By Ogbu Ona (Whatsapp group extract on 19th October, 2021)
Debilitating to Igede image the story of the Igede broken pot in the hands of Ora woman is always told in media res. The term media res means from the middle. It is not the beginning of the story my dear people. What is the story?
An Igede man borrowed a Cutlass from an Ora man to cut a tree in the forest. Palm tree or whatever tree. From the top of the tree the Cutlass fell off his hand and landed on a mound of shit. Ohukwu in Igede parlance. But it was a taboo for Igede to bring home something that had landed on ohukwu. Yet the Ora man insisted on having the same Cutlass back even when he was offered a new Cutlass. In order to avoid problem, the Igede man swallowed shame and went to pick it up and washed in the stream. Not long after the Ora woman borrowed a pot from Igede to fetch water from the stream. Eventually the pot got broken in the hands of the Ora woman. To Igede it was payback time. Of course they needed the same pot. The possibility of carrying a Cutlass from ohukwu was higher than the impossibility of mending a broken pot. This was the immediate cause of the Ora- Igede war. But definitely it was not part of the remote causes.
So whenever Igede people are narrating the episode they should start from the beginning and not in media res. If any wants to know the possible remote causes for the confict I will show it with all pleasure.
The author’s response to assorted questions and observations.
I heard this many, many years in my primary school from my father late Chief Onah Ejugwu and Adikobia Ochim Adoga. In fact, Adikobia Ochim Adoga narrated to us the mythology of Igede and how the world came to be formed by God. He told us the story of ORUMANYI and UKPOYI (Adam and Eve) and how the Whitemen got seperated from the Blackman. You know it is the child who asks that knows. Even up till now many Iyeche sons are not asking to know the past. When this present generation of Igabwos in Iyeche go hunting, if care is not given Iyeche community will not have people to take over Epwedii at Ojegbe.
Ade J Otor:
Historical account of genealogy or origin is generally replete in divergence. The multiplicity of accounts or narrations enriche intellectual intercourse. For example, the historical account of the Yorubas has different versions. That of our neighbours, the Tivs has different versions too. It behooves on the younger intellectual class to belabour themselves to situate the missing links. No account can therefore authoritatively diminish the credence of the other.
Ogbu Ona in response to Ade Otor:
What are you saying here? Are you confused about the geneology of Igede people? Are you confused about the traditional name of Owo clan in Epwedii and the position it occupies in the geneology of Igede? It is not compulsory that you people should subject every issue to academic or Intellectual argument. I think you just want to exercise your grammar here.
Ogbu Ona:
Indeed, I have thought over these matters analytically and intellectually and shared them openly with many people before now. I don’t know how and where to put my thoughts. In a book form? In a public lecture? I think some day it will happen. For the sake of our children we have to straighten some history for them. Our forefathers may not have had the time to put theirs in written form which is causing the problem of the missing links. But can try and arrive at plausible verities.
I am from Iyeche, and particularly, Anchim (Ocheche). I had a father, late Chief Onah Ejugwu, who was deeply in the knowledge of Igede in the past. I also had a great Igede Griot, from Uje-Anchim, Iyeche late Chief Adikobia Ochim Adoga. He was the Adikobia who opened Epwa Edii with oration and rendition of Igede people and geneology. As a child who asked to know I got a lot of truth from these two great Iyeche and Igede traditional personalities. That is the truth that the story of the cause of the war with Ora didn’t start from the broken pot. Rather it was the attempt by Igede to avenge the action of Ora people who insisted that a Cutlass that fell into Ohukwu or mound of shit should be brought back to them. This is the story that makes sense. If not because it was a retaliation was it possible to mend a broken pot? As a people, Igede are not known to look for trouble only that they will pay you back if you give them trouble. You can call it non- forgiving spirit. If we say it was only the pot’s story it means that it was Igede that looked for the problem of Ora. Which is a negation of their nature to look for trouble first.
But as for intermarriage with Tiv I have already concluded the draft of the book I am writing captioned: IGEDE INTERMARRIAGE WITH TIV: MYTHS, FACTS AND FALACIES. I think the book will answer anything and everything.
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