The socio- religious importance
of koka nuts among the people of Izzi
in particular and Igbo land in general
cannot be over stated and the living as well as an avenue for evolving duties and divinities to be present at the
proceeding marriage ceremony and the
life contract that is going to be established. Finally, in any society people quarrel and get into conflict, the spirit of reconciliation will be very important on the part of the parties in conflict, if whatever that
constitutes the problem must be
resolved, in Igbo society, when conflict arose between two parties an
attempt is always made to reconcile them. At the end of the process of reconciliation, the parties concerned are
required to eat kola together. This is
symbol that, the two parties have
reconciled. This is because visitors welcomed in a place is not complete without
kola nuts presentation no matter the type of dishes served to the visitors. This is why no matter the type of dishes served without kolanut to a
visitor in Igbo land at the end, the person may claim
unsatisfied or that he/ she was not well
received. According to using Ofim ( a sooth sawyer)of Ndiage Amagu in Izzi “a
bulb of kola nut sent home by a visitor
indicates obviously that
the visitor actually met his guest at home “ Philip I.N(1983:112)
further state that a person may offer anything other than kola
nut but he Mustteli his visitor
that he should take it in the place of
kola nut. These items may include palm wine garden eggs, carrot and so on.
In this Modernera, they may
include or be replace with biscuit o
coke English dry gin, cola acuminate
(house gworo) or any edible item. Kola nuts is also said to be the paramount item presented to a
visitor in every Igbo socio-
religious and cultural gathering
either, for enjoyment or bereavement. This can be linked to the socio-religious life of the people of Izzi people. Presentation of kola nuts in Izziland kola nut presentation in izzi land
remains the ame throughout the six autonomous
communities that made up Izzi.
If the
kola nut is to
presented by a single person, the
presenter may could his slave
attendant or one of his wives to
bring him a kola nuts and he will put it in
a wooden platters or source,
containing roasted – ground pepper mixed palm oil and announce, “here is
kola nuts”. But if the kolanut is to
be presented to the members of a
family, the kola nut may be given to the
oldest man in the gathering by the host and ask
him to present it to the entire
members of the family or let may be
given to an elder that is next of kin to
the host to present to the congregation. If it is a
gathering made up of a mixture of families, the kola nuts in a wooden platter may be carried around from the oldest member of one family
to the last and finally given back to
the oldest lein to the presenter
and tell him “ the kola nut of the
leing is in the hand of the leing, of it according”.
Blessing of the kola nuts
the presentation of the kola nuts is
always followed by the blessing of it in every social- religious
gathering of the people of Izzi, it is the oldest man that
blesses the kola nuts. Hence a renowned traditionalist,
Okoro Alioche of Ndieze community stated. Thus “ if an elder is holding a sacrificial item ie
kola nuts, he starts to communicate with
the spirits in the spiritual land”
mr. Andrew Obashi, a traditional custodian of Okpera, in Ndiagu – Echarea community in his own contribution opinioned that kola nuts
in its presentation and blessing speaks
on other language than Igbo”
The process of blessing kola nuts is that, the oldest man
in the gathering lifts the kola
in the wooden plate and evoke the spirits of the living and the dead and different oracles of the land and invites
them to come and participate in
the consumption of the kola nuts so that, they will eat it with good
health, long life and abundant blessing. At the end, of the prayer, the congregation will reply in Igbo language
ise-ee-ee i.e amen
According to Ominyi Igboke of Ndozibo (otabiri I ) of Ndieze
community, “women are not allowed to bless kola nut in a mixed gathering. Sharing of kola nut, according to
Izzi custom, the oldest man in the
gathering who blessed kola nuts
should not be presented in the night
to avoid misunderstanding . THE kola nuts will share the kola nuts. If it is a
religious gathering before an oracle, it is the chief priest of the
oracle that will bless and share the kola nuts. After sharing the kola nut around
for the people the pick and cheus
More so, according to Agashi Igobke
of Ndozibo, Ndieze community “
kola nuts of four robes or bulbs
is good it shows or indicates the four market days in Igbo land, these cinlcude
Eke, Orie, Afor, Nkwo, if the
kola nut is five robes, the presenter is lucky,
hence the one lobe will be given
him.
The socio- religious uses of kola
nuts the socio -religious uses of kola nuts
are many but varied.
These includes marriage ceremony,
naming ceremony, oath – taking
welcoming of visitor and
many more
According to A C Angamwu (1982:25)
“throughout Nigeria, kola nuts
are used as gifts and are widely circulated in an important
occasions as I mentioned above
Oputa (1986:145) opined that
“the uses of kola nut can be
looked at from three levels at the
communal relations and at the ritual
levels. At the individual level, kola nut
is a sign of good will . This good will
can be shown to a visitor or to some one who meets another in a working place and so on. To welcome a visitor. It is
the first thing one has to present
to a visitor.
An Igbo proverb had it that
“mmvojieriehi, ebule oji bu mbu”
meaning that an oracle shall be
offered a cow or ram, the first
step towards the sacrifice is kola
nut like
wise in welcoming a visitor. Hence the
adage which says “he who brings kola nut bring life”. In Izzi custom,
kola nut can also be used in marriage ceremony or for
the unification of two families in life
contract . it is a factor for gorging
a continuing link between the dead
and the living.
Methodology
in a study of this nature, the researcher in a
study of this nature, the researcher will collect data from secondary sources
including books by prominent historian and
other academicians, journals, magazines and newspapers will be
consulted as well relevant articles. Attempts will be made to get some oral information from
knowledgeable people who have a good
idea of the importance of kola nut in Igbo
land, the purpose of forming it
and its functions in Igbo land and Izzilocal government area in particular. This information will be processed for reliability. The
researchers personal experiences shall be of immense benefit
References
abiodun o .u (1981) agricultural science for schools and colleges
Evans Brothers Publishing Company Enugu,
called from Izzi identity and
personality vis-à-vis Izzi/ cum Igbo
cultural symbols, being the thesis presented
for the doctorate degree by Rev
Fadea Nwofoke E.N UNN (1989)
Encyclopedia Americana (1981)
volume 19 encyclopedia Britannica (1576) Africa and her cultural traits volume 2
Ezeanya S.N (1976) healing in traditional Africa society ,
university press ltd nsukka
Eze Silver Ugbala (1998) the
position of kola nut in the
cultural life of the Izzipeople of Ebonyi State Accra publishing company
ltd. Enugu
Nico Van Steensel (1996) the Izzi, their
history and customs Abakaliki
Okpara m.i (1956) new
magazine speech made while acting as preminer
of eastern Nigeira, community and their
development, London university press
Okputa d.u (1998) easy on
Igbo world view, auto- century
publishing company ltd owerri
Uche S.O (2008) communities and their developments London
university press enugu
Ominyi igboke, C 70 a
member of Ezes cabinet,
interviewed Ndozibo Community in Izzi 03/05/2012
Using Ofim, C 68, A Sooth Sayer interviewed at Ndiagu Amagu Village Izzi 20/06/ 2012