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CHIEFTAINCY AND KINGSHIP TUSSLE IN IGBOLAND: A CASE STUDY OF OGIDI COMMUNITY ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA. (1904 -2010)

ABSTRACT

This research work centers on investigating the factors responsible for Chieftaincy and Kingship tussle with specific focus on Ogidi community of Anambra State of Nigeria. It was aimed at exploring the origin, the causes, the effects and the experiences people encountered during the period of the tussle. The work traces the origin of Igbo, the pre-colonial and colonial administration as well as the Igbo leadership after the British era. The Origin of Ogidi, introduction and administration of monarch. (Kingship) as well as the structure, power, qualification and mode of election into the office of the Igwe were discussed. Data for the work were collected using library research, employing both primary and secondary sources, and through oral interview, which was randomly selected within the scope of the study. The researcher personally went for the interview and established the content validity of the interview conducted. In the work also, the tussle itself, the situation as at the time of the research, the efforts to resolve the issue as well as the approaches for the reduction of the tussle were handled. Based on the observations, it was discovered that the causes of the tussle were the monopoly of the governing post and the imposition of the unwanted candidate.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Among the scholars especially the ethnologists and historians of Igbo history, the origin of Igbo people is still a subject of controversy. The reason borders on the fact that the main stages of evolution of Igbo history and culture are yet to be explored. Those who are vast in ethnographic and archaeological discoveries from which Igbo origin and history can be distilled are yet to be properly collected, collated, analyzed and interpreted.

As the origin of Igbo remains a vexed question among historians, the place of chieftaincy and kingship institution in Igbo leadership remains an enigmatic aspect of Igbo culture among scholars, some historians insisted that the Igbo had no kings- Igbo enwe eze, which implies that kingship, was alien to Igbo culture, introduced and nurtured by outsiders in pre-colonial settings. While some insist that kingship was and has been part of Igbo culture, Ezedigbo or Ezeadigo nurtured by Igbo autonomous values and principles. They are of the opinion that Igbo communities had kings or kingship at varying levels of development in the pre-colonial period, with accounts of origins, migrations, and settlements among the Igbo.

They assert that each community recognizes and appoints its own Eze who is usually an honest, wealthy heir in the town. In the East Central States like Anambra, Imo, Abia and Enugu, kingships is somewhat static. Kingship emerged in response to social and economic pressure in the various areas occupied by the Igbo. As community developed, the need for leadership whose jurisdiction went beyond their family or lineage units arose. The advent of British rule changed the system, legitimacy to kingship was no longer the affair of the respective communities but that of the Regional government headed by the European. Every selection, appointment, or election to kinship had to be ratified by the Regional government who also had to determine their pay. Because of this, the traditional ethical values which guided the activities of kings became increasingly neglected. The unit among the Igbo was bastardized by the colonialist that enthroned the aristocratic system of government in Igbo culture.

King or monarch, which is popularly called “Igwe” in Ogidi, is a phenomenon that came into being in the early part of nineteenth century. Before the establishment of Kingship in Ogidi in 1904, the four quarters that make up Ogidi namely Akanano, Uru, Ezinkwo, and Ikenga had Warrant Chiefs. These Warrant Chiefs (W.C) were called Ezeobodo. The Ezeobodo (Warrant Chiefs) acted as the village father and headed village meetings and occasions with the help of other titled-men. Their duties range from settling disputes among the sub-villages to resolving conflicts between his subjects. The Ogidi Community adopted the title “Igwe” based on 1976, 1991,and 1994 Anambra State Traditional Ruler Edict, signed into law by John Atom kpera, (Governor of old Anambra State with capital at Enugu), Joseph Abulu and Mike Attah, former Governors of Anambra State.

The Warrant Chiefs shouldered the responsibilities of their villages and established autonomous governance. The community was divided and each of them had the power to rule over the affairs of their respective quarters. This was where the principle of “divide and rule” emerged in Igbo culture. “Divide and Rule” which was introduced by the British colonialist who invented direct administration in Igbo culture through establishment of native court, derived her revenue from indirect taxation. This “Divide and Rule” system of nineteenth century saw the Igbo villages divided and grouped together and a British District Officer assigned to rule them. Ogidi as other Igbo before the advent of kingship were egalitarian in outlook. There was nothing like overall crowned leader. The whole villages meet in the village square to discuss and deliberate on matters affecting them. One person was heading the meeting. He was not to have prerogative power neither was he superior to other members in the meeting. Each community recognizes and appoints it own Warrant Chief (Ezeobodo) who was usually a democratically elected nationalist. When the colonial administration enthroned the rule of Kings, the system was changed, the centre could not hold any longer and things fell apart.

