IWA-AKWA: The Moment Of Manhood!

There's a particular attachment for which a community, a society is known, that with which they are distinguished and for which they could be easily identified with. This is the people's way of life, it's their tradition and hence their culture!

For some people, their culture had formed a better part of their lives through the process of committed deep instilling that has built in them a conviction as to believe and as well transmit along their respective genealogy of how such is an integral part of their lives and for which they should hold dear.

The huge respect accorded some cultures as  significant elements of heritage has made them proud possession assiduously passed from one generation unto the next, strictly retaining their tastes along the ages, inspite of the dynamism and susceptibility of culture to time.

This is quite said of the Iwa-akwa (cloth-wearing) celebration, an important cultural identity of some communities in Igboland, Southeast Nigeria, undertaken largely by the males and a handful of interested females.

Although, time's influence seen by the cringe of modernity has seemed to rob this cultural heritage of that wider spread it's enjoyed among the Igbos prior to this period, it's such that's been held with such dogmatic passion by the people of Imo state, especially those from the three local councils of Obowo, Ihitte-Uboma and Ehime Mbano, where it's become a euphoric expectation every three years.

A celebrant: the writer

The Iwa-akwa ceremony, symbolic of the enshrouding of the nakedness that's associated with childhood, is the high-powered traditional ritual of initiating young men, who -agewise- have come up into the social ladder of adult men, responsive and responsible! It's a ritual that suggests a rite of passage, which signifies that the one being initiated is no longer a child from whom nothing much is expected by the society.

Significantly, Iwa-akwa confers on the individual young man the responsibility to respond to the demands and integral needs of society. Having been clothed out of the nakedness and naivety of childhood and having become initiated into class of men, he's immediately expected to assert the extant traditional functions and duties of men!

Although the integral import of Iwa-akwa remains same in all the communities wherein it's observed, the modus operandi might vary according to communities. Hence the present overview of the observations would be as reflective of the perspective of the Amuzi clan in Obowo LGA, where the writer hails from.

Prior to the eventual pomp and pageantry that comes with this event, the potential participant must have undergone several preparatory processes that would have certified him ready to be initiated into manhood. The first is known as ido-ebiri (the struggle to be identified as one of the age group). It's usually a selection done in a hall or any distinguishable space. One's ability to evidentially prove that he's born within the particular year bracket earns him entrance into the space and eventually into the age-group.

The 'ido-ebiri' is done 6-years prior to the eventual Iwa-akwa itself. As a process that's based on a grading system, each rite of passage is performed for a particular age grade at a time. Hence, the participant must have firstly identified with his age group in all processes they undergo.

Having identified as part of an age-group, the participant is expected to show loyalty to the group, largely by being responsive to the obligations, which involve among others hosting and attending of meetings where basically issues as regards to the vision of the group and preparations towards the eventual ceremony are shared and discussed. Responses to the aforementioned along with other functions and necessary contributions are measured to be given clearance. This 'clearance' comes up close to the event and opens the font for the performance of subsequent precedent rituals.

The second and third phases, involve the call-together (or settlement) of elders of his immediate kindred and members of his age-group for the purposes of intimating them that he'd soon become one of them as full-fledged man and stoutly becoming a member respectively. While the former, referred to as nri-umunna (food for kinsmen), is a low-key event wherein elders are called out to eat, drink and discuss on the matter, the later, known as nri-ebiri (food for mates), is a rather high-ptched event involving youths girating and showing their exuberance.

The 'nri-ebiri' is the centre of attraction sort of, for its youthful presence, the intensity and the definitiveness it seems to offer. As a rite, to be adjudged as rightly done and accepted by members of age-grade, necessities like food, drinks, musical presence and the pouring of powder must be provided. Words of blessing, at the end, is offered by the immediate seniors of the performing age-group. The crucial place of this preceding ritual is underscored in the special committee set up to oversee the "nri-ebiri". For some, the rituals performed here stamp the seal of initiation and settles the matter. However, some find apropos to move further.

The eventual cloth-wearing ceremony is a colourful festivity of combined costumery elegance and rich display of traditional splendour. The eve of the event witnesses an atmospheric aura that something unique, something ethereal is about to happen. Musics of different genres, lights of different shades and sounds of varying intensity all pile up to form a cacophony of excellence and brilliance!

The morning of the ceremony proper awakens to the dotted decorations of every representing household with the glamorous beauty of the "George" wrapper, flung on walls and heights. It is the dawn of the display of lappas, the very cloth symbolic of the initiation into manhood! Added to the colourful display of gorgeous elegance is the sizzles of whistles being bellowed by all celebrants, roving around in excited majesty.

Before noon of the fateful day, celebrants from their individual homes gather into a procession- dancing, thumping and marching into the market square, religiously blowing the whistles permanently clung to their pouted lips and excitedly throwing flings of the exotic wrappers. The day is a day of heightened tension, with the mass of crowds that throng to feed their eyes and the swirled dust-particles together with the sweltering sun that excites the environment into one heated and sweaty cauldron. But the excitement numbs them all, beckoning on the celebrant a blistering exhilaration, a radiant joy. This is the climax: the procession and the attendant joy!

At end of the rowdy, excited procession, each celebrant return to their respective homes in same joyous rove to receive and be received by visitors and guests alike, where they are expected to entertain them for coming to identify in their definitive moment of joy. This is a ritual that comes with heightened expectation every three run of yearly cycle.

This year's traditional Iwa-Akwa procession cum celebration for the Amuzi people comes up on the 6th of January, 2021. The writer would be ably and joyously participating as celebrant!