IN THE HUSTLES OF ABUJA part 2

The rainy season used to be a good and memorable season in the village before this new life. 

Before the season, boys; young and old would clear farmlands for farmers. This is to allow the grasses to rot into the soil thus fertilizing it, awaiting the wet season. When the wet season comes, it would be time for tilling. 

The boys, young and old would cultivate the lands for the farmers and receive their pay. When the farms begin to grow grasses, the female, young and old, weed the farms and are paid. Sometimes, they form groups; each person collecting a given piece of job as a contract and negotiating the payment with the owner. Then they start the work one after another. The money from each finished job goes to the pocket of the contractor who had collected the job. He could then buy whatever he needed or put a portion in a pool (save) in preparation for the great “Eje-Alekwu”, Easter or Christmas celebration which were always accompanied by one or the other cultural festival. The may also choose to invest in personal projects they may have.

The boys do challenge themselves in their group gatherings as they show off for being more responsible than their peers. If you don’t have a farm of your own, you would always be and object of ridicule in this group. Although the lazy ones always make themselves up with their tongues what they lacked in fact; the philosophy never really worked out well. 

To avoid being a victim of this challenge or the tedious effort of verbally defending one’s self, every grown-up male clears a piece of land no matter how small. In groups, they do the tilling, planting, weeding and the owner harvests at the end.

The importance of this group work, is not limited to the fact that the society produced more than enough farm produce to cater for her consumption and financial needs. It produced more responsible citizens in the society who are strong and as well helped in transmitting the culture of the society from generation to generation. 

In fact, each work session is highly ceremonious. You need to see the older women talk of experiences suffered in the hands of men, the process of child bearing and training; how to maintain and sustain a responsible, trouble free family, how to tame an infidel. 

You need to hear them sing and teach young girls those songs that are believed to convey the spirit of the dead to “Emaidu” (the great beyond). 

You need to hear them spell out do’s and don’ts of womanhood to young girls.

You need to see how old men demonstrate and teach the young ones the secret of Otukpo’s most sacred masquerades and cultural beliefs.

Those days and whatever we may have love about them are in the past now... 

                Igbetua Igbetua LordGideon O.