THE LAKE EFI FISHING FESTIVAL- AN IDEAL TOURISTS MAGNET

The Lake Efi fishing festival takes place in Sabageria, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Bayelsa State. It is a form of a homecoming for the sons and daughters of the town, as they use the occasion to give thanks to the river goddess for a bountiful fish harvest. The festival, which is usually celebrated every seven years, is subject to the pronouncement of the chief priest, and involves canoe rides, a boat regatta and a fishing contest. During the festival, visitors are able to purchase fish of various sizes caught in the lake and sold at cheap prices.

 According to oral tradition, Lake Efi was discovered by a man named Ukiriki, a celebrated son of Kalama community during one of his hunting expeditions. As he was admiring the beauty of the vast lake, another man from a neighbouring community, Gbarain clan, also emerged on the scene and there was an argument as to the ownership of the lake. They finally agreed that the first person to kindle a fire at the lakeside would be the owner. The man from the Gbarain clan ran to his nearby village to seek for firewood while Ukiriki knowing well that before he would get to his own village, the Gbarain man would have already set the fire. So, Ukiriki thought of gathering dried leaves and grasses he could find by the lake, and shot his dane gun and kindled fire at the heap of the dried leaves and grasses he gathered. Prior to the return of the Gbarain man, there was already a huge fire burning, so he accepted defeat of the Lake to Ukiriki. At that time, various communities that now constitute Sabagreia were scattered at Dapou, along the Igbedi Creek, which leads to Amassoma. It was after this episode that the people of Kalama decided to come out of Dapou, along Igbedi Creek and founded a new settlement on the east of River Nun called “Bolouseibokorogha-ama”, which means ‘a town where no evil/wicked people would settle’. This name eventually metamorphosed into Sabageria by the colonial traders who could not pronounce the original name.

 Sabageria and Lake Efi are inseparable Siamese twins because you cannot talk of one without the other. The founding and establishment of Sabageria derives from the discovery of Lake Efi. According to one of the Sabageria elders, “the determination of the times of the fishing festivals is subjected to the dictates of the oracles of Efi and other deities.”

 The festival he said was usually celebrated annually before it was jettisoned at a time in preference for longer intervals of nine, seven and five years due to the huge financial implications. As Christianity began taking its root deeper into the socio-cultural life of the people, the owners of Lake Efi renounced idolatry and handed the Lake to God Almighty. “The Lake and its resources are no longer idolized as in the past”.

 During the Lake Efi fishing festivals, participants and visitors from all neighbouring clans in the state as well as those in Rivers and Delta states, usually begins with several cultural activities and climax on the third day. The fishermen and women camp by the lake shores all through the three days. The last festival in 2013 was the first time it was conducted with new modifications and alterations to reflect the rededication of the festival to Almighty God. For instance, the first catch of the festival which was formerly presented to the chief priest of Efi is now presented to the special guests of honour.

 The 2017 edition, which took place from May 27-30, last year, was well attended, drawing dignitaries and tourists from far and wide. The governor of Bayelsa State represented by the Commissioner for Tourism Development, Mrs. Irene Ebiere-Musah, formally declared the three-day event open. She stated that the state government was fully aware of the economic importance of Lake Efi fishing festival, assuring that the government was poised to provide all that is necessary to make the festival draw tourists from all over the world.

ENUGU MUSEUM: A TOURIST SPOTLIGHT

A visit to Enugu without a stopover at the National Museum of Unity is like devouring a meal that lacks the taste of salt. To have a memorable visit to Enugu and to fully understand the cultural settings of the South-eastern Nigeria, it is important a visitor takes a tour round the museum so as to immerse himself into the cultural history of the Igbo people. A visit to the Museum will open your eyes to the cultural diversity of this multi-ethnic country, Nigeria.

The landmark for identifying the location is along the Abakaliki road just opposite Autostar Transport and Logistics Ltd, after Ogui junction if you’re coming from the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu.  The Museum is rich with so many art collections and artifacts from various parts of the country- the Nok art works, the Benin Carving, Ile-Ife art collections, etc are among the art works you will find in the museum.

However, one of the sections that enjoy significant prominence is the Igbo worldview section which houses the collections of various Igbo art works. One of such art works of paramount important to the Igbo Society is the Ikenga Sculpture.

Among the Igbos is a tradition of creating what is known as an Ikenga. Ikenga are caved wooden figures that have face with animal attributes. They can be small, a couple inches. They can as well be very abstract, sometimes it’s more naturalistic. Some Ikenga are likely made for a warrior, sitting on a stool which signifies honour. He holds in his right hand, as all of Ikenga do, a sword which is an expression of power. But in his left hand, he may seems to hold a trophy of human head, which also could be an expression of his warrior status.

