Founding Father of Ekpe-USA, Sessekou Ojong Orock celebrates his 50th wedding anniversary.

 

Ekpe-USA at the Funeral Home during Sessekou Eddie Besong's funeral

Sessekou Eddie Besong's funeral in Orlando, Florida

Resolutions of the Ekpe Society meeting held on September 16th 2011 in DC

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of resident members of The Ekpe Society - USA, I would like to start by apologizing for the uncharacteristic exchanges from some of our members that flooded these forums recently. Ours is a society of discipline, self restraint and decorum. These public exchanges were a gross deviation from Ekpe norms and alien to the usual serene atmosphere that characterizes Ekpe public appearances. Fortunately for all, we are members of an ancient society with standard operating procedures and distinct conflict resolution mechanisms in place. These dispute resolution tools are precisely what have kept our 260+ Manyu villages in peaceful and harmonious coexistence for centuries.

(A) RESOLUTIONS:
On September 16th 2011, knights of Ngbe solemnly converged to an extraordinary meeting in Hyattsville, Maryland, presided over by Sessekou Emmanuel Ojong-Orock, and in accordance with Ekpe customs and traditions related to conflict resolution, the key problems that resulted in those public exchanges were resolved. In light of the above, it was decided that the following decisions be published beyond normal Ekpe communication channels:

(1) Ekpe Society members will refrain from writing internal issues on public forums, except announcements, invitations and matters of general public interest.
(2) Sessekou Christmas Ebini resumes his full status in Ekpe Society – USA, as a Sessekou, Ekpe Chief, Nfor Mgbe or Chief of Nyamkpe with all the respect, powers, rights and privileges commensurate with his rank.
(3) Sessekou Ojong-Orock is the most senior Sessekou, in terms of longevity, in Ekpe Society USA, and haven pulled the “mythical elephant” from the bush during his enthronement, has acquired all the stars and stripes required of a Sessekou.
(4) Any Ekpe member who was an actor in this sad episode knows what to do. We all have a duty to protect the land and people that God gave us, but we also took an oath individually to carry out that responsibility. Each actor is therefore individually responsible for their actions. When a fish falls on sand, it cannot be picked up without some sand sticking on its body. Please be guided accordingly.
(5) Everyone present at the meeting acknowledged the supremacy of the mighty Tiger, and the futility to try to fight Ekpe. Decisions of the Ekpe Society – USA are therefore binding on all its members and can only be challenged in accordance with Ekpe rules of procedure. Putting this behind us clears the way for us to focus on our true vision.

(B) MOVING FORWARD:
Following the resolutions above, The Ekpe Society has now decided to move forward with its mission to create a strong brand for The Ekpe Society, and energize the various global Ekpe communities towards a common vision. In that light we voted on the following:

(1) The Ekpe Society, a pioneer participant at the PANAFEST, will participate in this year’s PAN African Festival scheduled to take place this Saturday, September 24th 2011, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The unique nature of Ekpe, devoid of linguistic, national or racial barriers puts us in a very advantageous position and perfectly aligned with the general mission and vision of the PANAFEST agenda. We will participate with our Manyu, Bangwa, Nigerian, Cuban and America members. Our contacts for this event are: Sessekou Christmas Ebini, Sessekou Mbe Tazi and Etobo Tobe Ntui Asam Asam Eyong.
(2) On October 22nd 2011, The Ekpe Society, in response to an Ekpe call from Atlanta, is scheduled to attend an Ekpe Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. This is two years after the first Ekpe Society – USA Conclave held in DC from October 16 to 17th 2009 to address some of the internal issues of the Ekpe Society. Ekpe DC is making arrangements for two vans to transport those leaving from the DC metropolitan area to attend this cultural extravaganza.
(3) On November 26th 2011, The Ekpe Society is organizing a public presentation ceremony at Brandywine, Maryland, for the leader of its Lebialem wing, Sessekou Phillip “Mbe” Tazi. Sessekou Mbe Tazi and members of his Ekpe lodge have brought renewed energy to The Ekpe Society, and have helped steer Ekpe USA back towards using live drummers.
(4) The Ekpe Society will continue its world tour in December, this time, it will be a trip to Lebialem Division. Chief Dr. Ivor Miller (aka Agbor Miller, Ekpe initiation name: Obong Bakara) and Sessekou Mbe Tazi will be part of the delegation to Lebialem Division.
(5) After the Lebialem tour, preparations will begin for a major event in Ndian Division in March 2012, to take the Cubans back to Africa to visit the descendants of one of the founders of the Cuban Ekpe Society called Abakua. The lead organizers of this event are Chief Dr. Ivor Miller and Sessekou Ojong-Orock.

