The Nation Newspaper

Tag: origin

  • Origin, relevance of Ikeji festival

    Ikeji Festival, which takes place in Arondizuogu in Imo State, is believed to have as many as four versions of its origin. The first version talks of how a warrior named Dikeji from Arondizuogu conquered a village and made it compulsory for the defeated ruler to pay him tributes. The tributes stopped coming after some time, which made Dikeji to return to that village and behead the king. He took the head back to his home town where the event was celebrated as Ikeji Ugwo.

    The second version talks of another individual named Izuogu, who is the founder of Arondizuogu. He went to Arochukwu where he was kidnapped. He was fortunate to be saved by three masked figures believed to have come from Abam. Upon gaining his freedom, Izuogu led a celebration that was initially regarded as Jim Aga.

    The third version is a bit odd as it is connected to the slave trade. The Aro people always had the Omu charm to protect them, so they were never afraid of being captured as slaves. In a scenario where they were captured without their Omu charm, all they had to do was utter the words “Aka Ike Jim” meaning, strong hands are holding me, and the slave masters will release them in fear of incurring the wrath of the famous “Juju” of Arochukwu. The cultural celebration began as a commemoration of the Aros killed during the slave trade.

    The last version asserted that the festival is connected to the new yam festival. Yam is very important to the Ikeji festival. In the ancient Arondizuogu society, only men are allowed to plant yams. The Aros take some of their names and tittles after yam.

    Such names are as follow:-Ugoji- the eagle yam, -Ezeji- the king yam, -Ikeji- the strong yam, -Umeji- the loveth yam, -Oparaji- the son of yam.

    Ikeji Festival holds annually in April and it sometimes coincides with the Easter celebration. The Ikeji festival spans four days with the celebration used as a time for thanksgiving, felicitations and propitiation as the festival marks both the end of planting season and the beginning of harvest. The celebration is filled with masquerades with much music and dancing. Each of the four designated days has special activities. On the first day known as “Eke”, the best farm produce is brought to the Eke market, where they are sold off to the public at a very cheap price. The second day is called “Orie”, slaughtering of livestock and feasting is the order of the day. “Afor” being the third day will see the masquerades come out to display with several dance groups joining them. The fourth day, “Nkwo” is the grand finale of the festival. The big masquerade, Nnekwu Nmanwu, makes its appearance, dancing with regal steps to the sounds of Nkwa Egwu.

    Nkwo-Achi, which is the center of the whole celebration, witnesses dances, magical displays that defy the laws of science and nature. How efficient your charm is will be known on that day as they are tested out. The main “juju” contest involves the loosening of a ram tied to a post by a piece of string, which the ram ordinarily could easy break away from, but unable to. Other people are now given the challenge to untie the ram and only the most powerful of charm can accomplish such a mission. The eventual winner takes the ram home as his prize.

    If you have visited Imo State and you haven’t witnessed the Ikeji Festival, then you need to visit again with the sole purpose of witnessing the amazing cultural celebration. If you have witnessed or partakn in it before, share with the experience.

     

  • Ex-NIALS DG: de-emphasise state of origin, indigeneship

    A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN), has urged the National Assembly to expunge laws that divide Nigerians on the basis of state of origin or indigene.

    According to him, Nigeria is at a critical stage in its evolution and must protect itself against hate speeches, militancy and separatist movements threatening its existence.

    He spoke in Abuja at the weekend, while announcing plans for the November 13 launch of his foundation  at the ShehuYar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

    The foundation, he noted, will promote the stability, peace and unity of the country through ideas and policies that de-emphasise nepotism, tribalism and ethnicism.

    Azinge suggested that the country would become better integrated by eradicating laws that do little to unify Nigerians.

    The launch, he said, will feature the presentation of some law publications and awards to detribalised Nigerians, whose actions help to promote the country’s unity.

    Azinge, who recalled his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year in Maiduguri, Borno State, said the level of distrust among Nigerians was higher than ever.

    He called for deliberate measures by political leaders, to encourage inclusiveness.

