Ibibio people
The Ibibio people are a tribe in southeast Nigeria. They are closely related to the Annang and the Efik people. "Ibibio" may also refer to those who speak the Ibibio language. The Ibibio people were traditionally in the same state as the Efik and Annang - Cross River State, named after the Cross River. Recently though, the state was partitioned into two, Akwa-Ibom state and Cross River. Akwa-Ibom state is made up of the related Annang tribe and the Ibibio tribe. There are two other tribes that live in the coastal areas with a language that cannot be understood by the Annang or Ibibio.
Because of the larger population of the Ibibio people, they hold political control over Akwa-Ibom State, but government is shared with the Annangs. The political system follows the traditional method of consensus. Even though elections are held, practically, the political leaders are pre-discussed in a manner that is benefiting to all.
Ibio-ibio means short or brief and doesn't have anything to do with height of the ibibios. There are many areas in ibibio land that have their dialectical differences. In some places family is called "ekwere" and " ekpuk" in other areas. Goat is called "ibot" in eastern ibibio ikono(present day ikono local government area" but called "ebot" in others. Head is pronounced "iwud" in some areas but called :ibuot" in others. Road is called " okpo-di-ghe" and " usung" in other places.
In years gone by before the abolishion of killing of twins by Mary Slessor, twins when born were taken to the forest and left there to die. There is a place called ikot antem, ediene usung itu, ikono local government area that such a practice held sway. Ibibio means "short people."
The ibibios are republican in nature. The issue of kingship in ibibio is a modern day creation. First is the family head who oversees the family. After this is the village head; ibibio is made up of villages though now there are towns like uyo,eket( a sub group),itu,ibiaku ntok okpo etc.
Ibibio is the predominant tribe in akwa ibom state, though other tribes understand the ibibio language. Between May 1999 and May 2007, an I[attribution needed]bibio man, Obong Ufot Ekaette, was the secretary of the federal government of Nigeria.
Spiritually, the ibibios were reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ through the work of early missionaries in the 1800s. Reverend Samuel Bill started his work at Ibeno. He established the qua iboe church which later spread places in the middle belt of Nigeria. The methodist church, the roman catholic church, and presbyterian church made in road into the ibibio hinterland. Later, day churches came in, e.g the apostolic church, etc. Independent churches, like Deeper Life Bible Church, made in road into the area in the second part of the 1900s. Today ibibio land is a christian area.
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