Last week, prominent Igbo intelligentsia, traditional rulers and others converged on the Igbozurume Unity Centre in Enugu State.The gathering was on the invitation of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), which staged an inaugural conference and presentation of a book: “Igbo Nation: History & Challenges of Rebirth and Development” to the public.
Before noon when the programme started, renowned traditional rulers in Igbo land had taken their seats. They included the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; the Omu of Anioma, Obi Igwe Martha Dunkwu; Eze Nri, Igwe Obidiegwu Onyesor; Chairman of Enugu Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzo; Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, who was represented by Prof Okoro Ijeoma; Igwe Martins Eze, Idu of Igboukwu; and Sir (Dr) Chris Ogakwu, Okwuluora 111 of Udi Ancient Kingdom.As the kings radiated in their regalia and traditional ornaments, one of them stood out, Omu of Anioma, Obi Igwe Martha Dunkwu, the only female traditional ruler among them.
Igwe Dunkwu had come with a retinue of her palace assistants, wearing the red cap with feather like her male colleagues. In no time she showed the good stuff she was made of when she spoke after the Obi of Onitsha, showing her intelligence and no doubt a first-class traditional ruler.
She looked into the history of the Omu, the crowning of a woman traditional ruler, saying that it was good for the Igbo tradition. Obi Dunkwu agreed that the world is a man’s world, but pointed out that men are like fire and women, water, making it imperative that women should be around to calm down the men.
She, therefore, begged that more women should be crowned Omu in Igbo land. She called on the Igbo to close ranks to speak in one voice, saying that the Igbo house as currently constituted is leaking and needs to be rebuilt.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com..Indeed, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof E.A.C. Nwanze, had looked at the role of Omuship in the development of Anioma during the special new yam festival of Obi Igwe Dunkwu and her third coronation anniversary and said:“Traditionally, the Anioma society is a patriarchy, which has developed various mechanisms to ameliorate male dominance. Yet, the Anioma society has traditionally set up the Omu, an exclusive female institution to cater for the interest and welfare of the women folk among Anioma people of Delta State.“The concept of Omu seems to have been derived from the idea of ‘mu’ or ‘mua’, that is, give birth. It is associated with the palm frond of the palm tree called ‘omu’ a very powerful symbol of womanhood. In the Igbo cosmology, the palm tree is female while its fronds connote fertility and life, just as yam is a male symbol. In an ancient Nri myth, yam is a male symbolism and palm tree as female symbolism.“These symbols were propagated among the Anioma and Oshimili people of Anioma by early Nri immigrants whose culture still dominates these areas. Nri settlements occurred in Obior, Ogwashi, Ibusa-Ogboli, Asaba, Okpanam, Issele-Uku, Ishi-agu, Illah and Akwukwu culture between AD 1200 and 1914. It is, therefore, consistent with the logic of the culture for a woman’s institution to be named Omu and given the same role in both areas with or without monarchy.”
Nwanze explained that the Omu institution was a cult-like organization of mature women, headed by the Omu title holder, that serves as the mechanism for participation in the governance of women in some communities located in the present Ndokwa, Ika-Oshimili and Anocha local government areas. He noted that while its organization differs from town, its roles and functions are quite similar in all societies in the area.
Thus at the conference, other Igbo women associations were excited to see Obi Igwe Dunkwu. Mrs Maria Okwor who led the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), and the president of Umuada Igbo in Nigeria and the Diaspora, Lolo (Dr) Kate Offor could not hide their joy in seeing the Obi Igwe, so also were other women at the conference and book presentation.
Obi Igwe Dunkwu later donated a parcel of land in her kingdom to ADF, which the president of ADF, Prof T. Uzodinma Nwala said was highly commendable. He said that the conference and book presentation were huge success and thanked the Igbo leaders who came from far and near to grace the occasion.
He said that his group was reaching out to all Igbo in the South-East states, as well as those in the Igbo-speaking states of Delta, Rivers and beyond.
Looking at the new book, he said: “Igbo Nation: History and Challenges of Rebirth and Development” recalls the past not with bitterness but with greater determination and confidence in their future, given their God-given endowment.” He said the book was a wake-up call to Ndigbo wherever they may be:
“Alaigbo Development Foundation is fully conscious of the challenges ahead. The most important thing is for Ndigbo to be conscious of their history and their situation both in Nigeria and in the world. That we believe the two-volume publication we are presenting today has done a lot to set the stage for a higher Igbo national consciousness.”
Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of ADF, Dr Dozie Ikedife, said: “We did not set out to write a book. Principally, we set out to do a self-examination which is an important exercise for any conscious organism. We set out to draw circles of inclusions, to reach out to our neighbours and friends with the spirit of co-operation and good neighbourliness.
“We set out to look back, look around and look forward in the honest belief that it is our duty so to do, and that the best advice is self-given. We set out not to compete with any group, replace any group, but to complement some of the existing Igbo organisations.”
Ikedife, who was a one-time Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, said they believed that it was for everybody in the task of rebuilding the Igbo heart and highlighting the positive side of the Igbo person, the Igbo spirit and the Igbo image.
Chairman at the occasion, Obi of Onitsha, who was assisted by the Obi Igwe Dunkwu, thanked the ADF for writing the book, saying that it has exposed to the world the Igbo predicaments.
Igwe Achebe noted that the need for the progress of the Igbo nation has been in the front burner in the region since the days of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
He observed that the Igbo had developed great ideas, urging the conference to now put those ideas into action.
Other prominent Igbo leaders who attended the conference and book presentation included: the presidential candidate of UPP, Chief Chekwas Okorie; Ohanaeze Ndigbo Secretary General, Dr Joe Nworgu; Imo State University Vice Chancellor, Prof Ukachukwu Awuzia; Elder Kalu Uke Kalu; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa who reviewed the book; Dr Kalu Idika Kalu; former NOA Chairman and ADF Vice President, Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi; ADF Secretary, Prof Nath Aniekwu; Methodist Archbishop and Most Rev C.N. Ede; Dr Chinweizu.
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