Ezza tribe is one of the people who first settled at the central part of the present day Ebonyi state, but have spread all over the country. According to history, they believed to have decended from Ezekuna, the first son of Ekumaenyi. The people are popular with crop farming and little bit of livestock.
Although, he’s the first son of Ekumaenyi, it appears to be a fact according to a particular culture of Ndi-Igbo, that he is the first son of the Igbo Ethnic group. It may sound incredibly unbelievable, but you don’t have a cause to worry as we are right here explain everything in details. So, without further waste of time, let’s get other issue.
Every Igbo man or woman will agree with me that yam is the mother of all crops in the land. That’s why in the days of our ancestors, wealth were measured with the size of every man’s yam ban. So people work very hard in order to harvest large amount of yam and be counted among the respected people.It is the only crop that is celebrated upon which it is sacrilege for any person to harvest, not to talk of eating it before the festival. Anyone who goes against that culture is required to offer sacrifices to appease the ancestors. Failure to do that will attract poor harvest in the subsequent years, and resultant lost of his ban.
Now, why do I say that Ezza tribe is the first son of the Igbo ethnic group. They are the first tribe in Igbo land to celebrate the new yam festival, of which no other tribe is celebrates before them. This also means that they are the first to harvest and eat yam in the whole of the land. While other tribes celebrate the festival from October onwards, the Ezza people do theirs in July.
Before the coming of the Western civilization, the Ezza tribe new yam festival signifies the beginning of the year. Though, in the traditional society, it’s still being observed, which make effective. It is just as important as that in the part of the world.
With thought provoking discussion like this, curious-minded individuals, like me, are put to work. Yes, if the only festival that brings Ndi-Igbo under one roof is commenced in this tribe, it is likely, they are the first born of all the tribes. So, if have a different view from what is written above, please let’s discuss in the comment box.