TRADITION IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
Me as an outgoing Ugoeze coronating the incoming
Introduction
Tradition in the school environment is when you bring those things that is been practiced in your tradition to school. Most traditional practices are not fetish as most people think it is. And I will be talking about coronation of the student Kings and Queens representing the Ngor Okpala students. Ngor Okpala is in some part of Imo State and Imo state in Nigeria.
Why is tradition practiced in school?
In the school, every local government in a state has a forum. And they have a day singled out to meet and talk about the way forward of their stay in school. During this meeting, this is when we find out the students who are facing difficulty in feeding, challenges of house issues, challenges of assault from lecturers, challenges of passing a particular course and the students will put hands together to figure out a way of solving the particular issue. It is also during meetings that we talk about the way forward of the students from our constituency and how to reach them. We also make financial contributions to support those who are yet to pay their school fee and buy text books for those who have not bought any for the semester. Being the Ugoeze (Queen) and Eze (King) is a selfless service. Nobody pays us, sometimes the money we use is our personal money or money from our sponsors. And of course we have mentors.
Ngor Okpala students during meeting
The Eze and Ugoeze of Ngor okpala during meetings
How can one be an Ugoeze?
Ugoeze is not appointed or selected. One must reach the level of being an Ugoeze and it takes a process. Ugoeze is usually someone who is in her Finals. By then you must have served as the Lolo (wife) to the Traditional prime minister (TPM). During this period, you will be taught on how to handle the conflict that comes with being an Ugoeze, also the meaning of your endowment and what the stand for and how to use them effectively. Ugoeze's encounter challenges as well, they were taught on how to make proper use of the four market days in Igbo land and the use of eligator pepper to solve their challenges.
Ugoeze's with their female mentor
To be an Ugoeze you will undergo a coronation. It is something that is done in the night around 8 pm -9pm. During this time of coronation, the outgoing Ugoeze will tell you the requirements to come with, which includes one bottle of grandnut, one big powder and any amount of money. The outgoing Ugoeze will tell you to kneel down pour the powder on your head and bless you to rule better than she did. And then she will hand you over the crown, the neck bead, hand bead and final the horse tail and tell you that you will use it to sweep out bad lucks and bring in peace, and again the outgoing Eze will finalize the blessing with the four market days in Igbo land. That is how tradition is being practiced in school environment.
During coronation
After coronation
