THE ORIGIN OF THE FOUR MARKET DAYS IN IGBO LAND

There are four market days in the Igbo land. These market days are Eke, Orie,Afor and Nkwo .
Market days in Igbo land are very significant so much that the four market days I mentioned above are uniformly observed within every community in Igbo land. It was during the reign of Eze Nrijiofor I (1300-1390AD), the fifth Eze Nri in the line of succession that the Igbo tradition of four market days was instituted.
According to Igbo historical records, one day during the reign of Eze Nrijiofor I, four wise strangers came to visit him at his palace. When they arrived, these four men pretended to be deaf and dumb. They did not say their names or their mission to Nri kingdom.
Each of them carried nkata which literally means basket. They were taken to the visitors’ chamber by Adamma the king’s servant. Later in the evening, Eze Nrijiofor I went to see them, but they did not respond warmly to the Eze and did not acknowledge his greetings. Oji – kolanut was presented to them but they did not say anything in acceptance or rejection of the oji .
Later at night, the four wise strangers were shown where to sleep. But in the middle of the night, Eze Nrijiofor ’s soothsayers sent a rat to disturb their sleep. When the rat went to the first basket that belonged to Eke and started to nibble at it, Oye woke up and said: “ Eke, wake up! A rat is trying to get to your basket.” Eke woke up and the rat ran away. After a while, the rat repeated the same trick on the remaining baskets, and in the same manner, all of them revealed each other’s names.
In the morning, the Eze Nrijiofor I went to the strangers’ room to greet them and to perform the oji ututu (morning kola nut rituals.) As Adamma broke the kola nuts and the king called each of the visitors by their names-‘ Eke’ ‘Oye’ ‘Afo’ and ‘Nkwo.’ The visitors who were hitherto referred to as ‘Ndi bialu ije ekwu okwu ’(visitors that do not talk) were astonished when they heard their names being mentioned by
Eze Nrijiofor I. They asked for water to wash their hands and faces; and took the oji that were presented to them.
After chewing the oji , they gave the Kingite ano (four earthen pots) and directed him to keep the pots in front of the Nri Menri shrine outside the obu (palace) with each pots facing the sun. Eke, who was the spokesman of the visiting wise strangers, told Eze Nrijiofor I that the first pot was owned by him, Eke , the second one by Oye, the third by Afor and the last by Nkwo. He told the Eze that the four pots were sent down from Chukwu (God Almighty.) He instructed Eze Nrijiofor I that he and his people whom he ruled should be observing those names daily as market days, during which they should be buying and selling. These market days are used in Igboland to count Izu (Igbo native week). Therefore, Eke, Oye, Afor and Nkwo (four market days) make one Izu (week) in Igbo calendar.
Eke also instructed Eze Nrijiofor I that the first name that should be given to their male and female children should contain either Eke, Oye, Afor or, Nkwo. That is why we have igbo names as Okeke or Nweke, Okoye or Nwoye, Okafor or Nwafor, and Okonkwo or Nwankwo . In the same order, female children should be given “Mgbeke’, ‘Mgboye’, ‘Mgbafor’ and ‘Mgbankwo’ .
The message was preached throughout Igbo land by spiritual priests of Nri and rudimentary open market squares were set up in Igbo land. The four strangers later told Eze Nrijiofor I that they were messengers from God. Some foods were prepared for them but they did not eat them.
In the noon of that day, these wise men of Igbo tribe disappeared from the Eze Nrijiofor’s palace like angels. Their news subsequently spread throughout Igbo land and observed till date.  

