Ọbah festival is celebrated in Somorika in recognition of the place or value of the act of sacrifice in promoting unity, cohesion, strength defense and survival of the ancient city state. Through this festival, the people salute the willingness of Ọbah in making uncommon supreme sacrifice of laying his own life for the salvation of his homestead from imminent calamity. By this action Ọbah has joined the ranks of men and women all over the world celebrated for the survival or defense of their nationalities or countries.
The willingness for the citizenry of many nationalities especially in African countries to make even common sacrifices for the progress of their nations has become a rarity and the bane for development in such nations. Many people today seek what they can harness from their countries or nations not what sacrifices they can make to make their nations great.
The word, Ọbah, is therefore the name of one of the greatest personalities it pleased the Almighty to bequeath to the ancient city state. Ọbah was the leader of his age grade called Ikpọsha which had just graduated to the higher age grade called Ekualeburu. Ọbah festival is therefore celebrated every seven to eleven years by those in Ikpọsha/Ekualeburu age grades as a mark of honour for this great man and the readiness and willingness for themselves also to make sacrifices for the growth and development of the city state. The age-grade system is key to governance and administration in the ancient city-state of Somorika. The details about the formation, graduation to the next grade level and the running of the age-grade system as well as the Ọbah festival are summed up in the pages below.
There are seven basic age – grades namely ISISIFOBOTỌ, ISIRI, EKU-ẸFẸ, IKPỌSHA, EKUA-ẸLEBURU, EKUỌKPA AND IBIASẸ. The responsibilities of each age group are clearly set out and can be summed up in “division of labor” setting that efficiently and effectively put policies and order in place in the promotion of the welfare of the people. The workability of this pragmatic system gives everyone opportunity to be involved in the development of the community by way of popular participation. It also inculcates discipline in everyone: old and young, male and female. Sanctions are put in place to checkmate excesses. The first uncommitted but recognized age group is the isisifobotọ age group. The isisifobotọ are the males that are not formally initiated. Although, not formally initiated, the group in its informal stage serves as a preparatory level for indoctrination towards future communal feelings and commitment. Hence, the name isisi yie fobotọ; meaning “ants cannot be exhausted in a whole”, since children are born into this age grade from time to time. This age group is recognized during ọfarẹ wrestling festival with the intention of “catch them young” in preparation for wrestling tournament. This is a yearly affair of wrestling competition. The group also participates in environmentalsanitation, road maintenance and entertainment activities. From the isisifobotọ pool, the Ekuisiri is initiated. This is the first recognized, thus formal and committed age group. The members of isisi yie fobotọ are initiated and graduate into this group with the first communal assignment being to clear a forest in preparation for farm activities for the Imah of Somorika. This is a display of submission to the established constituted authority of Somorika as represented by various institutions in the community. From the farm, the age group begins celebration with Ukpukpẹ dance and is received by the community (old and young, man and women) with fanfare round the main public forums and consummate the dance at the Imah’s palace. Hence, the Imah in Council (with the support of the elders) gives the age group its maiden name. The recent Ekuisiri’s maiden name is ẹyariehimamọh, meaning, “no community dares Somorika.” This initiation will automatically promote the former Ekuisiri to Eku Ẹfẹ. Both age groups are responsible for maintenance of streets, public water sources and public arena. The Ekuẹfẹ will now mature to be involved in security. Any ceremony in which men will be highly involved, the Ekuẹfẹ takes charge of the security apparatus by mounting road blocks at strategic positions to safeguard the community from the invasion of our enemies. The former Ekuẹfẹ will now be initiated to the next level or grade called Ikpọsha. The Ikpọsha dances Ochio dance for some weeks as a part of initiation ceremony. This ochio dance is a war dance informing the group of its very important obligation, being the age group that is dedicated to providing for the needs of the Ọtaru, the Chief Priest of Somorika. It must be emphasized that the group becomes the brigade of guard to the Ọtaru. It handles all his affairs up to his burial, when the roof caves in. They, the members of the group, don’t go to war outside Somorika, but guard the Ọtaru. While the Ikpọsha age group is dancing the ochio dance, the former Ikpọsha will be dancing the Ọbah festival pari passu and within the same vicinity. However, the Ikpọsha will end their ceremonial dance earlier than the age group involved in Ọbah dance.
