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Ndigbo, their culture, and institutions
EMMA OGU, Owerri
AT the
formative years of what is today known as Nigeria, Ndigbo were the only
group out of the three major ethnic nationalists of the entity that had no know
or recognised central Kindgom. That was the major reason why the race was very
resistant to the white man’s incursion into the land. British adventurers found
it easy to conquer the Hausa Fulani and the Yorubas. But their policy failed
woefully in Igboland. And attempt to impose one, that is warrant chief system
met with popular rebellion.
By their dorminant culture, the Igbo
socio-political system was that of Republicanism embedded in their egalitarian
spirit.
An average Igboman has a spirit of self
recognition and self worth. Here is Igboland, the issue of atheism is not a
disturbing phenomenon. It could be said that the elites may have their way but
the people will have their say. Perhaps that is why the issue of mobilization is
not an easy task in the land owing to what one may call the asiphalous nature of
the social set up.
But it is totally wrong to interpret such
existing value of an Igboman to mean that the race recognises no leader or even
that they do not respect their leaders. This has been the mischief of those who
want to ridicule the race.
Ndigbo
respects and recognise their leaders. But the point must be made clear that they
belief in participatory democracy, where every man must be allowed to make a
contribution. At no place in the entire ethnic nationalities of Nigeria do you
have such well established traditional institutions that foster democracy than
in Igboland.
Even before the advent of modern
government Ndigbo have evolved traditional institutions that performed
both executive, legislative and judicial roles. Such institutions which remain
till date have provided veritable means of checking crimes and sanitising the
society.
It must be noted for instance that
Ndigbo today still gather at village squares to take decisions. This
periodic gatherings known as "Aladinma" in most quarters have in it leaders and
apart from making minor laws for the well being of community adjudicate cases
and even impose fines on offenders. Often aggrieved parties or individuals sue
their opponents before the gathering. The most outstanding case, the association
looks into are cases like land tussles, theft. Decision on community development
are also taken at such village square gathering. Even decisions of federal,
state and local governments are sometimes interpreted and communicated to the
people at grassroot level through the instrumentality of such village
association. Decisions of the group are binding and anyone that violates such
decisions stands the risk of facing sanctions ranging from ostracising to
payment of fines either in cash or animals like foul and goats depending on the
level of his offence. Thus, the village association has become one of the
vibrant agents of community development and peace. In several communities in
Igboland today are such self help projects like electricity, pipe borne water,
town hall etc which are all products of communal efforts.
The practice of banning the harvesting of
palm fruits at a stipulated time by the individual owners, for communal use is
still witnessed today in all Igbo community. This is one of the means by which
villages raise fund to champion a cause.
Assisting the efforts of the village
association is the age grade system which is practiced every where in Igboland
till date. The age grade or age group is an association of people within an age
bracket. Most autonomous communities today host not less than fifty age grades.
New ones are formed as youths continue to grow up.
The age grade performs similar role as the
village group. They have contributed to community development, discipline in the
society etc. Age grades operates with bye laws and constitution. The age grade
is basically predicated on communalism. Members have certain benefits as they
have contributions to make.
Every adult in Igboland belong to an age
grade which is even used in some places to measure his responsibility in the
society. However the coming on board of new religion and beliefs have impacted
on the growth of the age grade as many religious denomination kick against their
worshippers belonging to such age grades as a result of certain interpretations
or misinterpretation of Biblical injunctions. Yet virtually all communities in
Igboland embraced the age grade system or a rival organisation of men and women
with shared common values and aspirations that fosters the unity of the society.
Apart from the age grade there are the
much respected town unions which outstanding responsibility is to plan and
execute community development projects. In Igboland the town union is next to
Ezeship stool. While the Eze or traditional ruler is the custordian of custom
and tradition the town union chairman oversees community development projects.
However there is no clear cut dichotomy on
the role of town union and tradition rulership. This is why both institutional
often join in a collision cause. Conflicts in certain communities today is
between the town union and the Eze. It must be noted that while the leadership
of the former has a fixed term of office the later is for life. Even in some
communities, traditional institution is hereditary.
That is, it passes from father to son and
rotates within a dynasty. Until the emergence of Ohanaeze Ndigbo
the Igbo traditional political institution ends at the level of Ezeship which
operates with selected village heads known as Nzes and some crowned chiefs.
Thus, it could be observed that the
decentralisation of institutions and power, as well as social stratification
make it difficult for the emergence of overbearing central authority. This is
why the Igbo society till date is not receptive to monarchical system as
obtained among the Yorubas and Hausa Fulanis. It is not therefore true to say
that Ndigbo have no kings and recognise no leaders. The fact and sacred
truth remains that the race have no central ruler.
The fallout of the traditional and
socio-political set up in Igboland is that the entity is embedded with
institutions and values necessary for the sustenance of democracy. Given the
spirit of participation in the people the oldest democracy is found in Igboland.
Then comes the enterprising spirit of Ndigbo. It is not by coincidence
that the people of the race invest wherever they found themselves. They own the
best houses in Abuja and some of the biggest business ventures in Lagos and
other parts of the country.
Another inherent value in the existing
institutions and culture in the land is that of leadership training. This is
perhaps why they have been able to distinguish themselves whereever they found
themselves at commanding hights and leadership positions, in politics, commerce
and industry etc. Ndigbo however have suffered and continued to suffer
from marginalisation by other groups especially since the end of the civil war
which they were not responsible for. The race has particularly not been given
opportunity to prove its mettle in political leadership of the country.
The coming of Ohanaeze as the apex
socio-cultural umbrella of Ndigbo is an attempt to fill the vacuum
created by the absence of central kindgom or authority in Igboland. Ohanaeze
Ndigbo was aimed at harmonising the various interests and aspirations of the
Igbo, in Igbo land harassing the abundant cultural potentials of the race and
bringing the people together to speak with one voice.
Yet it is very clear that Ohanaeze
has not succeeded in asserting its full influence on the people especially in
the area of interest aggregation for opinion still varies on major national
issues. Ohanaeze’s position becomes more difficult when it has no
established means of enforcing its decision on the people.
A positive step by the apex body to
resolve these existing problem is its recent decision to have its presence at
grassroot level. Upon formation Ohanaeze operates only in Enugu State
which is the political capital of the South East. With its recent
decentralisation where the body operates from state to local government and
community level Ohanaeze is gradually establishing its root and will soon
become an effective coordinating power in Igboland.
Another major land mark of t he body’s
present set up is that moblization of Ndigbo may no longer pose a problem
and the people of the race are beginning to operate with a policy direction that
will see them more united for a purpose than ever.
One could see that the present clamour for Nigerian
presidency of Igbo extraction has received not only a louder ovation but
overwhelming support from the people. There is hardly a dissenting voice from
Igboland at the moment. This is what Ohanaeze has achieved at the moment.
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