YAKURR BE-IBE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
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 we do not get a false impression of a changeless society.
TRADITION OF ORIGIN
The tradition of origin of Yakurr have remained a controversial issue among historians writing on the above topic. Captain Chessman in his report on Yakurr, and Ayiga clans stated that ‘’it was fairly certain that the Yakurr people first lived near Okuni’’.
Dr. Otu Abam Ubi in his PhD thesis asserted that ‘’the ancestral home of Yakurr was at Lekanakpakpa. Ubi further asserted that Ikom people called Lekanakpakpa Onugi, that information gotten from Okuni traditions confirmed that the Yako were their neigbour at Onugi, that they too migrated from the area’’.
Enang Bassey (1980) who wrote on the tradition of origin of Yakurr also noted that ‘’Lekanakpakpa had been identify to be the Oban hill which is South Olulumo area. He further asserted that Lekanakpakpa and Onugi are therefore likely to be the same thing, but referred to differently by the Okuni and Yakurr people.’’ Enang Bassey and Ubi shared the same idea on the topic. That, Yakurr people migrated from a place called ‘’Lekanakpakpa’’ as a result of a conflict over a violation of burial tradition by Yakurr people. The migration of Yakurr to their present homeland was accomplished in three phases. The first phase constitutes Ugep, Mkpani and Idomi, the second phase constitutes Ekori while the third phase constitutes Nko.’’ But despite all these assertions some questions of many Yakurr people were not yet answered.
The questions are who founded Yakurr? Who founded the first Yakurr dynasty? Who founded the second Yakurr dynasty? Why is the Yakurr traditional political system headed by Obol Lopon who must come only from the Leboljimo Matrilineal family?
Eteng Obono Okoi (2007) in his researched paper asserted that ,Yakurr was founded by a woman called Obia (which literally means” visitor” in Igbo language) a princess from Abiriba in Igbo land who had a misunderstanding with her father over the palace administrative system. She ran out of the palace, and migrated northward and settled at Akpa where she had an encounter with a hunter, she narrated her ordeal to the hunter. They got married. It was this relationship and a conquest they embarked on that formed what is today known as “Yako”. It was princess Obia that formed the first Yakurr dynasty at Akpa. On a Council of Chiefs Meeting at the Obol Lopon palace, when Obol Obia took her seat, her womanhood was exposed to some chiefs. She saw this incident as an abomination against the kingdom. She handed over the mantle of Obol Loponship to her son Ibe.
Obol Ibe started the second Yakurr dynasty. He prove himself as a great leader and warrior, he has won many wars. Those who were conquered during the wars were made to be part of Ibe’s family. He has the interest of his subjects at heart. He was admired by all his subjects and were called and addressed as Yako Be-ibe. It was when Ibe was full of age and on a sick-bed that a misunderstanding between Yako and her neigbours occurred. Weeks later he died. This was what necessitated an attack on Yako. Before the attack, Ibe’s family was dispersed. They migrated to their present home land and continued with their traditional political system that is today still based on Obol-Lopon.
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Prince Abam
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State,
Nigeria.