By Mark Nwagwu
A book of roaring rarity in Nigeria, in Africa, and in entire human experience. Here is the story of its emergence.
It was ineffably fortuitous! Without my PhD thesis on my mind, I would not be in Calabar.
I had contacted my Facebook friend, Ms. Emilia Ayuk to make hotel reservations for us and arrangements to visit the Alok Monoliths in Ikom. The driver who took me, Samuel Isek, had been to Alok and we went there without any further assistance.
The following day Tuesday, 19 November, 2024, Emilia and her friend Theresa kindly took us to the Agbokim Waterfalls. While she, Theresa and Samuel went down to the river level to get a super view of the falls, I stayed above, at ground level.
I saw three men sitting and joined them. I asked what may have brought them to far-away Ikom, Felix Uya, their leader and tourism master, said they were there for the Agbokim Falls Green Marathon on Saturday and invited me to the marathon. I apologised that I would be leaving Ikom the following day, Wednesday.
He introduced his companions Emem and Stephen..He asked what I was doing and I told him I was a PhD student studying Nsibidi. He was interested in Nsibidi and said he would pay me a visit that evening to chat further.
Indeed, he came and we had a stimulating conversation till after 9 pm. He said he would introduce me to someone in Calabar who would fill me up on Nsibidi. On our return to Calabar, one Etubom Stanley Eyamba, from Felix, called me and saw me that evening saying he would take me to the Lord of Ekpe and Nsibidi among the Efik the following morning.
By 8.30 am on Thursday we were with Etubom Bassey Ndem who took me through Ekpe, Nsibidi and their intricate and endearing traditions. Enthralled, I was with him for over 2 hours, recorded the interview fully and took photos of the stupendous Ekpe artefacts in his living room. He invited me to a seminar on 27 December 2024 and I accepted.
I flew into Calabar on Christmas day, and flew out on New Year’s day, in a most exhilarating encounter, where Nsibidi consumed me and made me his little child waving Ekpe flags of cultural magnificence and supremacy.
I attended the seminar and hoped to fly back to Lagos on 29 December. But Etubom Bassey insisted I must stay for the 30 December Ngoro Nsibidi Festival of Ekpe exhibitions. I told him I could not possibly stay as I was booked to fly back to Lagos on 29 December.
As luck would have it, on 28 December, my son Uzoma called me to say the flight had been cancelled and the next available flight was on 4 Janusry 2025. He was able to get me on Ibom Air leaving Calabar on January 1, New Year’s day. We had to find money to pay for that new ticket. My available cash was far below what was needed. Just then, unexpected, ineffable, my pension arrived and I could pay for the ticket!!!
If I did not know Emilia in Ikom I would not have met Felix, or Stanley or Bassey and, certainly not the present Subject of these poems Nsidung, whom I call PETALS.
What happened? Let me start from my last full day, 31 December. I was in Calabar for a seminar on 27 December, on NSIBIDI. the non-verbal communicative language of the Ekpe knowledge society.. I sat close to Obonganwan Barbara Etim James Queen of Henshaw Town, Calabar, did not recognize her and did not meet her.
Obonganwan came to me, sat with me, introduced herself and we took pictures, at the NYORO EKPE NSIBIDI 2024 Festuval, on 30 December. She invited me to her home the following day, 31 December, and sent a car for me..I was with her by 3 pm. Conversations on our lives and careers, with wine flowing, engaged our time. In particular, my romance with Nsibidi in its variegated dimensions filled the air.
Dinner was by 7 pm and Obonganwan’s whole family came out, her aunt, brothers, Peter and Koko, their children, over 20 of us alogether. I had thought I would spend no more than an hour or so and then vamose..But fortune wanted to bind me closely to Ekpe.
The star of the evening was Prince Edem Essien Efiwatt His visit was all fortuitous and he educated me copiuosly on
Ekpe. How lucky can you get! Here was a time unheralded, of Himalayan magnitudes that lifted my intellectualism, my soul, my whole being, to heights unimaginable, undreamt of – ineffable; fortuitous.
A New Year’s eve party was organised by 10 pm with buffet and the choicest signature drinks.. I settled for chicken peppersoup and wine..
We toasted the New Year by 12.01 am, 2025, and danced! and danced!! and danced!!!
I was taken home by 2 am after an evening of joy and communion..
I am exceedingly thankful to Obonganwan Barbara Etim James, an uncommon, remarkable woman, of superior acumen, for bringing me to her home and giving me the opportunity to wear Nsibidi close to my chest.
If meeting her was fortuitous, writing these poems to her is incalculably and magnificently enthralling.
Nwagwu, 89, a Nigerian poet, columnist, author, and professor of cell molecular biology at the University of Ibadan, is currently completing a second PhD after the first in 1966. PETALS PLEASE is his 13th book.
