The Efik people are a branch of the Ibibio, who in the early 1600s migrated down the Cross River and founded numerous settlements in the Creek Town-Duke Town area (now in Cross River State, Nigeria), and across the river in Cameroon. Cross River is the main River in southeastern Nigeria and gives its name to Cross River State. Calabar is a city in southeastern Nigeria. The City is watered by the Calabar and Great Qua Rivers and creeks of the Cross History The state was created in 1967 from part of the former Eastern Region, and was known as the South-Eastern State until 1976 when it adopted its The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. This area of Nigeria is now known as Calabar and is not to be confused with Kalabari (sometimes 'New Calabar') in the Rivers State, 160 kilometres to the west. Calabar is a city in southeastern Nigeria. The City is watered by the Calabar and Great Qua Rivers and creeks of the Cross Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt.
Although their economy was originally based on fishing, the area quickly developed into a major trading centre and remained so well into the early 1900s. Incoming European goods were traded for slaves, palm oil and other palm products. The Efik kings collected a trading tax called comey from docking ships until the British replaced it with 'comey subsidies'. [1]
The Efik were the middle men between the white traders on the coast and the inland tribes of the Cross river and Calabar district. Christian missions were at work among the Efiks beginning in the middle of the 19th century. Even by 1900, many of the natives were well educated, professed Christianity and dressed in European fashion.
A powerful bond of union among the Efik, and one that gives them considerable influence over other tribes, is the secret society known as the Egbo. Ekpe, also known as Egbo ( English: Lion is a Secret society flourishing chiefly among the Efiks of the Cross River State and the
In 1884 the Efik kings and the chiefs of the Efik placed themselves under British protection. These treaties and attendant territorial economic rights, are documented in CAP 23 of Laws of Eastern Nigeria, captioned 'Comey subsidies law'. [1] The Efik king known as Efik Monarch and Obong of Calabar still (2006) is a political power among the Efik. [2]
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Notes
- ^ a b Fubara, Dagogo M.J. (5 March 2006) "Legendary legacies of Dappa-Biriye" The Tide Rivers State Newspaper Corp., Port Harcourt, Nigeria;
- ^ >Nwagbara, Friday (2 June 2006) "Efik monarch withholds blessing for South-South" The Tide Rivers State Newspaper Corp., Port Harcourt, Nigeria;
References
- Waddell (1846) Efik or Old Calabar Waddell, Old Calabar;
- This article incorporates text from the Calabar article in the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
External links
See also
In Efik mythology Abassi is the creator god His wife is Atai, who convinced him to allow two humans (their children one man and one woman to settle on EarthDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic