December and Culture..

NTANANKE 2018 NA UMUCHU by pen or the gods.

Okuko gbana na Ukwu ose na onye nwe ose abiago... 

During the days when Men where Men, when women in menstruation dare not cook for onye Nze, that was Era when I was pregnant and pound Yam for the entire community, that also was the period I produce the salt that salted ATLANTIC but after the brutal invasion of the Brutal British, they stole our Culture, they took my Decanters and they left us with jebe ejebe adi nma, naba anaba adi nma, but I woke up this Morning with carton of gladness because I was at the Forest of Ebube Agu teaching the Blind cripple and Deaf EJIMA gba Ona how to use Ogiri anu Akamu (Using Local Seasoning to drink PAP) and that was when I Saw Chief Bonaventure Mokwe The  CHIEF Priest of UMUCHU, the creator and Originator of NTANANKE.

When I saw him with Abuke gba ona (Featherless Bird with Ornaments) I know he was after something or that something is after him,so I waved and become invisible to his eye after all ebe ka ojelu we malu afa mkporogwu (who taught him Magic).

As he explained to Ebube Agu that he wants fortification for the Incoming NTANANKE, that was when I knew that UMUCHU needs my visit with 21 Native Virgins that walk around with Thunder, Rain fall and Rainbow.. 

UMUCHU amaro ka anyi siri Kwado at all.. 

Let me bring to us the version presented to ABUKE by Chief Priest and I quote 

"Ntananke festival Umuchu started way back in 2004 on a small scale. It picked up in 2006 with a masquerade named NTANANKE.  The festival subsequently assumed the same name. Within the period,  There was a DELEBRATE intention by the Christianity community to kill off our culture for whatever reason. I myself having been exposed to know that culture is entirely different from religion opted to champion the defence of our culture.

In trying to do that,  I recognised the economic impediment of  the practitioners.

I subsequently introduced poverty alleviation program in the festival.

Ever since,  the festival has grown to include participants from Amesi,  Achina,  Akpo and other neighbouring towns such as Akokwa and Arondizuogu.. 

Monetary gift is not involved but gifts such Keke na pepe, motorcycles,  deep freezers,  generators and televisions are freely given accordingly." End of Quote 

I want to say it loud and before hand, that if you are Ogbodi, just come watch from the crowd, but iputa na ogbo, then I will know na izuru mgba and I will give you akpa Ido ka ijide. 

Do not forget that.. 27th will be nti omu and 28th of December is the festival proper. 

This comes up every two years and having said that, let me go and tie the mouth of that caged breeze with MAMBA SNAKE Maka adigom ka Nwoke na Adi.. 

Mazi Odera POg vibrating with excessive Odumodu..