IGHO
IGHO ẸDO
Ọten
nọghan
Vbe na ya kẹẹ igho vbẹ Ẹdo
Vbe Na Do Ya Gha Mien ENaira Kevbe Ikọbọ
Ivbiẹdo mwen igho vbẹ ẹghẹ nọgberra. Ewaen irian ya suẹn gha kuen evbe na ya luigho ẹghẹ nọgberra. Tẹẹ Ivbiẹdo yi’emwin vbẹ ẹki.
Inu emwin nẹ irian yi irian ya rhasa vbe rhuẹ afiwerriẹ ra ya haẹ avbe mwin nẹ irian dẹẹ vbẹ ẹki. Ẹghẹ ghi zẹkpẹ, irian na do gha luẹ ikpigho ya dẹẹ emwin vbe ya rhasa vbẹ ẹki.
ikpigho ọrẹ igho nẹ Ivbiẹdo lo ẹghẹ nẹ Ebo ma na eh rriẹ ọtẹdo. Ebo ghi vbe rre, irian na mu igho irian na tiẹrẹ epausi vbẹ eshilinsi rre. Kẹ ẹghẹ ni ghi gha dee, ivbiẹdo na do gha lo itọrọ kevbe isele. Ẹdẹ nẹ ẹrhẹna enaira vbẹ ikọbọ ivbiẹdo ghi loo ya dẹẹ emwin vbe ya rhasa kevbe vbe ya khien emwin vbẹ ẹki. Avbe igho ughughan a miẹn vbe otọ agbonhia.
Igho na tiẹrẹ edola ivbiẹ amẹrika lo. Igho na tiẹrẹ iuro ẹvbo nibun lo vbẹ europu.
Vbẹ ototẹ emwen na, ma gha wanien vbe na ya kẹẹ igho hẹ vbẹ Ẹdonazẹ
1 kobo = 1 ikọbọ | 10 kobo = (10 ikọbọ) - Isele ọkpa | 100 kobo = Isele igbe
[ọkpa = 1, Ikpen/Ikpon = 2, igbe = 10, ẹkpo = 200, Iyisen = 100, Arriaisen = 1000]
- 1 naira = Isele igbe
- 2 naira = Ikpen ọkpa
- 3 naira = Ikpen ọkpa vbe Isele igbe (ọkpa vb’igbe)
- 4 naira = Ikpen eva
- 5 naira = Ikpen eva vbe Isele igbe (eva vb’igbe)
- 6 naira = Ikpen eha
- 7 naira = Ikpen eha vbe Isele igbe (eha vb’igbe)
- 8 naira = Ikpen enen
- 9 naira =Ikpen enen vbe Isele igbe (ọkpa vb’igbe)
- 10 naira = Ikpen isen
- 10 naira = Ikpen isen
- 20 naira = Ikpen igbe
- 30 naira = Ikpen ekesugie
- 40 naira = Ikpen ugie
- 50 naira = Ikpen isen yan ugie
- 60 naira = Ikpen ọgban
- 70 naira = Ikpen isen yan ọgban
- 80 naira = Ikpen iyeva
- 90 naira = Ikpen isen yan iyeva
- 100 naira = Ikpen
ekigbesiyeha
- 200 naira = Ikpen iyisen / Ẹkpo ọkpa
- 300 naira = Ẹkpo ọkpa vb'ukhionmwen
- 400 naira = Ẹkpo eva
- 500 naira = Ẹkpo eva vb'ukhionmwen
- 600 naira = Ẹkpo eha
- 700 naira = Ẹkpo eha vb'ukhionmwen
- 800 naira = Ẹkpo enen
- 900 naira = Ẹkpo enen vb'ukhionmwen
- 1000 naria = Ẹkpo isen
- 2000 naira = Ẹkpo igbe
- 3000 naira = Ẹkpo ekesugie
- 4000 naira = Ẹkpo ugie
- 5000 naira = Ẹkpo isen yan ugie
- 6000 naira = Ẹkpo ọgban
- 7000 naira = Ẹkpo isen yan ọgban
- 8000 naira = Ẹkpo iyeva
- 9000 naira = Ẹkpo isen yan iyeva
- 10000 naira = Ẹkpo ekigbesiyeha
Nọgben Ebe: Uwagboe Ogieva
IGHO
Comments
Trade by barter has never been known in Edo. From time immemorial the COWRIES had formed the currency all over the area and only disappeared from the markets in the thirties.
