The origin of Nwaotam Masquerade in Opobo Kingdom is traced to Ndoki people of South-eastern Nigeria in the present Abia State of Nigeria. Traditions indicate that the Ndoki people have had long time relationships with the Ibani people of Bonny and Opobo. In fact, historical documents claim that the Ndoki founding fathers were migrants from Ijaw as the founding fathers of Bonny. Apparently, since the founding of Bonny, the Ibani people have always travelled upstream through the Imo river to the Azumini area for trades, cultural and social interactions.
The Nwaotam cult emerged from the deity of ancient Ibani people called the Ottam people. These people were brought in mostly to satisfy the Europeans’ quest for human commodities in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the memories of late captain High Crow of Liverpool (1791: P 201) who visited Bonny for trade, ‘the Ottam tribe are stout and robust and of a deeper black than any other tribes at Bonny. Their bodies and face are carved and tattooed in a frightful manner.’ The Ottams were not only notable for the worship of spirits they called ‘Mmoh’; but were also brought into Bonny as adults, therefore the description ‘Ottam Mmku’ was made popular in Bonny. It was also in this line, that their working strength, tribal marks, and rascality gave them another local phrase, Ottam Ahiriha.
The Ibani tradition has it that the Nwa-Ottam originated from a dark mythical grove in Mkpajekiri around Ohambele Ndoki. By this time, the Ndoki native, which included the Ottam tribesmen, had started serving this ‘Mmoh’ gods believed to be heteros*xual; and would organize dance during a season of the year. Those dances were mostly organized based on age-grade systems; and after several years, the deities’ head was changed to masquerade head of the Nwaotam. The nucleus of the Nwaotam masquerades at that time metamorphosed into a cult because this domestic deity at Ndoki had acquired a great deal of ritual authority.
It was at these instances that Opobo people of the Captain Uranta family adopted the cult of Nwaotam called ‘Ntuma Mkpa’ and then ferried the male native original totem (mummified Nwa-ottam head) through Azumini river to Imo river, then to Queen town by 1920 on the authority and assistance of King Arthur Mac Pepple, the then Amanyenabo of Opobo kingdom. Mythologies of Nwaottamm MasquradeThe nucleus of the Nwaotam cult originally as a secret society was its strict hierarchy and important religious and judicial roles as the Okonko of the South East and the Ekpe cult of the Calabar people, but could however not stand as such in Opobo over the years.
Later, it became a great carnival parade and display with its religious and judicial roles being watered by the presence of the Owuogbo cult. However, the masquerade is still guided by the following seven myths. The myth of cemetery Nwaottam cult reveals the recognition of the ancestors and the spirits of the dead great men of a town. It is believed that as the nucleus Nwaottam cult members (called Ntuma in Queens town, Mkpa in Opobo town and Uke Mkpa in Bonny) goes to the cemetery seven days before the day of display; they are able to appease the spirits of the ancestors of the town called ‘Ndi Itchie’ or ‘Amaduo apu’; and curry spiritual powers from them.
The myth of the tribal markIt is believed that the Nwaottam spirit (Mmoh) was the guiding ancestral deity of the Ottam people and to depict the original mummified totems, the masquerade head must have big tribal and bleeding marks like gutters on its face, with a facial expression of strength and aggression, with the face looking up as a medium to God called ‘chineke’. The myth of spirits gender there is a belief that these spirits possess both male and female personalities; both in performance and in responses to metaphysical issues. For instance, the original totem that was taken to Queenstown was said to be the male gender of the original masquerade at Mmkpaje Kiri Ndoki. It is also believed that the female spirit is stronger than the male spirit, and can only be displayed after a certain number of years.
The myth of peculiar food-stuff there is the belief in the Nwaottam nucleus cult, that for the number of days they will be communicating with the ancestors of the town, they must not eat foods cooked by any woman, but must only cook yam, corn, and plantain by themselves. The above myth earned the masquerade the appellation ‘Ori Opobo’. The significance of this is for fortification. The myth of shooting canons and gunsThe Nwaotam masquerade is believed to be the spirits of the ancestors made one with the deity and can only perform on housetops, without having its heels touch the ground, by bringing good omen to the town after displaying on the roof and jumping straight down to the grou
nd.
It is believed that the Nwaottam spirit communicates with other deities of the town being airborne on a housed roof, to grant protection to the town as it performs to entertain. The myth of the cult Nwaottam nucleus group has become a cult because only those in this sect can know the rituals involved and spiritual challenges. Hence, the Ntuma Mkpa, or Mkpa Nwaottam Oruke Mkpa as in Queenstown, Opobo town, and Bonny respectively have an elaborate initiation process, that only members can tell. However, embedded into the fabrics of Nwaottam, the above seven myths might be: Nwaottam has metamorphosed into a yearly carnival in Opobo and Bonny kingdoms, which attracts tourists.
The Nwaottam carnival has been enhanced with the introduction of a freelance performance spectrum of different folks with several types of costumes.Nwaottam in contemporary timeNwaottam is another masquerade found in the Niger Delta area, borrowed from the Igbo Ndoki area to the Ijaw areas of Opobo and Bonny. Though the masquerade heads of the uplands depict the spirits of the dead and that of the Ibani Opobo people represents the water spirits, Nwaottam masquerade head represents both, hence Nwaottam masquerade not being a display of riverine origin have however rejected the Owuogbo cult of the Ibani people of Opobo and Bonny through the singing patterns dance styles and the drum patterns.
Though the drum beats of the masquerade are still original as in the Ndoki hinterland with differences in the display probably because of spiritual efficacy and originality. Traditions have suggested that the two original deities that became masquerade heads of Mmkpajekiri in Ndoki and Queenstown Opobo are called ‘Nwaottam’; while every derivative Nwaottam masquerade are called ‘Nwattam’.’Ogolo discussed this topic with the National Museum Study Group in Port Harcourt recently