Source:Osumenyi Enyiukwu Brethren

SERVICES INVOLVING KOLANUT IN IGBOLAND

The services involving kolanut is a cultural heritage of the Igbo which civilization cannot erase in Igbo land. It shows the happiness and love for another. This puts kola nut forward as the first thing, to be presented during occasions, settlement of disputes, etc. Kolanut shows good gesture over people and this makes the Igbo to say that "He who brings kola brings life" (Onye wetara oji wetara ndu). Presentation and breaking of kolanut is something which cannot be dispensed within Igboland. It marks a cordial welcome. Once present, it creates an avenue to appreciate the life God gave to the people, which is done before the kola is broken.
It should not be controversial about who breaks kola. In some areas of Igboland the tradition is such that the eldest man in any gathering has the right to break kola and in some areas, the youngest in a gathering breaks kola. It is noteworthy that the Igbo believe that kola does not understand English or other languages in a traditional Igbo setting; hence every prayer to be said on the kola presented must be in Igbo language. In a gathering devoid of men, the eldest woman at that gathering may have the privilege to break the kola but loses the privilege if a boy is in their midst. During the presentation of kola, it is not shown to women and grand children to the particular kindred in which the kola is provided. If the kola is shown to a grandson, he has every right to pocket it if he likes. Some of these restrictions are due to the high estimation of kola in Igboland.
Cordial reception is one of the things that the Igbos can be reckoned with. Presentation of kola to a visitor marks a cordial welcome. Where this is not done, attributed to unavailability of kola in the house, the host has it indicated by say thus -"My house is full of kola" which is the irony of the true situation. The Igbos serve kola because of its significance. Sometimes, when kola could not reach the people in a gathering, there is always the saying "Mbo aka O gara e bee, Oji ejighi zuo ora?" which means that the kola is supposed to be broken into smaller pieces as to reach the whole people in the gathering. Tradition forbids a woman to climb kolanut tree. Secondly, women do not break kolanuts in the presence of their male counterparts, no matter their age, and are not shown kola in the midst of men when kola it is presented.

Source:Osumenyi Enyiukwu Brethren

“NO AMOUNT OF MONEY CAN CHANGE ME,MY HUSBAND AND MY CHILDREN” – Folorunsho Alakija...

In this interview with PUNCH’s ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo and Gbenro Adeoye, billionaire businesswoman, Folorunso Alakija speaks on her childhood, how she ventured into the fashion and oil business, and how she’s sustained her marriage of about 40 years.

There is a beautiful picture of your grandchild displayed proudly on your table. You must be proud to be a grandmother…

Absolutely proud! But then, there is no way the grandchildren can take the place of your children. They are another level of joy that you cannot really put a finger on, but each time you look at them and interact with them, they remind you of the old days when you had your children so you tend to spoil them. The things that parents don’t allow these little children to do, you find that grandmothers and grandfathers tend to be a bit softer than they were with their children. I think it’s because one feels a little differently at that age and of course, as you are getting older, you tend to slow down on some things. You are beginning to appreciate time with your ‘new children’ unlike when you didn’t have much time with your own children as you now have for the grandchildren. As a result, you are being a bit partial. When you have your children, you are very strict with them because of the way you want them to turn out. But it is not that you don’t want your grandchildren to turn out even better than your children, but you have a softer spot for them because it is new and a different level of joy, they have a special place in your heart, so you tend to be a bit partial.

Obviously, age doesn’t affect your looks because you still look good and dress good. What is the secret?

I’d tell you that I hate exercises. I love food and do all the wrong things. I eat late. I know I’ve added weight. I’m not near the size I was as a teenager. I’m beginning to learn to diet, which was not a part of my lifestyle three or four years ago. But now, I’m paying more attention to that, although, not as much as I should. If I did that, of course, I would be slimmer than I am now. I do have a trainer that I always have an excuse to make sure that he doesn’t come. I always tell him, ‘Oh! I have a meeting’; ‘I’m rushing to so and so place’ or ‘Do you know what? Don’t bother to come tomorrow’. It is only three times a week but guess what, I haven’t allowed him to come in the last four months.

What made you go into Fashion Designing?

I’m no longer a fashion designer, though I’m still a passionate supporter of the fashion industry considering the fact that I am still a life trustee to the Fashion Designers’ Association of Nigeria (FADAN). So fashion is my passion, it is something that I will always be a part of. I wanted to leave the bank to set up my own business. I wanted to ensure that I’d be leaving the bank for a career that I would enjoy and that would be lucrative. I wanted a profession that would not make me get out of bed grudgingly every morning. So I looked at my talents. I had always known that I love everything beautiful and had to do with creativity. I knew I had creative abilities. I looked at everything to do with textiles, colours, merchandising and things that adorn the body because I come from a family of textile merchants. I put all of that together and looked inwards as far as the economy was concerned and knew it was the right time to get into the fashion industry because Nigerians were beginning to appreciate what was being made locally. And because I come from the background of businessmen and women, I just thought fashion was what it had to be.

