It is mgbe not ekpe and it's of Ejagham,Ekoi origin of the Bantu people of Cross river state we are the most populous there and spread across the world most especially the Latin American continent Cuba most precisely the Abakua our people's variant of mgbe (Leopard) not what tge Efik's call it Lion. Most things being displayed by the Efik today nsibidi,Ekombi originally being moninkim,ekpe originally being mgbe, the nsibidi known as nchibi(A form of writing of law institutions like the mgbe which was also termed (Leopard secret Society)a reckoning force and pillar, pinnacle of the law most especially in precolonial Ejagham nation down to Obasinjom (God of Juju). Among the Qua's who their variant of Obasinjom. Our people are from manyu and Bali we originated from Cameroon towards the Central part of Cross river State some of us migrated to the northern region,south south constituency/region of Cross river state among Calabar municipality,calabar south, with some dash sprinkling around Bakassi,Odukpani,Akpabuyo. The Qua's around calabar municipality are in fact the real owners of Cross river state when u hear the term Big Qua town,Akim Close street it's an Ejagham Qua term don't be confused we all speak General Ejagham but due to distancing and migration our tongue changed. The Qua's sold their property due to oppression of the Efik being the majority around that region of Southern Cross river. This was because the Efik's were at the costal region towards the sea,they had contact with the white men first so they made them middle men in trade such as palm oil most especially. The Efik language had the upper hand it became the language of trade,education,missionary and so forth. Before they came forth to us who were in the hinterland (forest) and other tribes,the Efiks had more foreign exposure. Our people from the south south region from Akampa,Calabar Municipality,Calabar South,Odukpani,Akoabuyo,Bakassi had their languages circumcised out from their but hopefully as faith would have it they have started to regain a new sense of pride and purpose in their culture therefore unifying them. The Nnabo masquerade is an owanese term of the Qua(Ejagham) which the Efiks adopted the term means "nobody can harm you nobody can charm you" most of the Efik's traditional attire was uprooted from the stems of the Ekoi, Ejagham people they just added a little flair and colours to it even to their masquerades which was clearly borrowed thecolours of our masquerade, are not the ones they display and all have their various meaning and significance. They are also types of mgbe including stage by stage namely:gbonkoriwo,nkanda and many others. Even the nsibidi signs isn't understood fully by them, Legend says the real mgbe is a "wild animal from the forest,a Leopard "We and other tribes has therefore been marginalised the Efiks call themselves "Edi mbakara" meaning white people,foreigners. In the calabar museum due to their unity and the promotion of their culture slave trade accounts,pre colonial,colonial and post colonial rule where the "Efiks" had the upperhand. Accounts of slavery both on the internet,books and In tge museum are given on accounts of only the Efik's praise and worship songs across the globe are sang in the efik dialect,whereas they are a minority they have advantage cause there are in main calabar Ejagham are the most populous other languages such as Lokaa,Agbo,Bahumono,ihumono,mbube,ishibori(Bakor),mbembe,isobos,ukelle,betukwe, are all being referenced to the term "Atam" meaning non efik people. Even the narrative in schools and books quoting Efik as not the major but the only tribe in Cross River State as a whole up to an extent of various Cross riverians from various ethnicities are being challenged on their culture that they are Calabar,Efik. Most people only know Obudu people because of the cattle ranch, funny enough the ranch isn't in Obudu but in Obanliku both which are in the northern region. Obudu as a whole comprises of more than 15 languages they also have a villagecalled Ukpe infamously termed as "new jerusalem" where both men and women speak differently then they both have their general language for that village then then their general language is utugwan which is the language of kakum and their general language, during the time of late senate President Joseph Wayas when state creation was freshly at his peak. Obanliku and Obudu were one mainly the Kakum side the utugwan speaking side major language of Obanliku is better before they parted ways. I would like to share a little bit if information our people spread across Ikom and Etung. Etung Lga was under Ikom before so most non Cross riverians don't know they is an existing Local government area known as Etung even some fellow Cross riverians haven't still discovered today before we splited in 1996 at the time of General Sani Abacha regime. Nevertheless we are still one with different dialects then a General Ejagham language among villages we as well have different tongues then a general one when u coin them together are the same language. Lastly we span across northern Cross river state Ogoja where the majority are the Ejagham/Ekoi which are called the Ishibori clan which comprises of villages /clans such as ikajor, ishinyema,imerakorn,igoli,ikpatang,ikariku,imerakorm,uhmuria and Ogoli central town there dominate although they are other major tribes such as the Mbube people, who are second ed by the Ishibori in terms of majority. I hope I've given you a different perspective. I hope I have convinced and not confused you as to the "writing on the wall" the raw,substantial truth.
