YAKURR ONLINE

Obol-Lopon of Mkpani, H.R.H. Obol Sunday Obono Okoi The ascendancy of the new Obol Lopon of Mkpani, His Royal Highness, Obol Sunday Obono Okoi on the 27th October, 2011 marked the beginning of a new era in the history and traditional administration of Mkpani. This is an epoch making event. For many this event is a time to wish for, while others wondered how a young man of this age would accept the offer of the office of Obol Lopon, other fraction complained and blame the tradition of the land. Yet it is important to count our blessings from that same tradition. Our tradition brought us together and gives us identity, oneness, love, and peace. Let us rejoice about this day and the future of our great land Mkpani “Ototobiloto Okpe keiti opoi” What we are today is the result of the decisions our forefathers have taken. Therefore, rather than lamenting on the conditions of the traditions of our land, we should work together to create atmosphere for the change we need.

By Eteng Obono Okoi H.R.H OBOL INYANG OFEM BASSEY Obol Lopon of Mkpani, Obol Inyang Ofem Bassey is death and was buried according to Yakurr tradion. He was succeeded by His Royal Highness Obol Sunday Obono Okoi. Late Obol Inyang Ofem Bassey was born in 1951. At the age of 39 and after the death of His Royal Highness Obol Ibiang Okan, it looks as Mkpani was going to revert to the anarchy that had characterized the age of communal friction and disorderliness toward the end of the 20th Century. These was the period His Royal Highness Obol Inyang Ofem Bassey was coronated the Obol Lopon of Mkpani. He ruled for 22years. He appears to have learn from the past and so adopted different and more moderate policies in solving the problems of Mkpani. He put in place certain policies to inculcate discipline. Firstly, he adopted the policy of flogging recalcitrant and those caught in the act of stealing. This policy minimized the incident of indiscipline in Mkpani. He strengthened units/cla

THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDREN IN YAKURR HISTORY. (A case study of Mkpani) . Mkpani shared the eastern boundary with Nko, in the west with Ugep and Ekori, and southern boundary with Agoi. Yakurr migratory history attested the fact that, Mkpani , Idomi and Ugep constituted the first phase of migration from Akpa, and settled at ketabebe in the present day Ugep. Oral tradition reveals that at Ugep, Mkpani constituted a kindred group.Semeon Ibor (2006) asserted that Mkpani people were called "Okurubong" Later the Mkpani founded the cause to migrate from Ugep following a misunderstanding between them, as a result of the death of Ugep boy. This act according to tradition is an abomination, indicating that, Okurubong had killed a kinsman and the tradition dictated that the family of Mkpani must pay compensation to the deceased family with a male child. This tradition of human compensation is still been mentioned among some communities in Yakurr, though null and void in practice. When

This section examined those factors and actions which could be taken by Yakurr leaders, policy makers and technocrats that would enhance our prospects of putting the Yakurr nation on a fast track of development, forge a common formidable front and become a force to be reckoned with, at both the state politic and national economic relations like other nations in Nigeria. The following socio-economic, political and cultural agenda should be put into consideration by Yakurr traditional rulers and leaders of thought. About 500 Yakurr sons and daughters all over the world (USA, Canada, UK, Nigeria etc) have embarked on online discussions under the umbrella of Centre For Yakurr Studies. It is a centre where we study the culture, history, problems, prospects and socio-economic development of Yakurr nation. On Monday 18th July, 2011, we launched a structure known as “Yakurr Be-Ibe”. We discovered that most of the communal frictions in Yakurr was due to the inability of Yakurr people to a

YAKURR BE-IBE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND (By Eteng Obono Okoi) Yakurr comprises nine   clans, these clans are Agoi Ekpo, Agoi  Ibami, Assiga, Ekori, Idomi,  Inyima, Mkpani, Nko and Ugep.   “Loka is the language spoken by the Yakurr people. The language is of the Bantu linguistic family, which is refers to as ‘’the people’’ is  a linguistic classification of a group of closely related people  languages spoken  in the linguistic boundary known as the Bantu line which runs from the South-Eastern Nigeria through  Central and Eastern Africa to Southern Africa. Yakurr has been described by Iwara (1988) as one of the most widely spoken languages in Cross River State with Efik which enjoys the special  status of a lingua franca in the state.’’   Yakurr shared their East and Northern boundaries with Obubra, in the West with Abi, and Southern boundary with Biase, Yakurr,  like the rest of other  Nigeria  nations experienced dynamism in all aspects of life. This point should be borne in mind so that w