ABSTRACT: Nigeria has a lot of natural and man-made tourism potentials, which includes but are not limited to masquerade festivals, traditional and contemporary drama, cultural edifices and so on. These tourism potentials, especially masquerade festivals as treated in this presentation, could be marketed for tourism purposes and huge economic gains, if properly harnessed and sustained.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF UGWUOBA
Ugwuoba is a border town, on the bank of Oji-River in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State. It is renowned for its gas reserves in commercial quantities, as attested by Shell BP. The town is home to Akukwa field in the OPL 907 area first drilled by Shell in 1938 – 1939. Thereafter, it recorded further successful drills by Shell PB in 1955 – 1956. It also has the popular Ugwuoba clay deposits that could serve as effective zinc ion adsorbent.
Geographical co-ordinates are as follows:
6 0 16’ 7” North
7 0 9’ 15” East
Communities/villages in Ugwuoba are sixteen, namely Agungu, Aguabosi, Ojinator, Nkpagu, Okwe, Okpuno, Ude, Egbeagu, Agolo, Obinagu, Eziachi, Efulu, Ogbudu, Umualor, Agungwu and Umuonwu.
Ugwunoba is bounded by Agbalenyi Nachi, Oji-River urban, Ezeagu Local Government Area, Inyi, Achi in Enugu State. Then Ozu and Amansea in Anambra State.
INTRODUCTION: Onwa Asato is a masquerade festival usually celebrated at the end of each eight month of every year in Ugwuoba town of Oji-river Local Government Area of Enugu state. It is a festival that showcases an array of exotic masquerades such as Agaba, Ebeikona, Akunechienyi, Ayolo,Iga,and the universally revered, King of all Masquerades-Ijele. The masquerades turn up in their best apparel to entertain members of the community.
Onwa Asato celebration is a week long affair which occurs after the Onwa Asaa, which is the seventh month but usually takes place at the beginning of each harvest season, to thank God for bountiful harvest. It is usually celebrated around September/October of every year, as often decided by the Igwes in council of the four autonomous communities.
ECONOMY: The people of Ugwuoba are notable farmers, renowned for producing Cassava, Garri, Abacha (African Tapioca), Palm oil, Yam(Otherwise known as the king of crops in Igboland) and other staple food. Their most popular markets are Afo Ugwuoba and cattle market, which supplies both the buyers within Enugu and Anambra State.
ONWA ASATO – THE FESTIVAL
Onwa Asato festival, is a week-long activity usually celebrated in the month of September or October. It starts with masquerade parade in different parts of the community. It is worthy to note that mostly the men folk partake in the Onwa Asato activities. Women of all ages are exempted from participating. Be it young , post menstrual or old women.
Activities during the festival include the induction of young boys to the masquerade sect, after which they can fully participate in any masquerade related activities.
The Onwa Asato festival is mainly done to appreciate Almighty God, for yet another successful harvest, peace, and development in the town.
It is an avenue to pour libations, break and share kolanuts and thank the ancestors and gods of the land, spirits of the river, heavenly beings for all the blessings they shower on the land, as the people are equally charged to uphold their culture.
The venue of the festival is usually either the village square or a spacious school field or other venues as decided by the igwes-in-council. The major deciding factor for venue is usually a large space that can accommodate all and sundry at once.
While the masquerade are strutting about and entertaining all and sundry, the festival kickstarts with the presentation of gifts such as cows, goats, chicken, assorted drinks like palm wine, gins and whiskey, crates of various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to the igwes-in-council.
Note: in the past, it used to be officiated by just the overall igwe, but recently the state government divided the town into four autonomous communities, each headed by an autonomous igwe. So now the ceremony is spear headed by four autonomous igwes at the venue, alongside invited igwes of other neighbouring towns.
The above listed gifts are presented by different developmental groups referred to as Otu Ogbo (Age grade), Ugwuoba Development Union with branches in all states of the federation, well meaning sons and daughters of Ugwuoba both within the country and in diaspora.
