By Comrade Opeh Francis Onah And Ogor Mathias Ogor
5th September 2022
The Igede people have a unique culture that distinguishes them from other tribes across the globe. Interestingly, the third largest tribe in Benue state is known for purity, dignity, and integrity as features of her rich culture. Hence, it's highly imperative to know that Igede culture encourages respect for elders, the spirit of oneness and togetherness, unity, peaceful coexistence, and boundless love for others, and among themselves as demonstrated by our forefathers during the celebration of this festival, Igede Agba.
Extensively, culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values.
Some symbols of culture like knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives are transferable
from generation to generation while the provision of insufficient knowledge and inadequate understanding of this concept had led to disbelief among the young generation who replaced the cultural teachings and tradition of our fathers with foreign culture.
Therefore, the essentiality of this piece is to clear the air on the wrong perception of Igede Agba by some Igedes and Igede non-indigenes who sees the festival as a "Fetish, Ritual and Sacrifice to the gods" These irritating misconceptions are reasons why many Christians abstained themselves from the celebration of this festival, describing it as unholy and ungodly but not.
Though, the fracture in the cultural institutions of learning in Igede land has presented the Igede Agba in a bad light to the younger generation under the influence of Western religious practices.
Igede Agba is as old as Igede itself which was first celebrated in 1957 as an event to mark their independence after migrating from sabongida Ora in Edo State. Historically, a skirmish between the Igede and the natives of Ora led to their migration from that region to the present-day Benue state. Igede Agba is also called Igede-Day. As long as Igede lives, the celebration of this festival remains invaluable, indispensable, and unabated.
For the sake of clarity, the following recommendations are stated:
✅ Igede Agba has nothing in common with shrine neither are humans sacrificed to the gods of the land as misinterpreted.
✅ Igede Agba is not a mere celebration of new yam, but the Independence of Igede people like Nigeria celebrates her 1960 Independence.
✅ Igede Agba is celebrated in the church with the offering of thanksgivings for divine protection and guidance from one cycle to another and is not associated with ritual as misinterpreted.
✅ Igede Agba reminds us of our forefathers' resilience, struggle and triumphant victory over their adversaries.
Happy Igede Agba to all Agba illustrious sons and daughters across the globe. Igede Kalahi!
2022 Igede Agba Festival
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