Igbo traditional instrument for communicating messages; unfamiliar creatures such as the ostrich (Enyi Nnunu); a certain tall figure representing Alakuko, allegedly the tallest man in Igboland; ‘Onye afo toro’, a man whose stomach became bloated because he committed an abomination against Ala, etc Contrary to general assumption, Mbari is neither a centre for idol worship nor an idol in itself. It is an art form that has its origin very deep in Igbo cultural and religious beliefs and practices. The Mabari cultural centre is a three dimensional cultural facility, made up of the Mbari House, Mbari Museum Kitchen and an amphitheatre, and definitely a must-see location.
National War Museum Amafor Isingwu Umuahia
National War Museum Amafor Isingwu Umuahia is a museum set up to exhibitrelics used during Nigeria’s Civil war of 1967. The museum has the largest collection of the Nigerian civil war weapons that are no longer in used. The weapons are from both the Nigerian military and the defunct Biafra. Commissioned in 1985, the museum is located at Ebite Amafor in Isingwu Autonomous Community in the Umuahia North Local Government Area. The museum’s location was chosen because it was where the bunker housing the famous shortwave radio “the Voice of Biafra” was transmitted from.
It has three galleries featuring items on the traditional warfare, armed forces and Nigerian civil war weapons. War relics in the museum include weapons used during the pre-colonial civil disturbances, warfare materials used during communal and inter-tribal wars and those of the Nigerian civil war. The Museum Complex opens at 10am and closes at 6pm daily with a gate fee of N100. For those who did not experience the civil war, they may not get a mental picture of how it occurred without visiting the museum. And for those who did, they could relive the period by visiting the museum. It is a perfect way to gain firsthand knowledge of the civil war, a huge part of Nigeria’s history. It is certainly a place to go.
Mungo Park House
Mungo Park House, also known as National Museum Asaba, is tucked behind the Delta State High Court and the state Library Board complex along Nnebisi Road, Asaba, Delta state Nigeria.Although named after Mungo Park, the man who discovered River Niger, theprominent colonial vestige of pre-fabricated wooden storey building was never owned or visited by Mungo Park. The house was constructed by the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in 1886 and servedas the first British administrative headquarters in the country and invariably the first government house in Nigeria. The Mungo Park House offers education on Nigeria’s rich historical background (mainly that of trade and investment in pre-colonial era) and journey to civilization. Although some parts of the building are slowly dilapidating due to the elements (weather corrosion), it is definitely a place to visit. The museum is also just a few blocks from the popular Grand Hotel, Asaba.
