The Igbo people are naturally blessed with diverse and beautiful cultural heritages, and the people of Enugu State are not left out as well, particular the Ngwo people in Enugu state.
In Igbo land, there are hurdles for every male child to cross, before he’s fully accorded all rights and recognition as an adult in his family, clan, village or community. And same applies to the people of Ngwo.
The Iwaji Initiation is a traditional ceremony in Ngwo, during which a male child is initiated into the adulthood, as such, you have become eligible to join your Umunna (the village meeting).
Prior to this moment, your father or guardian writes to the Umunna, informing them of their intention to perform the Iwaji ceremony for their son who is already 18years of age. The letter comes with a photocopy of any legally recognized birth certificate.
The Umunna scrutinizes the documents submitted, either accepts or declines the application based on whatever they found out. But upon the acceptance, the requirements for the ceremony/initiation as contained in their constitution is given to the applicant and a day is fixed for it.
Meanwhile, it is often a large celebration, were other family members, relatives and friends are invited, more like a traditional marriage ceremony. In some parts of Ngwo, once it’s time, the village bell is sounded three times, to inform everyone that it is time.
People will eat, drink and have so much fun on that day. After the merriment, then the person being initiated is taken into a room, stripped of other clothes, then dressed up with many wrappers as seen in the photos in this article.
He’s to be dressed by the youths who already have been initiated, then led out by the last person who performed the Iwaji initiation, were he dances for several minutes. While dancing, guests comes out to cheer him up, dance with him or spray him money. After which, the ceremony comes to an end.
Of which, from then on, the person has been a full fledged member of his immediate family, clan, village or community. In other words, he is now eligible to be initiated into all the masquerade fraternities in his place, he has been eligible to benefit from whatever is available to every adult in his place.
In other words, what an 80 Year-Old elder in his place is eligible to get, he too is eligible for it as well. For instance, if lands are being shared in his place, he gets same number as others, be it those at the age of his father, they all get same number of land/plot. Except in a situation were a compensation is given to some others and he’s not qualified for the compensation.
