14/10/2021
IGBA-EKE CEREMONY IN EKWULOBIA
IGBA-EKE is an exciting ceremony performed by non Christian women of Ekwulobia community on every tenth month of the year. The celebration is admired and watched by pagans and non pagans alike .
Eke is the mother of all the gods and goddess in Ekwulobia. There is another minor deity with a similar name like Eke-ebenebe in Umuchi village. But this is responsible to the generally adorable Eke whose shirine situated along Ekwulobia - Orlu road. Why this Eke has been the cradle of all commercial activities in Ekwulobia and far beyond, is merely the culmination of a long series of complex events stretching far back into Ekwulobia history.
Preparation for the ceremony
Each of the nine villages in Ekwulobia has its own hall at Eke market square ( now old Eke market). Girls from each of the villages scrub, paint and decorate their respective halls which is locally called "Odu". The main Eke hall is finally scrubbed by a colony of girls who are the representative of their villages.
They scrub ( Oluru Eke ) the chapel with red soil, make some fanciful drawings and paintings with charcoal and crushed green leaves ( anunuu) under the watchful eyes of two to three women who must have obtained their doctorate degree in floor scrubbing.
On domestic level, this preparation is very burdensome to the bread winners.
This ceremony is to pagans mothers what Christmas is to Christian Mothers. The husbands kits the wife and daughter with what ever native fashion demands. He supplies them also with the necessary costume for their respective group dances. The mother and daughter finally beautify themselves with our native cosmetics like : Uli, Ufie, Otanjere, and nkirisiani.
Friends and in-laws are invited and enough food - items like cassava, yam, rice, breadfruit, meat etc are provided to last for good three market weeks.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CEREMONY
on the eve of Agbugba Eke ceremony the town crier sounds the big wooden gong called Ekwe-Eke to inform the worshippers that the big day is afoot. This generally happens on Nkwo day which proceeds Eke which is the biggest market day in Ekwulobia town. On the D - day the normal market activity is paralyzed because of the celebration. Strangers who came for market during these three market weeks makes little or no profit. Women from different villages station themselves at their respective village halls within the market square. These gorgeously dressed women sit in a circular form with their woman- benches and entertain the public with UKO music popularly known as NKWA-NKWA.
The dance is declared open by the appearance of two women singers at the stage. As they sing and move with the rhythm of the music, other seated women beat their UKO in harmony and this is finally accomplished by Ogene and Alu. A man who normally polices their affairs goes round the group with a long stick to see that situation is calm. At the climax of the music the possessed women jump in to the stage and dance round while the police masquerade and the beautiful puppets ( nwabebi) are being carried about.
This operation continues regularly until the three market weeks are completed. This is a period of merry-making, eating and drinking to intoxication. At the evening of these ceremonial days girls from different villages arrange themselves in groups for a verbal match contest locally known as IKPE-IKPE. This is an occasion whereby the competitors make public the secrets and the ills of their counter parts.
The IKPE-IKPE contest is followed by "Ikirigba" dance which girls perform to attract lovers and please the spectators. Both the spectators and participants return to their respective homes at the end of the day 's activities.
A similar operation takes place until the final market day when all the village group dancers will dance at a common stage.This is called Izu-ahia-Eke. The special invitees will then leave for their homes.
It is not worthy to point out some outstanding difference in this IGBA-EKE ceremony.
*This is the only ceremony in my beloved town Ekwulobia where women are to come nearer to a masquerade.
*Igba Eke ceremony is performed only by females. While mailing my write-up on this topic for publication, I am calling for a revival of most of our benefiting traditional ceremonies. There is no doubt that in next five years things like IGBA-EKE may not be seen again owing to our rapid pursuit of European culture. May our interesting cultures be revived
Written by : Nonye C. Ugbaja
Source : ESUMAG
VOL 1
NO. 1
DEC 1977
A publication of The Ekwulobia Students Union
courtesy of.... 001 On God Live Tv
