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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Igbo royal fathers move to end Osu cast system – Ada Igbo

....culled from daily Sun, Wednesday, June 8, 2011
From CHIDI NNADI - Enugu, Nigeria

In the days she led the police women association when her husband was still a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police, Evangelist (Mrs) Chioma Adeoye, made the association one to be reckoned with as she was vocal on many national issues. And today as a partner of the Royal Ministerial Outreach to Traditional Rulers of Africa (ROMTROA), Mrs Adeoye, who hails from Mbaise in Imo State, is adding her voice to the good work the traditional rulers are doing in the country, particularly in Igbo land.
She spoke at the end of the 4th All Igbo Kings Convocation held at the Old House of Chiefs Chambers, Enugu now the Enugu State House of Assembly Complex, saying that the royal fathers in their group have resolved to abolish the Osu cast system in Igbo land even as one of the traditional rulers has vowed to give her daughters out to Osu son-in-laws. Excerpts:

My beginning
I gave my life to Christ in 1985. I remember when I was a young girl; I used to lead the block rosary. I have always really done the work of God. So, right from time I knew that I have the Holy Spirit in me and that the Lord has some assignment for me.

Our Kings from Igboland programme
These are the kings from Igbo land, Anambra, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta and Rivers states, the kings from the seven states converged here on Enugu and our leader is His Royal Grace, Eze Tony Chukwuma Okoro from Umudike, Ikwuano kingdom. Before he became the leader of this group he used to be a Scripture Union member and an engineer by profession. But after he accepted the Ezeship of his kingdom, God called him to go and work with other Ezes and bring them back to God’s kingdom, in other words, for them to stop ritual practices, that the Ezes need somebody who will be telling them the truth, that some of the Ezes do not know some of the things they follow.
For instance, the Osu cast system, just yesterday some of the Ezes came out and promised to relinquish this Osu thing in their kingdom because they saw some of their colleagues that have done it and nothing happened to them. You know that some might be thinking that if I abolish this thing maybe I will die, but this forum is one that when they come together they share testimonies and go deep into the Bible to really see whether what they are doing or following is of God or not. But some of them find it difficult to come out, but God has used this group to really make some of the Ezes to stand. Last time we had some of our brethrens from Israel and the US who came together. Also God has made some openings through the Ezes too to Igala-land and Idoma, and a lot of them are now going back to God.

My recognition by the Ezes
You can see that today they made me the Ada-Igbo, Esther, which originally was my name and you will know the story of Esther. Esther did not marry to her people, she was married outside, but she had love for her people and, therefore, anywhere she was she was able to do something for her people and that is what I am doing.
Yes, to them I am their Esther and their Ada-Igbo. Like the Eze of Nri, Akajiofor of Igboland; we know Nri to be the first son of the Igbo. I don’t take chieftaincy titles, but these Ezes came together and brought out money to say this is a point of contact and made me the Ada-Igbo, the Esther of the Igbo. They gave me the money as a point of contact and prayed with me and I ministered to them. It is said that a prophet does not have honour in his land, but being the Ada eji eje mba 1 of Igbo land, I think my people deeply appreciate me. For instance, none of the kingdoms where these Ezes come from will do anything without calling me and there are occasions I go abroad to represent them.

Our leader, Eze Okoro
He has been the one that God has been using, this is the fourth convocation. It is a yearly event, but we still go out to other kingdoms like the one in Ekiti state, it is all about those who have believed in God and those who are ready to relinquish fetish things in their kingdoms. Like this Osu thing has been abolished by a good number of the Ezes.
Possibility of abolishing the Osu cast system in Igbo land
Yes, it is like the Eze that came out yesterday weeping, he said … in fact, when he was talking somebody asked a question, do you think the people will not be afraid of this and he said that he would help the Osus to come and marry his own children, he said that he would bring some of the Osus to his palace. That is what people are doing now, if you don’t have a daughter that they can marry, you allow them to marry from elsewhere. You’re to be the example, they have seen from the scripture that God did not call anybody an outcast, there is nothing like an Osu with the coming of Jesus Christ, it might have happened in the old testament, but when Jesus Christ came He abolished the whole thing.

