It Is Our Tradition Poem by John Chizoba Vincent

Bring the Nzu and Kola nut
Take it to the stranger among us,
Let him kiss it and be bless.
Let him rub the Nzu on his arms then his fore head.
It is our tradition here not to neglect
A humble stranger in our land.
We kiss suffering on the lips, it harm us not.
We measure our joy with dance and laughter.


pour the oil in the calabash
Roast the yam and break the kolanut,
Let the youngest among us break and share it.
Pour the dry gin on the ground and bless the gods
Our forefathers must drink before we taste ours
Angry will they be if they taste not the gin.
It is our tradition here in Nkporoland.

The maiden must not touch the raging masquerade
Keep them afar off from the here, let them smell not of it.
All the young men must be present at the Iza Afa festival
and then the young women must not be excluded from the
Igboto Nma festival in the village square.
When is the initiation into the masks spirit taken place?
Warn all the young men to partake, it is our tradition
Never allow the she goat deliver in pain,
Go call the elders to look after its delivering.
The snake must never be in group like the beads
It is an abomination not among the tradition.

Gather the cowries and the white chalk
and assemble the youth in the shrine
Lets pour the goat blood for the sacrifices
The gos will hear us this time after
We went astray from it in foolishness.
Call on the widow among us, i heard there was one.
Her hair must be Barbe thoroughly
She must bath and drink the water used on
Her deceased husband bath.
The Umu Ada must be there
It is the tradition here.

Let the Umu Ada check the maidens
Of their virginity before they dance
Let them deep their hands into the hole
One after the other to check the fruits.
It is part of the traditions.
The king must not set his eyes on a rotten
Shining meals which are set for the vultures.
Let not a child whistles in the day
Let not a girl child come out to the Agbala naked
Under the initiation in festival of virginity.

We all must set the tradition going
It is our right and liberty to excel.
Neglect not the wisdom of the elders
In his wisdom exist pure and holy.
Our fore fathers must be happy and free
when we all observe the traditions
Of Nkporoland in its pure heart.