African Queen Arrive a 10 day IPADA 2025 Event with Prince and Princesses, Maidens And Over 100 Aides

... With A Grand Showcase Of The Historic Calabar Fattening Room

There are Queens and there are queens. Obongawan Barrister Marie Ikpeme Erete needs no introduction. Her introduction, preceeds her! And that's because she's royalty with a unique difference. With an impeccable personality, Queen Aruk II, as she is royally addressed, bestrides the land known as Eniong Abatim in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State of Nigeria, and that is no mean feat! A regnant with a large heart.

Her Majesty was a special guest at IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS 2025. Despite the event being a 10 day affair, the Queen arrived days earlier with a huge entourage, made up of her immediate family, her daughter, the Princess, her Son, the Prince, friends from England, her maidens from her Queendom in Cross River State and over a hundred Aides, that included a cultural troupe that follows her around the globe, showcasing the best of her Kingdom, marketing the good taste of the Calabar culture, tradition, and exquisite culinary ensemble.

The regal Queen arrived into a warm welcome by the Convener and Founder of IPADA INITIATIVES & IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS, Tourism Icon, Otunba Dr. Chief Olawanle Akinboboye and thereafter, it was a royal ball. Her troupe entertained along with Atunda Entertainment on the first day with cultural dance flavor of Calabar that comes with the chanting of the history of the Queen, the history of her throne, her accomplishments, sagacity, beauty and the historic might of her people.

•Tourism Icon, Otunba Dr. Chief Olawanle Akinboboye 

With a carriage meant for and observed only among the royal classes, Queen Aruk II, Obongawan Barrister Marie Ikpeme Erete exuded an unusual countenance of peace and elegance all about her, as she attended each of the daily programmes at La Campagne Tropicana Forest River And Beach Resort, the venue of IPADA 2025.

This time around, the Queen brought with her the ancient tradition of 'Nkugho', the Fattening Rooms, to showcase to the world, to the Returnees from the Diaspora and to all Africans, the ancient custom which has preserved people in her Queendom over the years and has saved them from the unnecessary travails of divorce!

Nkugho 

'Nkugho' is the Efik traditional maiden ceremony, popularly known as the Fattening Room. As said by Queen Aruk II, it is the Finishing School for every Efik would-be bride.

The Fattening Room 

• Her Majesty, Queen Aruk II, Obongawan Barrister Marie Ikpeme Erete

The Efik maiden "Fattening Room" (Nkugho) tradition is a pre-nuptial period where a maiden is secluded and pampered to be prepared for marriage and womanhood. During this time, she receives ample food, massages, and beauty treatments, while also being educated by elderly women on domestic arts respect for her husband and other skills needed for marriage."

It is a historic culture peculiar to the Efiks, a preserved pre-marriage formula which for the first time in history Queen Aruk II showcased outside the confines of her Queendom to the benefit of people from around the world who arrived for the global 10 day programme known as IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS 2025.

First the Fattening room is ensured to provide all the necessary comfort for the would be bride who would be staying for a period that varies from 7 days to six months or a full year, depending on how long it takes for her to grasp or assimilate the grooming she gets in the Fattening Room.

The significance of the Efik Fattening Room is important for a marriage to be successful. Marriages are the cultural pillars of the Efik society and preparation for it comes with ceremonial rites packed into an experience of a Fattening Room.

Let's break it down a little more here: A young lady ready for marriage is secluded, prepared for marriage by making her physically plump (a sign of health and wealth) and teaching her the skills and etiquette of womanhood.

All these were showcased at IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS this year. Dignitaries and tourists were allowed to see as much as they could without revealing the entire sacredness of the rites. However all were allowed to see the rich diet to gain weight, the beauty and skincare, the massage process and some of the special natural herbs to enhance maiden's skin, which makes her glow.

So for those who weren't at IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS 2025, it was a great miss, not witnessing the beauty of the colourful rites that accompanied the maidens out of the fattening room on the final day. It came with colourful dance procession, with rites which included the maiden sitting comfortably on a chair carried on the shoulders of hefty male bearers, paraded to flaunt her beauty and taken to the Queen at her royal seat, to be certified ready for marriage. The rites comes with ceremonial cultural dances and songs that takes you right down to the heart of Cross River State. There was also a marriage proposal, indeed a toast to African Tourism.

Commending the contributions of the Queen to the success of IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS 2025, the Founder, Otunba Dr. Chief Olawanle Akinboboye noted that the continuous showcasing of the Nkugho to the general public especially Africans in the Diaspora and Lovers of Africa, will enable a drastic reduction in the alarming global divorce rate!!! He called on women to learn from this ancient tradition and apply the teachings to their marriage in order to save the marriage institution which is the pivot of society. He added that it is his hope that this Nkugho will be featured next year during IPADA INITIATIVES CELEBRATIONS 2026 and also hopes that more women and families will come around to witness it firsthand to enjoy the beauty and knowledge of the tradition.

For those who were privileged to meet Queen Aruk II, Obongawan Barrister Marie Ikpeme Erete, which included returnees from the Diaspora, top business men and women, the memory remains forever! They will always recall the aura of Queen Aruk II, Obongawan Barrister Marie Ikpeme Erete. They will recall her finesse, her grace and carriage of royalty, her soft spoken intelligent style of delivering speeches, in concise flawless English language. Indeed, a royal to the core.