nigeria Elected To UNESCO Committee

By Gloria Ikibah

Nigeria has been elected Co-Vice Chair of the Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of the States Parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.

The election which took place on Monday at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris also voted Poland, India and Iraq as co-Vice Chair to Greece while Equador is to serve as Rapporteur for a term of two years

Nigeria was represented at the meeting by Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Yusuf Abdallah Usman, the National Implementation Agency of the Convention and Professor Folurin Shyllon of University of Ibadan and consultant to the Permanent Delegation of Nigeria to UNESCO.

It may be recalled that the NCMM has in the last few years strengthened its restitution efforts by a vigorous awareness raising campaigns among Heritage site communities, capacity building on documentation and setting up of special units to deal with issues of return, acquisitions and protection of antiquities leading to the return of over a hundred (100) Nigerian objects from Europe and United States of America.

Ebira traditional marriage

by Gloria Ikibah

The Ebira’s (also spelt Igbira or Igbirra) are an ethno-linguistic group of Nigeria. Ebira (Tao) is a tribe in Kogi state in the Northern part of Nigeria with a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants.

The Ebiras are predominantly found in Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Edo states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Okene is said to be the administrative hub of the Ebira-speaking people in Kogi state, this is not far from the Niger-Benue confluence.

Okene is from the name Okerune which means the hills where antelopes are found. It is a rocky place, with a lovely the scenery. Because of such natural features many believe that there are bound to be volcanoes and that the magma underneath the land is the swirling temperamental type. But it is believed it is a miracle that there has been no eruptions and this is attributed to the sacrifices made by their ancestors, which have quietened the rocks and sent them to sleep.

The word Ebira according to source means 'behaviour' when translated literally, with ethics and hospitality as compliments. The Ebira people are peace loving and accommodating and their hospitality nature has been the reason why many people from different part of the country considered the area as their second home. Ebira land is a blessed area rich in solid mineral resources and economically viable for any type of business.

Ebira (Igbirra) people have unique features of their culture with its ethnic aestheticism that can be appreciated most in the event of traditional marriages.

Marriage Practice in Ebira land is carried out to the letter with the customs and tradition followed. It also involves the elders of the land. When a man sees a lady he intends to marry, he discusses his intentions with her, and if she is interested, asks him to bring his people to express his intentions to her parents.

In respect to the Ebira tradition, the man does not walk to the parents of the woman to disclose his intentions; his parents or elders mostly the women do this, by going to the lady’s parents to introduce themselves and also to inform them of their reason for coming to the house.

After this is done, the parents of the lady then conduct a thorough investigation on the upbringing, background, family history and so on, of the intending groom to unravel any history of madness, terminal diseases or criminality in the man’s family. This is with a view to deciding whether or not to give their daughter’s hand in marriage to a family with a tainted reputation in the society. If their findings are appreciable, an approval is given to the man to visit the bride-to- be from time to time to get to know themselves properly.

A date is chosen for the formal introduction of both families and this is called “Ise Ewere” which means ‘what has been in secret is now in the open’. During the celebration, there is usually the presentation of gift items made by the family of the groom to the family of the bride.

The gift items usually include: 42 tubers of yam, hot drinks/assorted wines/soft drinks, kolanuts, walking stick, dried fish or bush meat, 10 litres of palm oil, bag of salt, palm oil, groundnut oil, clothing materials, jewelleries and adornment for the lady in some boxes.

Money is also included for the clan members and family elders and finally the groom may also decide to present two wrappers to his bride-to-be but this is optional.

On the day of introduction, it is not necessary that the man attends the occasion as his family members do the necessary things on his behalf. The bride’s family in turn, entertains the groom’s family with food and drinks. The families interact with one another and formally introduce every member of both families.

After this is done, the date for the Traditional marriage is fixed. The tubers of yam and other items brought are distributed to neighbours and members of the extended family. A lot of significance is given to this, to solicit for their prayers for a happy marriage as well as to ensure the acknowledgement of the community that the lady now has someone she intends to get married to.

The amount to be collected as bride price is also agreed upon by the parents of the bride and it depends to a large extent, on the financial strength of the man. Apart from the bride price, there are other things like “ozemeiyi” that is “I am attracted to her” which a certain amount of money is attached to, and “otanuvogei” that is “joining hands together”. There is also “idoza” that is “farming price” paid to the bride’s family because Ebira people are predominantly farmers. In the olden days when every young man had to farm, the groom and his friends appoint a day to farm for the father of the bride but these days because most young men don’t farm any longer, they pay money instead.

