DIAMOND JUBILEE AGE: 20 THINGS THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT FRED AJUDUA

 I want to be Remembered for my Truthfulness in Ibusa

-       Obi Adigwe Nweke, Diokpa of Umuekea  

As the inaugural Umuekea Diokpaship ceremony slated for July 8, 2023 draws near and traditional drums of the descendants of Ezemese and Madam Ekea, the Obosi matriarch from the present Anambra State are getting prepared to be rolled out, all eyes in Ibusa community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, will focus on Obi Adigwe Blacky Nweke, the celebrant. The traditional event will also put Umuekea, one of the largest quarters of the community in the media. Taking advantage of this development, Media Personality, EMEKA ESOGBUE (PEN MASTER) took on Obi Nweke who in this interview, bared his mind on several issues troubling the culture and tradition of the Ibusa people. In this interview, Obi Nweke speaks about his background, compares ancient and modern Ibusa life and evaluates the Obuzo institution. The Diokpa of Isieke and Umuekea, has gone further to discuss the indiscriminate and illegal sales of lands in the community, why the Ibusa judicial system is often by-passed by indigenes and proffers solutions on the way forward for the community. Excerpts:

Pen Master: Obi Igwe, Congratulations to you on your upcoming inauguration as the Diokpa of Umuekea. I am glad to have you in this interview. I am glad that our teeming readers will be availed the opportunity to read you on account of your age and the communal respect you enjoy in Ibusa community. Having said that, Obi, our readers will like to meet you.

Nweke: Thank you very much, my son, I am Obi Adigwe Nweke. I am from Isieke in Umuekea, Ibusa, Delta State. I am currently the oldest living man in Isieke and Umuekea and I thank God most sincerely for the gift of life. My son, help me to thank the Almighty God for giving me the opportunity to ascend this Diokpaship position of Umuekea.

Pen Master: Obi, we, your children thank God for the grace of God in your life. Can you tell us something about your father?

Nweke: My father was Obi Nweke from Ibusa. He was reputed for being an Ibusa man with good attitude. I could say that if his likes were privileged to have education, he would have been more knowledgeable than the likes of Azikiwe (Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe). My father was always invited every time important decisions were to be taken in the community to come and offer solutions.

Pen Master: Thank you for giving us an idea of the personality of your father. On July 8, you will be traditionally recognized as the Diokpa of Umuekea village of Ibusa. Already, your people are waiting. Obi, what should your subjects expect from your reign as your agenda?

Nweke: Your benefits will be joy. You will also benefit Okpalaship from your father (referring to himself), the one that the Ibusa people know to have the deep knowledge of leadership and also knowledge of culture and tradition of the land. For some of us, we are proud of our land of birth because there are many people today who cannot mention their parents in Ibusa for fear of ridicule. This is the reason a child should always remember who his parents are before behaving the way they do. I have told you that people will not hear the name, “Adigwe Nweke” and still go ahead to ask us, whose son we are.

Pen Master: Okay, by the special grace of God and by your recent age attainment, one can say that you saw a bit of the Ibusa of the past and now, you are in the present. What has really changed in comparison?

Nweke: Yes, the difference is that the life of the ancient Igbuzo has been greatly improved on. Now, my son, what medium, are we having this interview? This medium was not previously in existence. Are we not talking on the air now? There has been a great change. A lot has changed since the ancient days.

Pen Master: Obi, let us talk about the Ibusa traditional leadership, which I believe could arouse your interest. The people have seen the era of Senior Diokpaship. They have been under the Obuzoship as the prescribed authority. Looking at the antagonisms of the system in some quarters of the community and from some of the people since its adoption, one may be tempted to ask if the Ibusa people have not adjusted to the system.

Nweke: Well, money is one factor because whoever has money has pride. The other factor is lack of truthfulness. It is not an easy task. Our children have not allowed him. There are people who know more than their teachers despite the fact that the teacher teaches you as he teaches me. There are people who want to act like him but they cannot. This is why some people praise him while others condemn him. When you remember how the teacher taught everyone, you begin to wonder whether it is the same teacher that taught those that do not also know.

Pen Master: Okay, Recall that the Obuzo has been on the throne since 1995. Would you score the prescribed authority a pass mark in comparison with Diokpaship?

Nweke: (Interrupts) Good! In my opinion, his reign still carries the analysis of a people taught by the same teacher but some students are more knowledgeable than others. Majority are praising him for the quality of leadership and achievements made by him while majority are also condemning him. Those that condemn him are opposed to change. It has always been like this since the creation of the world and it will remain like this till the world comes to an end. Some will say he introduced change to the society, others will say he never introduced any change.

Pen Master: Obi, did your father share with you, the story of the origin of the Nweke dynasty of Isieke especially on the origin? The students of history of will like to know.

Nweke: Hmm! No, but I know my father. My father was Obi Nweke. My father’s first name was Nweke; Nweke, the son of Ajudua.

Pen Master: Okay, you are an Obi or Eze. Why is this important traditional institution dying in Ibusa unattended to?

Nweke: That is because of the tasking procedures of the life of the Obi. The society of the ancient Ibusa is different from what we have today. Many will not want to live the life of an Obi. This is why it is looking like the institution is dying in Ibusa but it will not die because we have it already. Well, it is now a matter of if you can follow the rules guiding this traditional strata, you become initiated.

