Benue State had always been on spotlight, either for herdsmen and farmers deadly crashes,or for its politics of royal rainbow that often pierced the political gladiators against each other’s.
To Many Nigerians,Benue State symbolizes the food baskets of the nation, the rich trough of arable-land with a vast species of all kind of fruits, root crops and vast ate-able grasses that won it a place for cattle ranches.This deposition of the state as a natural fertile valley for animals husbandry made the state, the enviable spot for the Federal ministry of Agriculture to designate it for the pilot scheme for the RUGA protect which has been becomes a brouhaha between Benue and the Buhari led government.
Beside it natural vegetation, Benue remains rich in all area of natural resources,and it hidden asset are the people.
Benue State is predominately occupy by three major tribes, the Tivs,Idoma and the Igede’s among other smaller ethnic groups.Although,Igede tribe is the smaller among the three major tribes but it has been the talking and reference point of Nigerians in the last few days.This may be a coincidence or not but the social media space has been awash with its traditional cultural arttire of blue and white stripes in the last few day as the Igede people’s mark their popular festival the “Igede Agba”held every first market day of Ihigele on their traditional five day market calendar .
The Igede people’s are special culture set of people’s because of their nature.they are not just ordinary tribes, the tribe are endowed with special natural humane across life spheres . The philosophy of the tribe is that of honesty and accountability and hard working a reason why most employers engaged them without a fear of a guarantor.
In Lagos ,Abuja and most cities across the country,Labour employer,job consultancy firms who had once contact with this tribe will testify. their tenaciousness for works and honesty is incomparable. Different testament from madams and Oga’s ,religious founders which have have this particular tribes in their pay roles can absorb this claims.while it will not be possible to fine all the Igede people’s to be trusted and honest but recent research by private firm and individuals had confirm that,it is only in Igede lands you will get seven out of ten persons if you are looking for honesty people’s.This is a rare result especially in a disassociate society like our where the quest for life inducements has ripple most people of morale values.
It is still a taboo till today in Igede land for their son and daughters to get rich without parents knowing the source of their income, such a person is isolated from the families and the community till he or she proof it source.If not people are advised not to related with such an individual as ritual, and stolen money is not welcome in Igede land.
Long before now, an Igede's deity known as Akpang or E’da will kill instantly for known or unknown evils committed by an Igede person outside or within his abode whenever such a person comes back to village and enter through the community gate known as Ojiya which serve as the entry point to most Igede communities.The Igede goddess forbids any form of chasm, rings or divinities that is foreign to their gods.With this,the Igede man is bound by his tradition for engaging in anything that is impure before he or she visit the community especially during its new yam festival and others traditional rite occasion.It is surprising ,why it is rare for Igede people to be involved in rituals form of any kind even when few persons get involved,you are not expected to go to the village with such charms or you will die on your way back to your base as long your foot match on your the community soil.
Another characteristic than differentiate an Igede man is the spirit of contentment.Igede people’s are not people of too much affluence, although,this is not to say, they are not rich people within this tribe,richness or wealth to an extend is defined on contentment.Research on this particular people has show that,an average Igede man doe not gloat on materialistic wealthy.for example, when a man die, all his clothes, rings,shoes,collections,no matter how expensive they are cost are buried with the person, only his asset like houses ,farmlands or farms tools are share among the household.in some cases, people even contribute new clothes to buried their dead’s.
Again Igede women are the pride of Benue State, naturally they is a mythological that the blessing of the Igede people are on their women, these belief is amplify in the blessings husbands from other tribes get when they married to Igede ladies,The story is that,Igede gods named “Ogbeno “ is a tree goddess of favor which reincarnate in all Igede ladies so any man that plucked the plant and plant in his homes and love the plant which is the (woman) now get blessed.although most modern Igede men takes this myth for granted, but other tribes who came marring their ladies and love their wives with cares are so favored beyond their own hard workings.
In the last five years or so most Igede ladies are been married to non tribe than their tribe, the rush to married an Igede ladies across the country may not been far from this true.apart from the spiritual aspect,Igede women are hard working and honest with no excuses for fidelity.
The unique characters of the Igede tribe make them demanding especially in account sections and store departments in most place they works, in Lagos,and Abuja for example, small businesses owners always place demand on job consultants ,maids providers for Igede people especially in a society like Nigeria where trust and integrity is becoming rare.
Truly,Igede is the new gold Benue will waiting to export to other states in a years to comes as their honesty remain incomparable.
Okwo. Romeon is a young columnist and Public relation Practitioner and write from Lagos State
You can reach him on bonromeon@yahoo.com
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