Otuoke is the headquarters of Ogbia Central Government Area in Bayelsa State and it is a centrally located community in Ogbia. Otuoke is made up of four compounds – Yizi, Ewokiri, Apolo Swan, Apolo Tama and Otuaba.
The Odemimon Festival is as old as the community itself. The birth of the Odemimon Festival is circumstantial. During the floods when the river Orashi overflows its banks into the bushes and towns, snails and animals make any available dry land their home. And this is normally a good season for hunting and picking of snails, because one such snail hunting expeditions by the youths of Otuoke, they stumbled upon a calabash structure (Obuo) used for drinking palm wine. This they later discovered was a totem for a deity.
The youths decided to use the Obuo as mask for a masquerade display. They prepared a shirt woven out of palm fronts, they used the leaves of a shrub (Ipumu) to weave a crown and collected native rattles (Ikpokoro). These they wore on the first person on the line; a young man name Obasuku and danced to the town.
The same period the next year, Obasuku fell sick and when his family consulted the oracles. It was revealed that the masquerade performance should be continued as a festival.
The masquerade is hereditary. The person to carry the masquerade each year is normally an old man from the Obasuku family, who is appointed by the deity. The Obasuku family also takes charge of the welfare of the masquerade.
The timing of the festival is based on moon counting. It is normally celebrated before the appearance of the moon in October. Thus, the last Saturday of October was chosen as the day of the celebration. But the activities start on Thursday and rounds off on Saturday.
On Thursday, there is an inter-community traditional wrestling (Ogbudu anda) among the youths. On this occasion, wrestling talents are normally discovered.
On Friday, cultural dances are featured in the day. And in modern times a band normally entertains in the night.
On Saturday, the grand finale, first, two masquerades (male and female) dressed in weeds dance round the town escorted by youths. Around 2.00pm the festival masquerade (Akpo) is ushered in from Akpo creek with gunshots (loaded with gunpowder and carbide) fired at it. The masquerade chases people based on where the shots are fired from. The festival is always celebrated amidst heavy downpour, indicating that all is well with the masquerade carrier. Lack of rains on that day is a bad omen, indicating that masquerade carrier will soon die. The masquerade performs till dark. The machete carried by the masquerade is the same old machete carried by Obasuku on that first day and it is normally sharpened on human head. And anyone injured by the masquerade later takes a bottle(s) of local gin (Ogogoro) to the priests for appeasement and they are cured.
The Akpo masquerade is normally escorted by a smaller masquerade – Igele believed to be the wife. It is a comic masquerade, which holds a fork stick instead of a machete. It dances and the household that does not give will be infested with masquerade that night after it exposes its’ buttocks to them.
Goods items collected are cooked at the shrine to entertain masquerade participants.
Pregnant women do not participate in the festivities, as it is believed that the sight of the masquerade causes miscarriage. Thus they are kept at a separate place (Ewokiri) during the masquerade performances.
Significance
Normally, flooding brings in fish and food, so during the festival, there is always plenty of food and entertainment and as gifts to visitors.
It is also believed that the festival brings fertility to women.