    He said: “It is the position of our foundation that all these are indicative of the fact that we are still holding on to some of the primordial sentiments of tribalism, ethnicity, amongst others.

    “There was a time was when the fear was religious bigotry and related issues. Now it is: ‘where are you from? Who are you?, amongst others.

    “We should be thinking seriously about amending our Constitution so that we should deemphasise the state of origin aspect of it.

    “And the issue of citizenship in Nigeria should be so centralised in such a way that indigeneity will take a back seat. We have to promote citizenship, truly from the national perspective.”

    Azinge said if the country is able to do that, “it will help us a lot in achieving national integration that is centered on detribalisation. Constitutionally, these are things we need to be thinking of.

    “The idea of residency permit should be abolished. Once you have lived in a part of the country for a certain number of years, you should not be asked again to identify where you belong.”

    He warned that “Once we keep accepting some of those divisive things, even constitutionally and legally, then we will find out that we can never get out of this quagmire.

    “But, again, our people should be open-minded enough to know that we are all one. It is the same blood. What we are doing to ourselves is not different from where blacks are suffering from racism in those part of the world where such is still practiced.

    “So, if we say no to racism, we should also say no to tribalism. That is the truth of the matter. Anybody, who can say no to racism, must say no to tribalism”.

     

  • Atiku: state of residence should replace state of origin

    Atiku: state of residence should replace state of origin

    Former Vice President and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Atiku Abubakar has asked the National Assembly to replace state of origin with state of residency in the ongoing constitutional amendment as a way of addressing hate speeches and other quit notice on Nigerians in their places of residence.

    In a statement entitled: “An eye for an eye will leave Nigeria blind”, the former vice president condemned the quit notice by a coalition of Niger Delta agitators on northerners and Yoruba in the Niger Delta region to vacate the area.

    He, however, hailed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for sanctioning radio stations that aired the anti-Igbo song and embarking on broadcasting hate speeches.

    He said: “Again, it has sadly come to my attention that there has been a counter quit notice issued in reaction to the unfortunate initial notices issued by some misguided youths in July of this year.

    “Just as I strongly condemned the quit notice on people of the Igbo ethnic stock living in Northern Nigeria and the counter quit notices that ensued, I also vehemently condemn the retaliatory quit notice given by certain elements in other parts of Nigeria to persons of other origins – be they Northern, Yoruba or any other ethnic grouping within our nation.

    “First and foremost, it is a fallacy to believe that there are people of Northern or Southern origin. Nigeria only has people of one origin. We are all of Nigerian origin and as Nigerians, we must be pragmatic enough to realise the obvious truth that an eye for an eye will leave Nigeria blind.

    “Let me at this juncture remind these ‘quit noticers’ that when brothers fight to the death over a domestic dispute, it is their neighbours that eventually end up inheriting their father’s property.”

  • Senator submits bill for abolition of State of Origin

    Senator submits bill for abolition of State of Origin

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Dino Melaye, yesterday disclosed that he had submitted a bill for the abolition of State of Origin.

     Melaye said this in Abuja at the unveiling of the 18th anniversary logo of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN).

     He said  there should be State of Residence, adding that Nigerians should be united in everything instead of victimizing one another.

     The lawmaker disclosed that the PCN had performed to the admiration of the National Assembly hence the need to support the organization.

     He said the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, had assured him that the third reading of the PCN bill in the Senate will be slated soon.

     His words: “I have submitted a bill for the abolition of State of Origin. We are one united indivisible people in this country. We do not need State of Origin. Instead of State of Origin, we should have State of Residence. Where ever you reside is your state. For example, Emeka can become governor of Kano State; Oluwole can decide to become the governor of Borno State and Abudul Malik can become the governor of Edo State. That is the Nigeria of our dream and that is for the youths to actualize.

    “The PCN has demonstrated service in your labour for Nigeria in the last 18 years. I acknowledge that you are a very responsible organization and you have done well. I want to encourage you to press on and you will continue to enjoy the support of Nigerians like myself. And  the Senate President sent his support and encouragement.

