In Igbo land, kola nut is culturally a significant native fruit grown on a special tree. The Igbo celebrate and treasure their kola nut for its essential roles in their cultural and traditional life. In Arochukwu kingdom, no important cultural and traditional function will validly hold without due presentation of Igbo kola nuts in their appropriate numbers. Arochukwu is an Igbo historic kingdom and its cultural influence spreads across many Igbo communities. Igbo kola nut and its use have become essential part of Igbo culture, the inherited way of life of Igbo people, passed on to them by their ancestors. Without kola nut being present at events, most significant cultural activities of Igbo people will also never be complete. Kola nuts, no matter the number been presented to people or guests at events, are collectively regarded as “kola” And it will treated as such here.
Kola nut comes in two main species, identified by its number of lobes. The two main species are: the one with more than two lobes and the other with only two lobes. For ndi Igbo, the specie with more than two lobes is known as “oji-Igbo” (Igbo kola nut). Oji-Igbo is the only kola nut Igbo people and their ancestors accept and recognize for spiritual, cultural and traditional purposes. This is so, because it is deemed both native and sacred. It speaks and understands Igbo language and dialect native to it, and not any other language at all. Igbo kola nut tree is grown mainly in the Southeast and South-south Nigeria. Its fruit has four lobes as a standard reference; but very few of this species may come in three or five lobes, some may even have up to six, seven or eight lobes.
Any kola nut specie with only two lobes is known as “oji-hausa” or “gworo”. This type is grown more in the Southwest Nigeria. But it is consumed a lot more by Hausa and other people of Northern Nigeria; hence it is called “oji-huasa”. It is not culturally useful in Igbo land, except that some Igbo eat it as snacks or stimulant. It is cheaper than “oji-Igbo”. Aro people and their ancestors don’t accept “gworo” for any spiritual, cultural and traditional purposes. Rarely, one may find a kola nut without any split or lobes. This type is regarded as a deaf, dumb and blind kola nut, (“oji dara ogbi, kpuru iisi”). It can’t speak, hear nor see. It is deemed evil and cursed kola nut, (oji ojoo, aburu onu). People don’t eat it; they throw it away as it is not useful for any good purpose in Aro kingdom andin many other Igbo land. But some native doctors may use it for some of their spiritual works not ordinarily known to people.
Igbo people use kola nut for many important purposes such as feast communion to share peace and love, especially among those who partake in eating it when blessed and served to people. Some use it to communicate with their ancestors through “igo ovo”(prayers in traditional religion). It is also used to prepare traditional covenants for building trust and confidence when resolving difficult conflicts in order to achieve reliable reconciliations. Some may use it to energize incantations during spiritual rituals to evoke powerful spirits of the land. It is also useful for economic purposes when owners of kola nut trees harvest the fruits for sale to bring in some wealth. People use kola nuts as hospitality snacks to entertain people at various ceremonies such as marriages, birthdays, burials, festivals, and specially as important fruit to welcome guests to people’s homes. Kola nut is really the first major thing people serve their guests to welcome them with love and peace. It is believed that if you fail to serve your guests with kola nuts, no matter the quality of food and drinks you lavishly serve them, it will still be deemed that you fail to welcome them properly. In Igbo cultural value system, kola nut is a very big deal; it is said to symbolize life, love and peace. Hence Igbo people say: “onye wetara oji, wetara ndu, wetakwa ivu na-anyana udo.” He who brings kola brings life, love and peace.
Presentation of kola nuts at occasions is often very controversial. The controversy may go beyond the issue of who will present the kola and to whom; to how many kola nuts are considered appropriate to be presented at homes and at various occasions. It may extend to who will bless, break and serve the kola nut, especially when viewed from traditional angle. In Arochukwu kingdom, kola nut presentation and its rituals traditionally lean towards established relationship lines. Even though it is believed that people from one village or community are essentially one people, but as far as presentation of kola and related ceremonies are concerned, people lean towards their family lines, villages, kindred, ikwu and other relationship lines to determine who to regard as their most closely related person at any occasion. And so, if a man wants to present kola to his guests at his home, he may opt to present the kola by himself directly to his guests, or preferably through his most senior closely related person there with him. Two or four Igbo kola nuts are adequate here. Where the guests are well known to the host, the kola is usually presented to the most senior person among the guests or through the most closely related man to him either from his home or among the guests to further present to the guests. Where the guests are strangers to the host and he doesn’t know their leader or the oldest among them, a request is usually made to them to identify who among them is their leader or the oldest. When such a person is identified, the kola is presented to them through him.
