User talk:Kemuna

HISTORY OF THE ABULOMA (OBULOM) PEOPLE

THE HISTORY OF THE ABULOMA ( OBULOM) PEOPLE
The Abuloma people are a conservative, peace-loving folks within the city of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. They are largely a tribe of the Ijo (Ijaw) nation who share ancestry with the Abua, ogbia, Ikwerre-Ngwa, Chokocho, Bukuma, Kugbor, Tombia, and some other Ijaw-speaking towns within and outside of Rivers and Bayelsa States Kemuna (talk) 13:04, 11 November 2019 (UTC)

Cultural Beliefs
Abuloma, like other riverine and Ijaw tribes such as Okrika and Kalabari, have their belief systems connected to the worship of water spirits even though there is no tribal god or goddess they collectively believe in. Notwithstanding the individual polytheism, there is the honour and respect for the dead ancestors (Idim) and some deities that have taken a general recognizance such as Mbutu and Okein Dada which are mostly housed (Otu Eru) and consulted during festive periods or where there is grave concern. The Abuloma people also have an evil forest (Okrawu Owule) where dead people are buried and enquiries are made of the reason for their death. These enquiries are done by a person chosen by the gods or the spirit of the deceased to lead a number of men carrying bamboo stick wrapped in a traditional wrapper (Akpakankpa). The Akpakankpa is believed to control whoever is carrying it on their heads. Then, the spirit would possess the lead Akpakankpa bearer to tell everyone the cause of death of the deceased and the kind of life he/she lived. If the dead lived a good life, it would be buried where good people are buried (Esi-Ibi-Ebebei). But if the deceased was bad, it would be buried where bad people are buried (Esi-Ikraw-Ebebei). The bad deceased person would be publicly shamed (oru mool) as the Akpakankpa is carried around town. It is worthy of note that the evil forest has different burial spaces for different types of death. For instance, there is a segregated place for minors, people who died as a result of accidents, pregnant women, etc. Also, like neighbouring Ijaw towns such as Okrika (Obom) and Kalabari (Bu Kalabaran), anyone who died from being drowned in the river would be buried by the riverside and not brought to town or to the forest regardless the status or age. Kemuna (talk) 13:23, 11 November 2019 (UTC)

Economic Life
The people of Abuloma (bu-Obulom) are largely fishermen, farmers and traders. They're also scholars and have notable persons such as the present King of Abuloma (Obei-Omom-Odo) Brig. Gen. Bright Ateke Fubonumama,who is also the first king since the year 2016 when the people unanimously decided to properly put an end to the division of the tribe into Opiaka and Ekerema wards and jettison the idea of a quasi-egalitarian leadership in which House Chiefs and Community Chiefs (the latter being a modern engineering) led the people in all facets and had influence only within their Houses and Communities, Dr. Akuro Gobo, Barr. Sunny Gobo, Barr. Nerrissa Obiecheton, Barr. Amina T. Abraham, Late Sir Opuda, Engr. Maxwell Adoki, Barr. Elvis Maxwell Benson, Barr. Belinda Ngor Ngerifaka, Chief Lennox Ibimina, etc Kemuna (talk) 13:53, 11 November 2019 (UTC)

