Aso-ebi, (family uniform) draws strength from the Yoruba culture and tradition. Although other parts of the country have almost similar traditions, like the Ibo, Edo and Delta women who have special uniforms for their various meetings and associations, no tribe celebrates the ceremony of Aso-ebi as the Yorubas.
In recent time, it has grown beyond tribe and religion to a national fad. There is hardly any occasion including, naming ceremony that an aso-ebi isn’t required these days. It has grown in concept, dimension and class. Some people go to the ridiculous of insisting on uniformed jewelry, bags, shoes in addition to fabrics for friends and associates.
Expectedly too, so many notions, traditions, cultures have been wrapped into the new aso-ebi trend. While some see it as a form of unity, identity, comradeship; others see it as a mojor form of support for the organizer. The latter reason, perhaps the most intense, accounts for the cold attitude of organizers to people who attend their parties without the aso-ebi. A lot of people have been known to totally ignore those who come to their parties without the specified uniform. Some go to the extent of disallowing such people from attending the function completely while some others allow them in but, deny them of any form of entertainment.
To further underscore the aso-ebi ethnicity, some celebrants inscribe the warning, “no aso-ebi, no entry, no food” on invitation cards. The argument for this: “is why attend a party you didn’t contribute to. Don’t you know, people use the profit raked in from the sales of aso-ebi to cook and entertain guests? So if a person didn’t buy the aso-ebi, it shows the person is anti the celebrant hence deserves no courtesy accorded those that showed their support through aso-ebi to the celebrant,” said Kemi Pedro, a teacher, at a party venue in Lagos Island.
Explaining the entrenchment to this new social culture, Angela a Lagos-based banker exclaimed in shock, “Why will I have my wedding without all the aso-ebi fuss? Never! Aso-ebi adds that extra flavor to occasions. In addition, I spend approximately over N350, 000 annually on aso-ebi alone. I won’t hesitate to triple the price during my own. I have invested into people’s aso-ebi so why shouldn’t I reap when it is my turn?”
For Augusta Moyegun, the irritation of aso-ebi “is the segregation against those without the uniform. I personally think it is in poor taste. I was at a wedding recently without the specified uniform. I almost wept as those in aso-ebi allocated the entire left side of the hall, were told to get up and dance in with the parents of the bride. They were served food first, given numerous souvenirs while those of us who came in mufti watched in dismay and wondered why we were invited to the wedding. Friends were separated from friends; parents from children simply because some wore the aso-ebi and the others didn’t. I don’t mind giving those in aso-ebi special recognition, like calling them out for a picture session or special dance but, when you make a clear segregation amongst guests, then it’s foul,”
For Adekemi Adebayo, the aso-ebi trend is pure social madness. Hear her, “If you are an acquaintance of mine, please don’t even bother asking me to buy aso-ebi as I’ll politely decline. I will only purchase aso-ebi from family or friends I consider close enough. I’ve seen and heard of brides and their family members forcing people to buy the uniforms by dropping the fabrics at someone’s house or sending the aso-ebi through mutual friends and offering to collect money later without prior notice. In my opinion, brides, grooms and their families who decide to go with this aso-ebi custom should notify their guests beforehand of the color and cost of the fabric,” she said fuming at what she calls the impudence of some people.
Our next respondent who says, she doesn’t have problem with the new social custom per-say is however of the opinion that people are taking undue advantage of this trend. “Some people have turned it into a business venture where off the shelve prices of clothes are over-hiked. Some people, especially brides and their family members purposely increase the cost price of the aso-ebi fabric to a ridiculous amount to cover the wedding cost. I don’t mind the price hike provided it’s negligible but where the actual price is tripled, I certainly have problem with such arrangement. People should learn either to cut down the wedding cost or wait till they get to the dance floor to recoup,” stated Bisi Adeoyi an Akure-based socialite.
However, Ebiye James who called it a cankerworm eating into people’s finances said his wife on a monthly basis spends nothing less than N80, 000 on aso-ebi; this is excluding shoes and bags she buys to match the colours of the fabrics. I have complained bitterly about that but I no longer complain since she is not collecting money from me.”
Religious bodies too are guilty of this syndrome; a pastor of a new generation church in Lagos annually compels his congregation to purchase Ankara for theirChurch’s anniversary. One of the members of the church told Daily Independent that six yards of excellence ankara sold in the market for N2,500 is sold by the church for N8,000. “He employs the use of spiritual blackmail for us to buy it and almost all members of our church buy such annually. For the past eight years, the story has been the same, his wife is in charge of it.”
Mercy Ofiri unemployed is a member of a youth movement in her church. Anytime a member of the organization is getting married, she goes begging from other members of the church simply to purchase the aso-ebi. When asked why she has to go that far, she said, “I don’t want to be the odd one out. I will one day get married and I won’t feel good if others don’t purchase my aso-ebi. For me it is important that I buy my friends aso-ebi because it is a form of solidarity.”
Osi Asakhome a banker when asked what she considers before buying aso-ebi simply said, “Most of us are so used to being fake that we don’t know when we are not being realistic anymore. Personally I don’t like going out so if your aso ebi is expensive I won’t even bother myself. I know everybody’s dream is to have a memorable wedding but not at the expense of other people. If my friends want to do committee of friends solidarity, fine by me but not that it is for financial gains. There is no point milking people because you want an elaborate wedding.
Temitope Adewum-Ajeigbei a public relations executive of Power Holding Company of Nigeira said, “Aso-ebi is not by force people. I attended weddings where I didn’t buy the aso ebi because I couldn’t afford it. I wore what I had, showed solidarity to my friend, gave my gift, ate rice and went home. End of story. I’ve also attended a wedding where ankara of N2,000 was given at N4000 for 4yards and N6,500 for 6yards. I just took a walk to Oshodi market bought the exact fabric for N1,550 for six yards. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. By all means attend the function but we should learn to develop a sense of self identity outside the group.
The competition doesn’t end at the purchase of aso-ebi. It also involves the kind of style one makes with it. A look at fashion magazines reveals aso-ebi has come to stay.
It has also become a bench mark for the kind of souvenirs one gets at the party. While some are given handkerchiefs others at the party with the right uniform can go with a Plasma television.
No doubt it will take a long time for this new trend to die if it will.