Pen Master: …all the same, should reforms be introduced to make the institution attractive rather than have it die a natural death?

Nweke: That is the problem with our people. We always have the “ndi kwe na ndi ekwene” (the protagonists and antagonists). There are people who believe that limited reforms should be introduced to render it attractive while some contend that the rules guiding the life of the institution will no longer be perfect.

Pen Master: Away from multiple Obiship, in your youthful days, the Ibusa lands were in abundance but now, there are illegal and indiscriminate sales of land everywhere in Ibusa. The illegal sales of land have not only disrupted farming in the community, it is occasioning personality clashes and divisions among the people. On this, the elders and youths are trading blames. The elders blame the youths and the youths blame the elders…

Nweke: (Cuts in) The youths are the ones selling the lands.

Pen Master: …okay, but these same youths continue to blame the elders for complicity…

Nweke: As it is now, do I still know what the Oboshi (River) looks like?

Pen Master: As the now Diokpa of Umuekea, what can the Ibusa community do to curb these illegal sales of land considering that the community is shrinking in size by the day?

Nweke: (Cuts in) Only the Almighty God that created the world knows how this can be achieved. If you are asking whether I can explain it, I will only say that the situation is getting worst. I don’t see how it can be stopped other than to say that when the end comes and God calls one, he goes home to rest.

Pen Master: Obi Nweke, Ibusa, your community is fast losing its traditions to the extent that there is no sacredness observable by the people again. The festivals are also dying. Where does the problem lie?

Nweke: (cuts in) …it is terrible! it is about not heeding the advice of the elders. That’s it! But we celebrate the New Yam festival, Ine, Iwu, Ulor and other festivals. The educated ones among us want our society to adopt modernity while the elders are resisting it because they see it as taboos. That is the reason it looks like Obiship does not exist again. Obiship is very much in existence in Ibusa and since we have it with us, it will never die. We have it and we have it.

Pen Master: …Obi, with minor cases moving to the police and courts frequently, some may argue that the traditional powers of the Ibusa judicial system is also fast dying. Why is it that the Igbuzo people no longer believe in the judgments of their traditional judiciary, preferring instead to patronize the police and the courts?

Nweke: That is the modernity because there were no police before now. There was no court. Our fathers told us that if you don’t comply with the law and you are arrested by the police, you simply get jailed. There was an offence that one will commit, there would not be a jail term but excommunication. Trial expectedly begins in one’s clan. From what I know of Ibusa culture, if you are dissatisfied with any judgment, you go higher with your quest for justice. For us the descendants of Ezemese, categorized as Umuekea, Umuezeagwu, Ogbeowele and Umuezeagwu, you go higher we also have our traditional channel. When there is an issue, for the man from Isieke, the matter will be first heard in Isieke. If the person is not satisfied, he can take the matter to Umuekea. If he is still not satisfied, the matter can be taken to Ezemese. If after the Ezemese has looked into the matter and he is still not satisfied, he will be left with the option of Igbuzo. After the Igbuzo hearing, the person is compelled to comply with the judgment. But now, they go and get a lawyer. Nowadays, if you are wealthy and dissatisfied with judgment at the Igbuzo level, you go higher.

Pen Master: There is this claim that the young ones prefer to patronize the courts as against the traditional judiciary because the elders are easily influenced. Is this the reason cases are flooding the court and how can we make the Ibusa judicial system work again?

Nweke: …there has always been this debate but actualizing it is the issue. I think the wealthy ones will always move to the court when they are dissatisfied because they have the money. They go to high court and supreme court. There seems no judicial limit as long as money is available. It will end when God speaks his word and death occurs. This will ultimately bring the chapter to a close. 

Pen Master: There was this hot debate on Ibusa social media forums. Let me take the opportunity to pose the question to you. I am sure you can help out. Obi Nweke, when we come to Otu Ezebuogu division of Ibusa, which of the particular quarters is the traditional head?

Nweke: …it is Umuisagba. Umuisagba is the custodian of the ‘Ushe’ (traditional gong) of Ezebuogu.

Pen Master: Obi Nweke, let us go historical. How did Ashie Eke of the Ibusa people originate? Did your father tell you any story pertaining to this market?

Nweke: Hmm! I am not from Ezebuogu. If I was from Ezebuogu, I should know how it happened.

Pen Master: What should the Ibusa people remember you for?

Nweke: I should be remembered for what my father is remembered for. I am a truthful person. I don’t tell lies and that is why I am still alive today. My father told me that a truthful person doesn’t die. Even when he is dead, whenever he is mentioned, people will remember him for his truthfulness. My father was never one that based his judgments on lies. He never advised people on the basis of lies. We will continue to answer our father’s name for good. When you want to speak, the hearers should say, keep quiet, somebody wants to say something. This is because they know you as a truthful person. We must be truthful because truth is endearing.

Pen Master: Any advice for your subjects?

Nweke: I will start by advising them to be truthful

Pen Master: Obi Igwe, I thank you for this opportunity to interact with you.

Nweke: Omogwu, my son. Anything you think will favour our Ibusa community, do it for our people. Thank you very much and God bless you.