By Balogun Omeiza David (BOD) reporting from Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
The Director General, Government House Administration, Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu together with members of his family and well wishers has travelled all the way to Rukpoku Local Government Area in Rivers State for the traditional wedding engagement of his son, Abdulrasheed Etudaye Obajimoh.
The colourful and fun filled traditional engagement will remain a red letter day is one that can simply be referred to as the Ogoni culture of Rivers State romancing the Ebira culture of Kogi State. It can also be seen as a case of the groom travelling all the way from the Confluence State to the Treasure Base of the Nation where he finally found a damsel that is now his bride of his.
The process of the traditional engagement which in many ways looked like that of the Ebiras started with opening prayers which recognised the Islam and Christian religions. Thereafter, introduction was made by the two families meeting on the grounds of love that has brought their wards together. The crosschecking of dowry items was the next on the programme and the items were adjudged to be perfectly okay. This now led to the invitation of the groom to join his people who were already seated in the large living room of the bride’s parents. The bride named Fatima was later invited to join the groom.
The real traditional engagement process started when Fatima was asked to present the wine brought by her suitor to her parents and also to all those related to her who were present. According to them, this in their tradition as Ogonis is as a sign that shows their daughter is truly ready to marry. This therefore gives them the confidence to open the wine which everyone related to her will drink from. The bride showed the wine round afterwhich she knelt down before her parents alongside her husband to receive their blessings. They also went before Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu to receive his fatherly blessings, a prayer he made using his local dialect known as Ebira.
Another high point at the traditional engagement was when both parents were given the opportunity to counsel the newly wedded couple. The father of the bride, Mr. Mahmud Mbaka Dumdubabari made his daughter to understand that love is only a binder of two people and that it can never take the place of understanding. He admonished his daughter to try and understand the type of man she is getting married to. He repeated severally that he will not want his daughter and even her husband to toy with understanding as that is the pillar their marriage will surely be resting on. He cited his age long marriage with his wife as one that understanding has helped to keep from crumbling.
On his part, Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu made Fatima to know that she is getting married to a man who is a Muslim, a faith that gives room for polygamy. He also chipped in that he is not standing here to counsel Abdulrasheed to go polygamous but it is good he opens the eyes of the bride to know that Islam welcomes polygamy. He went further to open the eyes of the newly wedded and all those present that the present biting economy is enough to counsel one on the type of marriage to practice. He added that marrying more wives means the man will have more children which also translates to the fact that more responsibilities will be heaped on the shoulders of the man. He went on to say that it is only a man who is more than ready to cater for the daily needs of his family that will go an extra mile to marry two or more wives in this present timey that we are in.
The event proceeded and the two who just founded a new home danced gracefully to the rhythms of different songs reels out by the DJ to celebrate their successful traditional wedding engagement. Both families and well wishers who journeyed from far and near to grace this event joined them in dancing and making merry.
Those who journeyed with Alh. Dr. Umar Oricha Shuaibu to Rivers State to bring home a new bride for his son Abdulrasheed were: Hon. Abdulrazaq Suleiman Seriki
Majority Leader, Kogi State House of Assembly, Mr. Simeon Balogun, Facilities Manager, Government House, Lokoja, Barr. Yoonus Abdullahi, elder brother to the groom and Legal Officer, Government House, Mall. Abdulazeez Ibrahim, elder brother to the groom. Others are: Abdulbasit Kashim, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Protocol, Dr. Abdullahi Bashir, brother to the groom and a Lecturer at the Department of Banking and Finance, University of Abuja, Bldr. Zakari Musa, Chief Executive Officer, Dynamic Shelters, Abuja who is a bosom friend of the groom, Chief Kiikpoye Karibo
SSA Domestic to the Governor of Kogi State and Mr. Hamza Karibo.
Others on the trip includes: Hon. Joshua Mekaku Ezekiel, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Creativity and also the Official Photographer of the DG Government House, Lokoja. He is a friend that has stuck closer to the groom than a brother, Mr. Matthew D.O., an Automotive Professional, with Toyota Nigeria Ltd. Port Harcourt and Balogun Omeiza David (BOD), Media Aide to the DG Government House, Lokoja.