Didn’t your friends and family wonder why you had to go into tailoring as it was called in those days?

Yes, back then it was known as tailoring but when I was getting into it, it was being seen as fashion design and it was getting fashionable to be called a fashion designer. And I noticed that each time I wore something that was locally made abroad, I got a lot of attention and compliments. So it was also one of the reasons I chose fashion designing. I believed it was the right time because Nigerians were looking inwards and the economy was also crying for it.

So why did you get out of Fashion Design?

I started my fashion line in 1986 and as soon as I came into it, I won a national fashion competition, which brought me fame and fortune. It helped to advertise my clothing line- Supreme Stitches. The clothes I made were very appealing to the public. They were different and fresh. People were not only making clothes for themselves, they were placing orders to go and sell abroad. Some of the clothes found their ways into some stores abroad. And I was enjoying myself. It was hard work, I must say, because I had women lining up with suitcases full of fabrics they wanted me to design and make for them. And I wasn’t having enough time to even grab some food. It was that good. I was seeing my creation. I would ask them what their profession was; where they were wearing the clothes to and so on to get a feel of the kind of designs I needed to do because they varied from client to client. I designed for the high and mighty, the middle class and young people. With time, people got to label me and my designs for the special occasion designs, maybe when they wanted to attend a special occasion, they would find their way to me. They didn’t mind what they had to pay because they always got the compliments and they were always proud to show the label.

I carried on like that for years and got to a point where the Lord started telling me that He had finished with the fashion part of my life and needed me to move on. I got into the oil industry and that was taking a lot of my time. I was travelling a lot to attend meetings with our partners. I had to begin to listen and listen to the voice of the Lord and it was calling me into the ministry and I needed to say ‘Lord, send me’. When that time came, I decided to diversify into an area that would not need my full attention. I decided it was best to leave when the ovation was loudest rather than carry on and struggle to do so many things at once and be Jack of all trades, master of none. So I decided to get into mass production, which would not need me to be there on full time basis. However, I needed to source for the fabrics locally and in large quantities. Soon, I realised that we could not get the right textures we wanted to be woven locally and to be dyed to the colours we needed in a way that they would last like the imported ones. That was where we had a problem. I went as far as Taiwan to try to get machines to produce my own textiles. When I realised the amount I needed to put into that alone, it was too much for me to afford at the time. So I decided to carry on sourcing locally. I had to start planning to look into what else I could do. As we started making T-shirts, fez caps and so on, people started asking for monograms on them. People didn’t want to wear them plain. So I sourced for monogram machine and we added that service. We were monogramming on bed sheets, towels and there were big demands. Then people started to ask for screen printing and monograms were more expensive than screen printing. When they wanted volumes for events or as souvenirs, we needed to look for a cheaper source other than monogram so we had to get screen printing machines. Then there were those who wanted gift items. So I started travelling to China to bring in different types of souvenirs for companies to give out at the end of year or other events. I was having great fun. So here we are; it is five years old now.

You said your family was into textile business, did you have a privileged background as a young girl?

The word privileged background is relative. But I can say that we were comfortable. I come from a polygamous family of a father with eight wives, 52 children. I’m child number eight, Muslim background. One of my half sisters and I were the first children of my father to be sent abroad to go and study at the tender ages of six and seven. I was seven while she was six. I would say that sending children abroad at that time at such young ages proved that the family was affluent. Usually, it was people in their 20s or 30s that went abroad to study in those days-. It was very rare to find children of about six years being sent abroad to study at the time. So we were all over the newspapers the day we were leaving. It was big news. I still have photographs of the day we were leaving in my autobiography where my dad, my mum and my step mum were seeing us off. We travelled by sea. In those days, people travelled by sea, and it took us 14 days to get to England.