Again, the Ogidi community, apart from having Warrant Chiefs as their leaders, also had rulership systems of mmo (masquerades), alusi (deities) Age grade (Otu-ogbo) and titled elders (Ndi-ichie). Both Ibemesi (1995), and Obi (1996), agreed that the Ezeobodo supervised them and this continued until the emergence of British Colonial Administration that instituted Kingship stool in the community about 100 years ago. They assert that each community recognizes and appoints its own Eze who is usually an honest, wealthy heir in the town. This was bastardized by the colonials, which enthroned the aristocratic system of government in Igbo culture.

At the demise of Igwe Walter Amobi 1 in 1925, there was an interregnum in the Igweship system for 19 years, (1925 -1944). The interregnum lasted because Ogidi people refused to have repeated performance of the unbearable experiences they had with the first Traditional Ruler, Igwe Walter Amobi 1.

During the reign of Igwe Amobi 1 in 1904, the community experienced many horrible and excruciating situations because he was high-handed in his reign. Members of the community
were forced to carry heavy load, work and labour in Igwe’s compound and farmland once every lunar week (Izu) without any compensation, He married many women mostly from those who came to sweep the palace and snatched other peoples wives forcefully while other men donated their wives to Igwe so as to get Igwe’s recognition, societal appointment and employment to alleviate hunger and starvation rampaging the community then.

Whenever he attended the court in Ogidi, which was just a stone throw from his house, four men would carry him on a Hammoc, rather reminiscent of the way David Livingstone travelled in East Africa. He had a hand drawn cart for attending other courts. Later on he acquired cars to enable him get to the more distant courts in time. Indeed, he was a powerful monarch, very strong and influencial.

The Igwe’s decision was final. He was to be given the fattest yams in one’s barn, most vital parts of animal killed, collected large expense of land, received tax and was the only one living in well built and expensive house. He wielded sufficient influence both in Ogidi and many other neighbouring towns, which he galvanized together, and was ruling and imposing financial burden on them. There was a regrettable punishment to any one that faltered the orders of the Igwe and one of them was self-exile. Infact, the whole act was dehumanizing in nature.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Looking down the trend of historical event in Ogidi, one can easily observe that since monarchical government began in 1903 from the family of Amobi, it has not been ceded to any other family. Four members of Amobi family have uninterruptedly occupied the Igweship stool of the town without the interregnum years. The colonial government’s determination to perpetuate the traditional systems of administration became distasteful to the emergent Ogidi nationalists. With a few exceptions, most native authorities consisted of illiterate, conservative, and autocratic chiefs, who were either unwilling to move with the times or incapable of it. Therefore people needed to have a taste of another person’s ability in community democratic governance. Sometimes only the family members, friends, supporters and relatives of the incumbent rulers are advantaged and favoured during revenue allocation, educational opportunities, political representation, public service employment, political appointment, and chieftaincy coronation. The younger educated elements of the various communities were in most cases excluded from membership of the native authorities. Others are marginalized and unjustly maneuvered. Because the king has the mandate to rule, he exercises his absolute power to the people of the society. The office of Igwe is democratic, but because power has been allotted to that, it becomes obvious that such powers are abused especially in settling disputes, neglect of the
marginals and selecting successors and appointing those to be given titles. Other blatant injustices like levying the public, looting of the community treasury and the king living on the expense of the people became manifest and steers up quarrel and conflict in the town. Another problem is that anyone who refuses to accord the Igwe the above “rights” and “opportunities” will be fined in cash or kind and sometimes, both. Those who thwart or neglect the Igwe’s orders will be forced to self-exile with their families and those who are working directly under him will be forced to resign and their stipend terminated forthwith .In this way, a lot of people migrated and settled in the neighboring communities. Some who were driven away disgracefully did not return while few others have come back home. Although modernization and new wave of global learning and technological development have given rise to more maturity and excellence in governance and in change of certain cultural perception, the Igwe refuses to relinquish this office to other interested parties who can effect some credible changes in the community.