On the day of the Traditional Marriage, women in the man’s family are seen singing and dancing carrying tubers of yams on their heads to the lady’s house. The singing and dancing continues at their arrival at the lady’s house where the ceremony kicks off. The ceremony is usually colourful with display of dances by maiden groups mostly the bride's friends and by women groups. A religious leader and the parents of the couple offer prayers for them to bless their marriage and a certificate is thereafter given to the couple by the religious leader.

Thereafter, the lady is escorted by her friends and other women to her husband's house with her belongings.

Ibibio Traditional Wedding


The Ibibio’s are predominantly found in Akwa-Ibom state, and are made up of the Annang, Ibibio, Eket and Oron Communities. 
"Ibio-ibio" means short or brief but this does not have anything to do with the height of the Ibibios. Source has it that the name was given as a result of the brief way the Ibibios do their things.

Getting married or picking abride from any of these aforementioned communities has a procedure which is been followed.

Traditional wedding or marriage in Ibibio begins when a man sees a girl he wants to marry, he then tells his family. The groom-to-be schedules a date for “Locating the In-Laws” referred to as “Ndidiong Ufok”.

In Akwa Ibom, this is the first stage in the process of getting married. The idea is simply to allow the groom to locate the house of the bride’s parents. In the words of a native, “to know the road to the bride’s family house” and relay his intentions to them. It usually was advised that the groom comes alone or with a friend and a bottle of wine because it is believed that if the parents were going to reject the groom, it could be done quietly and with very little family members present to avoid embarrassment. This is just a casual visit to the bride’s family and when the groom has been approved by the family, he is allowed to make formal his intentions. The date for this is entirely different from the day of the casual visit and is usually done whenever the couple deems fit.

After the family of the groom has gotten to know the house of the girl, they can come and knock on the door and officially ask for the lady’s hand. Door knocking is officially asking for the hand of the girl in marriage.

The knocking on the door is more or less the same as in the Yoruba tradition or the Igbo tradition, where family of the groom comes and asks for the girl that they are looking for in the house and in turn collect the "list" provided by the Father and elders of the girls family. Here the groom does not talk as his father and kinsmen would do the talking on his behalf.

The “Door Knocking called Nkong Udok/ Nkong Usong”, is the formal declaration of intentions. Here, the groom-to-be after being approved by the bride’s family comes over to the bride’s family house again. This time with elderly members of his paternal family, and in cases where no such person exists, an elderly man from the clan can take stead. The elder makes their intentions known formally to the lady’s family and thereafter, presents a few bottles of drinks. After this is achieved, the groom’s family is invited for the introduction ceremony and a list of things to be presented at the ceremony is given to the groom’s family. The list will usually contain drink items and a few other things to aid the introductory ceremony.

In the Ibibio tradition the grooms family has to buy some things for the family of the bride, the items on the list include things for each member of the lady’s family from the youngest to the oldest.
The day that the things or items on the list are to be delivered is called the ‘Uno Mpo’, which means to “to give something”. 
Traditionally, it is believed that the list is a way of compensating the family of the lady by the family members of the groom, for taking away a member of their family, thus reducing the number of hands that would have helped in the farm or with cooking and taking care of the house. Even though in recent times there are no more farms to help out with but in most cases, but tradition must be adhered to. The date of the delivery of the items is usually settled on at the ‘Nkong Udok/ Nkong Usong’.

Once the date for the Introduction “Mbop” is set, the groom and his entire family or able representatives as well the bride’s family assemble themselves in a chosen venue. Here, both families present a spokesman, with the bride’s family spokesman doubling-up as the moderator.

In Akwa Ibom, the natives are very particular about food, they believe that all guests must be served food upon arrival in their homes especially in-laws. However, the decision to serve the prospective in-laws food before or immediately after the introduction is entirely up to you. Most families would rather serve the food first. This is done because they believe that when a guest comes to your home, you welcome him/her, give food and ask, “You came to our house, we welcomed you, we fed you, now what are you here for?”

It is at this point that the ceremony commences, both families get to know one another by questioning each other. Family members also advice and pray for the couple. Once all the formalities are over with, the items that were requested are presented to the bride’s family for crosschecking and approval. Once the items are approved, another list is drawn up for the groom’s family to be presented at the traditional marriage. The bride price is also negotiated.

