hahahaha
cheii imo state bride price ohhh,i have heard guys talk about how expensive it
is to marry an imo state girl, especially from mbaise. Some have even gone as
far as impregnating the girl in question so that the family of the girl will be
left with no choice than accepting whatever the mans family present as bride
price in order not to face the shame of having their daughter give birth
at home.MBAISE IN IMO STATE IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE. They grade their
brides in 4 categories:
1.
ILLITERATE
2.
SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
3.
GRADUATE
4.
MASTERS AND ABOVE
Mbaise, one of the most
populous local governments in Imo State, a core Igbo region, there exists an
erroneous belief that it costs relatively much to marry their daughters. Still
many Mbaise daughters are being married to people outside of the local
government area. Some argue that special interest in marrying Mbaise girls is
because of their dedication to marriage and hard work, and their ability to
stay in a marriage through thick and thin. Whatever be the case, indications
are that those who ventured to marry from among Mbaise people more often than
not have blissful testimonies of the marriage.To whoever wish to have an
everlasting marriage what you need is an Mbaise Girl, Never mind the cost
and the initial gra gra they gives at the beginning you will benefit a lot from
it. since quality worth the price.
They're Hard-working, don't depend much on husband to bring food
to the table,they stay in marriage, in case of husband's death they pick up the
responsibilities of bringing up the children to taste, Families don't interfer
much in marriage lives, they're respectful, educated, productive,
industrious,and the most Beautiful girls in Igboland, Mary
Odili, Genevieve Nnaji and Rita Dominic, Terryvin Oguh are few
examples of Mbaise Products
So what really does an Igbo traditional marriage entail?
Introduction – Ikwu Aka (Knocking)
Marriage
in Igboland is not just an affair between the future husband and wife but also
involves the parents, the extended family and villages. When you’re planning
for the introductory part of your proposed union, you must bear in mind that
there are two stages in this process. Depending on the Igbo community involved,
the intending groom will be required to make two visits to the bride to be’s
family.
First,
the intending groom, accompanied by his father or any elder relative or close
family friend will visit the father of the bride to be formerly introduced and
state their intention. They will then agree on a latter time to meet with other
members of the bride to be’s family. No gift is required for this initial
visit.
For the
return visit, the intending groom’s family (not limited to the parents) will
meet with the bride to be’s family and restate their intention. At this stage,
it is expected that the bride to be’s family will have had ample time to
investigate the groom to be’s family and must have reached a conclusion on the
proposal. The prerequisites for this visit may vary from village to village,
but, basically some of the key items offered as gift to the host family include
Kolanuts, Wines (alcoholic/non-alcoholic) and wrappers (Nigerian/Holland
prints). Money (cash gift) is usually not offered at this point in order not to
be misrepresented.
Traditional Marriage – Igba Nwku (Engagement)
At this
stage, a date has been agreed for the ‘Igba Nkwu’ to hold at the paternal home
of the bride to be. The intending groom would have been handed a list of items
to present at the engagement. The list usually is communicated after the
introduction and is an obligatory part of completing the Igba Nkwu, which could
either be a close family event or a big event including the whole “village”.
The items on the lists are usually symbolic and cover different sections of the
ceremony.
Typical Igbo Traditional List
for the Groom
SECTION A : UMUADA (ALL KINDRED
DAUGHTERS)
|
Wrappers and Blouses– (George/Hollandis/Nigerian Wax)
|
Jewelry
– (Gold plated earings, necklaces)
|
Head
ties and Shoes (Different types and colours)
|
Hand
bags and wrist watches (Different types and colours)
|
Toiletries
(Body creams, bathing soaps, washing detergents, etc.)
|
Beverages
and food items
|
Cash
gift (lump sum) –Ogwe ego
|
Drinks
(Malt & Minerals)
|
SECTION B: NMANYA UKWU (BIG WINE) – KINSMEN (UMUNNA)The
items in this category will be shared amongst the heads of the extended
family of the bride to be.
