Akhenaten:

I should have known of some you Nairaland tribalist would attack my opinion that Nigeria could learn from the Ndi igbo traditional democracy.

This is the problem with many of you Africans. You all cannot see past your ethnicity, even though we are all one people. We are Africans and united with our cultural similarities and patterns.

No, do not take it like that. In Nigeria, we all have to learn from eachother. What might work for you might not work for me unless you prove me wrong. This is not an attack on Ndigbo.

I wen to the village this christmas and discovered that the current Igwe died about a year ago. I asked them why why his son has not mounted the mantle of leadership only to discover that  an election needs to take place where any body can vie for the exalted position. That's how democratic Igbo people are.

Missy85:

people are willing to look eastward for lessons in superior democratic norms, assuming such thing exists.

The challenge is that Igboland of today is a byword for political greed, selfishness, disunity, treachery etc, much like the rest of the country. So which lessons in democracy are we to learn from Igbo folks of today - orji kalu, uba brothers, nzeribe, urzor kalu, and many more?

People should look to history of a peoples traditional democracy. How can Igbos practice a democracy in a nation that is so centralized? Explain.

It is funny that you would bring up current Igbo politicians even though they are part of the very Nigerian state that prevents Igbo customs from flourishing.

alj harem:

ola edo, sorry but u are quiet a stu.pid one i must tell you (no oofeince)

a prime minister is a senior miniter of a palimentary system

now did us igbo ever had a palimentary system

First read what a parliamentarian system is them read about traditional igbo society then come back and tell the difference.Use your head, u can do better than that.

Akhenaten:

You make a wonderful illustration of our pre-colonial governments. And I support these institutions. However, the way Nigeria is set up, which is democratic in nature, maybe Nigeria should look to the Igbo form of governance since our democracies have been around since time immemorial.

I do understand your point though very much so.  

First and foremost,democracy has not worked in Nigeria.Apart from expansionist conquers that existed in pre-colonial era,oyo,hausaland,kanem and benin are a good example that we can copy from.they are centralized and very effective.

Akhenaten:

The Igbo democracy haven't been practiced since pre-colonial times. What we have now in Igboland is an abomination. However, we Igbos are not unique to this situation. ALL African cultures have been impacted by colonialism, in which we are still seeing the ramifications.

And the beauty of democracy is that it allows people with opposing views to debate.

The point that some Igbo clans are distancing themselves from the wider Igbo is a red herring that has nothing to do with this debate. Try again.

Okay, so, what should Nigeria learn from Ndigbo? How would it work? I personally suggest a conferation of different nations called nigeria. What do you think?

InternetV:

I wen to the village this christmas and discovered that the current Igwe died about a year ago. I asked them why why his son has not mounted the mantle of leadership only to discover that  an election needs to take place where any body can vie for the exalted position. That's how democratic Igbo people are.

Thank you for the illustration. In my village, when an Igwe dies in my village, the chieftancy is passed to another family and so forth and so forth. That allows each family the ability to speak on behalf of the village.

Kobojunkie:

Let me give you advice  . . . applies when it comes to internet debating, If you have no real information( face, date, age, anything) on the persons you are chatting with, you are best sticking to actually making your case, or you are immediately discarded as yet another internet riff-raff with no case to make.  OK.  . .

Now, please go back and respond CORRECTLY to that post of mine, if you can. If you know more of the Ibos than I do, then show you do or just leave off.

Igbos:

Traditional society

Traditional Igbo political organization was based on a quasi-democratic republican system of government that guaranteed equality of the citizenry as against a feudalist "dictator king" in tight knit communities as witnessed by the Portuguese who first arrived and met with the Igbo people in the 15th century. With the exception of a few Notable towns of the Igbo like Onitsha, which had kings called Obi, and places like the Nri Kingdom and Arochukwu, which had priest kings such as Eze Nri; Igbo communities and area governments were overwhelmingly ruled solely by a republican consultative assembly of the common people. Communities were usually governed and administered by a council of elders and the group's leader was determined by who was the eldest.

