Wives Mourn Colleague In Men’s Attires

The Tide women’s lens last weekend captured a group of women adorned in men’s apparels, singing and dancing round Rumuewhor community, a village in Odegu clan in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
A close interaction with some of the participants, revealed that it was a unique way  the Rumuosuwada wives, a family in Mgbuogbakiri, in Rumuewhor community bury their eldest colleague.
Fielding questions from our correspondent, a woman who gave her name as Mrs Igwe Angelina a representative of the eldest women in the family, who could not be reached, said, it is a tradition in Osuwada family for wives to appear in men’s attires whenever the eldest amongst them is buried.
Mrs Igwe explained that it is not all about putting on men’s clothes, it must be the ones usually worn by the husbands so that it is easy to identify whose wife any of the women is through the clothe she wears.
Mrs Igwe who said the act is a demonstration of love and unity, took time to describe the activities of the women in this regard. She said “we adorn ourselves in our husbands’ clothes, march out in a file, singing and dancing as we visit the relatives of the dead colleague. Those who cherish what we are doing, give us drinks or money.”
“As we return from the outing, she continued “we present ourselves to the traditional ruler of Mgbuogbakiri who is our own custodian. Then those who for any reason failed to identify with us are penalised by being subjected to a fine of N1,000.00 only, which proceeds, we share among the participants.”
In his own remark, the traditional ruler of Mgbuogbakiri village, Oha Ellias Igwe, expressed delight in what he described as a unique tradition of his women. He emphasized that it has helped to maintain the unity of the women in question as it also signifies love and respect for their leaders.
Oha Igwe who traced the tradition to their ancestors, enjoined members who shy away from identifying with others in this regard under the guise of religion, to desist from such act as that would only lead to disunity.
He extolled the qualities of the late leader of the women, Late Mrs Deborah, Mekini Agba, her ability to keep the unity of her subjects, stating that she deserves the display the wives of Rumuosuwada accorded her in death.
He also called on the next leader, Mrs Igwe Lovindah, to follow the footsteps of the late leader.