Igbo traditional rulers
The Igbo traditional rulers as I used to hear, the Igbo do not have kings, no, the Igbo have kings, it is just that the Igbo do not appreciate their kings. You see, the average Igbo man is proud of himself, but we thank God that a lot of them are beginning to appreciate their kings. As I was telling them today in my topic for this convocation, “Avoid that hamper that will hamper your conscience and hamper your judgment.” When an Eze places himself where he ought to be, they will respect him, but when an Eze goes after money, collecting N10, N10, his worth will be gone. So, I believe when the Ezes live up to expectation, they will be given the recognition and the respect they deserve. I am married to the Yoruba land, the Yorubas appreciate their kings and I thank God the Igbos are beginning to appreciate their own kings now.

Our Enugu convocation
One beautiful thing we learnt here was that the Israeli government sent a delegation to come and join us, they identified with the Igbos as being part of them. If you see the regalia of the Eze Nri you find out that it has Israeli content in the fabric, we have a good number of us invited to Israel on yearly basis to meet with them, they recognised us, they said that we are the children of Gath that scattered all over he world and they had traced this to Nri in Ananmra State.
This is not the first time we are doing this convocation, like some of the people that came today and decided that they are going to abolish the Osu thing, they had it last year and some of them did it last year and some thought that they would die, but when these people came this year and discovered that the people who did it last year didn’t die they had to follow suit.

Relevance of the Ezes
When a pastor calls the people only those who believe in his faith would come, but when an Eze calls the people everybody will come. That is why it is important that in everything you want to do you pass through the Eze because God recognizes the Eze. God will speak to the prophet and say go and talk to the king. You see, the prophet, the Eze and the Prince and when these three are not working together the community cannot go on well. So, we use the Ezes to achieve more and that was why groups who had talked about this Osu thing could not achieve anything, but now that the Ezes are involved in it, we are getting results.
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THE IGBO RANT

I am an Igbo, I was born an Igbo, I live the life of an Igbo, I come from Igbo, I speak Igbo, I like to be Igbo, I like to dress in Igbo, I eat Igbo food, my heritage, culture and tradition is Igbo, my parents are Igbo.

Am sorry I cannot help it if you hate my lineage. Am sorry I cannot help it if you detest Igbo, am sorry I cannot help it if you hate me because am Igbo. Igbo is who I am, my name is Igbo and I must die an Igbo.

You see Igbo as a threat, why? You call Igbo rapist, criminals, ritualist, prostitutes, kidnappers. You attribute all negative vices to represent Igbo? Why do you do that? You do because you feel threatened that Igbo might outrun the rest of the tribes. Why do you hate Igbo and despise us? You do that because we are creative, enlightened, hardworking, industrious, genius, intelligent, smart, rich, beautiful and amazing. But its difficult for you to admit it because you feel jealous of my race.

Igbo do not own politics, Igbo do not control the economy neither do we control the natural resources and the common wealth of the nation. You do, we don't and yet, despite the fact that you own everything, we still remain one indispensable race that has outshined the other race in all ramifications.

You fear us because you want to exterminate and annihilate our race, you deny us many things and yet we are stronger, richer and mightier. You fear us because we are everywhere. You fear us because no matter how rural a place might be, when Igbo steps in, they turn it into a Paradise. We have our own resources, which lies in resourcefulness, we do not bother you and your control over the polity, but yet when we cough you and the other race begin to shiver.

Am proud being an Igbo, am proud of my heritage and culture. Igbo means high class, Igbo means independence, Igbo means hard work and strength, Igbo means riches, Igbo means resourcefulness, Igbo means self belonging, Igbo means self esteem, Igbo means pride, Igbo means swag.

Udo diri unu umunnem.
# IgboAmaka
# AnyiBuNdiMmeri

Michael Ezeaka
------------------------------

This is beautiful poetry ...

In response to Alaba Ajibola, the Babcock Lecturer Hate Speech against Igbos.

BIBLICAL TRADITIONS OF NDI IGBO BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES CAME TO AFRICA* IGBO 101.

1. NSÓ NWANYĮ
In Igboland women live apart from their husbands and neither cook for them nor enter their husband's quarters when they are in their period. They are seen as unclean. Even up till today such practice is still applicable in some parts of Igboland especially by the traditionalists. Before a woman can enter the palace of Obi of Onitsha, she will be asked if she is in her period, if yes, she will be asked to stay out.