Presentation of kola nuts at the palace of Eze Aro is a bit unique, especially when Eze Aro is sitting with his two other Ezes (EzeI bom Isii and Eze Ezeagwu). These two top Ezes assist EzeAro in his leadership and governance of Arochukwu kingdom with other village Heads and some Aro leaders also contributing. Any kola presented at Eze Aro’s palace is deemed Aro kola. To welcome people at the palace, a wooden carved kola nut tray with at least four or at best eight kola nuts is presented to Eze Aro first, as a mark of honor to him as the monarch of Aro kingdom, before the kola goes on to Eze Ibom Isii and then to Eze Ezeagwu to complete the journey of Aro kola presentation. If any of the top Ezes is absent for any reason, the carved wooden tray containing the kola nuts is presented to the empty seat assigned to the absentee Eze in the palace, as a mark of recognition of his position in the kingdom. Where some special guests from outside Arochukwu or top government officials are also present, the presentation is extended to reach their leader as a mark of recognition too. After the presentation rituals, Eze Aro now blesses the kola on behalf of all. He may choose to appoint any of his experienced elders to pray over the kola. Thereafter, one of the palace assistants, or any appointed Amaja person takes the kola tray back to Eze Aro for him to pick one of the kola nuts for himself, then Eze Ibom Isii picks one and Eze Ezeagwu picks one too for and on behalf of their people respectively. Where some special guests are there, their leader is given one kola nut as a mark of respect too. The man appointed to serve can now break the remaining kola nuts to serve all the people present, or share them to only a few of the people based on their known relationship lines. Everyone or group of people present gets a share to ensure no one or group is neglected. Kola nut aims at bringing unity, love, peace and respect to all.
When presenting kola nuts to invoke spirits of the ancestors, different approach may be adopted. This can happen at shrines, deities, or at ordinary places. At least two or, at best four or eight kola nuts are needed. One of the kola nuts is used to offer prayers to the ancestors, and the others are for those who witness the prayers to eat. The man invoking the ancestors’ spirits begins his prayers with a kola nut in his hand. He breaks it and removes the four tiny “eyes” of the kola nut, each from each of the four lobes. With some incantations, he throws all the four “eyes” of the kola to the ground to open the eyes and ears of the ancestors. After some prayers, he then throws the entire four lobes to the ground, inviting the ancestors to come and eat and answer the prayers being offered. The other kola nuts are now broken and shared among the people there to eat. Thus the seen living and the unseen ancestors are said to have eaten the kola nuts together and are agreeable on the subject of the prayers.
To shorten the long journey of kola nut presentation, a good knowledge of people’s relationship lines is required. In Arochukwu kingdom, there are various relationship lines along families, compounds, villages, otusi kindred units, Ikwu relatives, in-laws, among some others. Arochukwu was politically regrouped into three major kindred units (from the existing nine) namely : Okennachi, Ibom Isii and Ezeagwu. But this is without major disruption to the sanctity of self-governing powers of each village or each of the nine otusi kindred units. Historically, Arochukwu was formed by two major groups namely: Amuze and Ibom Isii. The Ikeji Aro annual calendar still respects this two historic formations; that is why we still have: “awupu nmayina Ibom Isii, awaupu na Amuze”. Now to shorten the long journey of kola nut presentation in Arochukwu kingdom, one is free to adopt any of the shortest lines of relationships he deems fit from the above enumerated list for the purpose of determining who to regard as one’s closest relation during presentation of kola nut in any gathering of Aro people.
For example, if an Atani village man of Okennachi kindred wants to present kola nut to a gathering involving all sections of Aro people, he may opt to handover the kola to any Atani man who is his senior and closest relation of him to present to the gathering. The man may present the kola first to any Okennachi man who is from outside his Atani village, then to any most senior Ibom Isii man, and finally to any Ezeagwu man for all the related parties to acknowledge before the kola is returned to the host or his most senior related elder for prayers. After the prayers, any youngest competent Atani man there may be directed to break and serve the kola. Alternatively, any competent young man from Amaja may be invited to break and serve the kola. This is because Amaja is the youngest otusi in the Aro nine otusi kindred system of the nineteen villages. Amaja is also a sub part of Bianko group which is closely related to Okennachi, the kindred of this host. Okennachi, Bianko and Amaja are agreeably united as Okennachi kindred in a special traditional relationship arrangement.