     ”He has assured me that the third reading of the bill in the Senate will be slated soon and I want to assure you that it has been passed in the House of Representatives and I will personally supervise the concurrent in the Senate.  I appreciate the Ministry of Youths and Sports for its supervisory role and encouragement.

     ”I charge the Nigerian youths to shun violence; they are yet to discover their strength. This country is yours. Youths need attitudinal change.”

     The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, said government would continue to support the PCN and urged the organization to keep up the good work.

  • An attempt at the true origin of the West African peoples

    An attempt at the true origin of the West African peoples

    Title: Exposition: The Hebrew Origin of The West African Peoples
    Author:Olalekan Abiola-Kushehin
    Publisher: Liberal Consults
    No. of Pages: 109
    Year of Publication: 2014
    Reviewer: Gboyega Alaka

    Are you one of those who have been wondering about the true origin of the West African peoples? Better still, do you wonder about the amazing resemblance in languages, cultures and the possible relationship between tribes like the Ewe, Yoruba, Idoma, Akan, Igala, Edo, Igbo, Nupe, Aku, Efik, Ga, Ibibion, Urhobo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Fon, Itsekiri, Tiv and co?

    Then the book, EXPOSITION: The Hebrew Origin of The West African Peoples, written by Olalekan Abiola-Kushehin may just come handy. Abiola-Kushehin, a widely travelled pastor at the Good News Baptist Church, Surulere, Lagos who has spent a good length of time in Isreal encountered similarities in the culture and languages of West African tribes, which he found too striking to be mere coincidence, prompting a further research that finally culminated in the book, EXPOSITION.

    According to the author in the preface, EXPOSITION is a book written for one vital, though quickly forgotten reason: to create the necessary awareness amongst the people of West Africa of their Hebrew origin, and the need for all to return to God….The book is written out of the burden I have to actually search for the true origin of my people. There are three angles I have looked at in the realisation of my goal: Religious, Cultural and Linguistic geography.”

    The 12-chapter book starts with Return To God, where the author sought to establish that the fall of man is a consequence of his disobedience to God. In page 4, he pointed out that slavery is one of the ways God punished his people, talking about the Hebrews, who transgressed.

    “This same slavery is the chief reason why we lost touch with our Abrahamic origin- talking about Africans, leading us into various strange land. It also continued, when we as Africans now, were taken away to the Americas and Europe for all forms of labour.”

    In “The Sin of Idolatary: A Justification (Chapter 2), he tries to show that “It is not man that holds man captivity in all cases, but the sin of man.” he cited the captivity of Isreal in 586 BC as an example where they were severally warned through several prophets, before His wrath fell on them. In the same vein, he said Nebuchadnezzar was also fulfilling God’s plan; same for the Roman invasion led by Gen. Pompey in 63 BC; the Jewish revolt against the Roman rule, which ultimately led to a massive destruction of Jerusalem and a further plundering of the Jews; right through to the most recent in history, when 6million Jews were reportedly massacred by Hitler’s Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. Never mind the fact that even Hitler himself was later confirmed to be a Jew through a DNA conducted on his cousin years later.

    He also debunked the theory that the enslavement of the West African people has  direct link with the Hamitic curse in the bible and the British physician, C. G. Seligman Hamitic hypothesis that the sub-Saharan Africans never developed a civilisation, citing the Nok culture that dates back to 1000BC and the Ife Bronze and Terra-cotta.

    Immigration and a Peoples’ Language (Chapter 3) tries to link the history of West Africans, citing how the Yoruba, who claim to be from Saudi Arabia and actually only passed through the Arabian peninsula in the course of their sojourn like several other Jewish tribes, leaving residues as they travelled and spread across the African continent; picking bits of languages and cultures.

    Quoting Dr. Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, an eminent Historian and Igbo Scholar, he cited the similarities in vocabularies amongst the Igbo, Edo, Yoruba, Igede, Idoma, Nupe and Igbira with words like biwa nibi, bia neba, meaning ‘come here.’