Leviticus 15: 19-20
When a woman has her monthly period, she remains unclean, anyone who touches her or anything she has sat on becomes unclean.

2. ANA OBI
An Igbo man's ancestral heritage, called “Ana Obi” is not sellable, elders will not permit this. If this is somehow done due to the influence of the West the person is considered a fool and is ostracized by the community.

1 Kings 21:3
I inherited this vineyard from my ancestors, and the Lord forbid that I should sell it, said Naboth.

3. IKUCHI NWANYĮ
Igbos have practiced the taking of a late brother's wife into marriage after she had been widowed until the white men came. Now it is rarely done but except in very rural villages.

Deuteronomy 25:5
A widow of a dead man is not to be married outside the family; it is the duty of the dead man's brother to marry her.

4. ĮGBA ODIBO
In Igboland, there is a unique form of apprenticeship in which either a male family member or a community member will spend six (6) years (usually in their teens to their adulthood) working for another family. And on the seventh year, the head of the host household, who is usually the older man who brought the apprentice into his household, will establish (Igbo: idu uno) the apprentice
by either setting up a business for him or giving money or tools by which to make a living.

Exodus 21:2
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve you for six years. In the seventh year he is to be set free without having to pay you anything.

5. IRI JI OFŲŲ
In Igboland , the yam is very important as it is their staple crop. There are celebrations such as the New yam festival (Igbo: Iri Ji) which are held for the harvesting of the yam. New Yam festival (Igbo: Iri ji) is celebrated annually to secure a good harvest of the staple crop. In the olden days it is an abomination for one to eat a new harvest before the festival. It's a tradition that you give the gods of the land first as a thanksgiving.

Deuteronomy 16:9
Count 7 weeks from the time that you begin to harvest the crops, and celebrate the harvest festival to honor the lord your God, by bringing him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing he has given you. Celebrate in the Lord's presence together with your children, servants, foreigners. Be sure that you obey my command, said the Lord.

6. IBE UGWU
In Igboland it's a tradition that the male children are circumcised on the 8th day. This tradition is still practiced till date.

Leviticus 12:3
On the eighth day, the child shall be circumcised.

7. ÓMŲGWÓ
In Igboland, there is a practice known as "ile omugwo ". After a woman has given birth to a child, a very close and experienced relative of hers, in most cases her mother is required by tradition to come spend time with her and her husband. During which she is to do all the work of the wife, while the new mom's only assignment to the baby will be to breastfeed. This goes on for a month or more. In the Igbo old tradition, at this time, the new mom lives apart from her husband, would not cook or enter his quarters.

Leviticus 12:1-4
For seven days after a woman gives birth, she is ritually unclean as she is during her monthly period. It will be 33 days until she is ritually clean from the loss of blood; she is not to touch anything that is holy.

THE IGBO TRIBE AND ITS FEAR OF EXTINCTION

The Igbo tribe is in a serious problem and danger of extinction for the following reasons:

50% of Igbos are born outside Igbo land. Meaning that those children are not likely to live and work in Igbo land and cannot speak Igbo language but foreign language (Yoruba, Hausa, French, English).

40% of Igbos girls between the age of 25 & 45 are single with no hope of marriage because 35% of Igbo boys live overseas and they have all married white ladies.

75% of Igbo youths leave Igbo land every year in search of opportunities in Yoruba, Hausa land or overseas.

85 % of Igbos have family houses and own investments outside Igbo land. They strongly believe in one Nigeria but failed to know that NO Yoruba or Hausa man has a family house or investment in Igbo land.

Igbos are the only people who believe that living outside their land is an achievement.

Igbos are the only tribe that celebrate their tradition outside their land e.g. Eze Ndi Igbo, Igbo Village in America and this is because they have family homes in foreign lands.

Igbos have failed to know that the children you have outside Igbo land especially overseas will never think of living in Igbo land. So what happens to the properties you are building for them when you are gone?

Igbos are the only tribe who see their land as a place to visit or a tourist site than a place to work and live.

Igbos are the only tribe who instead of promoting and appreciating their culture through movies and documentaries they have sought to ridicule it by portraying rituals, killings, wickedness, love for money and other social vices which were not originally inherent in our culture thereby cursing more harm than actually promoting their culture.

