‘Ibibio chieftaincy attire is sacred, not meant for everyone’

The common use of the royal regalia in Akwa Ibom State is a source of concern to the Council of Chiefs.

Time changes things, even customs and cultural practices are not spared. In Ibibio land, the culture and practices of the people have evolved over time, owing especially to modernisation. Before now the Ibibio chieftaincy attire was strictly the adornment for chiefs made from rare materials.

Imagine being adorned with ivory tusks, iron bracelets, a shirt and George wrapper tied around the waist, a leopard skin, a hat of twine and walking bare footed. This is the typical attire of the Ibibio traditional ruler.

The attire was revered today, but many modifications have been made to it.

According to His Royal Majesty, Edidem Apostle Dr. Ntoeng Udo Effiong Akpan, Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs and Paramount Ruler of Ini Local Government Area, the attire had to be modified because the materials used for them were either expensive or rarely found. Indeed, finding a leopard skin or elephant tusk would have been an uphill task just to be attired as a chief.

Edidem Akpan said some of the rules applied to the dress code of traditional rulers have either been improved upon or relaxed such that the practice of walking barefooted have been discarded. He added that unlike in the past where many of them were uneducated, today, many of the traditional rulers are university graduates.

He told Daily Trust on Sunday that even the wrapper and manner in which it was worn by the traditional chiefs is now different. He revealed that in the past, only a specific set of traditional rulers qualified to wear the hat.

These set of traditional rulers only wear the “Nntiya” it was bequeathed to them by their forebears. He argued that unless a traditional ruler comes from a lineage of monarchs who wore the “Nntiya” their position as chiefs does not qualify them to wear the hat. As such, it was possible for a person to be a traditional chief without meaning wear the hat.

“Long time ago, our Chiefs especially in Ibibio Nation wore iron bracelets called ‘Editim’ but today, they put on real bracelets. The bracelets give honour to the chiefs (Nbong). These bracelets (Mmimay) were made from ivory tusks. They are no longer available. If they are, they would be expensive. These outfits worn by the chiefs contribute to their personality. It is a symbol of honour to the chiefs.

“The necklace worn by the chiefs contribute to their personality. The wrapper worn by chiefs in Ibibio is tied by the side. The correct way of tying the wrapper is on the left side. The dressing of chiefs is specific to them.

“In the past, chiefs did not put on shoes. They do now, wear necklace and put on rings especially ivory tusks. Elephant tusk (Mmeme) is used for necklace but these materials are difficult to find now and if you find them, they are expensive. Leopard skin (Ikpa Ekpe) is part of the paraphernalia used by chiefs.

“The shoes now worn by chiefs does not in any way contravene any law or statues of chiefs, it is just part of modernising the dress code of chiefs. In the past, many chiefs were not educated but now many of them are educated and have travelled out of the country and so they can’t be expected to walk bare-footed and they won’t even agree to do that. It is the wisdom of the white man that we are following,” he explained.

The modification of the rules governing the dress codes of traditional chiefs has however given room to many alterations that are actually outside the set customs of the Ibibios.

One is the abuse of the attire by the traditional rulers themselves and by others outside the cadre of chiefs. In fact, persons outside the traditional title cadre have probably cheapened the importance of the attire in the eyes of people and created the loss of sacredness, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.

Edidem Akpan explained that the arbitrary use of the attire meant for traditional rulers by persons who are not chiefs is an offense. He revealed that there is a law to protect the office of traditional rulers and even their attire, adding that using the materials meant for the attire of traditional rulers to make clothes or attires related to that is an offense punishable by law.

“If you go to the Ibibio traditional rulers’ law, it says ‘whoever uses the regalia of chiefs is guilty of an offense.’” Very soon a law will be made to that effect. Nowadays, you see people wearing the hat meant for chiefs, sometimes made with twine. That hat is not supposed to be worn anyhow.

“The traditional rulers’ council will take up the matter. Anybody caught wearing the hat meant for chiefs will be taken to the police, it is impersonation. All those things are meant for the chiefs.

“…You cannot differentiate a paramount ruler from a village head or family head. Now, even young boys dress like chiefs in Akwa Ibom. Those who are meant to wear these chiefly apparels are recognized by the tradition.

“In Akwa Ibom, those putting on ‘Nntiya’ are known as ‘Nbong Nntiya’ [hat chiefs]. That does not stop you from being a clan head. A paramount ruler may not necessarily put on Nntiya. Nntiya used to be kept so that when a traditional ruler dies, the new one wears it. It was passed from one traditional head to another. So many people did not wear ‘Nntiya’ because their fathers did not wear one. Now people just wear it anyhow.

“In the past, the wrappers tied by chiefs were George materials but now, some chiefs tie whatever they like. I will soon meet with the paramount rulers and we will decide the appropriate style and materials to be worn or used by paramount rulers,” he stated.