Mfonobong Inyang: In Staunch Defence Of Ukebe

I’m not one to build my identity around parochial prisms such as ethnicity, but it’s impossible to see or hear my name and not presuppose which neck of the woods I come from. I’m proud to be a Nigerian. I have lived, schooled, worked and served across all six geopolitical zones, which explains how I became a polyglot. I’m also a proud son of Akwa Ibom State with my Ibibio roots well-documented. If I hadn’t studied Economics for my First Degree, I certainly would have been a lawyer because everyone who saw how well I excelled in English Language and Literature back in the day believed that was the natural career path for me. I was minding my business on Obasanjo’s internet when I stumbled upon slanderous comments under the guise of humour, so here am I in defence of a generational phenomenon.

As someone who grew up in what used to be a middle-income family in those days, healthcare wasn’t exactly what the doctor ordered. We did not have a First Aid box, and orthodox drugs almost only came into play when any health crisis went beyond fever or malaria. My parents owned large farmlands back then too, so as you could imagine, we had all manner of herbs in the house. My mum was big on squeezing the natural juices from those herbs and giving us to drink regularly. Before smoothies ever became a thing, she already had a head start. At a young age, we were already growing aloe vera plants just for the fun of it as children.

Many Gen Zs may not be able to relate, but there was something back in the day known as Ukebe. It was a quasi-clinical device that would contain fluids and was made up of a rubber bulb-like pump with a little pipe attached to it. It was basically a traditional enema used mainly for stomach-cleansing. After the selected herbs or concoction had been prepared, a portion…