The next that follows all these events is the traditional wedding. The traditional Marriage “Usoro Ndo” is the wedding proper. The items on the list ought to have been presented prior to this day to ensure that everything requested for is provided before the date. On this day, the groom and his family make their way to the bride’s village. Of course they may have arrived sometime earlier, but that it is said that they arrive that day. Upon their arrival, the women and children of the village barricade the entrance with road blocks. The women and children make their request known to the groom’s family and it is the duty of the groom and his people to provide whatever they request on the spot. It is said that this is done because the women cut the grasses on the roadside and children sweep the road, so they must be paid for their services. When this has been settled, all the invited guests move to the marriage venue except the groom and his friends who are taken to a separate location.

This is where all the hair and clothing that you would probably have seen in pictures or videos are donned; the bride and groom dress in full traditional regalia sometimes like a prince or princess, depending on their own tastes of course. The ceremony takes place more or less like the Igbo Traditional wedding, the father of the bride gives her palm wine in a calabash to search for her husband and show the whole world by giving him the drink, the bride then goes around looking for her husband where he is seated. As soon as she sees him, she kneels in front of him and gives him the calabash of palm wine and he drinks. This singular act indicated that she has shown the people who her husband is.

All these events are handled according to the purse size of the families involved, and in recent times, people choose to do all or some of these events together and sometimes skip some parts all together in a bid to reduce the length of the whole ceremony.

Here is an example of what a list might look like, and please note that these lists are negotiable and are according to the wealth status or purses of the families involved.

Traditional List to be purchased by Grooms family for the bride’s family:

Father MBUP: A square bottled hot drink, native gin, head of tobacco, he goat, machete with sheathe, some cash, wrappers (wrapped on the 4 corner hot drink), jar of palm wine, singlets, pants, traditional attire, hat, shoes, crates of beer, soft drinks, whiskey, walking stick, cognac e.t.c (the list can be more extensive depending on the area).

Mother: A She goat, basin of pepper, bag of salt, blouses, wrappers, box of assorted clothing pressed down, basin of crayfish, pants, bras, crates of soft drinks, cartons of wine, cash etc…

Village Women: Crates of soft drinks, wine, malt, brooms and cash.

Youth: Football, crates of beer, jar of palm wine, native gin, cash.

All these are dependent on the different dialects/areas or villages, in some areas, the grandparents from both sides are included, cousins, in-laws etc…

Combating evil with egbesu the god of warfare

By Gloria Ikibah

The Ijaws, are predominantly indigenous people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, they moved to the Delta over 7,000 years and have a distinctive language.

The Niger Delta covers an area of about 70,000 square kilometres and is spread across eight of the 36 states in Nigeria. These include, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Abia and Imo, which are endowed with immense natural resources, particularly crude oil.

Egbesu is the god or deity of warfare of the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta region, and egbesu is the spiritual foundation for combating evil. The egbesu force can only be used in defence or to correct an injustice, and only by people who are in harmony with the universe. The symbol of the divine force is the leopard.

The ancient egbesu cult of the Ijaws declined after the successful British occupation of the Ijaw lands in the late 19th century, and for some time most Ijaws only knew of the cult through folklore and traditional war songs. But has now awaken to fight the cause of injustice in the Niger Delta region as regards its resources and the usage in development of the area by the government of Nigeria.

Egbesu as the ancient war deity is believed to have been entrusted to the Ijaw ethnic nation by the Almighty God to defend ourselves in times of oppression and war.

According to source, this brings about the presence of the deity egbesu in all the 64 Ijaw speaking communities and clans from Arogbo-Appoi in Ondo state to the territories and boundaries of the Ijaws in Eastern Ibeno in Akwa-Ibom state and in the core south of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Egbesu is also known by other names in Ijaw language, such as Agadagba-oru, Ako-oru, Dirimo-oru or Dirimo-asain, to name a few; it is the offensive and defensive power of God used to protect righteous people from the forces of evil.

For the Ijaw person, egbesu is the spiritual foundation for combating and overcoming evil, it is used to enforce the divine order in the natural realm, so that all things coming into being can take place in their own space and time without infringing upon other things.

It is also the belief that a study of the function of angels will give us an understanding of why the Ijaw invoke egbesu anytime their society and environment is at risk of annihilation.

