Age Grade System is a Brotherhood Binding the Ibusa Community in Loyalty, Responsibility and Cultural Identity

 Age Grade System is a Brotherhood Binding the Ibusa Community in Loyalty, Responsibility and Cultural Identity

Emeka Esogbue

Protocol

I stand before you today with deep humility, reverence for history, and a heartfelt commitment to the preservation of our cherished Ibusa culture and traditions. Today, we gather not merely to mark a date on the calendar or to celebrate an age grade. We gather to honour a generation. A generation born during a season of turmoil, yet shaped by resilience and destined for purpose.

Introduction

The age grade system in Ibusa remains one of the oldest and most significant socio-cultural institutions in our community. Beyond being a structure of organization, it is a collective identity shaped by shared birth years, experiences, duties, and destinies. Our age grade system evolved organically, rooted in kinship, unity, survival, and defined responsibility. It ensured order, instilled discipline, fostered cooperation, and strengthened a communal way of life.

From generation to generation, it has remained a symbolic thread connecting Ibusa sons and daughters across time. Simply put, the age grade system is a brotherhood binding us in loyalty, responsibility, and cultural identity.

The Age Grade System in Ibusa and the Ogbor Ahor Aya Bi (1969–1971)

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to take a moment to reflect on the historical essence of the Ogbor Ahor Aya Bi age grade (1969–1971).

Your age grade carries a unique identity. You were conceived or born during one of the most difficult periods in Nigerian history, the Nigerian Civil War. In 1969, while the war was drawing near its end, Ibusa experienced untold hardship. Our community became a military corridor, and the Sacred Heart Elementary School was converted into a refugee centre under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Kunirum Osia, the then Parish Priest of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church.

Many suffered losses. Many endured fear, displacement, and scarcity. Yet, from this period of pain came a generation - you. A generation symbolic of survival and rebirth.

It was in that same year of trial that the present-day General Hospital Ibusa was founded, also through the courageous efforts of Rev. Fr. Kunirum Osia. That hospital became a place of healing and hope, birthing and sustaining many of you born in those challenging years.

You are, therefore, not just an age grade, you are a living monument of Ibusa’s endurance, faith, and continuity.

Challenges Facing the Age Grade System in Ibusa

However, it is important to acknowledge the challenges confronting the age grade institution today:

Respect for elders, was once the core of our identity but now, it is eroding. Today, youths freely insult elders, even publicly and on social media, and it regrettably appears normalized.

Migration both local and international has weakened physical gathering, shared experiences, and identity formation among same-age groups.

Misconceptions now associate age grade activities with paganism, resulting in declining participation in cultural ceremonies such as the Iwaji (New Yam Festival).

Political interference has weakened unity, especially among youth organizations such as the Ibusa Youth Council (Otu Okwulagwe).

Many parents, especially elites, no longer actively connect their children to Ibusa values or community networks.

Financial constraints hinder participation, execution of projects, and sustainability of age-grade initiatives.

Kinship ties have weakened, giving rise to increased petitions, litigations, and conflicts.

As disputes grow, cultural institutions including age grades become fragmented.

The Way Forward

Having reflected on the challenges, let me humbly offer a few recommendations:

Define and strengthen your age grade identity and responsibilities for the benefit of present and future generations.

Our traditional leadership must prioritize the preservation of our cultural institutions, ensuring their relevance and strength.

Ibusa political actors must refrain from interfering in youth or cultural structures, allowing them independence and unity.

The Ogbor Ahor Aya Bi age grade should formally honour Rev. Fr. Kunirum Osia, whose vision gave life to many of you and to our community’s primary medical institution.

Make advocacy for the sustenance and modernization of the Ibusa General Hospital a core mission. It is part of your story.

Organize regular cultural and educational forums that promote Ibusa language, customs, and heritage.

Remain advocates for cultural unity, historical awareness, and preservation of identity, for your birth represents the triumph and rebirth of Ibusa.

Conclusion

Rebuilding a society especially one as historically complex as Ibusa is never easy. Yet we each hold a responsibility to reposition and strengthen our cultural foundation. The age grade system remains a strong traditional instrument capable of fostering unity, leadership, service, and cultural renaissance.

If we collectively implement these recommendations, I am confident that we will build a stronger, more united, and culturally vibrant Ibusa.

Before I conclude, let me express my gratitude for the honour bestowed on me today. Awards such as this are rare in Ibusa, especially for cultural stewardship rather than political recognition, and I deeply appreciate it.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time and attention.

Long live Ogbo Aho Aya Bi!

Long live Ibusa!

Long live Anioma!

Long live Delta State!

Originally Written By Nigerian Historian, Emeka Esogbue, and as published in the event magazine of Otu Ogbo Aho Aya Bi Ibusa age grade in commemoration of the organizations Inaugural Christmas Thanksgiving and Award Ceremony to Celebrate the Ibusa Rich Cultural Heritage Which Held on Dec 28, 2025 inside the Ezemese Primary School, Umuisor, Ibusa, Delta State