Igbos are the only people who without hesitation believe their history and description when it is told or written by an enemy or a foreigner. E.g. that you do not love yourselves or that you love money.

Igbos are the ONLY largest tribe on earth who fought for their independence and failed to achieve their freedom after 40 years.

Igbos are the only tribe who fails to honour their brave heroes and heroines especially the innocent children starved to death during the Biafran war.

Igbos are the only tribe who embraced their enemy after a bloody civil war and subsequently become slaves.

Igbos do not find it necessary to teach their own version of history to their children.

Igbos fight for marginalisation in Nigeria but has no collective strength or teeth to bite.

Igbos how long are you going to fight for your relevance in Nigeria?

How long are you going to fight for a functional airport, rail networks and other structural establishments that underpin sustainable development?

How long are you prepared to wait for your enemy to guide you to your destiny?

Oh Igbos!
Where are your leaders?

Unfortunately, none of them live and work in Igbo land. If you wish to save the future of your children, your identity, your generation and your race then you need freedom and that freedom is Biafra.

Ukpana Okpoko gburu bu nti chiri ya!

By Chime Eze
#COPIED

The Igbo: We die for causes, not for personalities

Written by Emeka Maduewesi

~on fb. 28th September, 2016.


The Igbo will never die for anyone. We will not even riot for anyone. But the Igbo will die for any cause they believe in because the Igbo have a true sense of justice and a determination to obtain it.


The Igbo will not riot because one of their own lost an election. Operation Wetie was the Western response to a massively rigged 1965 election. The Yoruba doused fellow Yorubas in petrol and burnt them alife. Properties were burnt with occupants. The Igbo will never do this.


In 1983, the Yoruba went on a rampage again over the massive rigging by NPN. Lifes were lost and properties destroyed. The riots were over personalities.


Contrast that with Anambra State where Chief Emeka Ojukwu was rigged out by his own NPN, who also rigged out Chief Jim Nwobodo. The Igbo did not protest because the goat's head is still in the goat's bag.


In the North, ba muso was the battle cry when Sultan Dasuki was imposed on the Sokoto Caliphate. The riot and protest lasted for days and crippled economic activities.


The Igbo will riot over issues and causes. The Aba Women Riot was over Tax. The Enugu coal mine riot was about conditions of service. The Ekumeku Uprising was over British colonialization.


Those of "Ekumeku" ancestry - Umu Eze Chima and Umu Nri - were at the forefront of the struggles for Nigerian independence, with people like Dr. A A Nwafor Orizu and Chief Osita Agwuna serving prison terms. Any struggles the parents could not conclude is continued by the children by other means.


The Biafran war was a response to the genocide. The war in fact was brought upon us. The battlefield was Eastern Region. The war ended in 1970 but the issues and causes were not resolved. That is where we are today.


The Igbo will also jointly rise to fight evil in their midst. They did it in Onitsha in the 1980's, Owerri in the 90's, and with Bakkassi in the 2000.


The Igbo will not die for any man. But the Igbo will stand by any man who symbolizes their cause and their pursuit of justice. Even if the man dies, the struggle continues, and like the Ekumeku warriors, the children will pick up the baton from their parents.


This is the Igbo I know, the Igbo I am, and the Igbo we are. This is my story. Feel free to tell yours.

RT. HON. DR. NNAMDI AZIKIWE TO DR. CHUBA OKADIGBO (1981)

"My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to a dizzy height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May you be acknowledged world-wide as you rise as an eagle atop trees, float among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men.... as leaders of all countries pour into Nigeria to breathe into her ear.

But then, Chuba, if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men of the world, as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as you see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand snatch it away from you. Just as you look forward to hosting the world’s most powerful leader and shaking his hands, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head fall off your shoulders.

None of my words will come to pass, Chuba, until you have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then you will be hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and your name in tatters forever...”
THE REST IS HISTORY AS EVERY WORD OF THE CURSE ON CHUBA CAME TO PASS.

LET'S BE AS PASSIONATE AS WE WANT TO AND BE MODERATE IN OUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION TO ISSUES AS WORDS OF OUR ELDERS ARE WORDS OF WISDOM

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