Every communication emanating from one organisation to another is expected to observe the formal protocols of respect and responsibility.
However, with two Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK & IRELAND chapters; one, a hybrid or made in England, and the other, an organisation based on culture, values, norms, practices and traditions of IGBO peoples of South Eastern Nigeria.
It is rather worrying to observe the ideals of consultations and respects according to our native laws and customs even in disputes, not being considered by the made in UK hybrid of Ohanaeze; and that's part of the points in the disagreement.
In the communication purported to have been written by Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO headquarters based in Enugu, Anambra State - Nigeria, and signed by one individual with many disrespectful remarks, it's obvious the elements of decorum and formal protocols of decent engagement or reconciliations have either been lost, broken or sacrificed on the alter of partisanship by the writer, Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.
The leaderships, members and stakeholders of Ohaneze NDI-IGBO in UK and Ireland (Authentic), are under attacks for defending the Igbo customs, culture and traditions against corruption, misrepresentation and abuses with the likes of the writer pretending to be more knowledgeable than any other Igbos in the United Kingdom, and around the world.
Is it really true traditionally, that Igbo women are the natural custodians and trustees of Igbo cultures and traditions over their husbands, and the entire men of Igboland?
When it appears that one and only one individual is the mastermind, jury and executors of a parochial project, whose approach appears to be both disrespectful, dubious and highly questionable, it's not the time to sit on the fence and just watch those without the least understanding of our norms, practices, cultural values and traditional rites, shouting and venting a chorus for destruction and desecration, and expecting a cowardly and timid Igbo people in the UK to comply. Money has its limits.
The fault of the elders they say, is seeing and not speaking; but for the youths, its speaking when nothing has happened.
Something terrible and troublesome is happening against Igbo cultural values, and it's time to address the matter squarely, if only to put a halt to the insensitivity and torrents of current cultural abuses aimed at dealing a fatal blow to a way of life that has preserved our people, NDI-IGBO, for millennia.
The midwives to these attacks, as led by Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, a harbinger for the overthrow of one of the worlds oldest, consistent and renowned cultures and traditions, and by his insistence that women instead of men, are custodians of Igbo cultures and traditions; the Igbo rites of inheritance is called into question in far away United Kingdom.
This situation is an anomaly. The Igbo cultural precedents are replete with countless instances and practices of hereditary transfers, family rules and orderliness, leadership ascensions, and to a large extent, where Igbo culture is at the vanguard for women's empowerment, enabling girls, sisters, daughters and wives with freedom, education and support to participate successfully in society, and to build their homes, families and communities, like no other nationalities in Nigeria and elsewhere.
Generally, Igbo culture prepares women extremely well for motherhood and support in their successful marital life in the strongest possible manner, but not as direct challenge to their husbands or bethroded families, or communities to which they're married. That's the conflict being instigated by Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.
A father does not prepare his daughter to overthrow her husband. That's a recipe for strife and unhappy relationships and the genesis of broken homes and many community’s anguish. A group of men without adequate knowledge of customs and traditions, decided to adopt a woman as leader of a titled and untitled groups of men and women of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO in the UK. Majority of the men of NDI-IGBO in the UK, has rejected and condemned in the strongest language possible, the unusual, unethical and a complete anathema to our cultural norms and practices of this action, with the annulment of Mrs Aqeen Ibeto's tenure. But she insists on discredited and jettisoned mandate.
The author went as far as contradicting himself when he posited and I quote, " A woman may provide, but neither can publicly present nor break the Igbo kola nut" Does that not disqualify Mrs Aqeen Ibeto, from presenting herself as the President of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO in UK, as the representative of the pan Igbo cultural organisation in UK, or anywhere in the world.
Does it also mean that a woman can now marry a man and pay a dowry, or carry a pair of testicles in her hand bag, just incase a Kolanut could be presented, in which case her inability to either carry out the traditional blessings and rites of kolanut presentation will be performed by any willing man or borrowed hands in their midst?
The assault on our cultures and traditions as NDI-IGBO is palpable, and highly disturbing, especially from those who claim to be highly educated, but never cultured enough to understand, neither practiced nor researched the tenets of Igbo cultures, or the efficacy or potency of what makes or constitutes Igbo culture and traditions in any measure or detail.