    ‘Isreal to Nigeria’ (Chapter 4), traces Oduduwa’s root as a prince of Juba (Judah), who actually came to join his people who had come ahead of him and settled in Ile-Ife after the 70 AD attack on the Jews. He debunks the theory of their Mecca origin saying “the Yoruba are not Semitic Arabs but Semitic Jews, judging from the Yoruba traditional religion of Ifa, which is Judeo-Christian in practice.” He also said that if they are indeed bonafide Arabs, the story of them being driven out of the Arab peninsula would never have arisen.

    Chapter 5 talks about culture and tradition and the fact that it is a way of life of a people that is hardly dropped. He uses cases like circumcision, which is a covenant known only to Abraham and his descendants, linking it with how the Yoruba and Igbo (page 37) have religiously comply with this 8th day culture from years immemorial; same for naming, reverence for twin children, bowing as a sign of respect, animal slaughter, endogamy and talent and love for music.

    He went further in chapter 6 to debunk the autochthonous myth of Ile-Ife as the origin of creation, saying this was the outcome of the peoples falling out of favour with their God and having to regenerate themselves over centuries and settlements.

    In page 45, he said “Around a thousand years ago, Ile-Ife was a fortified city like Jerusalem,” concluding therefore that “it is my opinion that Ile-Ife is merely a cognate of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire where the people from the Northern Kingdom of Isreal were taken captive in 743 BC .

    On page 52, he also alludes that Ile-Ife was the spread out point for all the West African tribes that eventually emerged in the sub-region and that it was Oduduwa who gave the Igbos (who actually arrived Ile-Ife first before spreading out) the name Igbo (awon ara igbo, meaning people of the forest, since they resided in the deeper side of the forest).

    In chapter 7, he says “Ifa is referred to as an Oracle, the Lord Jesus Christ who has being (sic) speaking to man since creation… a divine utterance to man, usually in answer to a request for guidance.”

    In page 64, he said, Orunmila, in Ifa is the same divine person as Jesus the Christ in the Christian scripture.”

    The author also dedicates a whole chapter (9) to Obatala, saying “Obatala is one of the numerous names of Jesus in Ifa traditional religion of the West Africa peoples. Other names are Ela, Orunmila, Orisa-nla, etc.

    Chapter 10 focuses on the vocabularies and a striking resemblance between words of Yoruba and West African origin and the Hebrew language.

  • Marriage: A divine origin

    Marriage: A divine origin

    Dear Reader,

    I welcome you again to this exciting week, in the presence of God. Last week, I taught on, Marriage: A Divine Origin. This week, I shall be discussing the topic: Companionship.

    In Proverbs 27:17 the Bible says: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

    In the first unveiling of the marriage bond, God said: It is not good for the man to be alone… (Genesis 2:18).  Eve was created as a companion for Adam and vice versa. The Hebrew word for “companion” expresses a close personal relationship. In marriage, a man and a woman are to become intimately united in body, purpose, thoughts, and goals -”one flesh”.

    The idea of partnership, companionship, the combination of husband-wife mind-power, a shared dream or vision should not be ignored, lest the union is impoverished.

    For instance, there are some decisions I would have taken that would not have profited me; but because I’m privileged to be married to my husband, a man of integrity, who is sincere and godly, those errors were avoided

    If your marriage begins with the clear understanding that companionship is a vital pillar of your relationship, then this concept becomes a powerful force which encourages a permanent bond.

    The secret behind good companionship is the rule of leaving and cleaving, which is an essential part of a marital union.

    However, there’s no way two pieces of iron can sharpen each other, except they both come together in contact. Thus, this provision only works when you are united as a couple.

    Friend, you can tap into the honour God has reserved for those united in purpose. But the problem with many families, and the reason nothing seems to be working, is that many times, both parties have not caught the same picture of their desires. They are not united in purpose, so they slow down their blessings from coming.

    You need to apply this spiritual principle of agreement, to see your dreams come true.

    The right place to begin from is a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. If you want to start this relationship right now, you can say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today, I am a sinner. I believe You died and rose on the third day for my sins. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today.

    Congratulations!  You are now born again! Till I come your way next time, please call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com; Tel.  No: 234-1-7747546-8; 07026385437; 07094254102

     

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all the Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work and Building a Successful Family.