Enugu Ezike is renowned for its palm wine and practice of traditional medicine.
Last week, the indigenes of Amachalla began their two- month long masquerade festival called “Akatakpa” irrespective of their religion and political differences.
It was gathered that offsprings of the four sons of Enugu-Ezike namely; Ezzodo, Itodo, Essodo and Ozzi, celebrate the cultural festival at different times even as they all agreed that it was done to mark the beginning of a farming season.
Some historians contend that a man, Enugu-Ezike settled at Amube hill which was referred to as Elugwu Ezike (Ejige) Oba. He named the place as “Ufu”. Ezike Oba married two wives who gave birth to the four sons that make up Enugu-Ezike. The two wives were Ayigwa who bore him the first son, Ezzodo and the third son, Essodo. Osegbe gave birth to the second son, Itodo and the fourth and last born, Ozzi.
However, with civilization and Christianity, the pomp and ceremony usually associated with Akatakpa festival seem to be gradually eroding following discordant tunes, particularly from the youth.
While some believe in Akatakpa, others said it is against their Christian faith. For instance, an indigene of the area, who simply gave his name as Brother Edwin, said, “All believers must continue to pray for our people. We must not go backward. All Christians must remember that we are Christ-like. Can Jesus wear Akatakpa if he were here now? No! that is why you, his follower must not follow. Just to remind us Christians that we are children of the Most High. Without holiness, no eye will come to God.”
According to him, “ a century like this we should be talking of development and implementations and civilisation for Amachalla and you people are here taking us back to Akatakpa. Please, stop taking us backwards and think of how to move Amachalla forward. Akatakpa is for lazy people who do not know what to do with their lives and future.”
In Amachalla just like in other communities in Igbo land, masquerades which have been in existence for several centuries are seen and fraternized by adult males alone as it is a taboo for a woman to come near a masquerade as some of them are seen to possess some mystical powers. The Akatakpa masquerade is not an exemption. They came with different shades and sizes. It comes every four years preceding another masquerade festival called “Omabe”.
The significance of the festival which is known in local parlance as “Onwa-ise” is that it helps to revive the community’s cultural consciousness in the area. During the climax of the festival each father of the first son in a family is expected to appease the gods of the forefathers, calling for protection of lives and property. Married women of Enugu-Ezike extraction are also expected to bring wine and kola to their brothers for formal libation to the gods during the final day of the festival.
and then