It is believed by the Ijaws that for Egbesu to be at work or effective there must be cooperation or rather togetherness among its people, the law of chastity must be obeyed, which mean you must not commit adultery, fornication or defile yourself with a woman and also you must not have blood on your hands, meaning you have not killed an innocent person(s).

The corrective force therefore of the deity of warfare to the layman can only be applied by the righteous or upright beings through wise guidance wage a war that is just. It cannot be called upon by evil doers or be used for dubious purposes because as the angel of warfare it is not called upon to start a war, but to end injustice, conflict and confusion.

It can only be called upon in exceptional situations one of which might be when an individual or community is under attack from other communities with evil or diabolical intentions i.e evil forces and the communities themselves must be innocent and blameless.

For instance if you are somebody who consistently infringes divine law i.e. the laws of natural justice or commits wrong, then you cannot call upon egbesu to help you in times of strife. That is why egesu priests would require all persons who seek its protection to confess their sins sincerely and a vow to uphold righteousness and truth in times of conflict.

Egbesu is said to be the offensive and defensive power of God used to protect the righteous or upright people from the forces of evil. Egbesu is the corrective force of God used to restore order when there has been an infringement within a unified natural system such as an ecosystem, which as we said earlier is ultimately a part of the divine order created by God. Egbesu is the divine enforcer and executioner which can also be interpreted as ‘you reap what you sow’, egbesu furthermore believed to be the divine security agent of God, securing the social order of societies that abide by the laws of nature, securing the minds of individuals who uphold divine law, from negative psychic influences or attacks released by other minds.

Seeking the assistance from the deity for acts of injustice or infringement of one’s fundamental rights means living in harmony with the laws governing the universe, the egbesu priest and the men who will carry out the defensive work will undergo a training programme that will harmonise their being with the offensive and defensive power of God. After the training programme, and in accordance to the sincerity of the individuals undergoing it, egbesu will protect them and help them carry out their task of restoring law and order in the land or making right a wrong.

In an emergency situation an egbesu priest can invoke the corrective forces of God to help a community in a conflict situation where they are clearly innocent and are being victimised. All men or soldiers engaged in physical combat must as a matter of priority confess their sins, while at the same time make a sincere commitment to fight according to divine law. This means that innocent people are not victimised in a warfare situation, even if your own people are.

The Ijaw man who believes in egbesu has it that calling upon the benevolent forces of God in times of conflict, where it is clear that you are not at fault or guilty of infringing the divine order, you must not give in to fear. Any time you give in to fear, you deny God dwelling within and he will not come to your aid in times of crises.

According to our source, you must learn the signs and symbols that correspond to egbesu and use them as energy conduits to channel the energy of egbesu through the initiate in any warfare or conflict situation.

A brief summary of the signs and symbols of egbesu are as follows;

The symbol of the leopard, representing the natural aggressiveness needed to overcome your enemies. The leopard’s teeth are used for ceremonial purposes.

The symbol of Black representing the essential nature of God, formless and invisible, and the death like state that consciousness must experience in order to come face to face with the essential nature of God. Black is also the symbol of the omnipotent or spiritual power of God. All things, all colours come out of and return to the infinite and eternal Blackness that is at the beginning of time.

The symbol of White, representing the clear and clean conscience or mind that must be in harmony with the divine laws and order so that one can receive protection against the forces of evil. If there is a blood stain, representing wrong doing, it will be seen on the white garment. All priests wear white garments.

The symbol of Red representing the fiery fire energy that must be generated in order to be successful in battle and generate a protective energy shield while in action; it also represents danger, which means that egbesu is a danger to evil doers. It also represents blood, as it is believed that blood will be shed so long as it is not an innocent blood or you will be liable.

These symbols are believed to be used by an egbesu priest to generate a warrior type personality in it initiates.

This indeed is the reason why egesu is been called upon or rather invoked by concerned Ijaw people in the protection of the Niger Delta environment which they believe if their home, against those who seek to destroy it through ecological and environmental degradation caused by oil exploration, and against those neighbouring towns who come to invade the region by violating their God given right.

Rojenny: A tourist village in the heart of Igboland

Rojenny Holiday Village, the single largest tourism resort in South-East Nigeria, is located in the serene town of Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State; it is on the outskirts of the commercial city of Onitsha, along Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

It occupies a long stretch of land estimated at 8 sq. km; Rojenny is undoubtedly a dream destination for holiday-makers from across the world.

