Opinion: The Amaseikumor Festival in Gbaramatu Kingdom, By Enewaridideke Ekanpou

By: Enewaridideke Ekanpou

Amaseikumor is the amalgam of mysticism, tradition and culture…
Every year in Oporoza Amaseikumor heaves to sight with a retinue of masquerades cast in varied colours, announcing stunning dance steps that tell a mystical story

Amaseikumor is the god of blessing, wealth and growth; Amaseikumor is as much a god of blessing and wealth as it is a god of culture communicated in colourful clothes.

Tourists and cultural activists have their heads always buried yearly in Amaseikumor festival because therein lies their lifeline and oxygen of growth.
Musicians and writers always journey to Amaseikumor festival because therein lies their muses of creation.

Mystics, muslims and christians always troop to Amaseikumor festival because it rings in them the harmonising colours of the rhythm of purity.

For the pure-hearted, the yearly journey to Amaseikumor is a pilgrimage because Amaseikumor amalgmates all the constructive forces of nature as a sail away from danger, impurities and destruction.

Comes the Amaseikumor festival every year like a tidal dance .
On the great festival day all the components of Gbaramatu Kingdom are amalgmated by Amaseikumor to celebrate mysticism, tradition and culture.
Amaseikumor festival maps the yearly amalgamation of all the Gbaramatus into one canoe to celebrate mysticism, tradition and culture.

The tide is a storyteller in Gbaramatu Kingdom.
The tide tells Amaseikumor when and where to turn to when the season of Amaseikumor festival is come.
The mystical rhythm rings in Gbaramatu Kingdom whenever the tide tells Amaseikumor a mystical story.

The rhythm of Amaseikumor rings every April of the year.
Upon the waters Amaseikumor gazes to know how the tide dances;
From the dance of the tide, Amaseikumor journeys to the right spot to sprinkle blessings on all because
the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction .

Amaseikumor journeys to the waterfront to gaze at the tide;
Away from the tide the god blesses all;
Men and women in cavalcade of colours camp in Oporoza every year because the town must sail away from dangers, impurities and destruction.

Men and women culturally communicative, dance to the glory of Amaseikumor because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.
Tompolo turns here and there in stunning white clothes to embrace Amaseikumor masquerades because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.

Dr Izonebi Alfred and countless musicians feed the surging crowd because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction .
The food and the festival clothes always outnumber the comers because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.
Comers don’t get heavy like a drunk civet cat up the raffia palm tree in Akparemobou Forest because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.

The Gbaramatus and all the comers mingle up like two conjoined plantain fruits because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.

Tompolo leads the Ijaws to celebrate Amaseikumor festival because the town, Ijaw nation and Nigeria must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.
In varied colours all visitors and comers are benevolently smiled at by Amaseikumor
because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.

Always beautifully attired are the masquerades of Amaseikumor.
The culturally communicative masquerades stunningly dance in homage to Amaseikumor because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.
Blessings to all comers and visitors is the communicative path passionately ploughed and travelled by Amaseikumor because
the town smells danger, impurities and destruction when Amaseikumor is not celebrated;
The town grows because Amaseikumor is always awake.
The visitors and comers grow every year because Amaseikumor does not fail in his blessings to mankind.

Pure heart carried, comers and visitors are bound to smile home with a bag of blessings after the celebration of Amaseikumor Festival.
The echoes of Amaseikumor blessing knock at the doors of the pure-hearted at home after the festivities of the celebration.

In Gbaramatu Kingdom the song of growth, blessing and happiness is rooted in the celebration of Amaseikumor Festival.
From 19 April to April 25 every year the blessings of Amaseikumor pour like a waterfall upon all comers and visitors.
For mystics, tourists and musicians, Amaseikumor is the oasis every year because all the varied likes of the comers are given a spatial oasis in a language of mystical and cultural purity.

The town does not smell danger, impurities and destruction because tradition, mysticism and cultural celebration are blended like a good wedding wine served without a marked end.
The year wilts and journeys into obscurity when Amaseikumor fails in the yearly tidal dance and benediction.

Amaseikumor must always be celebrated because the town must not smell danger, impurities and destruction.
In the cavalcade of blessings recipients after the festival I always see the Pondis, Bebenimibos, Igbadiweis, Otuaros, Gogis, Akpafas, Oyanfas, and Ayafas, all attired in colourful clothes of pure white in proclamation of pure positions presented in the sacred temple of Amaseikumor.

Ekanpou writes from Akparemogbene, Delta State