Women are empowered in IGBOLAND to hold and contest political offices, as in the cases of the enumerated lists of successful women Igbo politicians and public office holders; but the issue of the culture of a people can be dealt the last and terminal blow by a woman due to lack of knowledge or limited understanding of the rites of a chequered tradition. Education has nothing to do with it. It is what it is!
Could anyone point to one or more traditional stools, thrones of Royal Highnesses and traditional kingdoms, known or unknown today in Igboland, which is traditionally assigned to a woman as inheritance by culture and traditions from her parents or community. Not many, perhaps not one!
It regurgitates the old saying that, "When a man is tired and weak, he is further humiliated by a wrestling challenge from a woman" I doubt if IGBO men in the UK are ready to wrestle with women by such humiliations as of conceding the ownership, championship, trusteeship, nurturing and preservation of their cultures to Mrs Aqeen Ibeto. She does not really need to challenge Igbo men for the ownership or guardianship of Igbo cultures and traditions. This position of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO Presidency is off limits, and much beyond the nakedness of self ambition, as dictated by many ancestral rights.
The biblical injunctions; Ephesians 5 v 22-24. "A woman shall be under her husband. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands" This is both physical and spiritual law. What will Mr Ibeto be saying or doing while his wife asks him to be quiet in public, because she is now the head of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO? We won't be having this conversation if Mr Ibeto is the President of Ohaneze NDI-IGBO.
Gen 3.16: "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” This is not only cultural, but a spiritual injunction. Does Mrs Aqeen Ibeto or Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia pay any attention to these spiritual laws and necessities.
Since the inception of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO in Nigeria, how many women if any, have been voted or nominated as the President General of the pan Igbo cultural and traditional organisation called Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO anywhere in the world. Does it mean that women are not allowed to be members of the body?
The said meeting according to the report by Dr Ogbonnia, which held on January 29th 2022, and was attended by a cross section of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK members, he did not make available the list of attendees from the authentic membership of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK. It appears his communication is a paid advertisement from the hybrid Ohanaeze organisation run by Mrs Aqeen Ibeto.
In the items listed as number 11, and I quote; "It may be necessary to point out that Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, is the repository of Igbo spirit, conscience and traditional pantheon" If indeed Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO has those attributes and characteristics, how could Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, become complicit in the denial of spiritual norms and traditions, as to append his good name and stake his image and integrity in falsehood and bigotry, by actively negotiating for the corruption and demise of a prided and renowned Igbo culture and practices?
Our women are known to be very supportive, loyal and obedient to their men, not appearing to be wayward or reprobate. We respect Mrs Aqeen Ibeto for what she has achieved, but this particular office of President Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO is one where personal ambitions cannot truncate traditions. She needs to be introspective in this regard, and respect Igbo men in general, as the true custodians of Igbo culture and traditions.
Did you know that during the marriage between HRH, Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton, on Friday 19th April 2011, Prince William presented a wedding ring to his bride, but accepted none. It's their tradition. Such occurrences must allow for your interpretations and translations. The ownership of a stool is not to be contested, says even the British tradition. In Igboland, men are custodians of Igbo culture and traditions, not the women.
One last and final thing to remind this writer according to his report or assertion; if Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO is a spiritual pantheon by his admission, the men of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK and Ireland with spirituality and emotions, have the authority and capacity of making pronouncements of no mean consequence, in defence of their culture and traditions. We all know that Igbo culture and traditions are both life and spirit, with enormous ability for self justification and actualisation in "Offor n'ogu"
We may have gone out of Igboland, but Igboland has not gone out of most of us in the UK. We are still NDI-IGBO.
It's is very wrong and completely insensitive, bothering on lack of respect, wisdom and decorum, to insult or to label an army of decent and accomplished men and women of great character, love and repute for Igboland, who happens to be members of Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO as "renegade" lt is the height of denial of common sense and an affront to the truth by someone who should have known or acted better.
We in Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK, will at some point demand for a retraction of the insults, as well as a well worded apology for the lack of understanding. For now, IGBO traditions have natural laws and old landmarks that such letter of insults is not able to uproot or eliminate, as we strive to preserve and protect our rich cultural institutions from corruption and abuse.
The Ohanaeze NDI-IGBO UK & IRELAND which I belong to, is the authentic Igbo community representatives where our culture and traditions are cherished, respected and represented. Until then, our culture is not made in England. Let common sense prevail and the women respect their husbands!
Ndewo nu.