After four years, we returned to Nigeria for further studies. My parents were in the textile business for a good part of our lives. There was a time my father was also in the business of leather sandals and he was making a lot of money. There was also a time that he was dealing in stockfish. He was a very big businessman and there was hardly anything that he touched that didn’t turn to gold. He only read up to Standard Six but had his wits about him. He was a very jovial man but business was something that he was born to do and he excelled in every area that had to do with business. He invested in shares, real estate and things like that. By the time he died, he had enough houses to go round all of his children that were still alive- 46 of us. My mother and my step mother were also into textile trading and they placed orders with him which they in turn sold to market women.

When my siblings and I came home on holidays, we had to open the store and be my mother’s assistants in our store. So we got quite proficient in the merchandising area of textile. We learnt how to combine colours and be creative with textiles before they were sent to my dad’s office for him to make orders from Switzerland and the Far East. So we got to interact with those who would come to town from neighbouring countries, usually early, before other stores opened. So my mum always encouraged my sister and I to make sure that our store was opened very early. My mum was very strict. She taught us how to make money so that was how I cut my teeth as much as trading and being a businesswoman is concerned.

We learnt some of your colleagues in the UK used to call you Flo because they couldn’t pronounce Folorunsho. Did you keep that as a nickname till much later?

Many of my colleagues in the bank still call me Flo. Many of them later became managing directors of many of the banks in Nigeria. Those who were my contemporaries age wise, would call me Flo and those much younger than me would call me Mrs. A. But the Flo was short form for Folorunsho because it was long, complicated and too challenging for them to master.

What was it like growing up in a large family?

Flo and Doy (my sister) had partnered together even before we went to England because there was just one year difference in our ages. We had been sent off to a guardian to live with and go to school from there. Our guardian lived in Yaba and our school was Our Lady of Apostles, also in Yaba. So we only had to walk to school. We were taught table manners, etiquettes, how to be a young lady before we were bundled off to England. When we came back, we were like little princesses. We had done a lot of shopping before coming back. Anytime we were going out, people in the neighbourhood would be on their balconies waiting to see what the young girls that had just returned from England would be wearing. They were always eager to see what we wore. We had lovely clothes, shoes and had begun to lose the Yoruba dialect. Few months later, we were bundled off to boarding school. We came back home at the end of each term to live with our other siblings. And our parents didn’t want to separate so we were living together in my half-sister’s mum’s place. My mum’s place was on the next floor and then I began to experience some preferential treatment that my step mum’s domestic staff were giving to my half sister so I decided to stay with my mum. Although the two mothers were reluctant but you know how it is with human beings. They would feel this is the child of our ‘oga’ (boss), so we would give her more meat than the other one. So I decided to go and stay with my mum. My half-sister and I are still very close. We started interacting more with the other children. Despite the fact that we all came from different mothers, the children were very close. It was like we formed our own government and the mothers formed theirs. Sometimes, they got on well with one another and sometimes they were at one another’s throats. But we children chose not to look their way and we carried on being one another’s friends and loved ones and that is how we carried on with one another in close communication. Even after we started living apart, the children were always constantly in close touch with one another. And some of us were in the same boarding schools and we loved coming home after school when we would bond together again- it was fun. We also looked forward to a time when it was the Ileya festival (Id el Kabir) because it was when everybody would converge at Ikorodu. All the mothers would come home with rams, some would bring two or three and then there would be competition among the boys. They would organise games among the rams to make them hit one another with their heads. The girls would be more interested in ‘what are you wearing for Ileya? Show me’. And everybody would be looking forward to the day we would kill the rams, eat, party and attend other parties. I remember those days with nostalgia.

You have been married for close to 40 years. Are you still in love with him the way you were when you met him many years ago?

If anyone of us is abroad, for instance, the two of us would make sure that we call each other a minimum of twice a day. We have spoken three times already today. If it wasn’t that I was running late for the interview, I would have picked up the phone again to ask him to buy me three brushes but I had to give the job to my assistant to do. So every little thing, we are talking throughout the day.

You are still friends?

Very much so too. We are lovers, friends, brother and sister.

Where did you meet him?