THE OBAH FESTIVAL This festival substantially involves music and danced by the EKUALEBURU age group. This group upon initiation attains the state of manhood, though still in the youth category by hierarchy. At the death of a member, he is accorded a befitting burial like any other man except the Ọmaooo ọma procession. The corps of members of the age group can be buried in the home. There was no special dance to commemorate this age group until when one of the age group members named ỌBAH took a sacrificial responsibility which he and other members of his group knew would take his life. He was from Uzọba kindred of Oyennọkara quarter of Somorika. He had no child while he was alive. Security report revealed that enemies were on their way to attack Somorika community through a particular route. The war strength of these enemies in terms of ammunition and human number was overwhelming. THIS SIGNIFIED IMMINENT DOOM. Remember this is the age grade that prosecutes war against external aggression. The battle for the group cry is: No Retreat, No Surrender! There was a poisonous substance called Okpani which was very acidic and corrosive on anything that touches it. This Okpani was to be used as a weapon of war to ward off the invaders. However, there was the problem of who was to bear or carry it. In the midst of these uncertainty and fear, Ọbah decided to surrender his life for the sake and love of Somorika. This he did by his decision to bear or carry the dangerously acidic and corrosive poison. The patriotic ỌBAH volunteered to carry this pot of Okpani substance and a brush like tool made from palm fruit bunch (USHINA) and sprinkled the substance on plants, rocks and the soil in that suspected route that the enemies were to take in the invasion of Somorika. In the course of this exercise by ỌBAH, the substance naturally spilled on his body as he went along. This caused his expected immediate horrible death of acid poisoning. He never came back home. Prior to this exercise, he, Ọbah, had told the members of his age group that the consequences of his mission are undoubtedly death and safety of the community. For his memory to be kept alive, he requested for an honour to be done in his favour. He deserved for himself the ỌBAH music and dance which he personally stipulated how the musical instruments should be carved or made, the pattern of playing the instruments and the mode of dancing it. The age group agreed and the elders supported it, that for every subsequent upgrading to the Ekualeburu age grade, ỌBAH’S wishes would be fulfilled to remember his selfless service. On completing the assignment, the enemies that passed through that same route, all perished. This Ọbah’s sacrifice saved Somorika from annihilation. The musical instruments are Ugba (a small wooden drum) and Agba (a standing wooden drum).
THE CELEBRATION PROPER PRELUDE: The festival takes off with Udomimi. This is a war dance by the descendants of some of the heroes of the past that are participating in the festival. They dance round with valor, asking anyone they meet whether they are fit for the age group, bearing in mind that they constitute the first military formation of the community in a warring expedition. They would ask: Mashẹ? (Am I not capable/grown up enough?) The response is usually, “yes, you are grown up for the age group” – Ushẹle. A day to the festival, they go round every house singing, offering prayers and appealing for aids as they will be in festive mood for the next three months. With peaceable and prayerful words, they seek for support thus: Osheminaba marẹ o e (Let it be good for you, so that we eat too). Over time, the Ikpọsha age group in OKUNU (comprising of Oyennọkara and Oyennọvọ quarters) and the Ekualeburu age group in Igoni quarters perform a rite: “the yam gathering ceremony” – EKUNETHỌ. This they do yearly as Alẹkẹ festival till the last before the Obah dance. The Alẹkẹ festival is the gathering of yams to show how hardworking each member of the age group is. It is done in the public arena (Iraboro) of each quarter. A register of individuals in the age group is called and submission of yams to the elders is done. The last persons to submit their yams are the leaders of the age group called Ọga. Theirs are in order of their hierarchy with the overall ọga (the leader of the age group) submitting the largest. These yams are immediately divided among the elders in order of seniority. The first location of beginning the festival proper is from our ancestral home, the old site, Wanya down to this present site. At Wanya, particularly at IRABORORALEDE, the Okogbe and Ọtaru will deliver sermon to the age group bordering on sensitization and orientation, then, oath taking ceremonies on the responsibilities of the age group, viz; honesty, empathy, bravery, commitment, patriotism and integrity. After the sermon, they are cleansed from their previous abominations they might have committed which would have hitherto hindered them from successful welfare expeditions. They, the age group members, proceed to Wababa, the ancestral home of Uzọba. Here, a member of Uzọba kindred where Ọbah came from will hit the Agbah drum thrice with Ufi (an instrument of three pieces of intertwined cord made from palm frond), calling the name of Ọbah. The dance will then commence with the elders leading. The celebrants quickly retreat to their homes to be dressed with the white cloth by their fathers. The songs sang throughout this event are: 1. Ọbah ohoo (chorus) 2x Ọbah bẹshamẹ (my father’s Ọbah) Ọbah bonumẹ (my mother’s Ọbah) Ọbah genade (Ọbah, please, return). 2. Ogele ogele Ọshawa ogele shugbawedumoyon shosọwedumoyon 3. Okohoo okoho ijirimagbe baya ọshagbe ba irathọrẹẹ 4. Ashamongeri ọbada monogeredamẹ
The Ọbah oho starts and ends the dance each day. The celebrants wear only white cloths to dance for the first five days. This is followed by shaving of hair and thereafter, our traditional attire of various colors and patterns can be worn. They are not allowed to go to farm throughout this period and food stuff of various menu are prepared for them by relations and friends. The dance is opened to everyone, both indigenes and non indigenes. Unlike the Odẹmakẹrẹ dance which is highly reserved for the celebrants and those who have celebrated before. In honor of our past heroes, each quarter has a special day set aside for celebrating heroes in each quarter. For Oyennọkara quarter, it is Ashoroko. For Oyennọvọ quarter, it is Ọrudu. For Igoni quarter, it is Usomo. The official closing of the dance is done in the market square very briefly on a market day. Then, the Agbah drum is officially returned the following day. A day is fixed for the paying of tribute by the maiden wives of the celebrants. The tribute is 80 cowries. Each celebrant will immediately return same to the senior age group as apology for challenging them in wrestling contest during the Ọfarẹ wrestling festival. The festival officially ends.