Social & Political Life
The people of Abuloma had proper arrangements even without a regent or king. The tribe was formerly divided into Opiaka ward and Ekerema ward. But this was abolished in the late 20th century as it caused strife and unnecessary rivalry among tribesmen and women. The abolishment came with the timeless reminder: "yo ru bia" which translates to "just us". This meant that the Abuloma person should remember they were all they had and stop the needless agitations amongst themselves. It came at a time when the people of Abuloma were always at war with their neighbouring communities usually over land ownership. Such communities were Okuru-Ama, Ozuboko, Fimie, Tere-Ama, Amadi-Ama, Nkpogu, Ogbunabali (Ogbum-Nu-Abali) and to some large extents Woji and Elekahia. Furthermore, everyone belonged to a House (Otu) which was further divided into a Family (Ogun-ari) which was also further divided into immediate extended families and then the nuclear family. Some of the Houses are, in no particular order, Gudi, Pina, Otopo, Gosu, Gein, e.t.c. and notable Families (Ogun-ari) are Alali, Adda, Olunta, Iyo, etc. It is important to note that the Houses represented the male progenitor while the Ogun-ari (womb or woman's stomach) was made up of the children from a particular wife of the progenitor. Thus, members were forbidden to intra-marry especially members of the same Ogun-Ari. This distinction has begun to pale into insignificance as Families have grown into Houses retaining their names and some even named after streets and small enclaves or hamlets. Abuloma now no longer a small tribe of minorities boasts of communities such as Osou-Ogu, Ejuan, etc and is host to the well known Federal Government Girls' College (otherwise known as Abuloma Girls), operational base of Nest Oil (former site of Bilfinger + Berger, Ham Dredging, etc, and one of the biggest companies in West Africa), Akpos Marine Services, Belema Oil, Market Square, Kingoliza Halls, Trans-Amadi Gardens, Sasun Hotels, the spectacular Aeroplane House, Sotel Estates, Olive Shoots International School, Prudence Education Centre, Tamwills International School, Immanuel International Schools, Lotus Club (Bozgomero Estate), Oyinmola Guest House, etc. It equally has a Community Secondary School, a Universal Primary Education for primary school pupils, a Primary Health Center, a community run Anglican Church and recently, a stretch of dredged land informally dubbed "Sand City" owned by a yet-to-be identified company at Igetilo Community (Esila Okpolor). Before the introduction of the Water Closet and other modern toilet inventions, the people of Abuloma defecated in swamp forests made up of mangroves, bamboo or rafias and the excrements are often cleaned up by the water of the creeks or swamps. Major toilets were Esila Pastor (pastor's toilet), Esila Orugu (toilet of boats), Esila Abari (toilet for women), Esila Orubede/Orubari (toilet for the aged/elders), etc. Formerly, there were two major markets. Ogonor Ekerema and Ogonor Opiaka but with the abolishment came Owoni Ogonor (Big Market) and the few other street markets that litter within. Prior to this time, there was festivity for almost every national, state and tribal holiday but with modern advancement into a proper urban cosmopolis and the age of christian civilization, the people of Abuloma have lost interest in many of the games and masquerade displays that marked such festival periods like Ikperi-Odu (you should sweep the town) which was done during the eve of a new year. Here, women were either not allowed to go out to celebrate the death of the year and the birth of another between the hours of 9pm of 31st of December and 5 am of 1st of January, or, they were to dress like men and join the unsuspecting men to haunt for defaulting women mostly young girls in their early puberty years and mid thirties. Other social displays are (Im)pioru masquarades designed to look like beautiful mermaids or sea creatures like fish, crocodile, etc; Akpati, Parangala, Opisi, Nkoror, etc. The only masquerade still enjoying popularity is the Blackie Masquerade. It involves a set of sac-clothed, scary-mask masquerades painted white (Whitey, more friendly), red (Danger, moderately feared) and black (Blackie, most feared). The masquerades take off their masks at the last lap which was often in the evening of the 31st of December and perform what is known as Ereso. Basically, they chase people around and Blackie is often chained, wielding machete whereas the rest are given canes to chase and flog. Apart from masquerades, the people of Abuloma love to play or watch football and it is said that Daniel Omokachi (not verified) trained at the U.P.E. field in Abuloma before becoming a football sensation. Also, notable musicians and actors such as Timaya, Sankara, etc have at one time had residence in Abuloma before their careers peaked. Another thing enjoyed is basketball played at the Community Secondary School.Kemuna (talk) 14:39, 11 November 2019 (UTC)

Religious Life
The Abuloma people are mostly Christians. Some of these Christians also adhere to traditional voodoo worship. This does not mean that there are no pure voodoo or Christian worshippers. The people of Abuloma boast of an Anglican Church run by the indigenes majorly and many protestant churches. Kemuna (talk) 15:00, 11 November 2019 (UTC)