The Ikenga are personal objects that suggest the achievement of their owners, and they could relate to that person’s occupation, whether they were a hunter, a farmer, a warrior, etc. They could even have a transport mogul, a classical scholar, a renowned legal practitioner, etc. Once an Ikenga had been made by a master carver and consecrated with the blood of a fowl, it would enter into a shrine within the owner’s home. The Ikenga is known as the place of strength. It is a personal spirit of ones human achievements, ones ability, and it holds items that help the owner gets things done. The power of the right hand is always stressed. The right hand holds a sword, the ability to cut through things, to get to what one wishes in life. The left hand can hold a whole lot of things including an elephant tusk, in form of a trumpet, to despict the musical prowess of the owner; a human head, to express the warrior status; an animal head, to accent the hunting expeditions of the owner, or even a staff to tell ones social status in the society.

Some Ikenga may also have a symbol of ram’s horns. A ram is known with his ability to fight with his head. This depict that every human action is first taken with the head, which emphasize the power, aggression and strenght of a man.

Some Ikenga may have a lot of detailing on the sides, like pod-shaped forms with dots and lines impressed into them, which seems to reflect what the figure has on the sides of the head. Also, there could be decorative patterns that have been cut into some of the Ikenga’s body which are likely the representation of scarification of body decoration. Typically, scarification found on the temple and also on the forehead suggested that the owner was a title holder of an Igbo society. Ikenga is also a sacred diploma, something  that you would hang in your office to remember the status that you have reached through hard work, discipline, and mastery of a craft or skill

ELEGUSHI BEACH: A TYPICAL FUN BEACH

For an experience of mix relaxation and partying, where else but the Elegushi beach!

The beach which seems to attract the most visitors than any other beach in Lagos is situated at Ikate area of Lekki on the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is privately owned and is said to be managed by the Elegushi Royal Family. I believe this should be the reason the beach is named after the Royal Family.

The beach is nice but depends on your purpose of visit. My extrovert friend, Stanley, found the beach very ideal and lively for partying. This is because the beach houses numerous night clubs, local restaurants selling mouth-watering local dishes. The beach also serves as hangout zone and plays host to several live shows.

But for a gentle visitor like me, seeing people dancing and gyrating to loud music and reggae songs definitely doesn’t make the beach suitable for leisure tourists and visitors seeking a serene place for relaxation. However, the leisure tourist can still find the place calm by staying away from the crowd and noisy areas of the beach. This he can do by paying for a tent where he can enjoy his privacy.

My friend was also surprised to see men rode on horses on the beach, and he absolutely rode on one and it was a nice short ride. But he had to pay for the service.

Must Do:

·        Savour fresh and delicious seafood and barbecue meat,

·        Take a horse-back riding tour along the coast,

·        Take a sit at the beach bars to have some cool beers,

·        Take a cool walk along the sea-coast.

Mustn’t Do:

·        The tide looks aggressive and you shouldn’t swim if you’re not a good swimmer.

·        The water isn’t ideal for surfing unless if you’re an expert in that.

THE EXCITEMENT OF VISITING IBENO BEACH

Wow! This is amazing and beautiful! Those were the exclamations of my belated friend, Juliana, when we got to Ibeno beach. I am absolutely sure, with the way she was excited, the scene would be playing over her mind for years to come!

We happen to storm Ibeno beach on her request that she wanted to visit any of the beaches within the country, to at least feel the aura of the sea-breeze and to have a memorable weekend escape before returning to her normal office bustling the following week.

When we reached Akwa Ibom, little wonder the state is called “The Land of Promise” as we unravel the beauty of the land, paved with clean streets and wonderful road networks. Akwa Ibom is a destination for leisure pursuits. The people’s culture is as diverse as the attractions- beaches, theme parks, monumental buildings and historic sites- complemented by a delightful mélange of things to experience.

As we unravel the wonders of the land, we journeyed up the eastern part bordering the Mbo Local Government Area, traversing the lovely Eket town, the Ibeno beach stretches to James town along the Atlantic Ocean.

The Ibeno beach is a long beautiful sand beach, and it is said to be the longest sand beach in the West Africa. Anyway, this I am not sure because I have not visited all the beaches in the West Africa to discover if actually what is said virtually hold.

The Ibeno beach is an eye-catching sea coast; and it is perfect for recreation and offers excellent opportunity to have fun at the water. That is if you are the type that can swim very well.

For those wishing to have a quiet day there, it would be impossible to enjoy a solitary time as the beach welcomes lots of visitors even in the afternoon.

At the beach there are also restaurants that offer good food. Visitors can have a taste of the local dishes like Afang soup and Edikan Ikong soup. You can also look forward to diverse shopping experiences ranging from modern shopping complexes, night markets to simple roadside stalls.

Wonderful surprises abound are more than enough reasons to make Ibeno your perfect getaway!