Although title holders were respected because of their accomplishments and capabilities, they were never revered as kings, but often performed special functions given to them by such assemblies. This way of governing was immensely different from most other communities of Western Africa, and only shared by the Ewe of Ghana. Igbo secret societies also had a ceremonial script called Nsibidi. The Igbo had and still have their indigenous ancient calendar in which a week has four days, a month consisted of seven weeks and thirteen months made a year. In the last month, an extra day was added. This calendar is still in use in villages and towns to determine the market days.

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Igbo_people

InternetV:

I wen to the village this christmas and discovered that the current Igwe died about a year ago. I asked them why why his son has not mounted the mantle of leadership only to discover that  an election needs to take place where any body can vie for the exalted position. That's how democratic Igbo people are.

But that is NOT, even from your own shock there, typically the way it happens, especially all over Ibo land.

I beleive that any system of government be it Democratic, Authoritarian, Oligarchy can work as long as the rulers are serious.

@op

the problem of nigeria has nothing to do with democracy

it has to do with corruption

~Bluetooth:

First and foremost,democracy has not worked in Nigeria.Apart from expansionist conquers that existed in pre-colonial era,oyo,hausaland,kanem and benin are a good example that we can copy from.they are centralized and very effective.

It has not worlked simply because we don't want it to.

~Bluetooth:

First and foremost,democracy has not worked in Nigeria.Apart from expansionist conquers that existed in pre-colonial era,oyo,hausaland,kanem and benin are a good example that we can copy from.they are centralized and very effective.

I disagree on the point. Democracy has not worked in Nigeria, because many groups do not have a fair representation in government. Just look at the minorities that inhabit Nigeria. They should be given much more power or their voices will never be heard.

It wasn't because of the expansionist powers that existed during pre-colonial times.

~Bluetooth:

First and foremost,democracy has not worked in Nigeria.Apart from expansionist conquers that existed in pre-colonial era,oyo,hausaland,kanem and benin are a good example that we can copy from.they are centralized and very effective.

Good one!

Akhenaten:

People should look to history of a peoples traditional democracy. How can Igbos practice a democracy in a nation that is so centralized? Explain.

It is funny that you would bring up current Igbo politicians even though they are part of the very Nigerian state that prevents Igbo customs from flourishing.

You can practice internal democracy and speak as ONE.

jason123:

Okay, so, what should Nigeria learn from Ndigbo? How would it work? I personally suggest a conferation of different nations called nigeria. What do you think?

A conference was called off by the big dodo who can bring security to the country.smh.

afam4eva:

I beleive that any system of government be it Democratic, Authoritarian, Oligarchy can work as long as the rulers are serious.

gbamm

and he is honest with himself and the people he rules

jason123:

Okay, so, what should Nigeria learn from Ndigbo? How would it work? I personally suggest a conferation of different nations called nigeria. What do you think?

Even a confederation can learn from the Ndi Igbo as well, since have not had a centralized leadership in our region during pre-colonial times. We had alliances and confederacies.

Either way democracy or a confederacy should look to Igbo history.

Ola edo:

A conference was called off by the big dodo who can bring security to the country.smh.

afam4eva:

I beleive that any system of government be it Democratic, Authoritarian, Oligarchy can work as long as the rulers are serious.

. . . . Akhenaten, your brother just told you the truth.

@ topic.

the same can be said about the yorubas, it was a conferation of similar tribes that made up the yoruba kingdom.

Ola edo:

Igbos:

Traditional society

Traditional Igbo political organization was based on a quasi-democratic republican system of government that guaranteed equality of the citizenry as against a feudalist "dictator king" in tight knit communities as witnessed by the Portuguese who first arrived and met with the Igbo people in the 15th century. With the exception of a few Notable towns of the Igbo like Onitsha, which had kings called Obi, and places like the Nri Kingdom and Arochukwu, which had priest kings such as Eze Nri; Igbo communities and area governments were overwhelmingly ruled solely by a republican consultative assembly of the common people. Communities were usually governed and administered by a council of elders and the group's leader was determined by who was the eldest.