We met at a party in Surulere, Lagos, two weeks after I relocated to Nigeria from England. The party was in the evening. So my brother, his fiancée and I were attending that event and we were all seated together. Then came along my husband-to-be; he said to me ‘why are you following your brother about’? I said ‘what do you mean?’ Then he accosted my brother who he knew well and said your sister is a big girl, why are you allowing her to follow you about? Then my brother said, ‘stay away from my sister. Leave her alone’. Anyway, we got talking and after the party, he suggested that I should sit with him in his car rather than sit in my brother’s car so we could carry on with our conversation and we would be driving in a convoy back to our abodes. So we carried on talking and said goodnight. But from that night, unless one of us is abroad, there has been no day that we have not seen each other. Ever since that day, we have seen each other every day unless one person is away and the other is somewhere else.

Your name is more popular than his. Do you know if sometimes in his sober moment, he asks himself ‘why is my wife more popular than I am’?

I believe that; that is on the contrary. You know why? He is extremely shy. He does not like publicity. I’m an extrovert; I don’t mind publicity. I like to throw parties; he likes to listen to music.

Nowadays, marriages fail a lot but what would you describe as the secret that has sustained your marriage for so long?

A lot of things make marriages break. What I have noticed over the years is that a marriage doesn’t break suddenly or in a day; it is a gradual process. And the earlier you nip it in the bud, the better. And it is always better to know what the dos and don’ts of marriage are before you get into it so that you don’t get your fingers burnt and so that you can enjoy rather than endure your marriage. One of the tenements of marriage is that you must communicate with one another. If you do not talk to one another regularly enough, your love can begin to grow cold. You may begin to drift apart and then other things begin to set in. The Bible tells us that if one person offends the other, you need to take care of that matter immediately and not let it degenerate. Do not let it degenerate into something that you will still be sulking about the next day because with every action, there is reaction and with every reaction, there is a counter reaction. I counsel partners and one of the things I tell them is never to make the mistake of having separate bedrooms from the very start. Make sure you share one bedroom even if you have 10 bedrooms.

And not only that, if you tell the carpenter to make your bed to be from one wall to another, you are making the biggest mistake. It can separate you. When you quarrel, it won’t help. But when there is nowhere to turn and you end up kicking one another, you will make up quickly. One of the things I do to break the ice rather than let things degenerate is to ask my husband to help do my zip even when I can do it by myself. I have broken the ice.

You are bound to quarrel because you are two human beings. If anyone tells you they have a perfect marriage, it is a lie. Yes, they may be compatible and be having a good time but that does not mean it is perfect. It doesn’t exist. Make sure that you set up the values that you will use to run your home and bring up your children. I greet my husband good morning with a kiss. There are different ways of showing submission. It is not that we are asking you to put your head on the floor so that he can trample on it. No! We are saying show your husband respect. It is the will of God. Speak to him nicely. There is no man that you would treat like that and would not honour, respect, appreciate and do whatever you ask of him when you ask for a favour. He would go all out with pleasure and even go the extra mile to do whatever you ask of him. That is what a lot of people don’t realise. Likewise, a man should love his wife; that is what the Bible says. He should honour and respect his wife and not bring a girlfriend into the matrimonial home and say what can she do? Are you supposed to do that? Is it fair? Is it right? Is it because you are stronger than her physically? If you decide to give her a slap, she can’t beat you, but all she has got is her mouth and she will abuse you very well. One thing will lead to another and the marriage will degenerate. Once it starts degenerating and you don’t quickly nip it in the bud, it may lead to separation and then divorce.

Why haven’t you thought of going into politics?

God has not called me into politics. There is nothing that I do that I would not ask Him first. I don’t have an affinity for politics; I’m a businesswoman, a philanthropist, a wife, a mother and a grandmother. All of those things keep me very busy. If he calls me into politics, he will direct me, equip me and it will be a matter of it’s your call Lord, if you send me there, I will obey. And he has not called me into politics.

As a young girl, did you ever think you would be globally known?

I never knew that I would be globally known but I did know that I would be a businesswoman and I also knew that the Lord had planned that I would be successful.

So how do you feel now being known as the richest woman in Africa?

