THE SOCIAL – RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF KOLA NUTS TO IZZI L.G.A - NIGERIA



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 
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
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