Even after the introduction of British made coins in 1912, cowries continued to be a legal tender for quite a long time since they were still in demand for some of the important ceremonies such as funerals, when they were sprayed out for the surging crowd to fight for. They were used at juju worships, for making certain medicines and up to today in 1994, is a must for making anti-abortion medicine Edo call EDAI.
The greatest draw back to the use of cowries as money was their weight and bulk - about 100 cowries weighed, when fresh and of full size, a pound (045 kg), and this in modern money was equivalent to ½k. The smallest unit in the present coinage being ½k it was found that even this was too high for the low cost of living of the people and so the ONINI which was one – tenth of a penny of old, almost one – tenth of a kobo, but equivalent to the smallest Edo money – Ogbolo in the cowrie’s system, was introduced. The Onini and Ogbolo disappeared together.
COMMON VALUES
(1) IGHISEN or 5 Cowries was the cost of the smallest piece of native soap, Uden (palm kernel oil), Ekaka (Fried corn meal) etc.
(2) A wife, if fully grown, 'cost' between Eboea and EboIsen (3 – 5 Ebos or 55,999.9 to 93,330 Cowries) which is equivalent to ₦2.33 to ₦3.9.
People of Ewu area particularly Eko Ojemen were notorious for fleecing their prospective sons – in-law, demanding anything up to Ebon Ihinlon (7 ebos). The ‘cost' of a wife, in cowries.
(3) A cow cost anything up to Ebo ea or ₦2.3
(4) The heaviest fine the Council of Elders could inflict was ODEWE bii ELANMEN EA, that is a She-goat and 2,800 cowries. Often money in cowries was substituted for the she-goat and on the whole, the whole fine was not more than ₦5.12.
Though a wife cost about ₦3.9 which a man now could tuck away in his hip pocket and no father – in-law would be any wiser, a suitor going to pay the BRIDE PRICE of EBO ISEN on his wife, had to hire some 5 to 7 carriers for as we have seen Ebo Isen (5 Ebos) = 2,800 x 20 x 5 or 93,330 Cowries.
No father – in – law (Ewu or not) would fail to be impressed by a suitor followed by seven hefty men bent double by the weight of cowries – the colour and feel of which was as good as Dollars to an American (in October 1992, one dollar exchanged for ₦23. 00! - ₦38.20 in the parallel market).
PRESENT VALUES OF COWRIES
Cowries ceased to have any monetary value in the early thirties. After that they were used mainly at burial ceremonies, for the making of Edai, for sacrificial ceremonies etc. Now that they have become museum pieces, rarity has added to their value. Though they are not much in demand the few who have to use them for these things (and of course an irate husband who has had enough of a Jezebel looking for the customary Ogbolo), find the supply so short that they are prepared to pay something like black market prices for them.
By the fifties it had become 10 cowries for one penny which was 20 times their old value when they were the money current in Edo. In bulk, a kerosene – tinful sold then at ₦2.20 now equivalent to ₦440, 1993 Naira.
It will be necessary to warn the reader not to laugh too readily when he reads that a wife in the days gone by cost about ₦3 .9. There is hardly any equivalent between modern values of cowries and the hard currency they were before the advent of the white man. This ₦3 .9 as has been seen was for a load of 93,333 cowries. It took some people a lifetime to put together. Another reason why Edo men had to look after their wives.
Reference
Edo-Esan Native Laws and Customs: With Ethnographic Studies of the Edo People. Christopher Okojie, 1960