CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

          The world would have been in coarse and meaningless without communication. Human beings have diverse several means to communicate, share meaning and disseminate information through various modes to enable them live in their environment with other communicating elements. Through communication, our feelings, thoughts, desires and problems are being shared and expressed through identified codes and signaling system. Ever before the emergence of modern mass media and their introduction to Africa, our forefathers did not live in isolation from one another. There exist many other forms or channels of communication which made interaction and gregarious existence very possible. This system of communication evolved from their culture and it was through this system that the culture was handed down from generation after them. It can therefore be said that socialization in Africa was affected even to the present generation through the traditional communication in Africa,

          Presently a tour of our rural areas would reveal that having received with open arms the customs and tradition handed down by their predecessors, the rural dwellers still regard the traditional communication as their best form of communication. During the pre-colonial era when leadership responsibility was solely shouldered by Africans, traditional media played indispensable roles for the smooth running of the day to day administration. By then there was nothing like modern communication. But any decision reached by the council of elders with the paramount ruler will get to all the nooks and grannies of the village. If war ensued between the village and another, the village playground will become lively with blood thirsty able bodied men who will go for the protection of their village. Traditional communication was used to summon these able bodied men together (Akpabio, 2000).

          The same system of communication was used when there was any developmental project to be carried out; such as construction of two hall etc. So even in the complete absence of modern mass media the pre-colonial people were able to give themselves and provides much developmental projects to their environment. The term traditional media can be used interchangeably with folkmedia, trado media or oromedia. Traditional media are found to be the fabric of people’s way of communication despite the modern media of communication. This is because traditional communication brings people closer to one another and in a manner familiar to everyone of them.

          Traditional communication systems could be grouped into verbal traditional communication system and non-verbal communication system. In Rivers State especially in Kalabari Kingdom, there is the existence of both verbal and non-verbal traditional communication system. The verbal communication system warrants people with the opportunity of engaging in face-to-face discussion. Under this system we have different market days and many more smaller market place. Another form of verbal communication is church-people go therefore the purpose of worshipping God. Some important announcements that affect the lives of the people are made during church services. The village square is another form of verbal traditional communication. There are many village squares which serve as a venue for meeting and also the center of activities during festivals. The impact of town crier (Oyon-Gbele-Okpokpo) which is another form of communication system is something to reckon with. He goes around the village and claims to pass information to people. The town crier could also be called the village gong man.

          Under the non-verbal communication system the media systems available in Kalabari communities are wooden gong (Okpokpo), metal gong (egele), drum (oze) flute (ofio), native whit chalk (otun) young palm frond. Through all these media, information is people to the people and these gears towards the development of Kalabari communities.

          Asari-Toru Local Government Area was created out of the old Degema Local Government Area on May 16, 1989 under the Hon. Eziwoke Wokoma. The inhabitants are of a common language which is the “Kalabari” speaking nationality, with ancestral origin and beliefs. Asari-Toru is the “seat” of the ancestral stool of the Kalabari speaking dynasty which cuts across Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Area. The Local Government Area upon creation presently encompasses seventeen (17) communities namely Buguma, Abalama, Abiama, Angulama, Atuka, Ido, Ifoko, Ilelema, Krakrama, Minama, Okpo, Omekwe-ama, Omekwetari-ama,

Oporo-ama, Sama, Agama, Tema. Buguma city is the Headquaters of the Local Government Area and seat of the king of Kalabari kingdom His Royal Majesty  King (Prof.) T. J. T. Princewill, Abbi the XI Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom  
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