Anioma Nation: Rich in Culture; Rich in Festivals and Feasts By Emeka Esogbue

Anioma Nation: Rich in Culture; Rich in Festivals and Feasts

By Emeka Esogbue

‘There is no better way to know a people than by their culture’ Ukala (2013:44).

It was Chilo that considered culture ‘the way of life of its members, the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation… thus it encompasses the way the people speak, the way they dance and demonstrate their mesmerizing cultural dances’. 

The Anioma people are known to be rich in culture, which some culture observers of the area say it is because of their diverse origins having now been syncretic and evolved uniqueness over the time. One of the ways by which the people practise their culture is by festivals and feasts. Quite like the other societies of the world, the Anioma people celebrate festivals that are either religious or secular in nature.

Festivals in this particular sense involve programs that are carefully planned with rejoicing and high revelry that are recognized by the Anioma people’s established costumes. Such festivals and feasts may differ from one Anioma community to the other. In some cases, holy days may be observed. While some of these festivals are annual in nature, others are not. Majority of the festivals also provide thrilling and elaborate display to the spectators and for the performer, an ordeal of respect in the society and self-fulfillment.

Some of these festivals are celebrated to thank the gods of the land for productivity, and may also serve as cleansing and exorcisation of evil spirits from such communities. They may also be used to correct failures and bad attitudes among the indigenes of Anioma communities.

In modern times, several important figures in Anioma communities traditionally have roles to play in festivals as principal characters. In Ibusa, His Eminence, Chief Celestine Okafor who is the 12^th Ikwele of Ibusa also has principal roles to play during the Ichu Ekwensu Festival. In the same manner, the Obi of Ubulu-Uku is expected to traditionally flag off the commencement of the Iwu festival of the community.  In Akwukwu-Igbo, Ina Aka Obi, a day for paying New Yam Festival homage to the Obi by all chiefs of the community is the day handshakes are traditionally exchanged with the community’s monarch. Two prominent chiefs of the Kingdom that usually engage in this are Chief Onochie Monyei, the Odogwu of Akwukwu-Igbo and Chief (Mrs.) Doris Mokobia, the Kpakpando of the Kingdom.        

Iwaji (New Yam) Festival also called ‘Iwa-ji’ is an annual festival widely celebrated in Aniomaland. The festival is one in which gratitude is given to the god or deities for a fruitful year. The reason for celebrating the festival is well understood since yam provides one of the reliable kinds of food for the people. Iwaji festival is mostly celebrated in September to mark the end of harvest. It is by far the most widely celebrated festival by the Anioma people as it is observed by nearly all the communities that make up the region.

Ife Ji Oku or Fejoku is widely celebrated in Aniomaland. It precedes the Iwaji Festival which is New Yam Festival. In Ibusa it is celebrated in August. In Akwukwu-Igbo, the Odafe of Akwukwu-Igbo is a chief participant in the festival because of his priesthood of Fejoku. Fejoku, the god of agriculture is venerated because of his benevolence in providing a fruitful farming.

Irua Nmor is another festival mostly celebrated in Umunede and has the spiritual purpose of appeasing the ancestors for the protection of the communities involved 

Olia Oma Festival is unique in that it is celebrated to mark the importance of mothers by their children. It is akin to Mothers’ Day and comes with sacrifices offered to the dead mothers by their children after the harvest. This festival is colourful in nature.

Igue Festiva is celebrated by Ika people of Anioma. It was borrowed from Benin and may have first been celebrated in the time of Oba Ewuare around the 14^th century. It is also celebrated by Ishan communities in Edo State. With Igue, the communities express gratitude to God for the protection granted the community. In most communities that celebrate the festival, it involves the invasion of forests where palm-fronds are plucked symbolizing the tying of evil spirits, this is followed with the chanting of evil spirits leave the town because it is now protected by God. It is lavishly protected with eating and drinking. Igue festival is most remembered as the festival that prevented Consul Philip and his British expedition from meeting with Oba of Benin which then resulted in the invasion of the city by the British. It is the best known festival in Benin.

Ika Uwu Festival is celebrated by Obomkpa is best known for celebrating the festival.

Irua Fajeoku is similar in celebration to Ifejioku in some parts of Aniomaland. It is usually celebrated at the eve of New Yam Festival. In Umunede, it is celebrated on Nkwo Day.

Ikenge is the festival of Utagba-Uno community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state. It is a sort of festival celebrated in honour of the warriors that defended the community against their aggressors and involves the warriors of the community dancing with well sharpened cutlasses and guns. Highlight of the festival is the war dance which is usually performed at the Eke Square by group of warriors representing their quarters of the community. Each group is led by Eze-Uwai.

Aja Festival is common to the people of Asaba and entails making sacrifices to the god of fertility for harvest.

Ogbanigbe Festival is an annual festival celebrated in Ika areas. Obior Kingdom, an agrarian community is one of these communities. The festival is traditionally believed to owe its origin to cessation of wars and series of skirmishes involving the community and Benin crown after Ezechime (Ovbi Ikhimien) left Benin. It begins with the ritual mock clearing of the path leading to Benin. The purpose of the festival is to thank the god of fertility for the abundant growth of yam for the season. It is also celebrated by Owerre-Olubor community located in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state. According to Frank Monye, Ogbanigbe Festival as celebrated in Owerre-Olubor is a cultural fiesta that may have started towards the end of the 19^th century and owes its origin to Ekumeku and other wars linked to slave trade. The festival was therefore instituted to celebrate the cessation of these wars in the community. In Owerre-Olubor, it is celebrated after Iwaji which is the New Yam Festival. Ogbanigbe Festival of Obior is synonymous with “Obior rice” as a delicacy for entertaining visitors particularly from nearby communities.

