SOME OF THE MEMORABLE EVENTS IN MGBOWO HISTORY AND CULTURE (NKWO As a case study)

 

Ekelem the progenitors of this formation! It's educational . I hope that in the future it will be sustained for the benefit of posterity..

   In Igbo (Mgbowo) calendar (which is lunar), there are four days, videlicet: Eke, Orio, Aho, and Nkwo.
Eke is the first, while Nkwo is the last. Agricultural, trading, and other social activities kick-start on Eke, which is the beginning of a new week. On the second day, Orio, the successes recorded on the previous day is usually celebrated. People offer sacrifices and thanksgiving to the Creator of the universe, for sustenance and making them successful on the Eke day. So, Orio remains a spiritual day in Mgbowo, a day of worship and thanks-giving at Ali Ihiriho Mgbowo. A day to feed the poor and the vulnerable in the community. Second to this day in spiritual essence is the Aho day. It's another day of worship and thanks-giving at Ali Aho, la ekpu la'to Mgbowo. In this two days, (I e. Orio and Aho), nothing stops anyone, who has any genuine business from carrying it out. Then comes Nkwo day as the last day of Mgbowo (Igbo) week. It's the youngest and the day of reconning. A day of accounts. This day, farmers, traders, etc, take stock of their transactions during the week, and get ready for the next week's activities. Also, in Mgbowo, this day was set aside to commemorate the victory of our heroes and heroines. As a community that has been surrounded by envious and jealous neighbours, the former had fought several wars, without losing any. On one occasion, the entire neighbours conspired to fight and annihilate Mgbowo, and turn it to their farm land, but God sent a spirit being that emerged as an huge ram from  Ali Ihiriho, from its location at ekwensu to fight the enemy forces to the chargrin of Ndi-Mgbowo and the enemies. At another time on Nkwo day, the evu and enwu came to the defence of our ancestors. The host of these animals surrounded the Mgbowo community, without harming Mgbowo, except the enemies and their spies (the hypocrites) within. So there was no entrance into Mgbowo by the enemy forces. Thirdly, Nkwo was the day the surrounding neighbours visited a spiritualist to guide them on what to do to defeat the Mgbowo community, but the sage told them that it's not possible, however, if they can remove a mid fish from a straw of five fish, without breaking anyone or the stick, then they will succeed, otherwise, it would be a suicidal mission. So, they left and the next day, the sage 'flew' to Mgbowo to inform Eze Ali Ihiriho, the then spiritual leader and king of Mgbowo. He guided the latter on what to do, to curb them and any of such intentions in future. This has been the trials Mgbowo has been going through since centuries ago.

Nkwo is so significant in the history of our community. It's unfortunate, this generation is destroying what our ancestors had achieved for their descendants, all in the name of foreign cultures and civilisations. Mgbowo as we used to know had been one of the few powerful human settlements in the history of mankind. One of the few peaceful and safe places to reside on Earth. 

The above are some of the reasons, we don't perform some rituals on Nkwo day.

Note that Nkwo isn't a market, but may be chosen as a market day in some communities. Nkwo is a day of the week. Will it be out of place to say Monday market. Does this therefore, make Monday a market day?

Lest we forget, Nne-Shukwu (one of the spirit beings that resided in Mgbowo) migrated spiritually from Mgbowo on Nkwo to Aro. So much happened on this day.

There are so much to tell this and coming generations, (like the pompo healing and satiating water), but for another day.

Shukwunweizu Muhammad Maike-Ogbukpa.