JUJU INVOCATION UNDER THE LENS OF THE PRESENT AGE
By;
Ajukura, Fidelis O.
ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com
August, 2022

Introduction:
The issue of change and permanence is one that has occupied intellectual discussions beginning from the time of the Ionian philosophers. While some philosophers like Parmenides have argued that reality is permanent, others like Heraclitus say that the only permanent thing in life is change. From the tone of the above mentioned philosophers and the school of thought they represent, it is obvious that their arguments are based or situated on two different realm or plane e.g., physical/material and spiritual/mental.

For man, as a being that resides in the concrete or physical world, it is preposterous to say that reality is in a constant state of permanence. The reason for this is that reality is ungraspable – nothing is permanent e.g., from birth, one continues to undergo series of change until he passes out of existence. The same process of change persists in everything around him.

In relating this phenomenon to the area of human culture and civilization, it is without doubt that the human society too is affected by the principle of change. In other words, human societies are not static: they undergo or experience change. It is in this regard that it (human society) is classified into different periods or epochs e.g., primitive, ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary. Thoughts and practices that were adjudged to be lofty or impressive in the ancient time are mere caricature when viewed through the lens of the modern or contemporary age.
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In primitive or traditional societies, things were done based on the dictates of the spirit of the time. During this period, there were no formal schools, courts, airports, seaports, computers etc. People relied mainly on their instincts and physical abilities. As a society where quarrels, disagreements, strife is inevitable, people resorted to the best possible means available in settling conflicts. In the primitive or traditional Ogba society where logical and analytical reasoning was absent, it became necessary to approach the oracles or deities who were believed to see and understand everything that happens to man. It is against this background that the idea of using juju as a means of conflict resolution came into existence. In order to have a clear understanding of the subject under discourse, it is important to examine the term juju. The term juju is derived from the French word “jou-jou” meaning “plaything”. Juju is a spiritual believe system that makes use of amulet, charms and mascots in religious practice in West Africa. The term, initially was connected with the Priest-kings of towns in West Africa, upon whom the prosperity of towns was believed to depend. One of the earliest recorded juju in history is the “juju of Elele” (a locality in present day Rivers state) in which the Priest-king was elected for a term of seven years. Juju, as it later came to be understood was not just about a leader whose life exudes progress for his community but that which permeates every sphere of human life. In this way, juju became synonymous with the entire community – it was neither good nor bad. It could be used for constructive purposes as well as nefarious or wicked purposes.

Owing to the high moral standard that was prevalent in the traditional Ogba society, the use of juju generally known in Ogba as “erisi or utu” was used mainly for protective or constructive purposes but as the society evolved, strange and obnoxious practices began to creep into the peoples way of life (culture). In this regard, some indigenes of Ogba went ahead to acquire powers from strange lands in order to operate shrines (juju houses) purely for pecuniary gain. As the society advanced, the desire for material possession increased exponentially; people became eager and desperate to acquire material wealth. This strange attitude ushered in all manner of wickedness – people no longer cared about the safety and wellbeing of other members of the community.

Another thing that threatened the fabric of the Ogba society was the way people became endeared to juju invocation – in the slightest provocation, they surreptitiously invoke juju with the intention of terminating somebody’s life also, there arose a penchant in the people for manipulating juju to do their bidding. This unwholesome practice persisted even in situations where they are guilty. For instance, a man who was caught in the act of stealing goes secretly to a shrine and invokes juju on somebody for calling him a thief. In the shrine, he manipulates the juju by saying “Mr. A called me a thief, if I have ever stolen his belonging, let it be well with him but, if the reverse is the case, please kill him for me”. Based on how this petitions is rendered, the juju swings into action – many people have died in this way. This illustration shows quite clearly that juju is amenable to the manipulation of man.

In this age where the judicial system is driven by criticality and logicality, swearing of juju is no longer fashionable - people prefer to go to court to seek redress. Similarly, the advent of Christianity and Islam has rendered the idea of juju invocation archaic and obsolete. To many people today, it is surprising or shocking to learn that juju invocation is still in practice.

Since people have the inalienable right to pursue or follow any religion of their choice, it became necessary for the Oba (Eze-Ogba) of Ogba land to address the major challenge bedeviling the African Indigenous Religion within Ogba land. Following the severity of the impact of this challenge on Ogba society, the Oba (Eze-Ogba) constituted a committee that consulted with members of Association of Juju Priest in Ogba land. At the end of the consultation, “A Traditional Bye-law to Introduce Harmonized Operational Standard for all Juju Shrine Priests in Ogba Land” was established. Some of the high points the Bye-law are as follows:
1. It was enacted by the Oba (Eze-Ogba) in partnership with the Local Government Area of Rivers State.
2. To settle disputes among individuals, groups (families), communities etc.
3. To address the problem of misuse of traditional means of settling disputes which has resulted in the untimely death of members of the community.
4. To provide operational guidelines on how invocation of juju should be carried out and to regulate the activities of juju priests within the area.

