Ogwashi-uku culture, an epitomize of love, unity

This gives room for most  Africans to hobnob  with and assimilate other  people’s religion to serve as a cover up, to change their perception, behaviour, mode of dressing they may be ashamed of showcasing their own culture to the outside world. But, the   people of Ogwashi-uku kingdom, one of the oldest in Delta State, think […]

This gives room for most  Africans to hobnob  with and assimilate other  people’s religion to serve as a cover up, to change their perception, behaviour, mode of dressing they may be ashamed of showcasing their own culture to the outside world.

But, the   people of Ogwashi-uku kingdom, one of the oldest in Delta State, think otherwise. Indeed, they have damned all consequences to change that nebulous concept, and with pride rolled out drums to showcase their rich, ever green tradition and cultural heritage, before a crowd of over half a million people, including the foreigners living in the territory.

The occasion was the cultural carnival held at Ani-Nshi  primary school ground in Ogwashi-uku, a town in Aniocha  South Local Government Area of the State that became administrative headquarters in 1910.

At the carnival, the beauty of the African culture was displayed. Men and women, young and old  came from far and near, in full force, different forms and moods to tell the world that African culture is sub per, and remains the best in the world  till date.

This was manifested in the way and manner the 28 groups which participated in the carnival thrilled and held the attention of the audience during the five hour’s event. With the magnificent displays and the prowess exhibited by the people, every African is bound to be proud of his culture and the black race.

The men were dressed in their cultural costumes. Some of them wore white shirts upon wrapper, a red cap with long feathers to match. They are called red cap chiefs. And the women were their best out fits. They came out in different colours and moods. Their head ties, high on their heads and widely spread like the rump of a turkey. They wore beads as the Bini women from the ancient city of Benin Kingdom   do at such occasions.

The talking-drums played by the Yoruba around the field added another colour to the event.

By 1:00pm, the arena had been filled to capacity with deluge of people from all walks of life. It was a herculean task for the police and other security operatives deployed to the place to take absolute control of the free flow of the people that flooded the field. But one good thing about the people, though, was how they all conducted themselves in an orderly and civic manner. Obviously, happiness and smiles were seen on their faces.

The Ishekpe youths and Olu-Olobo fora were unique and spectacular. All the boys from the two groups belonged to the cane club. They were seen holding long canes with which they clubbed one another, with no signs of pains or tears sluing out of their eyes.

One of the leaders of the group, Prince Oscar Adigwe, said “to become a member of Ishekpe  group, one needs to undergo series  of rituals, then get “cooked” very well, otherwise the cane will cut your body. Else you will feel the pain and cry like a baby”.

The Ebu Ekpenor wonder, Egwu Amada, Eyo Manense Egwurru Aja, Otu Ifechukwudi, Eyo troop from Lagos,Okpanam modern wonder, Azugwu Solidarity movement, Ogbe-Onicha community groups, horse and space riding also  featured in the carnival .

But what is the significance of the cultural festival to the people of Ogwashi-uku? Mr. Awele Nwabuke, a public servant in the presidency, Abuja, explained that “the carnival is held yearly for all sons and daughters of the kingdom to come together and share love. The love sharing can even metamorphose into   marriages, hence we call it the carnival of marriage”.

Nwabuke, who is also a member o f Ogwashi-uku forum, further explained that “the carnival also serves as a means of bringing foes together to settle their differences in order to fast-track the development of the kingdom.”

Lady Tonia Ogueah, a staff of NNPC, who loves entertainment and one of the initiators of the carnival told Sunday Trust that “the idea behind the carnival is the unification of Ogwashi-uku people any where in the world. This unity is so important in my mind that I have to put in all I have to gather my people together and make them understand what we all stand to gain”.

Ogueah expressed happiness that her efforts were yielding the desired results, even though it took the people time to queue behind the ideal.

“At the initial stage, it was very difficult to gather my people to embrace it but, I’m happy today that a lot of them have warmly received it”.

To Sir -Emma Okafor, a retired permanent secretary in Delta State, “the reason for organizing the carnival, to a large extent,   has been achieved-that is looking at the large audiences, their responses and displays”.

Okafor likened the carnival to the one held annually in London during summer where people come from far and near for tourist attraction.

The Obi of Ogwashi-uku and father of Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla, Prof. Chukwuku Aninshi Okonjo also spoke about the significance of the cultural festival. The Obi, who is the chief custodian of the tradition and custom of the people, said with pride that Ogwashi-uku culture epitomes love, unity and identity of those celebrating it. Okonjo said the carnival qas actually meant to revive the culture of the people formed by their forefathers for time immemorial, and passed from generation to generation, hence we welcome the celebration after years of being sunk into oblivion.

He, therefore, appealed to government to address the needs of the rural dwellers for people to remain in the rural communities and participate in their festivals from time to time.