Where the gathering involves other people from various towns and an Aro is the host, the approach may be different. The kola may be presented to the guests by the host himself or through any senior Aro man closely related to him to now present to a leader of any of the towns that has closest relationship with Aro kingdom. The kola may then be passed around to reach each leader of the respective towns to recognize their presence. The length of time spent passing the kola around to each town leader may be shortened by adopting presentation along their larger group relationship lines, such as their Local Government Areas (LGAs), states, tribes, regions or nationalities for due recognition of every group there. The essence is to make everyone feel welcomed and recognized. Aro people always say: “if you deny me my honor and respect, keep your gifts to yourself”. The practice of Kola nut presentation comes with respect and recognition and is done in a manner to ensure honor is given to all whom honor is due. For the Aro and indeed the Igbo, the ceremonies that follow Kola nut presentation are impressive and a learning class to behold.
Women are excluded in kola nuts rituals in Arochukwu as well as in other Igbo land. Kola nuts are never presented to women. And women are not allowed to present, bless, break, or even serve kola nuts. Kola nut presentation ceremonies remain exclusive duty of men. Any woman may be allowed to bring out kola nuts from the house to her man or her husband to present to their guests. Example of this is often seen at Igbo weddings where the bride is made to carry a tray of kola nuts to give to her groom to present to their guests as part of their reception program. And that’s where women’s role stops in kola nut rituals. Women may partake in eating the kola when served; but they are not allowed to pick a share directly from the serving tray. A man has to pick a part and give to a woman to eat. Even in all women gatherings, no Igbo kola nut is expected to be served. Bitter kola, garden eggs, among others (without Igbo kola nuts) are culturally sufficient to be served at such exclusive women affairs.
How many kola nuts are deemed appropriate for presentation to guests?
In Arochukwu, kola nuts are usually presented in multiples of two by two by two. That means two, four or eight kola nuts are enough for presentation to guests, depending on each situation. At homes, two or four kola nuts are appropriate. For spiritual sacrifices two, four or eight are adequate. At Eze Aro’s palace, only four or eight kola nuts are appropriate. At larger gatherings eight kola nuts are also adequate. One piece of kola nut is generally not good enough for presentation to a guest or guests. This is because the guest is usually expected to be given a kola nut out of the appropriate number presented, so that he can go back home with it and allow the kola nut to tell the story of his visit to his host. (“Oji ruo uno, okpa ibe oza”). One kola nut may however be presented to guests only where the appropriate number of kola nuts is not available, especially where the visit was not properly scheduled or expected. Even in such a situation, the host is still expected to apologize to the guest for offering him a single kola nut. Some bitter kolas and garden eggs may supplement the single kola nut for presentation with honor. ‘Ugwu oji jiribia, naka oji di na okwa ukwu’. The honor with which kola nut comes is usually greater than the kola nuts in the tray. It is not proper to present three or five, six or seven kola nuts to any guest. It is also not usual to present more than eight kola nuts at once. Any number outside of two, four, and eight are culturally not considered as part of the kola nuts for presentation. Any of such excesses are usually removed from the tray containing the kola nuts before presentation. Such excess may be added back, after presentation of appropriate number of kola nuts is done, to what may now be served to the people to eat.
Kola nuts usually are not presented in bear hands; they traditionally come in a carved wooden tray known as “okwa oji” and may be accompanied with “aria nzu”, another smaller carved wooden tray that contains white chalk (nzu) which people may rub on their hands to symbolize peace, cleanness of hands and hearts. In the absence of okwa oji”, a good saucer plate may serve as an alternative. A ground peppered ground nut butter source may accompany the “okwa oji” for eating the kola. Some may add alligator pepper as an alternative or supplement. Some garden eggs, bitter kolas, hot drinks, palm wine and others may be part of the extras.