I’ve never called myself that and I just live my life. I do whatever I need to do with all joy and pleasure. It has not changed me; it will not change me and there is no amount of money that can change me, my husband and my children. That is the way we have lived our lives; we will continue being who we are as a family.

UKWA(TRECULIA AFRICANA)

One of my favourite Igbo delicacy is Ukwa(Treculia Africana )which is the seed of the African Breadfruit. It is unique in it's own way and the taste is "Awesome". I could perceive the aroma of Ukwa 15 buildings away from my home(LOL). Its aroma travels far and faster than the speed of light. And once it is perceived, your whole body system will ensure you don't rest until you eat it (lol). It is highly priced in the market due to its nutritious and tasty values. In this part of Nigeria where I reside, a cup of ukwa goes for #400 or #500 (chei!)depending on the size of the seed(lol. Ndị mmadụ). You can get it at a cheaper rate in Igbo land. Ukwa is a seasonal fruit.
To extract the seeds from the fruit, the fruits are allowed to ripen and fall from the large trees in which they grow on. The fruits are then allowed to rot, and machetes are used to crack open the fruit or sometimes the fruit is even thrown on large rocks. The extracted ukwa seed which is very messy is then placed in a basket (most times), washed thoroughly and allowed to dry well (under the sun). There is a long lengthy process before the seeds that are eaten are fully extracted. The seeds are typically roasted and eaten with coconut or palm kernel (aki na ukwa) or can be boiled to soften them making a sort of porridge or jollof (ukwa a gwọrọ agwọ). Aki na ukwa has been described as the smallest balanced food combo in Nigeria as it is believed that Ukwa contains all food nutrients except one (vitamins) which is found in coconut, hence a perfect complimentary combination.


Different segments of the roads in Nigeria is dotted with energetic Aki & Ukwa hawkers- young Igbo girls and boys proudly calling out to motorists to buy the packaged food. "Gonu ukwa. Ukwa fifty naira gị ébé a! Aki, twenty twenty naira!". One cannot resist the sight of Aki na ukwa. It's a big temptation especially when all you have on you is your transport fare back home (ije uwa).
Ukwa is such a versatile food with a natural delicious flavour. It can be cooked plain without any ingredient, not even salt and it will taste great especially when prepared with fresh seeds. Ukwa could be cooked with potash and just eaten like that or it could also be separated from the water for just the seeds to be mashed with some ingredients and thereafter served with the extract (mmiri ukwa). Ukwa has several health benefits such as Low saturated fat, No cholesterol, Very low in sodium, No sugar, High in dietary Fibre, High in niacin, High in potassium, High in thiam and many other benefits. It has essential oils and it is a very good source of protein and a good part of diabetic and vegetarian diet.
Ukwa is indeed a natural blessing to the Igbo people. How do you like your ukwa prepared? As for me, I don't have a favourite method. I eat both roasted and boiled Ukwa. Ukwa is one food we Igbos don't joke with.
Source:Mbanese Mirrors

PALM WINE IN IGBOLAND

Palm wine in Igbo land comes in two sources: nkwu (palm tree) - the source of the palm wine known as "Mmanya Nkwu", and ngwo (rafia palm tree) - the source of the palm wine, known as "Mmanya Ngwo". Each of the palm wine categories are regarded with different respects. Each has different functions in different occasions, depending on of course, how that particular area or village regards it.
In production, they are tapped in the same way, by climbing to the required height or to the neck of the palm tree and cutting ducts, under which are placed local mugs (calabashes) or plastic gallons. In some areas, the "Mmanya nkwu" is tapped also from a fallen palm tree. However, it is worth mentioning that the quantity of "Mmanya ngwo" obtainable from the palm tree is usually about thrice that of "Mmanya nkwu" within the same time limit.
In taste, they are also different while "Mmanya ngwo" tastes very sweet (sugary) but goes sour (fermentation) within a shorter duration, The "Mmanya nkwu" has a unique sweet, but pleasant taste which it maintains for a longer duration. Some areas in Igboland regards "Mmanya nkwu" better than "'Mmanya ngwo". This preference sometimes depends on the availability of one over the other in that area. Hence in some areas, traditional marriage and bride price ceremonies are not honoured with "mmanya ngwo", some other areas can accept "mmanya ngwo" where "mmanya nkwu" is not available. In some areas, the preferred kind of wine is employed in settling land disputes, in traditional gatherings, marriages, burials, festivities, land leasing occasions, among a host of other activities and ceremonies too numerous to mention.
When being served in any occasion, the associated rules are obeyed. In any gathering, it is the youngest man or male that serves the wine, which is usually drunk traditionally in either elephant tusks or cow horns for titled men. There is also another drinking cup called "Okuku", a small type of cup made from a calabash. The young man serving will hold the wine container (calabash or gallon) on his left lap (thigh) and supports it with his left hand, while he holds the tusk or horn ("mpi" or "Okuku" - calabash cup) in his right hand. The first one he serves is handed to the host to drink. The second goes to himself, while the third goes to the eldest man in the gathering.