|
Bottles of
Seaman’s Schnapps (millennium brand)
|
Kolanuts
|
Gallons of
Palmwine
|
Cartons of Beer,
Malt and Mineral drinks
|
Heads of Tobacco
with potash
|
Rolls of
cigarettes
|
1 goat
|
Cash gift (Lump
sum) – Ego Umu’Nna
|
OTHER CASH GIFTS THAT MAY BE DEMANDED DURING THE COURSE OF
THE CEREMONY
|
“Ego nfotu ite”
(cash to bring down symbolic cooking pot) – ₦ 1,000
|
“Ncha kishi udu”
(Toasting of wine) – ₦ 1,000
|
“Ego Ogo cherem”
(money for the inlaws) – ₦ 50,000
|
“Ego maternity”
(money for future maternity) – ₦ 1,000
|
“Ego Onye Eze”
(money for village chief) – ₦ 1,500
|
“Ogwe Ego” (lump
sum) – ₦ 5,000
|
|
SECTION C: N’MEPE UZO (OPENING OF GATE) – GENERAL
|
30 tubers of Yam
|
2 bags of Rice
|
2 bags of Salt
|
2 cartons of Star
Beer
|
2 cartons of
Guinness Stout
|
2 cartons of
Maltina
|
6 crates of
Minerals
|
3 bottles of
Seaman’s Schnapps (millennium brand)
|
30 bulbs of
onions
|
1 gallon of red
Palm oil (10 -25 litres)
|
1 gallon of
Groundnut oil (25 litres)
|
A basin of
Okporoko (Stockfish)
|
2 pieces of Goat
leg (Ukwu Anu ewu)
|
25 loaves of
Bread
|
1 carton of Tin
Tomatoes
|
1 carton of Tin
Milk
|
1 carton of
Tablet soap
|
20 Pieces of
Morning Rose powder
|
1 gallon of
Kerosene
|
20 heads of
Tobacco
|
10 packets of
cigarettes
|
5 pieces of
George/Hollandis/Nigerian Wax
|
3 pieces of
Umbrella
|
1 Big Box (Apati)
|
2 Big Basins
|
2 pieces of Igbo
Blouse
|
2 pieces of
Headties
|
Gold necklaces
and Wrist watches (minimum of 2 pieces)
|
1 piece of
Lantern/Lamp
|
“Ikpo Onu Aku
Nwayi” (Bride price) – Negotiable
|
Usually
the UMUADA and UMUNNA’s are quite a number in each clan and a minimum of three
pieces/cartons per item above will be demanded before the bride to be is let
out of her father’s house on the engagement day. More often than not, their
demands are non-negotiable, but can be influenced by the bride to be’s family.
The
items required in the general section vary from village to village and can be
negotiated with the bride to be’s family. In recent times, the intending
bride’s father waives most of the requirements that ordinarily would be meant
for him and his immediate family and request the intending groom to provide
only the other items required in the first two sections.
Dress and Grooming
At
traditional marriage, wedding ceremonies, many have adopted the Igbo equivalent
for ‘Aso Ebi’ referred to as ‘Akwa Nde Mbiriechi’. Before deciding on your
‘Akwa Nde Mbiriechi’, consideration should be giving to the type of fabric that
would be most suitable for the occasion and will harmonize with the overall
theme of your ‘Igba Nkwu’ (traditional marriage).
Bride:
You can
either choose the olden attire Igbo maidens adorn at special occasions. You
will be beautified in ‘Nzu’ (white clay) painted on your body, while covering
your upper body and waist areas with pieces of ‘Akwete’ cloth (African print).
You can
equally attend your own ceremony dressed in a contemporary ‘Akwete’. This is a
traditional wrapper that some refer to as ‘Abada’ which usually is made up of 5
yards of either a Nigerian Wax fabric (Ankara), Holladis (Holland WAX), or the
popularly used George (Mirror George) material and a puffed sleeve blouse sewn
with 1½ yards of any laced/hand-cut fabric. You can even choose to wear
both options on your special day.
Accessories: An Igbo bride isn’t fully
dressed without adorning some complementing accessories such as ‘Jigida’ (waist
beads), ‘Ihe Olu’ (coral beads), ‘Ihe Nti, Ihe Aka’ (wrist chains, rings and
earrings - could be made of beads or Gold plated), ‘Akpa Aka’ (clutch bag),
‘Nchafu’ (head tie) and ‘Akpukpu-Ukwu’ (footwear) that will match the overall
ensemble.
Groom:
Back in the days, the groom
wore a pullover shirt called ‘Isiagu’ or ‘Ishi Agu’ (patterned with Lions heads
and could be short or long sleeved) on a plain colored trouser (preferably
black). In more recent times, particularly where the groom is not Igbo, the
intending groom may choose to wear any other embrAccessories: You can accessorize your
attire with the traditional Igbo men’s hat ‘Okpu Agu’ (a red or black hat),
coral beads and a fashionable walking stick.
Other party paraphernalia such
as catering, decoration, video and still photography, music and a lot more side
attractions you get these days at weddings also feature at a traditional Igbo
‘Igba Nkwu’. The most important thing for the prospective couple is to plan out
these details in line with their set budget. Just like any other wedding
outside Ndigbo, marital expenses are mostly optional. No amount can balance the
value of the man or woman you choose to marry, regardless of your race, culture
or tribe.
Contributed by Susan
Adirijeoidered