A stop at the gate gives you no idea of the buzz of activities that go on inside the premises.

Even the ROJENNY HOLIDAY VILLAGE engraved boldly on the gate does not reveal much but as you step into the compound, you are amazed.

First, the gentle breeze caresses your face, as if to say ‘welcome to our world', this sure is the home of African hospitality. Looking straight ahead of you, is a massive expanse of land, long stretch of trees, beautiful lawns, and gigantic structures dotting the length of the compound.

This is where your tour begins. A walk around is even more eye-opening. You discover immediately that a day is not enough to see everything that there is to see. Where do you start?

The tourist attractions are too numerous and they include the lush-green fields; the zoo (which habours such wild life as baboon, python, the green monkey, tortoise, lion, etc; rare birds such as peacock, eagle, flamingo, ostrich, etc; aquatic animals like turtle, alligator, crocodile, etc); the Ozo Village and Museum; the Rojenny International Stadium, which was said to have hosted seven continental matches involving Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Morocco, and Cote d'Ivoire during the time of Jasper United and Udoji United Football Clubs.

It has also camped Nigeria's Golden Eaglets under Fani Amun for two years and three months during the time of Ibrahim Babangida as Nigeria's Military President; the over 1000-capacity conference hall; the amusement park for children; the joy rides; the lawn tennis court; the basketball court; the volleyball court; the Olympic-sized swimming pool with elaborate and fully developed poolside; the Paradise Nite Club; among others.

More interesting is the fact that you never perspire while you are walking around. Though a manmade tourist centre, Rojenny has a natural feel, which makes it an all-year-round tourist delight. Coconut and other trees line the two sides of the avenues and ensure a regular supply of cool and gentle breeze, giving the environment the feeling of a temperate climate.

In case you get hungry, there is the newly developed Angelic Garden and Restaurant (which has sprung on the ashes of the African Restaurant and bar) for your quick relaxation and refreshment, and there is also the English Bar for assorted wines.

And iIf you decide to stay the night, which of course is the ideal thing in a place like Rojenny, there is the Nwaezeora Lodge which has beautiful and tastefully-furnished rooms for all guests, plus the new guest house well furnished.

Besides these, there are also neighbourhood hotels which work in partnership with Rojenny to accommodate any number of visitors.

Again, Rojenny is a tourist destination modelled closely after Disney World in the United States of America, it provides at once all the things necessary for a tourist to stay busy as long as his tour lasts.

It is developed in such a way to serve as a base for tourists wishing to visit other tourist sites in South-East Nigeria, like the Ogbunike Cave, the Umuahia War Museum, the Agulu Lake, the Igboukwu archaeological sites, the Njaba River, and so on. The position of Oba is also an added advantage. It is said to be at the centre of Igboland, whether from Agbor in Delta State, from Nsukka in Enugu State, from Ndoni/Ikwerre in Rivers State, or from Ozuitem Abriba in Abia State.

Rojenny is also a place for spiritual tourism, irrespective of one's religious conviction. The Blessed Michael Cyprian Tansi Memorial Chapel provides a place of worship for Catholics and Christians of other denominations.

There is also the African traditional shrine for adherents of African Traditional Religion; and there is the Mosque for the Muslim brethren.

The quiet atmosphere of Rojenny makes it conducive for writers and researchers from any part of the world. The tourist sites are enough inspiration to any writer and can eliminate the so-called writer's block. Sitting very close to Tansian University, Oba, and just few kilometres away from Madonna University Okija, Rojenny is certainly the destination of many research students who may wish to use the library facilities of both universities.

Moreover, research students working on Igbo culture may have no better place to go.

Conceived and developed by Chief Rommy Amandi Ezeonwuka, a native of Akpo in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Rojenny is indeed a wonderland, a multipurpose centre with a complex mix of African culture and western civilisation. It is a choice destination for excursions, sports recreation, relaxation, picnics, conferences and seminars, research, cultural entertainment, and so on.

This tourist haven, constructed between 1983 and 1986 and opened to the public in November 1986, will soon host a Diaspora Tour, which is aimed at giving African Americans, whose ancestors were taken away from Nigeria as slaves, an opportunity to visit Nigeria and have a feel of the land of their ancestors.