Ichu Ulor Festival is one of the commonest festivals celebrated by the Anioma People. The purpose of which is to ward-off evil spirits in the communities in which they are celebrated.  

Igwe Festival is celebrated in Ika towns of Umunede and Owa especially. In Umunede, it may be customarily celebrated after the clearing of the bush especially in farms that are new. In Owa Kingdom, the festival is celebrated in honour of the adventurous warrior who was the king and founder Owa Kingdom. During this festival, masks are made; mock coffins are also showcased with playing of mock oracle and cleansing of the land. This is known as “Ilu-Ubiri”. That of Owa Kingdom is celebrated in February.

Egu Afa Festival Egu Afa Festival is one festival that is celebrated by the Obomkpa people of Anioma for purification, cleansing of the land and for warding off evil spirits. War songs are rendered with chiefs paying tributes to their ancestors. It is celebrated in the month of February.

(Ichu) Ekwensu is another festival celebrated in Asaba. It may be performed with war-dance while in Ibusa it is celebrated by Ezeukwu Quarter of the town.

Olu Festival is celebrated chiefly by Ebu. Among the Ebu people Ekpechor are believed to have started the festival later followed by Uchebe, Okemokwuru, Ugbolo and Agbanike. It is war-dance festival.   

Ukwata Festival This festival is celebrated by only a few of Anioma communities that include Abbi. It resembles the New Year festivity and requires offer of sacrifices to the ancestral gods of the clan. During the festival, a live eagle tied to a stool is carried on the head of each of the special Ukwata dancers. Gifts are exchanged. Its cultural relevance is not lost on the people’s thought.

Ine Festival is celebrated in several parts of Anioma. It is a sort of thanksgiving in which gratitude is offered to god for preserving the lives of indigenes. The festival may mark the end of farming season. It is celebrated in Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Okiti, Akwukwu-Igbo, Ibusa, Asaba and Issele-Uku among others. The Asaba people use the festival to mark their various victories in wars in the olden times. In this town, the festival is usually celebrated in October and features music and dance performed round the town. This is known as ‘Igbu-Agbo’. That of Ogwashi-Uku is celebrated between September and October for the peace and unity of the town, marked by the paying of tribute to the Obi of the town. In Akwukwu-Igbo, the festival aims at purifying the land leaving sound moral transformation among the people of the town. Perceived social culprits are also vilified with offensive songs that tend to discipline their attitudes with songs sang round the streets of the town. Ibusa does not have a common period for celebrating the festival as different quarters of the town celebrate it at different times. Ine in Ibusa is used to venerate the spirit of the dead particularly those who passed away within the past one year. This is why the home of the dead person is visited by the procession with music, dancing and dirge songs for the dead. Offering is then made either with goat but more often a chicken as a sacrifice to lead the spirit away from his earthly abode to rest in the land of the spirits.

Ogwu Festival is common to the people of Ebu. It is celebrated with funfair by the old and young indigenes of the town. It is a satirical festival often celebrated for nine days in which young in the town are at liberty to say things that are morally wrong without rebuke from elderly persons. During the festival, evil people in the society are satirized.

Eburuma Festival is celebrated with funfair by the Ika people of Igbanke. It is one of the most popular festivals of the people. It is a festival often looked forward to by indigenes of the community.

Iyi-Oji Festival Iyi-Oji is another festival celebrated by some Anioma communities notably Beneku in Ndokwa East. This festival is regarded as a small god that offers adherents victory in battles. The god is believed to give and take life, a reason it is held supreme and sacred by worshipers. The protagonist of Iyi-Oji rites is Okpala-Uku who is the head of the family by reason of being oldest male in that community.

Ishe Festival is usually celebrated with funfair and pageantry for peace, progress and preservation of the town by Ewulu, located in Aniocha South Local Government Area. It is hosted by Umomi (Omiamoo) Lake for the peace and progress of the people of the town with dancing and jubilation for the survival of the old market. During the festival songs are composed to ridicule evil people in the society. The introduction of this festival was said to have been made by ascertain Ayo from the Umuayo Quarter of the town and was largely celebrated by members of the quarter until its popularity sold it the larger Ewulu community.

Akpa Festival is commonly celebrated by some Anioma communities mostly of Ika stock among which is Igbanke in Edo State.

Osiezi This festival is commonly celebrated by Agbor and aims at emphasizing the glory of Agbor crown being the ancient Dein monarchy.

Oje Festival is celebrated in honour of Oje and Eushi, the gods of blessing by the people of Aboh. These masquerades thrill the audience. Eushi’s dance in a canoe on the lake is the climax of the festival.

Irua-Nmo Festival is celebrated in Umunede to ward-off known and unknown evils in the community. Sacrifices are mostly offered to the god of iron. Owowo dance is performed with flogging and wrestling. It is celebrated between September and October. 

Idolu Festival also called Ogbanigbe in other Ezechime communities is celebrated by Onicha Olona. This festival is usually celebrated in September of every year. Idolu Festival is a caricature war-dance that reminds the settlement of their military engagements all the way from Benin, their homestead before settling on their present site. Principal characters of the festival include the Iyase of Onicha-Olona, the Odogwu and Oza.  

Beyond the festivals celebrated by individual Anioma communities, the totality of Anioma communities now generally celebrate the Organization For the Advancement of Anioma Culture’s staged festival. It is a festival that promotes the gathering of all Anioma communities, bringing them together from Oniocha, Oshimili, Ndokwa and Ukwuani. During this festival, music and dance, traditional wrestling and display of Akwa Ocha are all showcased. This OFAAC Festival holds during the Easter period of every year and is the biggest festival collectively celebrated by the people of Anioma.      

Originally published in the Organization For the Advancement of Anioma Culture's Anioma Essence Magazine