Who prays over the kola nut before it is broken? When kola is presented to guests at the home of a host, the leader of the guests will receive the kola with thanks and returns same to the host to bless. The kola is said to have returned to the hands of the host for prayers. “Oji Eze anaghachi na Ezena aka”. The host, if he is old enough and capable to handle such a traditional task, prays over the kola; otherwise any most senior man related to him will offer the prayers on behalf of the host family. This is because “Ochie-ochea na giano na ezi ya obia, ma obu nwata, ago ovor”. An elder won’t be in his domain and a stranger or youngster offers prayers to his ancestors in his presence. When kola nuts are presented to guests at weddings, the father of the groom and the father of the bride or their representatives (elderly men) are expected to pray with a kola nut each to welcome the guests and bless the couple. In Arochukwu, the standard practice is that: if the host for any reason cannot bless the kola he presented, the oldest man closely related to him will bless it with some prayers.
Who breaks and serve kola nuts in Arochukwu kingdom? The duty to choose who breaks and serves the kola presented by a host rightly falls on the host. He chooses a capable young man, preferablyf rom his domain and closely related to him to do the service for him. Aro people believe that a trusted young man may have cleaner hands and may not have bad mind to poison any kola he is invited to break and serve. Any young man appointed to break and serve the kola is still expected to wash his two hands with clean water in the presence of all to further prove that his hands are quite clean to break and serve the kola for all to eat, without fears. The breaking and serving of kola nut is purely the responsibility of the host. That is why he is the one to appoint any young man from his domain to break and serve the kola. This may also explain the reason “the son of the soil” is at times called upon to join in breaking of kola nuts in some Igbo ceremonies such as weddings even outside Igbo land.
A sharing method in serving the kola is important for us to know. To share the kola nuts, two lobes (not one) are reserved for the host as his share of the kola nuts he has provided. The two lobes for the host are left on the kola tray and passed back to him as “aka oji onye nweuno”. He may share his share with his own people there. No matter the number of people present, the lobes of the kola may be shared along relationship lines of the people or in a manner that everyone present receives a fair share. In line with Igbo culture as already mentioned here, one unbroken kola nut from the number presented to the guests is usually given to the leader of the guests to go back home with, so that the kola nut may tell the story of their journey to their host.
Igbo Kola nut usually comes with four standard lobes freely joined together. These four lobes represent four Igbo market days of Eke, Orie, Avor and Nkwo. Some Igbo kola nut may come with three lobes only; this is not seen as fully complete in form as the lobes are not fairly representative of the four Igbo market calendar days. The Aro will say in parable that such kola nut “gbara Ibom Ibom”. Meaning that the lobes of such Igbo kola nut are short in number and needs to be made complete by splitting one of the three lobes into two to yield the “four standard lobes”. Some Igbo kola may also come with five lobes; this type is said to be profitable to the young man who breaks the kola. He is free to keep the extra one lobe for himself as his gain. A kola nut with six lobes is regarded as a sign of confusion. The extra two lobes above the four lobes may be given out to the oldest man there to eat or share with the ancestors. Any kola nut with seven lobes is said to be spiritually useful to the ancestors, as such all the seven lobes are offered to the owners of the land with prayers; all the lobes are thrown to the ground for the ancestors to receive. Kola nut with eight lobes is very rare and it symbolizes a good omen of wealth and fruitfulness because it is profitable to all. Its lobes of eight is twice the number of four lobes any standard Igbo kola nut usually has; it is also twice the number of the four Igbo market days. Eight lobes in one kola nut agree with the highest number of kola nuts (eight) any Aro can present’ to people at any gathering. Eight lobed Igbo kola nut is really a special kola nut to the Aro and to some other Igbo communities.
The different lobes of Igbo kola nut which bond themselves freely together into one nut create an impression of a significant sacred fruit that binds ndi Igbo together as a people of one cultural heritage, and they tend to symbolize unity in diversity of all Igbo culturally. ‘Oji’bu‘omenala ji kotara Igbo’onu. The views expressed by the author here may be seen in the same cultural light, or slightly differently, by some other Igbo communities when compared with the Arochukwu examples. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Igbo believe in the essence of Igbo kola nut in their various cultural life and it is the only kola nut they and their ancestors accept and recognize for all spiritual, cultural, and traditional rites. Every Igbo in their cultural setting celebrates their Igbo kola nut with high esteem.
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