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made by the ritually circumcised husband and wife when caught by earth deity - ("Alobu") is both cultural and religious. Such confession to adultery is rife and requires a lot of rituals to appease the earth deity before the husband can eat the food prepared by the adulterous wife (p.299).

Confession to adultery has been the basis on which people criticize Christianity as being morally lacking and has no strong force to check immorality among its members. This leads the church into frowning at initiation into adulthood. However the position of the traditionalists does not imply that women were canonized prostitutes before they were initiated into adulthood through ritual circumcision.

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Circumcision is basically a conservative rite of passage. There is a strong relationship between male and female circumcision among the Igbo trad.tional ethnic groups. In Igbo traditional setting, circumcision is a common rite of initiation. Physical cutting of the genital organs of male and female and the ritual ceremonies accompanying it were understood to be important means by which gender is culturally defined (p.206)

The Igbo as one of the Ethnic groups in Nigeria has practiced circumcision many centuries as a rite of passage preparing young girls for marriage and womanhood. Young men are also prepared traditionally through this custom for marriage, manhood and bravery.

Ritual circumcision is a traditional pivot upon which other customs or traditions in Northeastern Igbo culture revolve. There is the connectivity between circumcision and.

other cultures in this cultural zone. Circumcision has a Ink with all other traditio ns among the people. Ritual circumcision is the qualification and a sine quanon for an individual to enroll or participate in the people's traditional customs. The areas where circumcision is traditionally connected in the people's custom are- marriage, child bearing (ownership), burial, traditional social status-as title taking- like Ogbo ishi society, Cow title taking (Ogbu eswi), Horse title taking (Ogbu inya) Yam title (Njioke title).

Steensel (2009) declared that:

The Izhi man will do "anything" to get prestige and popularity in the society, not just to increase his wealth, but in order to be respected and recognized by the entire public.

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Some people also display their wealth ostentatiously before they eventually gain popularity and prestige, (p.70).

Ritual circumcision qualifies a man for polygamous family title taking, ogbu inya title, ogbu eswi title, njioke title, chieftaincy title, ogbu ishi title, entitlement (traditional ownership) of one's biological child, agricultural farm and, participation worship, associations and rituals. In Izhi (Izzi) according to Steensel (2009) all title takings are done sometimes after ritual circumcision. Title taking renders both economic and social benefits to the people concerned (initiates). These benefits are respect, storage of wealth, privileges on village level, prestige and popularity. In Izhi a person who has the title erne jioke or anma inya is highly esteemed by everybody. People cannot address him carelessly or treat him like an ordinary man. (p.70).

Ritual circumcision was viewed by the traditionalists not just as a rite of passage and an initiation to adulthood but a channel or a means to traditional t: tie-holding status and a.

means of accumulation of wealth. In the past it was difficult or impossible to take money to the bank. People had to look for a way of saving money. The traditional stakeholders in Northeastern Igbo-land came up with the institution of. title taking. Title taking was a means of storage of wealth. They (like jioke titleholder or ogbu inya titleholder) can share their money among the (unwunna) a little group of wealthy (same titleholders) people and get back a share every time. The person and even his children or descendants after him will continue to receive the shares of the title as long as they exist. Steensel (2009) summed it thus: every inya titleholder m jioke titleholder is quite sure that he has

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provided his children with a source of income even after his death. In Izhi, there is a common saying that "onye ukpa, merujioke te nwedu tekr onyibe rwuhukwaduru iya"

This saying stresses the point that how poor a man may become after his inya or jioke title, he will always retain the name onyibe (great man). He will always receive the honour due to a titleholder (p.70).

A titleholder is greatly privileged in this cultural zone. They are given a larger share in communal land be it farmland or for residence. Title holders get lion shares of whatever is shared in the village. They are given special seats in public gatherings and they are exempted from village manual work. When a titleholder dies he will be buried inside his house .by his title group with special rites befitting to him according to his title.

Circumcision in the worldview of the-people of Northeastern IgDO-land is important and at the core of their custom. Other customs, traditions and rites jire hinged on the rite of ritual circumcision. Circumcision transfers one from childhood and admits same into adulthood and without these processes the society will denied some important social status. Gennep (1909) noted that most societies have ritual marking the transition of an individual or a group of individuals from one important status to another. Some of these are associated with the biological circle of birth, maturation, procreation, and death are found in most societies, although obviously they are celebrated differently (p. 149).

Circumcision' as an initiation rite links other rites, initiations, titles and social status in Northeastern Igbo-land. Ritual circumcision is often closely associated with the biological processes of maturation however it primarily symbolizes a change in social

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status. In some areas, the transition is celebrated only for males, in some only for females or for both and in others, such rites are absent altogether. Most clans in Northeastern Igbo-land celebrate it for both males and females. Many who accept ritual circumcision today do it because of the socio-cultural and political benefits associated with it, especially as everyone wants to be recognized and honoured.