It is mgbe not ekpe and it's of Ejagham,Ekoi origin of the Bantu people of Cross river state we are the most populous there and spread across the world most especially the Latin American continent Cuba most precisely the Abakua our people's variant of mgbe (Leopard) not what tge Efik's call it Lion. Most things being displayed by the Efik today nsibidi,Ekombi originally being moninkim,ekpe originally being mgbe, the nsibidi known as nchibi(A form of writing of law institutions like the mgbe which was also termed (Leopard secret Society)a reckoning force and pillar, pinnacle of the law most especially in precolonial Ejagham nation down to Obasinjom (God of Juju). Among the Qua's who their variant of Obasinjom. Our people are from manyu and Bali we originated from Cameroon towards the Central part of Cross river State some of us migrated to the northern region,south south constituency/region of Cross river state among Calabar municipality,calabar south, with some dash sprinkling around Bakassi,Odukpani,Akpabuyo. The Qua's around calabar municipality are in fact the real owners of Cross river state when u hear the term Big Qua town,Akim Close street it's an Ejagham Qua term don't be confused we all speak General Ejagham but due to distancing and migration our tongue changed. The Qua's sold their property due to oppression of the Efik being the majority around that region of Southern Cross river. This was because the Efik's were at the costal region towards the sea,they had contact with the white men first so they made them middle men in trade such as palm oil most especially. The Efik language had the upper hand it became the language of trade,education,missionary and so forth. Before they came forth to us who were in the hinterland (forest) and other tribes,the Efiks had more foreign exposure. Our people from the south south region from Akampa,Calabar Municipality,Calabar South,Odukpani,Akoabuyo,Bakassi had their languages circumcised out from their but hopefully as faith would have it they have started to regain a new sense of pride and purpose in their culture therefore unifying them. The Nnabo masquerade is an owanese term of the Qua(Ejagham) which the Efiks adopted the term means "nobody can harm you nobody can charm you" most of the Efik's traditional attire was uprooted from the stems of the Ekoi, Ejagham people they just added a little flair and colours to it even to their masquerades which was clearly borrowed thecolours of our masquerade, are not the ones they display and all have their various meaning and significance. They are also types of mgbe including stage by stage namely:gbonkoriwo,nkanda and many others. Even the nsibidi signs isn't understood fully by them, Legend says the real mgbe is a "wild animal from the forest,a Leopard "We and other tribes has therefore been marginalised the Efiks call themselves "Edi mbakara" meaning white people,foreigners. In the calabar museum due to their unity and the promotion of their culture slave trade accounts,pre colonial,colonial and post colonial rule where the "Efiks" had the upperhand. Accounts of slavery both on the internet,books and In tge museum are given on accounts of only the Efik's praise and worship songs across the globe are sang in the efik dialect,whereas they are a minority they have advantage cause there are in main calabar Ejagham are the most populous other languages such as Lokaa,Agbo,Bahumono,ihumono,mbube,ishibori(Bakor),mbembe,isobos,ukelle,betukwe, are all being referenced to the term "Atam" meaning non efik people. Even the narrative in schools and books quoting Efik as not the major but the only tribe in Cross River State as a whole up to an extent of various Cross riverians from various ethnicities are being challenged on their culture that they are Calabar,Efik. Most people only know Obudu people because of the cattle ranch, funny enough the ranch isn't in Obudu but in Obanliku both which are in the northern region. Obudu as a whole comprises of more than 15 languages they also have a villagecalled Ukpe infamously termed as "new jerusalem" where both men and women speak differently then they both have their general language for that village then then their general language is utugwan which is the language of kakum and their general language, during the time of late senate President Joseph Wayas when state creation was freshly at his peak. Obanliku and Obudu were one mainly the Kakum side the utugwan speaking side major language of Obanliku is better before they parted ways. I would like to share a little bit if information our people spread across Ikom and Etung. Etung Lga was under Ikom before so most non Cross riverians don't know they is an existing Local government area known as Etung even some fellow Cross riverians haven't still discovered today before we splited in 1996 at the time of General Sani Abacha regime. Nevertheless we are still one with different dialects then a General Ejagham language among villages we as well have different tongues then a general one when u coin them together are the same language. Lastly we span across northern Cross river state Ogoja where the majority are the Ejagham/Ekoi which are called the Ishibori clan which comprises of villages /clans such as ikajor, ishinyema,imerakorn,igoli,ikpatang,ikariku,imerakorm,uhmuria and Ogoli central town there dominate although they are other major tribes such as the Mbube people, who are second ed by the Ishibori in terms of majority. I hope I've given you a different perspective. I hope I have convinced and not confused you as to the "writing on the wall" the raw,substantial truth.