16/03/2021
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IWA AKWA(WEARING CLOTH CEREMONY) FESTIVAL IN IHITTE /UBOMA.
By : LIBERTY CHIBUEZE
The Iwa Akwa festival is a colourful entertaining festival usually celebrated in Ihitte /Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, on the 3rd of January every 2 or 3 years.
As it is usually celebrated at the interval of (2/3) years. It is an avenue where the young men of the communities who are between the ages of 33 and 35 years are initiated into manhood.
This festival is the biggest festival in Ihitte/ Uboma Local Government Area, as it is the only ceremony that brings tourists to the towns and villages in Ihitte/Uboma .
It goes as far as attracting foreigners to the community to participate in the festival.
In this particular Iwa Akwafestival, which took place on the 3rd of January, 2020, an asumed number of seventy-eight (100) youths were initiated, which marked the highest number of initiates in recent years.
The festival is a two-days programme; the first day holds the introduction where the previous celebrants comes to show their seniority to the younger ones, who are billed to be introduced into manhood.
They start as early as 6.00am to assemble the proper neophytes at the Village Square; they seniors are seen giving so much task to those who are to be converted or introduced into manhood.
Each person is expected to carry out this task without complaining; mostly at the introduction night which is traditionally called "Opupu Orike" where so many task are given to the new to be introduced men, they will asked to prepare all kinds of traditional delicacies for thier elder brothers to enjoy before them without giving the neopyte to enjoy with them only to show seniority.
After this, the younger ones will be made to clean the senior one's shoes, as a sign of respect and this must be done without complaint, irrespective of whom you are, how rich you are, or how popular you are.
Tradition is tradition, so they must obey.
Though the tasks varies from year to year or group by group, as long as the task is dictated by the elderly ones, the younger ones must obey.
After the task is carried and no fault is found in any neophyte, he is allowed to go home and rejoice. On the other hand, if any candidate misses out on the exercise, the whole group will match to his family house and seize valuable items until he returns; and when he returns, he will be charged to pay certain amount of money (as fine) to bail those items which is called (Ihe Uhe) .
When everything is done, everyone will match home bare-footed, as a sign of respect to the elderly ones.
In some cases, the elderly ones will ask the younger ones to kneel down under the sun or in the rain for hours to test their patience and loyalty. While all these are going on, the family members will be home making sure different delicacies are prepared-- locally made foods are prepared for visitors who come from far and near to grace the occasion. The reception starts from 10 am or 1.00am and beyond, depending on the wherewithal of the family.
The second day, which is the main day, starts as early as 6.00am in the church, with all the initiates holding their wrappers and waiting for the Reverend Father to pray and bless them before they commence the occasion proper. After the wrappers must have been blessed, each candidate will take his wrapper home, spread it in front of his compound for all passers-by to see and be aware that someone in that family was being introduced into manhood.
In accordance with the tradition, no one is expected to touch that wrapper again until the elder ones come at about 10.00am, bring it down themselves and tie it on the waist of the celebrant. When it is time to match to the Village Square, everyone is expected to match down with different musical instrument playing, just as their displays of cultural dances, masquerade performances, and Agu Okonko performances.
There will be different types of colourful wrappers as all the families match from their compounds to the Village Square.
Each celebrant is expected to employ two types of musical artists that will make the occasion lively. One is expected to play at home to make the place lively, while the other is to accompany the celebrant to the Village Square, as well as the Market Square, in order to keep everyone entertained.
It is pertinent to note that, the wrapper used is a symbol of coverage. It is assumed that they (neophytes) were naked before but they are now covered. This explains why most families go all out to make sure they buy the best wrappers in the market. Though the occasion is a competitive one, most families try hard to make their families proud.
This introduction marked a new beginning in his life and in the lives of any young man traditionally transformed into aged manhood, and the families of the neophytes will now attend community meetings, pay dues and take parts in the decision making process of the community.
This always brings joy to families of the celebrants because through their son, they will be updated on what is happening in the community.
Iwa Akwa Festival is educating with so much entertainment around. It takes two nights, the introduction night and the festival day, which takes people to the king’s palace or village square before heading to the market square where the celebrants will be declared duly introduced or converted . At that point, the candidates are lifted high up by family members, friends and well-wishers.
After this steps , the reception will hold at each family compound, with so much dancing and merriments.
This traditional historical research work was compiled and re edited by LIBERTY CHIBUEZE OKONKWO from Ihitte /Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State Nigeria, in the year 2017.
(4th Times to be published here)
LIBERTY PICTURES AND MEDIA: 07062826348
