…appeal to state government to ban ‘Akatakpa’, ‘Omabe’ masquerades
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BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Against the backdrop of alleged intolerable activities of Akatakpa and Omabe masquerades in Eha-Alumona community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, the Catholic Women Organization ( C.W.O.) in the community on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest against the ceaseless brutality of their people and non- indigenes alike by masquerades.
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Dressed in their Catholic Women uniforms, and numbering over 500, the women matched to Nsukka local government Secretariat and Nsukka Police Area command to register their grievances over the masquerades’ constant attacks, chanting songs of agony and displayed placards.
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Some of the placards had inscriptions like:
“Gov Peter Mbah come to our rescue in Eha-Alumona for the evil menace of Omabe and Akatakpa masquerades.”
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“Women are denied of movement as their rights.”
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“Masquerades use dangerous weapons like guns, and knives, among others to prevent us from going to our farms, market and offices,” among others.
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Addressing the Head of Personnel Management (HPM) in Nsukka Local Government Council, Mrs. Martina Ugwuoke, and Nsukka Police Area Commander Mr. Yahaya Hassan, Spokesperson of the women group, Mrs. Benedict Ugwuoke said that they opted for peaceful protest because of the negative activities of the masquerades, which seem to have overwhelmed the community, stressing that they engage in all sorts of barbaric acts like harassment, intimidation, extortion of money and maiming of their victims.
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She said the worst hit during the seasonal outings of the masquerades’ are women who attend to their routine businesses, adding that their fundamental rights of movements are curtailed in the community during the masquerades’ outings and called for the intervention of the Enugu state Governor, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the authourities of Nsukka local government and the security agencies to rescue them from the menace of the masquerades.
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“We are here to appeal to you to use your good offices, to kindly transmit our plight in the hands of Omabe and Akatakpa masquerades in Eha-Alumona community to His Excellency, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to come to our rescue as we are completely tired and overwhelmed by the unpleasant and human degrading activities of these masquerades. We are desperately appealing and soliciting for his intervention and that of security agencies to ban Omabe and Akatakpa masquerades in Eha-Alumona community because of their incessant attacks, harassment, and restriction of movements of the residents, especially women and young girls.
“The ugly situation has degenerated to the point that women in the community are no longer go to farm, markets, and attend to other engagements because of the fear of being attacked and harassed by the masquerades. Some people have sustained various degree of injuries and taken to hospital while others had their motorcycle damaged as a result of attacks from the masquerades.
“If this situation is allowed to continue, it means that we and our children will die of hunger as we are no longer allowed to move out and find something to feed our family.
“Masquerades who present themselves as traditionalists have held the entire community hostage by their practices, thereby putting the entire community into a compulsory confinement, where women are particularly their major targets”, she said.
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Mrs. Ugwuoke however expressed concern over the use of dangerous weapons like machetes, daggers, guns by the masquerades, alleged that they use them to attack their victims.
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“We are not against the culture and tradition of our community, but we will not fold our arms and watch masquerades unleash terror on us in the name of culture and tradition.
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“These boys that parade themselves under the guise of masquerading as spirits have forgotten that they were born by women who, they are today harassing and maltreating with utmost disregard.
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“Our community Eha-Alumona is sick and tired of these ugly experiences, all in the name of culture and tradition. In as much as there is freedom of religion and worship, no religion should suppress the other. We therefore plead to be allowed to exercise our own religion and freedom of movement in our community,” she said.
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She noted that the traditional institution in Eha-Alumona community has made several efforts to control the excesses of the masquerades, even at the point of bringing out bye-laws that should guide those masquerading but nothing meaningful could be achieved as those behind the masquerading bluntly refused to abide by the rules and regulations guiding their appearances.
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In her response, the HPM of Nsukka LGA, Mrs. Martina Ugwuoke who was represented by Mrs Jacinta Ugwu, an Administrative officer of the council, commended the women for coordinating and organizing themselves peacefully and responsibly while expressing their grievances, and assured them that she would relay their protest letter to her boss, Mrs. Ugwuoke for onward transmission to the Governor for necessary action.
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She however reminded the protesters that government alone can’t handle the situation but should involve collective approach, including mothers’ involvement as.
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Also responding, the Nsukka Area Commander, Hassan, assured the women that he would take their request to the police hierarchy for consideration.
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“I thank you for the peaceful protest, I will channel your request to the appropriate police hierarchy, and be assured that police will continue to provide adequate security to every law-abiding citizen,” he said.
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