The major highlight ,which heralds the closing ceremony and is usually done on the last day, is the iri ji (New yam festival). After this is done, families will freely harvest and consume the new yam. On the last day of the celebration, women folks and young ladies, are allowed to fully participate in the ceremony.
MATERIALS USED IN MASQUERADE COSTUMES AT ONWA ASATO FESTIVALS
Masquerades are important aspects of Igbo culture with spiritual importance. During the Onwa Asato festival, various masquerades perform while adorned in different colourful apparels . Most times, the masquerade costumes are made of Colourful clothes, Nets, Twines, Ropes, Masks made of wood and fabrics, Straw, Animal skin, Stockings, Yarns,Whips and Raffia palm.
Masquerades that usually perform during the festival includes but are not limited to Adamma, Okwo mma, Agaba, Ebe ikona, Iga, Aji busu, Ote nkwu, Ijele and others.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Other activities at the event include but are not limited to
- Conferring of chieftancy titles to worthy sons and daughters of the land
- A brief cultural dance by the igwe-in-council around the venue of the celebration
- Masquerade dance
- Cultural display
Ijele Masquerade
Agaba Masquerade
AGABA MASQUERADE
BENEFITS OF ONWA ASATO
- It serves as an avenue to bring the sons and daughters of the town together, for socialization purposes
- It is also a sort of re-union and familiarization process for relatives
- It is an opportunity for the traditional rulers to publicly acknowledge and congratulate their subjects for any developmental projects, undertaken by them such as electrification of communities, scholarships to indigent students, road repairs and maintenance, medical care, etc.
- The igwes and council members also use such opportunities to seek certain favours from its sons and daughters for different projects that would benefit the town
- It is an avenue for rewarding their illustrious sons and daughters with chieftaincy titles such as Omeluora, Okwuluora, Obiadada, etc for the men folk and Adadioramma for the female folks.
- It is a great opportunity for mingling and finding soulmates and future spouses among people of marriageable age
- It is characterized by lots of fanfare and masquerades display for entertainment purposes
- It is good for tourism purposes
- Boosts economic activities, especially for small and medium scale enterprises
Adamma Masquerades
CHALLENGES AND MISCONCEPTION
- The festival sometimes causes traffic gridlock, thereby discomforting other road users from going about their business.
- Bodily harm sometimes result from masquerades whipping unsuspecting passers by. Masquerade whipping each other for fun and superiority tussle, commonly referred to as “iti-agba” or “ichi epipi”
- Noise pollution from various activities as usually witnessed during the festival.
- Non attendance by indigenes who sometimes view the festival as idol worshipping and against their religious beliefs
- People in a bid to impress sometimes pledge monies and other materials, difficult for them to provide at the end of the day.
IMPROVEMENTS OR RECENT CHANGES OF THE FESTIVAL
- In the past, Onwa Asato and New yam festival were celebrated separately but now New yam festival is celebrated towards the end of the Onwa Asato celebration
- It used to be spear headed by only an igwe for the sixteen villages that make up Ugwuoba, but now four autonomous igwes, oversee the celebration.
CONCLUSION
Onwa Asato festival is an all-encompassing cultural affair that promotes peace, harmony, economic growth and all round development to the community. It avails the community, a chance to do a check on certain developmental projects, what needs to be done to improve the lives of its indigenes and equally serves as an avenue, to encourage its sons and daughters to do more for the community.
In no small measure, Onwa Asato buttresses the Igbo adage that says “Ihe oma, a di agwu agwu” (Good things are endless and can never be enough).
REFERENCES
- Anigbo O. (1987), Commensality and Human Relationship among the University of Nigeria Press
- Eliot Elisofon (1959) Photographic Archives, 950. Smithsonian National Museum of African Arts, USA
- Linus C. Enem (2021) Oral narration of intricacies of the Onwa Asato Oji-river, Enugu State
- Dawodu F. A et.al (2013) The use of Ugwuoba clay as an adsorbent for zinc(ii) ions from solutions
- Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
- The pacific journal of Science and Technology (June 12) 2016
- Enugu Cultural and Tourism Fiesta. Mmanwu Street parade. Youtube