Is Akpata Spring a ‘tourist’ or ‘healing’ centre?

Akpata Spring is a very beautiful and inspiring spring located at environs of Egbema town in Ozubulu in Ekusigo Local Government in Anambra State, which is about an hour’s drive from Onitsha. EBERE CHIBUZOR who visited the spring recently reports her beautiful experiences.

Ozubulu is a very popular town in Ekusigo Local Government Area in Anambra State. Inside Ozubulu is another important village-Egbema which harbours the famous Akpata Springs. Although other neighboring villages have their own springs, however, it is quite remarkable in so many ways in comparison with other springs.

First is the location; it lies in the heart of Egbema village, somewhere around the hilly landscape measuring about 20 feet high. From the top, spring water flows from the rock, at about 10 feet high, creating a pool of water that is about 6 inches deep and covers an area space of about 10 feet wide.

An Egbema villager, Anthony Ohamezi who lives in Lagos but was at home for the Easter celebrations, who served as a tour guide to our correspondent described the Akpata Spring as a medicinal spring that can cure all manners of sicknesses, including afflictions from witches and wizards.

Speaking, Honourable Innocent Onyeka, an Egbema community leader and a retired civil servant, said that Akpata Spring has remained the source of water to the entire community from time immemorial.

According to Onyeka, Akpata Spring is also a medicinal stream. He said it is medicinal in the sense that if you drink the water, it is cool, clean and pure and our people believe is that it cures various sicknesses.

He pointed out that after the advent of Christianity and sciences which gave room to emergence of churches, schools, hospitals and Pipe-born water, the people started neglecting that aspect and usefulness of the spring.

Honourable who was a former Deputy Chairman of old Nnewi Local Government Council in the early 90s pointed out that such attitude is a general phenomenon in Africa at large, adding that that the spring is pure, just as his people believed that it heals various sicknesses because of it’s natural surroundings with thick forests and deep valleys.

“Akpata Spring has a native chalk that is used during the Asala Festival. During the Asala Festival the people go down the spring to collect the native chalk which they keep at the front of their houses.
The titled men on their own part, grind the native chalks and sprinkle the powder at the four corners of their houses. Presently, people do not visit the spring again due to the advent of science and technology”, Hon Onyeka said.

The community leader claimed that people, especially in those days still have the belief that if one chews the chalk; he or she will get healed from any sickness.

He added that people no longer pay attention to such beliefs due to civilization and the advent of Christianity, science and technology.

Speaking on the festival, he said “Asala festival is dedicated to the “Akpata Shrine” which is the “Iku Asala”, owner of the Akpata Shrine.

“In those days the Asala festival attracted huge number of strangers from neighboring towns. Ozubulu comprises of four remarkable villages which include Egbema , Eziora and other two villages.

These other villages have their own Spring, Shrine and festival. Asala was celebrated by Egbema village in Ozubulu.

However, the Asala festival is been commonly celebrated around July and of August of each year, the period whereby farmers must have finished harvesting and being in their resting mood. The celebration takes place in the evening.

On that day the villagers come with their lamps as there was no electricity. Palm wine, cola-nuts and meats are usually served to guests during the Asala festival”.

He recounted that there are some forms of restrictions from entering the Asala Spring. According to him, women are not allowed to go into the stream on Nkwor days for visits as well as those women who are under their menstrual period.

“Akpata Spring has their monkeys too and nobody touches, kills or eats these monkeys. It is a taboo for anyone to touch, kill or eat the monkeys; instead it is seen as play mate.

Whenever anybody mistakenly or willingly kills Akpata’s Monkey, there is every need that it will be buried as human being by providing “nkpo na ana”.

Failure to perform the burial ritual may lead to madness. This can be corrected whenever such victims perform the necessary traditional burial rites for the monkeys.

Commenting further, former Deputy Chairman of old Nnewi Local Government Council, informed that before the advent of Christianity, people believed that if a woman is finding it difficult to conceive or bear children, the couple were advised to take a traditional title popularly known as “Igba Odu.”

Describing how the title is given, he said “The title holder will put rope around the person’s ankles.

They believe after observing this ritual, the couple will start raising children and the children would no longer die prematurely. It is also the only source of water supply since time immemorial. He however, people would have suffered heavy drought if the spring was not there.

“The existence of Christianity, Science and Technology which gave birth to Hospital and Churches, the people have made people to shift emphasis from that of Akpata as a healing spring to medical treatments and other faith-based practices”, the traditionalist pointed out.

Although, the spring is at present covered with forest and valley, Onyeka still believes that Akpata Spring would one day turns to a well recognised tourist centre.

“My community Egbema will think of what to do there that will yield money to them.

It is important to draw government attention to the Spring so that the community will benefit notwithstanding whether they receive any token or not. I am very sure that such opportunity will not be wasted.

Reacting, Anthony Ohamezi described the Akpata Spring as a medicinal spring that can cure all manners of sicknesses including witches and wizard.

“Not even the existence of christianity and technology or the advent of pipe-born water can take away this belief from the people.

In case you don’t know I am a Christian who solemnly believe in our cultures and traditions. I was born 52 years back in this Ozubulu and I know that Akpata Spring is pure and medicinal.

Akpata Spring healed my father of diabetes; before that episode my father has not been eating for days, not until I took him to Akpata Spring that faithful day.

Immediately after exposing him to the spring, diabetes left him. Since that day, my father never suffered diabetes again and he lasted for another 25 years and died a natural death”, Ohamezi said.

He narrated further that when a woman got married into Egbema community in those days, she would be asked to go to spring to know if she can stay or not.

“As I have rightly said, Akpata Spring was the only source of water supply in the ancient years. Taking the woman there is to show her the valley and forests surrounding the spring and also to ascertain if she can stay in the marriage or not.

He recalled that the spring had attracted large number of visitors from Europe and South Africa when he visited eight years ago. To him, the spring could be transformed into a more attractive tourist centre if the place is developed into a museum which will ultimately serve as a relaxation centre.

Mr. Ohamezi equally agreed that there are lots of mysteries surrounding the spring just as it has continued to run endlessly 24 hours a day even though nobody fetches it for now.

Incidentally, “Akpata is a good spring that gives life to so many. The spring water has been attracting tourists from ages but the problem is it’s not accessible.” Appealing that federal government should quickly come to the people’s aid,” said Mr. Oliver Igwilo.

Emeka Echendu said, “I am feeling cool viewing the natural inhabitants here and I have not been here for the past five years. To the best of my knowledge the Akpata Spring has attracted tourists from near and far to view natures.