What Has Happendd To Us? By Osajele Godsent Jomo

By Osajele Godsent Jomo

Things have fallen apart in Esanland. They have put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. This adage by Chinua Achebe in his book, Things Fall Apart, represents the actual happenings in Esanland.

Our culture is dying, so is our language. Very soon, even our virtue would vanish. We must reflect and act. Thank God for the coming if Esan Socio-Cultural Development Initiative. Perhaps we can reinvent Esan glory.

In those days when we were small and as we grow up to adulthood, Ihuelan, also called ‘New Yam festival’ was a great communal bond that held the Esan people together in unity.

I remember those days with nostalgia, my grandmother’s kinsmen in far away Ekpoma usually gathered at our house in Ewu to observe the Feast of Ihuenlan. Also, every member of my family usually also travel to Eguare Ekpoma to celebrate with them during theirs. I can still recollect how excited we were watching the Naisa Carnival of Colours infront of the Onogie of Ekpoma’s Palace.

In those good old days, the almighty Ilia du Bensu, the Palm Drinkers Club in Bendel State University, now AAU, will be girating right there at the Palace In Ekpoma. In those days, Great Umobuarie, the Afan Legend, will be perfoming his Afan music on his invented strings in front of Mr Liberty House, the foam man opposite old Ewu-Uromi Garage there. It was fun. It was natural. It was refreshing. It was Ihuenlan – pure relaxation from work and entertainment and reunion for families. That was how it was in the whole of Esanland from Uromi to Urohi, from Iruekpen to Ewu, from Ilushi to Egoro, everywhere until THEY put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. Now we are neither here nor there.

Nobody can dispute the importance of tradition to a people. Tradition is the identity of a people and the symbol of their pride and ingenuity. The so called great carnivals in Europe, South Africa and South America were all offshoots of traditions and colours.

Even in 1996 and 1997, the Feast of Ihuenlan was still celebrated with great fanfare, cultural display and the height of it all was the acrobatic display by the Egbaboelimi on the third day. Great Egbabonneli stars like the famous “No Bread” and others were the talk of the town in every Ihuenlan. Iconic musicians trooped to Esanland from Benin City and Etsako to celebrate with us; Ojo, Osayomore, Otokiti, Akaba Man all of Benin City, King Benji Igbadumhe, Jericho, Waziri, etc from Auchi were regularly invited to perform. There was no discrimination, it was a festival of love and family union.

Our sons and daughters with their wives and children in colourful attires will all grace this same festival. This festival, popularly referred to ad “Feast” by young people trying to form English, served as Reunion for relatives from far and wide to know and acquint with each other. I recall that young Saintmoses used to visit Ewu yearly for this from 1986 when he first visited from Benin and was thrilled by the life in the ‘village’. And yes he was among those who always clustered around my father, his uncle, Jomo Kenyattan, to listen to the stories of our ancient and contemporary history. I remember the OBIELE TELEMU story he loved. Lol.

All of a sudden, just as secondary schools across Edo State also stopped hosting annual interhouse sports competition, the Feast of Ihuenlan became a shameful shadow of its glorious past. No thanks to the many less-exposed pastors who taught the people to demonize their ways of life. Even my own father, the Kenyattan himself, a former custodian of tradition, once told me that those things are now heathen or idol that he now only celebrate Christmas. This is painful considering how other races and tribes hold on to their traditions even in face of western civilization.

In Ibie Clan near Auchi for example, they are predominantly Muslims, a religion imposed on them by the Othman Dan Fodio Jihadists, yet they still spend seven days celebrating their Age group. They expend huge sums of money displaying their original tradition. Emperor Wadada, the Oba Teteku I of Esanland, in the recently concluded feast at Ibie, spent the whole seven days playing his folk music from village to village, day and night, in the communities making up Ibie from Iyakpi to Iyerekhu to Egbojio. Emperor Wadada is their Darling, they knew him as a boy with Waziri where he learnt his trade. Wadada is just among the many musicians that grace Ibie Age group.

The other day I attended the Ihuenlan Festival in Idunwele and at the Ughele (City Square), I met a DJ set playing at the ceremony with just scanty crowed. I shed hot salty tears. What has happened to us? This same festival celebration used to cause traffic jam (go slow) along the old Auchi Road in the past.

Where are our people in Benin (Idunwele Development Association)? Where are those from Lagos and Port Harcourt? What has happened to us? Who can rearrange the things that have fallen apart? Where is the messiah? Where are those in diaspora that used to bring musicians even from far away lagos to our community? The center can no longer hold because mere anarchy is loosed upon the Esanland. Esan Socio-Cultural Development Initiative and Esan National Congress should focus on reinventing the glory of Esanland, Esan Culture and seek to turn our dying festivals into world class carnival. As our Chairman used to say, I believe him, ODIJIALU. Bha gima kuobo gbe. Esan Di fure.

Today is the Feast of Ihuenlan (New Yam Festival) of Idunwele-Ewu in Esanland, the country home of the writer and the Secretariat city of ENC. It is with a heavy heart that I write this as a clarion call on all Esan People everywhere to come back home and appreciate our own. Celebrate with us.

He who is not proud of his origin is not fit to live. Today also, the Idunwele Community will coronate the Age Grade called Ebedegueovuolen (translated, leaf cannot cover the sun) despite the leadership tussle that almost divided the community into two factions. Thank God for bringing unity back to the community that hosts the biggest production factory in Edo State. The rest is now history. The Age Group is led b Mr Sylvanus Enabor and it includes all those born between the years 1973 to 1975.

Please join me to wish them happy coronation and initiation into the Leadership Cadre of Idunwele.

By Osajele Godsent Jomo, Head: Media and Publicity, Esan National Congress

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What Has Happendd To Us? By Osajele Godsent Jomo