After all the formalities, the rest of the men are equal, and are served except for titled men who are served first before the others. But if the young man is to serve the wine standing, he holds the base of the container with his right hand and the neck with his left hand, while the partakers holds out their cups for him to pour out the wine. This is not the case for a woman. If she is to be served the wine, the young man pours it himself and hands the cup of wine to her, who in turn receives it with both hands as mark of respect and honour. She must not drink it while standing in the gathering; she squats down or sits somewhere before drinking it. If at any point the young man decides to shake the container to make for even concentration, he must first drop the container on the ground before he continues serving and the first person to tap him will receive a cup of    wine.
The last cup of palm wine which contains the dregs (Ugwu mmanya) is usually given as a mark of honour to the eldest or the host. The importance of palm wine to the Igbo community can never be over emphasized. 

 Source:Mbanese Mirrors

CHIKA UNIGWE

Chika Unigwe was born into the Family of Sir Fred Unigwe(Ochiagha Osumenyi) in Enugu,Nigeria in the year 1974.She is a Nigerian-born author and she writes in English and Dutch. In April 2014 she was selected for the Hay Festival's Africa39 list of 39 Sub-Saharan African writers aged under 40 with potential and talent to define future trends in African literature.She has a Ph.D in Literature (2004) from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Her debut novel, De Feniks, was published in 2005 by Meulenhoff and Manteau (of Amsterdam and Antwerp) and was shortlisted for the Vrouw en Kultuur debuutprijs for the best first novel by a female writer. She is also the author of two children's books published by Macmillan, London.

She has published short fiction in several anthologies, journals and magazines, including Wasafiri (University of London), Moving Worlds (University of Leeds), Per Contra, Voices of the University of Wisconsin and Okike of the University of Nigeria.      

She won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition and a Commonwealth Short Story Competition award. In 2004, she was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing.[3] In the same year, her short story made the top 10 of the Million Writers Award for best online fiction. In 2005, she won third prize in the Equiano Fiction Contest.

Her first novel, De Feniks, was published in Dutch in September 2005 and is the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. Her second novel, Fata Morgana, was published in Dutch in 2008 and subsequently released in English. Entitled On Black Sisters' Street, Unigwe's novel is about African prostitutes living and working in Belgium, and was published to acclaim in London in 2009 by Jonathan Cape. On Black Sisters' Street won the 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature; valued at $100,000 it is Africa's largest literary prize. Also in 2012, he was named by Zukiswa Wanner in The Guardian rated her as one of the "top five African writers".

Unigwe sits on the pan-African literary initiative, Writivism's Board of Trustees and set up the Awele Creative Trust in Nigeria to support young writers.

In autumn 2014 the University of Tübingen welcomed Chika Unigwe and her fellow authors Taiye Selasi, Priya Basil and Nii Ayikwei Parkes to the year's Writers' Lectureship, all of them authors representing what Selasi calls Afropolitan Literature.

In 2014, Unigwe published Black Messiah, a novel about Olaudah Equiano.

Unigwe lived in Turnhout, Belgium, with her husband and four children.[7] She emigrated to the United States in 2013.

In 2016, Unigwe was appointed as the Bonderman Professor of Creative Writing at Brown University in Rhode Island.

Source; Wikipedia