EKPO MAQUERADE SPEAKS QUEENS ENGLISH-festour

Ekpo is founded on the belief in life after death; and it is regarded as the soul or ghost of ancestors that return to the land of the living in masquerade form to participate with their kinsmen in communal festivals such as farming and rites of passage. As a secret society, membership is strictly by initiation; hence, every aspect of Ekpo is designed to strike awe, fear and caution among women and non-initiates.In the pre- colonial era, Ekpo served as the government of the entire Akwa Ibom people performing such functions as judicial, administrative and religious duties. The Ekpe masquerade originates from the Efiks who are from Cross River State of Nigeria.Ekpe masquerade used to be found only in the remote villages and are carefully handcrafted by the villagers using dyed raffia and wool to create a true representation of the masquerade. Only men are allowed to wear the elaborate masquerade costumes and in some cases women are not allowed to look at the masquerades. This particular masquerade is steeped with cultural wealth and probably goes back to the time of the founding fathers. The Ekpe Masquerade is used in ceremonies, songs, dances and is usually accompanied by cultural drama. WIN, an acronym for "What Is New" is a comprehensive multimedia services package for maximum news distribution across several media channels via WIN TV, exclusively dedicated for New Media production and Broadcating