By
Pita Obam.

The purpose of this write up is to promote mutual respect and understanding among the Igedes and the rest of Idomas.

For starters, please don't feel offended when an Igede man says he is not Idoma.
It is not out of pride, nor out of superiority complex, neither is it a denial of his historical root.

Indeed, Igede and Idoma have cohabited for too long enough to be called and regarded as brothers.

However, suffice to say, the differences between the two tribes are just too pronounced to be ignored.

Let me be quick to say that the name Idoma is actually a colonial administrative, convenient coinage referring to all the different tribes and tongues in Benue South.

In this Benue South, there are languages and dialects such as Idoma(for the greater number), Igede, Agila, Ufia, Agatu and some others. Apart from Igede, the rest actually subscribe to the name, Idoma.

And somebody may get angry and say, if the Igedes are not Idomas, how come their Ancestor, Chief (Dr.) Abraham Ajine Okpabi, became Och'Idoma for clear 35 years?

The reason is not far fetched. The chiefdom belonged to all the different tribes in Benue South, so any one can take a shot at it.

Even as it is now, an Igede man can still become an Och'Idoma tomorrow.

This is because, all the First Class Chiefs in Benue South pay allegiance to the Och'Idoma who is the Paramount ruler and Chairman of Idoma(plus Igede) Traditional Council.

This means the stool of Och'Idoma is rotational. The next Och'Idoma after this present one is likely to be an Igede father.

It is pertinent to understand this discuss from the perspective of dialectical materialism (a borrowed phrase from Marxism for the purpose of looking at an issue at the root level)

What makes two people members of a particular tribe are cultural similarities they both share.

Those similarities reveal themselves in the way they marry or give in marriage, their burial systems, their naming ceremonies and even in their festivals.

A cursory look at these traditional practices would, indeed, reveal that the similarities shared by an Idoma man with his Igede counterpart are very few, if not negligible. Rather, the differences between them are quite pronounced.

A curious student of the historical and cultural practices of the two will discover such huge widening differences:

1. The marriage traditions are different. For instance, to solemnize Igede traditional marriage, firing of marriage gunshots is a MUST. It is not the same with the rest of Idomas. Alekwu system practiced in idoma marriages is not observed by the Igedes.

2. Their burial systems differ. For instance, a deceased Igede wife is buried in her husband's yard. But it's still a practice among some Idomas to return dead body of the wife to her father.

3. Naming ceremonies take different tangents.

4. Family life and systems also differ.

5. Traditional religious observations are not same.

6. The several taboos in Igede traditional society are not same as Idoma taboos.

7. Historical descendence is from different directions. (Igede Ancestor relocated from Oraa, Sabongida, Edo State, many years ago)

8. Cultural festivals and observations differ. Igede people celebrate yearly Igede Agba, while idomas celebrate ijalegwu.

9. It is very obvious now that the cultural attires are completely different.

10. The Igede person is called 'Igede', while the Idoma person is called Idoma (or Ufia, Agila, Agatu etc)

The above differences and many more are what make an Igede person different from an Idoma person.

Having said that, highlighting those differences is not intended to further divide us.

But understanding these differences, and learning to live with them will promote better understanding and mutual respect for one another.

Willy nilly, providence has joined us together. We are, so far, still under one chiefdom. We belong to one senatorial zone, Benue South, hence under one political destiny.

We have even intermarried severally and are still doing so. There are many other instances of cooperation that we now share.

I, therefore, call on us all to understand ourselves and work towards the development of Benue South senatorial district.

Credit: Pita Obam

Cool

A typical Africa man mentality.
Trading on dividing lines, creating more fragmentation and becoming weaker by the day.

While the world is globalizing and becoming a small village, you are here thinking very small, reducing your space.

Whilst The TIvs have rule over you people for donkey years

Op, With this narrow mind set you have displayed here, it is very very clear why the Igede and Idoma with 9 LGAs have not govern Benue state for once.

How to produce a governor in Benue state should be your worries not all this needless, nonsensical shadow chasing attitude you're pleasuring here.

Nonsense reason with a scarcity mindset.

Nice write up...


Like the poster above said, Benue South should endeavor to work out ways to become governor of the state. I'm still befuddled how a district will just be so comfortable being deputy governor after every electoral circle.