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Ohafia age-grade builds N30m road projects, rolls out drums in celebration
From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
The Okpocha Square, Amaekpu Ohafia, in Abia North Senatorial zone, was agog recently as one of the most distinguished groups in Ohafia’s history, the Atuegwu Age Grade, celebrated its traditional naming ceremony/presentation of awards.
The celebration that attracted men and women of great means witnessed performances by various dance groups, including the popular Ohafia war dance called Ikperikpe Ogu War Dance.
Before the commencement of the event, the group went on procession around the Amaekpu community before converging at the Okpocha Square venue of the occasion.
The National President of the age grade, Elder Mba Agwu Aki, disclosed that the group was officially called Uke George Age Grade, otherwise known as Atuegwu Age Grade. According to him, the celebration shows that the celebrants have grown up to be recognized as full-fledged men.
“Age is not really the issue; there is a lineage counting and once it gets to your turn, no matter the age, you will be considered as having come of age,” he said. “What qualifies someone to belong to an age grade is that he must have been doing certain duties in the age grade, must have been engaged in communal contributions and at the end, one would be given a project to execute. For us in this age grade, we have done a N30 million-road construction at the Ugwu Orji axis of Amaekpu Community. The road was dilapidated for many years; it was bad before we undertook the construction. But today, it can be called a full Grade A road.”
Elder Aki revealed that the celebration is done once every two or four years, depending on certain factors.
On the qualification of members, he said they must be born within the same age-range.
“If there is a controversy at any point, one can go back to his mother to tell him the exact year he was born. If one was born within 1964 and he joined those of 1960, they would be treating the person like a small boy and the person would not like that. But if you are born within the same age bracket, you relate as such,” he said.
He explained that the Ohafia people see the ceremony as a big event as the presence of the council of chiefs, showed that they have been expecting it.
Oriental News gathered that the Okpocha Square, according to history, is the first place ancestors of Amaekpu village settled. A compound called Ndioforali compound was said to be the first place their ancestors arrived before the younger brother, who actually formed the age grade moved to other places and began to multiply and expand.
“Amaekpu started from here, but Ohafia started from Achichielu and we have gone to that place to show that heritage,” Aki said. “Amaekpu has 17 compounds, comprised of three hamlets namely Amankwu, Amaukwa, and Utighuzo. We feel elated, not because we are in age grade, but because we have been able to accomplish this project and give back smiles to people that have been rejected for over 25 years. For over 25 years, the road was abandoned. Although the local government has dropped heaps of sand there severally, promising to do it, but it was never done. But this time around, we decided that we must do it and it is our happiness and joy that we have been able to accomplish it.
“Age-grade is a good thing, it is a heritage left for us by our forefathers for developmental purposes. Like you can see, the only Federal or state presence you have here is the main road, which was constructed during Michael Okpara regime, many years ago, cutting across Umuahia, Uzuakoli, Ohafia and Arochukwu, every other development you see here was done by the people through this age-grade system. We built the school and handed it over to the government, the state library was built by the age-grade, sub-treasury, everything, which the government is using was built by age-grades.
Indigenes who distinguished themselves and others from places who like what they were doing were given awards.
Giving a brief history of the Atuegwu Age Grade, The Sun Vincent Ukpong Kalu, a member of the age grade and one of the celebrants, said that it started like every other age grade in the town.
“The Atuegwu Age Grade started like a social club by a handful of people, some of who are late today,” he said. “It was the fallout of their rejection by Ifuruaku Age Grade, our immediate senior. At the formative stage of Ifuruaku, some of our founding members went to register with them, but on getting there, they saw some of their senior siblings and family members who would not allow them to be in the same age grade with them. Their mission was dead on arrival and hope turned forlorn as they were sent away and warned never to come near the meeting venue again.
“Being united by the denial of the age grade above us, they started strategizing on how to start an organization that they can belong to without suffering any rejection. This started as a social club in the house of the late Onwuka Ndukwe, with a jar of palm wine bought by one Ulu Inyima and one exercise book, which was used for recording purposes far back in April, 1985. They were contributing 10 kobo as monthly dues and five kobo as entertainment fee and it was being rotated from house to house. It was that house-to-house meeting that later gave birth to the Ategwu Age Grade which is being celebrated today”, Kalu said.
The Chairman of the ceremony, Mr. Jackson Agbai, condemned the idea of Igbos abandoning their cultures under the excuse that it is idolatry. Noting that it was important for people to have a culture, he called on the Igbo to go back to their roots where their cultures are applauded and appreciated.
In his welcome address, the President General of Amaekpu Town Union, Elder Emmanuel Agwu A. Mba who expressed gladness that the project has, at the end of the day, brought back smiles to residents, thanked all who attended the ceremony. Thirty-eight persons were honoured with “Ezi Enyi” award, five with “Oke Abba” 0award while 47 received the “Oke Nwa” Award.
