From Maurice Okafor, Enugu.
A socio non political pressure group known as ‘Nzuko Ozo Ndigbo’has extolled the sanctity of Igbo culture,canvassing for it’s restoration as a measure of advancing socio economic and political development of Igbo land and Nigeria as a nation.
The group which comprises of both the academia,business men,the political class,traditionalists etc,lamented that several maladies such as ritual killings,improper dressing,stealing by trick etc currently rampant in our society are alien to Igbo culture which sticks on Truth,justice, honesty and hard work.
They promised to re invent certain Igbo cultural practises consumed by cultural imperialism aftermath of British colonisation of Igbo land.
Some members of Nzuko Ozo Ndigbo’ dropped this hints in their respective speeches delivered at the ‘2023 Iguaro Ndigbo’ public lecture on Igbo Calendar,captioned,
“Iguaro Ndi Igbo and its relevance in Cultural and Socio-Political life of Ndigbo in Nigeria and the World”,held at Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.
Speaking,Chairman of the event, Mr Pat Ezeagwu, said it has become imperative to revive Igbo culture and to create its awareness among the youths.
He lamented the eroding of Igbo culture by colonial administration however that the Georgian Calendar introduced by the Whites shares some similarities and difference with the original Igbo calendar.
He stressed that British calendar contains 12 months and seven days in a week why the Igbo calendar has four days(Izu) comprising Eke, Orie, Afo and Nkwo.
He stated, “As people rest on Sunday is the way Igbo people originally rest on Eke day.if you are a good farmer, you do not joke with Eke day”.
The chairman added that Igbo calendar has 28 days and there was nothing in Georgian calendar that was not in Igbo calendar,the white only cheated us by imposing their own culture in us”.
In his own speech, the National President of Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo in Nigeria, Prof. Ike Oluka, described the group as non-political, non-profit and apex socio cultural organisation of Ozo title holders in Nigeria.
According to him, Ozo is the highest Igbo traditional title outside the traditional ruler- Igwe or Eze, which served as means of social and economic qualification of who is who.
“They ensure peace, sees that taboo and abomination -Nsoala was not committed by standing on the part of truth all the time,” he said.
Oluka explained that Igbo tradition had traditional calendar unlike Georgian Calendar that had an unequal based months.
“Some have 28, 29, 30 and 31 days in a month and 365, 366 in a year but Igbo lunar calendar has four days of native week, seven weeks of 28 days that make a month and 13 months of equal number that make a year of 364 days.
“Our calendar shares resemblance with Chinese and Jewish calendars and our ancestors led by Nri was able to calibrate on the movement of stars for their daily, weekly and yearly activities without mistake,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Monsignor Christian Anieke while noting that no human being existed without culture or identity, said culture shaped and directed people.
He said that culture was as important as one’s life, adding that there was need for Igbos to go back and retrace their roots.
“They should go back to those Igbo stories of Mbe- tortoise and his wisdom, the same ideology, that makes Igbo people unique and wise,” he said.
The keynote speaker, Prince Chukwuemeka Onyesoh from Nri in Anambra, noted that it was absolutely wrong to say that Igbos had no cultural history and were not civilized before the coming of whitemen.
He said the problem were created partly by the colonial masters, missionaries and substantially by the politicians.
Onyesoh said,’The apparent misrepresentation of Igbo culture by Nigerian scholars has been a major concern to me over the years”.
He added that Igbos had organised kingdom, culture and kingship before colonisation and before many kingdoms in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Chairman, Planning Committee of 2023 Iguaro Ndi Igbo, Dr Alex Ogbonnia emphasized the need for all Igbos to join hand to take their culture to the highest height.
He said idea of the group was to teach the younger generation on the need to uphold and promote their culture.
Ogbonnia insisted that Ndigbo must identify with their roots and uphold those cultural values they were known for and ensure they do not go into extinction.
He commended the participants for finding time to attend the programme, stressing that the group would continue to organise such event that sustain and promote Igbo culture.