Guidelines and Recommendations of the Bye-law:
a. Before invocation of juju against another person(s) in any shrine, the aggrieved person must first report the matter to the head or chief of the family.
b. It is illegal to invoke juju without the notice of the presiding priest.
c. Where efforts to make peace fails, the aggrieved person can only summon the alleged offender to the shrine for hearing and adjudication.
d. Setting up a juju shrine in Ogba land by non-indigene is prohibited except for curative and useful purposes.
e. Inducing juju to kill without proper investigation is prohibited.
f. Female priests are forbidden from carrying the traditional mace known as “oji”.
g. Any juju priest who contravenes these regulations shall be held culpable for the consequences of such violation.

Penalties:
Anybody who violates the above stated regulations shall be liable to a fine of #50,000 with one Ram, 5 tubers of yam and 4 bottles of Gordon Gin. Failure to comply, the culprit shall be handed over to the Government for prosecution or given any traditional measure as the case may be.

Terms and Conditions for Revoking of Juju
1. In revoking of juju that was secretly invoked, the priest shall receive 1 bottle of local gin (kai-kai) and a consultation fee of #2,000 only.
2. Consultation of oracle shall remain #2,000 only with a bottle of local gin (kai-kai).
3. Where death is involved, the items for revocation shall include; one goat, 5 tubers of yam, native chalk (uro) and kola nuts.
4. In the case of juju being deposited at the residence or land of the victim, the following shall be needed for revocation; 1 small goat for cleansing of land, the sum of #10,000 for the juju priest and #20,000 to be paid to the complainant.
5. In the event where the juju invoked has not killed anybody for two or more years, #1,000 and a bottle of local gin (kai-kai) only shall be used for the revocation
(This Bye-law was unveiled on 30thJuly, 2022).

Observations on the Bye-law:
a. What happens when a violator of the Bye-law does not have the capacity or wherewithal to revoke the juju?
b. What happens when somebody invokes juju secretly and abscond thereafter?
c. What happens when somebody secretly goes outside Ogba land to invoke juju against another person?
d. By these regulations, does it not suggest that it is man who now dictates or determines what the oracles must accept and not the other way round?

While I commend the Oba (Eze-Ogba) for taking this brilliant step, I wish to sincerely request that he extends similar gesture to the area of burial especially, mothers’ burial. Ogba people are groaning under the weight of burdensome burial practice: we cannot continue as slaves to obnoxious cultural practices. The reality of an obnoxious burial (rites) practice dawned on me when I lost my mother last year. During the burial, my siblings and I were made to go through a herculean process of appeasing our mother’s people. This process required us hiring a middle-man or messenger known as “onye ozi”. The middle-man is the only means through which negotiation with the mother’s people is possible. The services of this middle-man (onye ozi) come with a great cost as you have to pay at least #25,000 as fee. This, of course is outside his consultation fee and drinks. Before one secures the approval to go ahead and bury his (deceased) mother, one must have spent a fortune in settling his mother’s people. Often times, these people appear overly aggressive and ready to fine you (Idhi nkwa) at the slightest mistake. I recall an incident that occurred during my mother’s burial on 30thDecember last year (2021), some younger female relations of my mother harangued my wife for not lying completely on the ground during the presentation of kola (iche oji). The aggression exhibited by these young ladies, by my assessment was unnecessary – burials should unite people rather than create needless enmity amongst them.
In some communities outside Ogba land, burial activities have been streamlined to the extent that burial of a loved one is done not more than two weeks after death and, with minimal expenses. The reason for this is obvious – to save the bereaved from running into financial trouble.

Conclusion:
The review of juju invocation in Ogba land became necessary following the primitive way it was being practiced. Juju invocation in Ogba land prior to the introduction of the Bye-law (2022), obviously was without order and sanity, people behaved lawlessly and, this clearly is not in tandem with the spirit and realities of the present age. Before the emergence of this law, there was a serious condemnation from the people concerning the high rate of untimely death of members of the community resulting from the archaic and antiquated method of invoking juju. This condemnation was fueled by the basic elements driving the contemporary society such as; enlightenment, orderliness, freedom from entanglements of any kind, critical thinking/problem solving etc. It is my hope that this Bye-law will live up to expectation and also serve as a springboard to more innovative and fulfilling reviews in the future.
LONG LIVE THE OBA (EZE-OGBA) OF OGBA LAND!
LONG LIVE OGBA LAND!!