By Ike Abonyi
“In the past people were born royal. Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do”-Gianni Versace
“Igwe” is an elevated position of Kingship in Igboland. It’s the official title for royal fathers in Igbo culture. It is supposed to be a well-regarded institution. You have to earn it to have it. That is why you cannot meet an Igwe and be seen standing erect to greet him. As you are yelling Igweeee your head is supposed to be bowing down as a mark of respect and reverence. Even if you are a titled person your hand shaking must be in a symbolic back slapping.
Rarely is an Igwe a short person physically because he is supposed to be taller than his subjects. These days the goal post shifts and short men can get to thrones because either their resources or contact are tall. But either way the message here is that Igweship is not an all comer’s affairs.
It’s against this background that Guinness Nigeria is seen as being on the right track last weekend when it brought in a foremost football legend, a French national ex star of Arsenal football Club of London, Thierry Henry to Lagos Nigeria to be crowned an Igwe.
What Guinness did was very symbolic. They were merely trying to embody what Nigeria football fans especially supporters of Arsenal identified in the playing days of the now Chief Henry. He was the arrow head of the Arsenal invisible team that played the league through the year without losing a match. A record Pep Guardalo and his boys are trying to break this year. When the fans pronounced him Igwe they were trying to position him properly where he belonged, up there, first among equals. I am actually a blues not a gunner but if you love football you can’t but admire Chief Henry as Arsenal point man in his days.
Why is this football matter an issue in a Political platform like Political Musing you may ask? It’s because of the lesson there in, the way and manner Henry was selected and recognized. He earned it by his performance. Guinness being a quality conscious company with an outstanding profile decided to recognize competence and extra ordinary hard work.
The fallout from it that actually informed it being discussed here today is to draw home the current disconnect in the selection and installation process of Igwes in Igboland.
The monarchical institution in Igboland is not as strong as it is in other areas ostensibly because of the republican nature of the people. The colonial masters who found royal fathers easy means of accessing and managing the people, tried in vain to use them in Igbo land but failed woefully. But it does not explain the continuous bastardization of traditional institutions in the area. By the social symbolic enthronement of Henry as the Igwe of football, it clearly pictures what Igweship should be to the people. It’s obvious that Henry did not only earn the status of being on top in the game but has continued to conduct himself with some dignity that the elevated position demands.
In Igboland today, people with questionable characters have found their way into the position of Igwe. In most autonomous communities today the choice of Igwe and the struggle that accompany it have thorn towns apart. The money men with questionable image have suddenly found Igweship as an easy platform either to launder themselves or to continue leveraging their illicit trade.
The political leaders themselves have not helped matters as they try to demonize royal fathers not found to be sympathetic to their ambition, just as the royal fathers on the other hand have continued to draw the blood by openly showing political bias even when the rule demands absolute neutrality from them. As a result of all these, in the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo there are over 1000 traditional rulers not to add the notorious EzeIgbos titles in various part of the country and in diaspora yet the culture is dying because there is nothing royal or traditional on persons being picked.
The state Houses of Assembly in these various Igbo states instead of legislating a uniform standardized requirement in their various states for the selection of this very important catalyst for development have instead allowed the various communities to write and rewrite their laws at will depending on the interests at a time.
In view of this, commendation must go to the Governor of Enugu state, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi whose intervention saved situation in one of the communities in my town, Obollo Eke autonomous community where a retired Director in a federal establishment and Quantity Surveyor by profession Elder Onwuka John Nwodo was crowned the Igwe. The elites of the community had chosen the highly respected community leader Nwodo but some nonentities with no clear basic education brought in money wanting to place the position for the highest bidder.
The message here is that Igweship in Igboland should not be for the highest bidder but for the person with credible and enviable reputation who would have some moral impact to make on the youths and children in the area. A person who should be able to galvanize the community for development. I therefore congratulate Igwe Nwodo, Chief Henry and Guinness for giving Igweship the status it deserves.
Looking like Christmas
In four days’ time Christendom worldwide will be celebrating one of the biggest feasts in planet earth, the birthday of the Son of God, Jesus, the Emmanuel. This year’s is the third Christmas under the reign of All Progressives Congress APC led by General Muhammedu Buhari. We all know what has been going on in this country in the last 31 months so there is really nothing to add but wish everybody merry Christmas with this penetrating message from the occupant of the Chair of Saint Peter the rock upon whom the Church was established, Pope Francis on how we should celebrate the feast. Happy Christmas to you great admirers and readers of Political Musing.
Christmas is usually a noisy party: we could use a bit of silence, to hear the voice of Love.” Christmas is you, when you decide to be born again each day and let God into your soul. The Christmas pine is you, when you resist vigorous winds and difficulties of life. The Christmas decorations are you, when your virtues are colors that adorn your life. The Christmas bell is you, when you call, gather and seek to unite. You are also a Christmas light, when you illuminate with your life the path of others with kindness, patience, joy and generosity. The Christmas angels are you, when you sing to the world a message of peace, justice and love. The Christmas star is you, when you lead someone to meet the Lord. You are also the wise men, when you give the best you have no matter who. Christmas music is you when you conquer the harmony within you. The Christmas gift is you, when you are truly friend and brother of every human being. The Christmas card is you, when kindness is written in your hands. The Christmas greeting is you, when you forgive and reestablish peace, even when you suffer. The Christmas dinner is you, when you sated bread and hope to the poor man who is by your side. You are, yes, Christmas night, when humble and conscious, you receive in the silence of the night the Savior of the world without noise or great celebrations; you are a smile of trust and tenderness, in the inner peace of a perennial Christmas that establishes the Kingdom within you. A very Merry Christmas for all those who look like Christmas.