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Ekpe is Coming!” The Propaganda Masquerade My People Have Awaited Since The Beginning of Time

Published

5 years ago

September 21, 2020

By Wordshot Amaechi Ugwele

In my town Ohodo there are many myths. One of such is about the masquerade, “Ekpe d’Obleg,” (Ekpe from Obleg’). The masquerade was taunted by its promoters then as not just a beautiful masterpiece, they told our people it was the most beautiful thing anyone would ever behold in life when it eventually came out to perform.

When pressed further to describe it, they simply told people they could not since there was nothing yet in existence to be compared with the masquerade.

All my people could do was wait for Ekpe d’Obleg’. And to make matters worse, the people of Obleg’ went into an apparent frenzy, raising a lot of din and dust, in their hype preparatory for the day this unique masquerade would make it’s much-awaited grand public showing.

And the most curious thing about it all was that before then, Obleg’ people never had any masquerade worth a second look. Although they were good in having musical and dance groups for casual merrymaking, all their attempts at having any grand masquerade of note always ended in awful failures.

Whenever Ohodo celebrated Iri Ji, Onwa Asaa or any of such, Obleg’ came with the most miserably costumed and poorly crafted masks that neither looked arresting nor danced artfully. People taunted them to know the end, which they tried to mitigate with their noisy and chaotic processions. They were naturally witty and wisecracking tricksters that had a reposte for any taunt or fun poked at them on account of the notorious shabbiness of their masquerades that could not stand anywhere near the majesty of Agalaba (Ijele) others parts of the town had and proudly displayed. The Otielechi, that is, Otimkpu of these masquerades dusted the best of anything Obleg’ had in every occasion.

Then, Obleg’ suddenly announced they were bringing out Ekpe. The name was foreign and full of mystique. And so, the noise they made about it was unprecedented. They promoted and marketed it in campaigns that would shame modern propagandists.

The other parts of Ohodo didn’t know when they began to cower in fear, that Ekpe was coming to dethrone their own masquerades, even when they never saw any evidence of preparations, as they neither retreated to any forest nor fenced off any compound in Obleg’, for secret rehearsals.

However, whenever anyone asked Obleg’ people when their masquerade was coming out, they would launch into distracting and evasive diatribes, saying people should just wait for them, that Ekpe was coming. When people’s interest began to wane, Obleg’ would just raise a sudden loud uproar in a remote outpost of their part of town. When people asked, the would say “Ekpe was coming!”.

As people raced towards that particular direction, the noise would erupt from another part altogether! And “Ekpe was coming!” rented the air everywhere.

You know as every trick would always expire one day, the people got wary of these duplicity and thereafter dubbed Ekpe the phantom masquerade of Obleg’ that got further away as the noise of its presence got closer! “Ekpe d’Obleg’. A s,’ ‘naa ha!’ ‘Naa ha!’ Ó kpùz gde!”, meaning, “Ekpe d’Obleg’. If they say ‘here it comes!’ ‘Here it comes!’ It gets further away!” People also came to use it to mock narcissists’ who had a high opinion of their appearance, hence such were often told they sure looked better than Ekpe d’Obleg’, the phantom beauty of a masquerade no one ever saw.

Till this day, no one, in living memory, either from Obleg’ or the rest of Ohodo, ever saw the masquerade. In fact, it eventually came to be that people were surer of its non-existence than otherwise, and have come to therefore associate the whole venture as the very height of the well-known Obleg’s duplicitous trickery.

In projecting and mongering the presence of a masquerade they knew they neither had the capacity to bring out to face the rest of Ohodo in a showdown, nor actually had, Ekpe came to become the first known case of, and indeed the birth of propaganda in Ohodo. Our people were so taken in by the hoopla that it worked for a while in compelling the whole town to go into a prolonged expectation for its appearance. However, time finally demystified and rendered it a sham it was. So, Ndi Enugu should not allow themselves to be distracted from this Ekpe they are now telling us “is coming” from somewhere in Enugu. They are usually what they are, trickery of some desperate people.

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Featured

Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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