There Was a Kingdom: A Practical Guide to Igede Chieftaincy

There Was a Kingdom: A Practical Guide to Igede Chieftaincy

 By Abuja Based Activist:

 Comrade Ben Obega

 08035935038

A kingdom that operate without a relevant kingship hardly fulfill her destiny. Like any other sound traditionally oriented society, Igede as an entity, with a unique cultural heritage in Benue State, deserve to be recognized by exalted office of the first class chief. Several years ago, an agitation for such a glorious crown was observed to be obstructed by some invisible forces.

        However, every “wall of jerico” in life, has an expiring date to collapse. The combinations of two or more tribes with conflicting multi cultural heritage explains how unhealthy and inconvenience the marriage is in Idoma kingdom when traditional issues is being mirrored. The successful proposed integration of Igede kingdom does not anyway, conflicting mutual understanding between Igede and her sister tribes in Benue south when issues of development is at stake. read more after the cut .............................

        Quite interestingly, the installment of such traditionally recognized office is a function of government establishment who partially has a role to play in beautifying the chieftaincy structure as the world is changing. However, the methodology of who wears the crown and how the kingdom is established is basically defined by traditional apparatus as governed by the people’s culture. In Igede Nation, the purity, the strength and sovereignty of such office holder is derived from the superficial role of what black race described as ‘sky gods’ who is believed to spiritually guide, protect and endow the chief (Adirahu) with a unique wisdom and power to operate.

        Indeed, the interface between unseen gods and the coronated chief is the Living Council of Elders (Igabwo) whose consultation and advices does not pre-ignorantly mislead the chief while discharging his traditional functions.

        No Igede person should therefore, undermine the role of the State Government who graciously allows such agitation to see the light of the day. The seemingly delay in identifying who wears the long-awaiting crown of Igede kingdom from approving date due to diversion of opinions by our seasonal leaders is inducing untold fear in the minds of Igede youth both home  and abroad.

        To the youth, as spectators, would this technical delay produce a pre-determined result? Or the choice would be clouded with unhealthy political influence capable of turning the Proposed Palace to National Assembly.

        Yes, several factors serve as a pre-requisite to this office suggested by concerned Igede peoples as to enable a successful candidate favorably compete with international communities are all correct and acceptable.

        Whichever way it is, it could be of help to remind the land of a supreme factor of how an ancient kingdom acted as a practical guide to the project at stake. The narrative is inherited from my late dear father – Papa Obega Jacob Odigiri (of Ogbodu-Adikobia), one of the custodian of Igede culture in recent decades before his painful exit.

        The moonlight tale of a glorified kingdom was exposed for us to learn art and relate to younger generations. In those days, there was no competition as the most qualified person tends to run away from the scene due to uncertainty during the period of purification locally described as chief lies in “Afu-Aya”. After the successful selection of a coronated chief, it is a social responsibility of the entire community within his domain to feed him and his immediate family. That alone, has explains why corruption tendency is reduced to minimum level paving way for morality and sanity to reign. The ancient kingdom was said to be operating smoothly until one day, evil spirits had entered the kingdom.

        Yes, indescribable famine visited the kingdom as economic recession now in Nigeria. The kingdom comprises of fourteen different clans originated from one biological father. Due to tough time in the land, fourteen young energetic men each from every clan choose to commit sacrilege.

        Over the night, they consented to defeat the effect of the famine in the land by consulting a Native Doctor from a nearby kingdom to make them rich over night. Meanwhile, the ticket for such an unholy demand was to simply offer their biological mother for ritual.

Quite instructively, the deal was signed without duress. Within the interval of six months, nine grown-up women in the farm lands and stream began to find themselves in native doctor’s shrine and never return home. Fears of sudden disappearance of matured people to unknown destination threatened the land.

        Unusual tears of mourning over unseen mothers of innocent children and husbands triumph over the usual joy in a society explaining how terrible the kingdom was. Indeed, the disappearance of the last tenth out of fourteen, apparently opened the eyes of Elders who decided to consult the gods of the land. Oh! The sad revelation was exposed by the oracle on how fourteen young men were the cause of societal misfortune.

        The Council of Elders confirmed that the blood of Fowl or Goat could not redeem the defected kingdom. The oracle has therefore, prescribed the solution to the Council of Elders that the coronated chief should instantly pronounce death sentence to them (fourteen men) and have them buried in an evil forest or if the coronated chief is merciful to spare their lives, after 3^rd generation, the kingdom of fourteen clans will eventually ‘go down’ without remedy.

        Indeed they said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. The supreme assignment was to be performed by him only – the coronated chief who is the symbol of their might.

        Meanwhile, the government at this point, probably could only give honorarium or build the palace. There was no legal evidence against these fourteen men to be prosecuted by civic law. Also, Council of Elder and his subjects lacked power, as they had fundamentally donated an unreserved power to him to decide, operate within his domain.

        The coronated chief was highly in a state of dilemma as the choice of sudden killing of fourteen young men in his kingdom was considered as most adventure. However, the alternative choice of allowing their father’s kingdom to be ruined in a later generation was of course, a nightmare. What could have been his legacy? Posterity will definitely hunt his soul. Unfortunately, the chief of that ancient kingdom could not decide until our dear Governor recently approved the selection of first class chief. My dear readers, since all Agba sons have pre-qualification to context, I appeal to coordinators of this noble project to kindly evaluate the mindset of the contestants and sincerely ‘fish out’ the hero who by action will answer the kingdom life-wired question above.

        To some of us, whoever does that, will definitely restore confidence to Igede’s Ethnic Nationality beyond this generation. Yes, the call is more of discipline, courage and moral war than pleasure. “The one who is crazy enough to think that he can change the world, is the one who do”.

        The singular New Year Gift we need from our contemporary leaders is to offer us a credible First Class Chief. Wishing you all a fruitful new year.

 By Abuja Based Activist:

 Comrade Ben Obega

 08035935038