We would like to reassure our people that The Ekpe Society, guardians of our culture and traditions are here to stay. For centuries, through wars, floods, disease and forced migration, we have stood firm as the first line of defense between our people and certain doom. For centuries, we have succeeded in Cameroon, in Nigeria, in Cuba, in Brazil and in countries where the existence of Ekpe is yet to be discovered.

Everyday our people face new challenges. Everyday, Ekpe faces new challenges. But Ekpe is like the leopard it sees in the dark and can hunt at night. It is like the crocodile, it lives on land and in the river. It is like the tortoise it move slowly and deliberately, but can outlive all other animals. It is like the elephant, it crushes anything that stands on its way. It is like the Manyu people, it adapts to any adverse condition thrown its way.

While some were contemplating its obituary, Knights of Mgbe who had taken an oath to protect their homeland, its people, its culture and its land with their life if necessary emerged from last Friday’s meeting with renewed determination to stay true to the oath they took. The oath their fathers and their great grand fathers before them, took to protect that blessed land that God gave us and asked us to make it our own heaven on Earth.

Before we part our ways, we would like to put this out there. It is not this generation that will lead Ekpe to its demise. On the contrary, all indications point to the fact that, this generation of Ekpe members, are the ones that fate has selected to reassemble all the children of Mgbe that Westerners dispersed all over the world during their nefarious slave trade.

(C) INFORMATION SOURCES:
For more information about us, please visit: http://Ekpesociety.blogspot.com; www.ekpe.org; http://Ekpesocietyusa.blogspot.com; http://ndiboyevengo.blogspot.com; or read the following books: (1) Leopards and Leaders: Constitutional politics among a Cross River people, by Malcolm Ruel; (2) In the Shadow of the Bush by Percy Talbot; (3) Imagined Power Contested: Germans and Africans in Upper Cross River Area of Cameroon by Stephanie Michel; and (4) Voices of the Leopard: African Secret Societies in Cuba by Ivor Miller. If you would like to borrow any of these books from the Ekpe DC Library, please contact Sessekou Ojong-Orock.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Sessekou Solomon Egbe, Esq.
On behalf of Ekpe USA

Ekpe USA presents its newest Ekpe Chief, John Orock, to the public.

Sessekou John Orock


The Ekpe Society is a highly respected society that originated from the Cross River region of West Africa. Its beliefs, customs and practices are so ancient that they predate Christianity, Islam and most of the ancient European civilizations. Centuries before western civilization penetrated what was considered the "dark continent", the Ekpe society acted as the administrative body that governed the region and covered areas like: Law Enforcement; Healthcare; Education (complete with its own writings and schools); Diplomacy; and the Military.

On Saturday, May 7th 2011, from 6pm to dawn, Cameroonians from Manyu Division in collaboration with Ekpe members from various other tribes ... and nations, will introduce the newest member on their roster who has risen to the highest rank in Ekpe, Sessekou or overall Chief of Ekpe. Sessekou John Tambenchong Orock's public presentation ceremony will be held at: The Blossom Center, 8741 Ashwood Dr., Suite G, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.

Sessekou John Tambenchong Orock hails from the distinguished village of Bachuo-Akagbe, where the decision was made to elevate him to the level of Nfor Ngbe .i.e. Chief of Ngbe (aka Ekpe Chief). As the new overall chief of his Ekpe Lodge, he presides of various Ekpe members, including chiefs of various Ekpe specialized branches like Amgbu (the devil catchers), Nsibiri (the dreaded enforcers of the law), Bekundi (the national security advisers of Ekpe) and many others.