Although title holders were respected because of their accomplishments and capabilities, they were never revered as kings, but often performed special functions given to them by such assemblies. This way of governing was immensely different from most other communities of Western Africa, and only shared by the Ewe of Ghana. Igbo secret societies also had a ceremonial script called Nsibidi. The Igbo had and still have their indigenous ancient calendar in which a week has four days, a month consisted of seven weeks and thirteen months made a year. In the last month, an extra day was added. This calendar is still in use in villages and towns to determine the market days.

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Igbo_people

Sorry, here is one for you

http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~dvdb/CH_6.pdf . It is only one chapter of the book . . . might help you a bit more than that reference you have up there.

~Bluetooth:

First and foremost,democracy has not worked in Nigeria.Apart from expansionist conquers that existed in pre-colonial era,oyo,hausaland,kanem and benin are a good example that we can copy from.they are centralized and very effective.

Well then I suggest nigeria so away with states and go back to regions alone. And jason I would suggest due to your previous arguments, you dont agree with what either me or bluetooth are suggesting when it comes to centralization because you were the same one who was talking about something like that will make it easier for a "certain region(s)" to leave.

jason123:



. . . . Akhenaten, your brother just told you the truth.

@ topic.

the same can be said about the yorubas, it was a conferation of similar tribes that made up the yoruba kingdom.

The truth is that since we're practicing democracy. There's a lot Nigeria can learn from the Igbo political system.

Kobojunkie:

Sorry, here is one for you

http://pcwww.liv.ac.uk/~dvdb/CH_6.pdf . It is only one chapter of the book . . . might help you a bit more than that reference you have up there.

Kobo, it says "colonial tradition", not traditional Igbo tradition.

Ola edo:

Kobo, it says "colonial tradition", not traditional Igbo tradition.

What Colonial Tradition? The article itself observes the Ibo Tradition and speaks on it.

Ola edo:

Well then I suggest nigeria so away with states and go back to regions alone. And jason I would suggest due to your previous arguments, you dont agree with what either me or bluetooth are suggesting when it comes to centralization because[b] you were the same one who was talking about something like that will make it easier for a "certain region(s)" to leave.[/b]

True, I said that and it shows that[b] EVERY SYSTEM HAS ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES[/b]. Nothing makes your system or my system better. I think all we have to do is to learn from eachother, adopt each other's aspect of culture (useful ones). But saying we should only look at a particular system because it works for ONE ethinc group out of 250 is impossible.

Maybe I should stick to the cultural section. This Politics section is too much. Even the mere mention of learning from another group starts to make people go rabid. Africa must unite!

afam4eva:

The truth is that since we're practicing democracy. There's a lot Nigeria can learn from the Igbo political system.

I agree with you. We all have to learn from eachother. . . .and yes we can learn alot from the igbo political system so as the igbo can learb from other region's political system.

jason123:

True, I said that and it shows that[b] EVERY SYSTEM HAS ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES[/b]. Nothing makes your system or my system better. I think all we have to do is to learn from eachother, adopt each other's aspect of culture (useful ones). But saying we should only look at a particular system because it works for ONE ethinc group out of 250 is impossible.

The only way that can happen is if we had our separate countries. Now imagine if Canada, U.S., and Mexico were pushed into one country what do you thing that would be like?

Akhenaten:

Maybe I should stick to the cultural section. This Politics section is too much. Even the mere mention of learning from another group starts to make people go rabid. Africa must unite!

. BRO, do not be like that. We are all learning from eachother. We might disagree but its part of the learning process.

Kobojunkie:

What Colonial Tradition? The article itself observes the Ibo Tradition and speaks on it.

Please go back into your link and read what is said in it and the titles.

Ola edo:

The only way that can happen is if we had our separate countries. Now imagine if Canada, U.S., and Mexico were pushed into one country what do you thing that would be like?

The thing is, WE ALL HAVE TO PERSEVERE. Its because of our pride and lack of perseverance, thats why Nigeria is not progressing. My system may not be what you are used to but its is for the greater good of the country and Vis-versa.IMO

yawn. . .another ndigbo is the master tribe thread

Ola edo:

Please go back into your like and read what is said in it and the titles.

Reading the end half of the title is not where it ends. You actually were supposed to at least glance through the contents to read what it has to say of the Ibo culture.