2024 Ejagham Bakor New Yam Festival in Retrospect

The orbiting of the September 15, 2024 New Yam festival on the axis of the Bakor bloc completed its journey on the midnight of Saturday, September 14, 2024 in Nkum clan.

This event, imperatively, gave vent to the celebration of the year’s festival in Aladim the next day, Sunday, September 15, 2024 where the dawn met it (such to say).

As expected, the Festival continued its journey on September 16 with the rest of the clans waiting to behold who among them Aladim would hand over the baton to, for the 2025 yearly event (such to say).

Meanwhile, as early as 8 a.m., royal fathers, from the nine clans of the bloc, began emptying into the traditional palace of the clan head of Aladim, HRH, Ntol-Atol Sunday Utobor, who forecasters had alerted early enough to be the lucky host of the orbiting yearly event (such to say).

Utobor’s first guest was his co- host, HRM to be, Ntol-Atol Julius A. Ayate, the clan head of Nkum Ibohr East who is the current chairman of the Ejagham Bakor Traditional Rulers Council, TRC.

As for the venue of the occasion which was the village primary school games field, lying conspicuously by the colonial road tearing through the five major autonomous villages of Nkum, it was attractively decked in a carnival fashioned decorations. This games ground was experiencing the arrival of delegates from the Bakor nine clans with their dancing troupes amid pulsating music.

Before the salivating procession of the royal fathers made its more than a kilometer trek to the venue, Ntol-Atol Ayate was not oblivious of the dark clouds of rain hanging tenaciously over the festivity nor the written apprehension on guests’ faces on the threatening of the natural phenomenon.

Known for his jokes, the TRC chairman, Ayate, cracked one. This was reminding his colleagues of the prescribed norms of procession on occasion like this. He assured them that the ceremony would be rain-free. “But in case my shoulders become too tired in waging the rain, Ntol Ndume will releave me. If he too becomes tired, another Ntol would take over. This will go on till the occasion ends.” The tickle elicited a prolong hearty laugh.

Coincidentally, the four hours’ occasion was experienced under a clement weather with neither rain nor sun. Those who had crowded the numerous canopies emerged to the open air thereby decongesting these rain/sun protecting elements. The organizers regretted the finance expended on their (canopies) hire and transportation front Ogoja town.

The kernel here is that Ayate’s joke about holding off water has repeated more than twice. Each time the result has exonerated him. May he continue with the joke when there are high stakes. Amen.

The scepticism, by many that the senator representing Northern Senatorial District, Jarigbe Agomi Jarigbe, JAJ was beginning to hold sway as almost an hour into the programme still proceeded without his physical presence.

Since his political career, only very few, if any, can remember his physical presence at his people’s cultural gatherings except by his proxies despite his huge cash and in kind contributions to their successes.

This experience may have guided the planners of this event to slate Dr. Ikani Wogar, one of JAC’s political godfather whom he hero-worships, as the chairman of the occasion to persuade him to establishing his presence. Or, on the other hand, Jarigbe’s intension to uniting all politicians of the different political divides from the Bakor extraction for the common goal of development of the Bakor nation. This or both may have been accountable for this illustrious son of Bakor to gracing this highly honoured cultural festival of his people.

An enemy of the Bakor people debaring a flurry of our illustrious sons and daughters in the diaspora from the occasion, is the biting fuel scarcity. But sufficient that Senator Jarigbe Agom, JAJ and Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, presence has remedied the unfortunate situation. Their presence which symbolize all of them preaches unity, hard work, love for one another and the Bakor nation, and its development, stronger ties with our Ejagham kith and kin represented at the occasion by a delegation from Ejagham Tradition Center (EjT) led by Dr. Nsagha Osaji. Other members of the delegation included Ms. Jenechinghi Ogar and Nta Ayamba Akporokpo.

You can access some of the 2024 Ejagham Bakor New Yam Festival pictures by clicking on the this link: Ejagham Bakor New Yam Festival – Ejagham Tradition

Write-up by Ugban Ita Akuku