Again, because the community has been practising hereditary system of leadership, at the demise of the reigning king, his successor may be inexperienced, or have a questionable character, unlearned, and generally unaccepted. But because he is aware that the Igweship position will be inheritably relinquished to him, he does not border or rattle for it. This generates a lot of conflict from the people. The most common problem is that this situation has degenerated the tempo of community’s plan of development.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

One of the things the researcher will do is to look at the origin of Igbo, their system of leadership governance before and during the advent of British colonialist, their influence on Igbo culture and impact of the State Recognized Traditional Rulers in repositioning the kingship system in Igboland.

Secondly, to examine the matter bordering on kingship tussle with a view to providing some positive enlightenment that influences policy on the role of kings or Chiefs in the political transformation of contemporary Ogidi society. Furthermore, in the survey of moral, political and social significance or functions of kingship title in Ogidi, the researcher will investigate the causes, persistent and prevailing problem of kingship especially in Ogidi community. The researcher will also examine the factors that make people involve themselves in kingship and taking chieftaincy title. Finally, because of the duration of years this problem has lingered on, the work will highlight the tussle itself, situation now, efforts applied to get it resolved, and effects the chieftaincy and kingship tussle have brought on the people, the society and the cultural traditions and then proffer solutions on how the problem could be prevented or reduced.

1.4 Significance of the Study

In the respective Igbo communities, kings are always at the helm of affairs. They become the principal targets of social and political reforms. They carry out the government functions of policy making, adjudication of justice, execution of laws and defence of the state. Therefore the benefits to be derived from this study are in three-folds, which include.

(1) Identifying and proving the true position and function of kingship institution in the society. The kings realize that the power and authority given to them are for human and material development services. To ensure that the need of the people and society must be prioritized and prerogatized. The call to leadership is that of responsibility and that of a follower is obedient to the constituted authority.

(2) Making the people realize that conflict and tussle may not necessarily be the best way to resolving political and social issues. Sometimes when tussle arises it is always to the detriment of the entire society because, lives are lost, money and time are spent, above all properties and infrastructures are looted and destroyed as a result of violence, sometimes the people are always victimized. The developmental strides of the community are dangerously hampered. Issues are better resolved amicably than violently.

(3) Demonstrating that many communities are involved in this cultural dilemma, the case of the community under study will serve as an eye opener to others. They will see both the positive and negative effects of conflict and proffer solutions when their own case is still in an incubating stage. Lastly since this issue has to do with socio – economic and political lives of people, it will give more room for further investigation on the management and handling of Chieftaincy problems because the king, the people and the society are affected directly or indirectly.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This research work focuses on the effect-nexus of Chieftaincy and Kingship tussle with specific reference to Ogidi Community in Anambra State Nigeria. Although the Igbo concept of leadership and governance would be touched, major work of this research paper centres on the socio-political tussle in Ogidi, the situation now and efforts to resolve them.

1.6 Methodology

In view of the nature of this research work, the researcher made full and efficient use of both the primary and secondary sources and methods of data collection to achieve the purpose. Data was collected through: (a) oral interview, and (b) library research. For the primary method, oral interview was used through encounter with the randomly selected heads of the villages; kindred and quarters in Akanano, Uru, Ezinkwo and Ikenga were interviewed.

Secondly, in the secondary method the researcher used the official documents of Ogidi community like the chieftaincy constitution, the historical books of Ogidi and cultural modification of the town. Anambra State Edict of Traditional Rulers of 1991 and 1994 and official document from Anambra State Government Official gazette were also used.

Thirdly, the researcher made use of helpful and relevant literatures, journals and materials available. From both the primary and secondary sources of data collection, the analysis was based on the findings and reports obtained through the interviews and resource materials used.

The researcher observed that although one family had taken the leadership position of the community for a long period of years with socio-political achievements, there is need for the traditional leadership governance to be ceded to another citizen of the community. While on the other hand, documented materials dealing with the tussle in Ogidi make the kingship position contestable among the indigenes except the Ire quarters whose responsibility is to crown the elected king.