TRIBE OF THE DAY: ukelle
Ukelle People also known as Kukelle , Kelle or Kele people can be found in Nigeria , they are related to the Tula , Calabar , Sukur , Verre people of Nigeria and they are considered to be part of the Niger-Congo family branch.
The Ukelle people (Ba'kelle) make up roughly half of the population of the Yala Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. The language of the Ukelle people is Kukelle belonging to the Kukelle-Korring language family.
The history of Ukelle is still sketchy. Some argue that their ancestors moved downwards from Benue state, others contend that the ancestors may have moved from the Igbo country, displaced by the arrival of the Igbos. Ukelle people share sociocultural similarities with the neighbouring Igede people of Benue state and Yala people of Cross River state. Major ceremonies such as marriage, burials and dances bear striking resemblances. Ukelle people refer to Yala people as Ollah, Igede people as Ollah-ewoh and the Idoma people of Benue state as Ollah-akpoto.
In the Ukelle region, the day-to-day Government authority at the local level resides in the village assembly (called ojilla). The village assembly is made up of the king or one or more chiefs, the elders and the youths. In earlier times, a typical Ukelle community had a village square, with the ojilla at its center. Until any settlement of Ukelle people makes an ojilla, they are considered an appendage of the nearest community with an ojilla. In fact, the term ojilla is used interchangeably to refer to the village, its square or the village assembly.
A group of villages make up a clan (called an essam). For example, in Wanikade, there are three essam: Ogumogum, Otuka and Opuolom respectively. Traditionally, disputes within each village are adjudicated by the assembly, while disputes between villages within a clan are settled by the assembly of the clan. Disputes between villages in more than one essam as well as matters such as capital punishment, economic use of trees, the forest, rivers etc. are resolved at the general assembly called lutse. The king (ubet) or chief (uyini) wields ceremonial power rather than political power.
Burial ceremonies (kulu) for deceased persons in Ukelle is the traditional responsibility of the family and of the village.
The Ukelle people are linked to the constitutional government by six wards of Yala local government, namely Ijiraga, Njrigom, Wanokom, Wanikade and Wanihem. Ukelle also has a representative in the Cross River State House of Assembly.
the source is 101lasttribes.com but i couldnt find much sources on this tribe but i found a video of a traditional dance ill post on my blog
LETS CELEBRATE THE UKELLE PEOPLE