Sessekou John Orock's rise to the highest level of Ekpe in his lodge was no surprise to us as he had served as Deputy Chief or Etobotobe Ntui of that lodge for decades. He had been through various tours of duty in Ekpe, including braving the Ekpe bush in 1979 when I was presented to Ekpe as a young boy, and when his direct predecessor moved up to the rank of Sessekou. When his predecessor transitioned, he became acting Sessekou until his formal installation in Bachuo-Akagbe as Sessekou of that lodge.

This Sessekou has been a very respected senior member of the Ekpe USA fraternity for years now, and his activities with us have been surrounded by folklore and legends. One of them is an event that occurred just over a year ago. Chief Orock Tambenchong had been so sick for months that everyone was expecting the worst. His best friend's son, Sessekou Christmas Ebini, contacted his son-in-law, Sessekou Joseph Mbu, to enquire why Ekpe had not formally gone to visit him. By this time, Orock was bedridden, with his daughters holding constant vigil as the community drifted into a solemn mood.

Ekpe was summoned and on that blessed day, they ushered into the living room one-by-one as Sessekou Mbu advised them to speak in low tones so as not to disturb the patient. Nevertheless, as palm wine flowed, cola nuts passed around and the Sacred Tiger devoured the goat, the Ekpe spirit began to take over. The guests became louder, and louder, and even louder ... and then the music started, and that too got louder, and louder, and louder. Eventually, John Orock, who had been unable to get out of bed since their arrival, called his daughter into the room and asked what was going on. She trembled as she contemplated how she would to go back and tell the Ekpe guests that they should leave because they were disturbing her father, but managed to answer that ..."Papa, it is those Ekpe people who came to visit you."

By now, the music had reached fevered pitch and  the whole living room was a synchronized mass of girrating bodies dancing to the ancient tunes of Ekpe songs that urged their brother to come back to them, communicating with each other through the centuries old Ekpe sign language called Nsibidi, and asking God to heal their brother and grant them more years with him. Sessekou Orock asked his daughter to call his son-in-law, and as Sessekou Mbu walked in sweating and panting from leading the dance with his notoriously dexterious moves, Orock asked him to help him up. Mbu answered, "but Pa, you have not been able to walk for weeks". Orock screamed, "Help me up and don't be wasting my time". Sessekou helped him up and asked Sessekou Ojong-Orock to come and help, and they both guided Sessekou Orock towards the living room. The closer they got to the music, the stronger the patient got, and as they got to the living room, Sessekou John Orock pushed them away, staggered a bit, and as his eyes beamed, he started dancing.

There are no words in the English language to describe the joy that emanated from the Ekpe members as they came to the full realization that God had handed Pa John Orock back to them with a new lease on life. On that day, after being bedridden for almost a week, John Orock, a septuagenarian, danced like a twenty year old. He moved to the left, moved to the right and on bended knees, glided across the living room in a characteristic Ekpe move as the entire crown went into a frenzy. And then his hands began to move in a manner reminiscent of how our ancestors could converse with one another for a whole day without uttering a word, all in the Ekpe sign language called in Nsibidi. He thanked all of us for being there, thanked God for making him a Manyu man, thanked the almighty for giving him such great friends and had a brief conversation with each Ekpe member as he danced around ... all in Ekpe sign language. We danced on that fateful night, young, old, those with arthritis, those with gout, the despondent, the happy and Pa Orock all danced a rejoiced till 5am that morning as they celebrated the rebirth of Pa John Tambechong Orock.

It is therefore an understatement to say we are very thrilled to invite you to join us on May 7th, 2011 from 6pm to dawn as we celebrate the new title of Sessekou John Tambechong Orock at the Blossom Center on 8741 Ashwood Dr., Suite G, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.

Sessekou Solomon Egbe, Esq.

On behalf of Ekpe USA.