Igbo Cultural Renaissance

by EMEKA NJOKU

The importance of culture cannot be overemphasized.  A tree without a root is washed away by water or wind or any forces. A people without culture/heritage are like a tree without a root. We must never allow anybody (external or internal forces) to do to us what the slave masters did to Blacks during slave trade by stripping them of their culture or identity. Talk to Black Americans, and they would tell you the destructive power of destroying ones culture (identity). Culture is God's identity that distinguishes a group from another group. Igbo is different from Hausa or Yoruba.

[b]The Igbo people are blessed by God who gave them a culture of hard work or industry, resourcefulness, love of freedom and self-determination, democracy, egalitarianism, bravery, progress or development, self-reliance, and world-class spirit. [/b]Contrast these God-given Igbo culture/heritage with today's Igbo efulefu (fools, moneybags, traitors, errand boys, thieves, cowards who are actually glorified beggars begging for slavery and crumbs in Nigeria while lording it over oppressed/poor true Igbo) culture of begging, cowardice, treachery, stealing, enslavement, feudalism/monarchy, and selfishness.

An Igbo has a choice: to be what God made him or her by practicing and promoting our true culture or to be what Nigeria wants to make us -- Igbo efulefu, which is the opposite of what God made us. The choice is simple and clear.

One of the solutions to our problems in Nigeria is the rediscovery of our glorious culture/heritage or Igbo Cultural Renaissance. When Igbo was Igbo, no Igbo efulefu would dare show their shameless face in public let alone lord it over the Igbo people as in today's Nigeria. The destruction of our culture/heritage by the combined external and internal forces in Nigeria must be reversed. Yes, there are external forces (British colonial, Islamization and Arabization, anti-Igbo groups) and internal forces (Igbo efulefu) working on many fronts to destroy the Igbo people. One of the most effective ways to destroy a people is to destroy the culture (way of life) as the slave masters did to Blacks during slave trade. If Igbo people would understand this point then those Igbo helping the enemy to destroy us by cultural warfare would be treated as outcast or enemy.

Our children must learn our language and our glorious culture/heritage instead of thinking that we are Igbo efulufu and being fluent in English only.

The focus of my future article on our culture/heritage will include the need to sanction Igbo efulefu. Sanctions are important components of our culture in order to maintain our survival, social harmony, peace and progress. When Igbo was Igbo, those who committed “nsoani” [abomination] or betrayed the community collective interests are ostracized and treated like lepers. Compare this culture/heritage to today's Nigeria where these outcasts (efulefu) are now the "lords" and worshipped in a culture that is supposed to be egalitarian or republican.

Igbo enwe eze (the Igbo have no king)  is another important aspect of our culture that makes us unique in the world. The Igbo is one of the few human societies that democracy and leadership instead of monarchy/feudalism and rulership is ingrained. Today, the world is moving towards democracy and freedom while the Igbo efulefu is trying to take us to monarchy/feudalism where the people are subjects of the King instead of free citizens. As one who lectures on leadership, it is very heartbreaking to see such a negative trend from leadership (original Igbo culture) to rulership (Nigeria's feudal/monarchy culture) in today's Igboland. Nobody has ever asked him/herself what is the actual meaning of "eze" (originally a colonial warrant chief) or even the Igbo name for a "chief"? Can one have more than one "king" in a country? How can a "traditional" title (chief) not have an Igbo name? I realize there are those who would, for selfish reasons or otherwise, maintain that the Igbo have king or "Igbo nwere eze." How does the Igbo view himself?

The fact remains that Igbo people pride themselves on democracy and freedom where consensus is the norm rather than bowing to the commands or wishes of the "king". The individualistic and freedom-loving nature of Igbo people does not support feudal/monarchy culture. In Igbo culture every individual is entitled to have a say and then a consensus is reached. Direct democracy (Igbo culture) is incompatible with feudalism/monarchy!! Those who want to take us backwards (feudal or monarchy) while the world is moving forward (democracy or leadership) need to rethink. When I was in Nigeria, I was approached by an eze to take the title of "chief," which I refused.  I was approached to be an eze when we got our autonomous community, which I equally refused because these were incompatible with the true Igbo culture of leadership, not rulership.

In some parts of Igboland such as Mbaise, with no feudal/monarchy history, people are now killing one another because of eze tussle. Even thieves are now getting into the act. Some Igbo even want hereditary feudalism/monarchy whereas the Igbo culture is about equal opportunity and access. The  eze (“king”) hustles for contracts. You should go to Yorubaland or Hausa and Fulani areas to see the real monarchy culture and how the people treat them. The present psychiatric syndrome (personality inadequacy, delusions of grandiose, and self aggrandisement), from which some Igbo efulefu is suffering, should not be entrenched as our Igbo culture. In the true Igbo culture, we respect (not fear) our leaders and elders. Age, wisdom, respect for elders, achievement, selflessness and community service are revered in Igbo culture. An Igbo is a free citizen, not a subject of anybody. This is the reason I always thank God that I am an Igbo (freedom, self-determination, democracy, world-class) despite the shameless Igbo efulefu or the injustice, death and destruction unleashed on us in Nigeria.

Let the Igbo cultural renaissance begin! Our culture is God’s gift to us. It is our ticket to survival, freedom and progress in today’s Nigeria and our distinction from other groups.

Our culture is our future.

@ op good one,,,,we all know that, but how do we teach our children the igbo language

any suggestion

i think we the government should try to enforce igbo language as a subject for secondary school student

what do you think

I think the problem is with ohaneze ndi Igbo. Imagine such a well formed body with any genuine goals or objectives

What should be done!

1. Ohaneze shd firstly clearly define and identify the various kingdoms in Igbo and only their head should b kings.
Eg Mbaise with 3 LGA shd hav a king, neighbouring villages that are small and singular shd b merged within a larger kingdom.
Eg emekuku is might not b in Owerri kingdom but shd b added to it since it is too small and singular to stand alone and hasn't got a lot of difference in culture with d Owerri.

2. The present Eze we have in every autonomous community sh b made traditional prime minister , and the TPM of today deputy TPM.

3. The confferment of chief title and the actually chief shd by a kingdom's Eze and consel but wit an over riding authority from the ohaneze. Infact the ohaneze shd b informed, ohaneze carry out a vetting and subsequent grant an approval b4 one is given out.

5. For Igbo community outside Igboland, there shd b a TPM as oppose to Eze to cordinate their cultural activity. And there shd only b one TPM in a state with an nze in every LGA with population of Igbo of upto a certain number. In cases where they are less the TPM cud appoint a chairman if there location is far away from the nearest LGA with an Nze.

4. Ohaneze shd demand for standing order from the Igbo state or LGA of a % of revenue mayb 1 % , that shd go into their operation, administration and preservation of our culture and hereditry. This would help them b independent.

5. Ohaneze shd set up a say 5 years plan with measurable objectives and goals.
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