BARBARÌSM IS NOT CULTURE ❌

BARBARÌSM IS NOT CULTURE ❌

Masquerades are very important component of the people of Nsukka cultural zone in Enugu state. They come in different colours, shapes and sizes and appear at various times of the year depending on communities, called Odo, especially in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area; some other popular masquerades in the Nsukka zone are Oriokpa of Nsukka, Ogede of Orba and Akatakpa of Obollo Afor both in in Udenu Local Governmenet Area.

Unfortunately, this beautiful aspect of the Igbo culture has become a nightmare to the people of Nsukka zone as today; traditional rulers, church leaders, leaders of thought and indeed security agencies are faced with thei challenge of controlling the atrocities of masquerades.

The wanton barbarism and brutality associated with masquerades in some communities have become big source of concern; as they molest visitors and natives at will including girls and women, particularly during masquerade festivals. In fact, certain persons have lost their lives in the hands of masquerades in the area.

In the past,two catholic priests were waylaid and beaten to stupor by daredevil masquerades in Ogbodu-Aba, Udenu Local Government Area.

The two priests, were dragged out of their car by a group of masquerades and beaten like condemned criminals as reported,

Adding salt to injury, the crowd that gathered couldn’t even help matters, instead they encouraged and hailed the masquerades to go on with the abominable and mischìevous act which left one of the priest sustained serious injuries,affected his vision and was referred to a specialist hospital in Lagos while the other  had since been treated and discharged from hospital.

Investigation showed that masquerades have had very ugly encounters with church leaders, especially, clerics of the Catholic faith, in recent times.

In 2016, it was reported that a seminarian on one year apostolic work at one of the parishes at Orba, in Udenu Local Government Area was attacked by a group of of masquerades along Orba/Nsukka road. The seminarian was left with broken leg by his attackers; he sustained injuries and was hospitalised for more than six months.

In April 2017, A seminarian, escaped déath by whiskers when some masquerades attàcked him at the Ugwuoye axis of Nsukka town. The seminarian who was on six weeks apostolic work somewhere in  Nsukka on his way to pay electricity bill at the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Nsukka District, when he was rounded up by the masquerades and beaten to coma. He also had his head severely injured.

When there was upsurge in r0bbery in the Nsukka zone in September 2015; masquerades were fingered in the snatching of people’s handsets, laptops and even motorbikes in broad daylight. One of such incidents which took place in Ovoko, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area involved a pregnant woman.The attack which claimed the woman’s life attracted huge condemnation, but was not followed by any punitive measures on the perpétrators.

In fact, their activities ceased momentarily when the woman diéd; in Ovoko as reported but few weeks later, they continued unleashing terr0r on the innocent citizens again.

It was gathered that the  woman was on her way to a maternity home when the masquerades stopped her,beat her mercilessly, resulting in excess bleeding and her eventual déath.

Lately, A nurse on uniform going on her way to duty was brutally messed up by these sets of h00ligan in the name of masquerade where she ran into the gutter.

The above listed are pure wickedness and typical act of barbarìsm.. 

Is it that the traditional rulers doesn't know what to do about this ?

Is it that Local Government or state Government doesn't know what to do on this incessant act or barbarìsm masquerading as culture in the society? 

How long do we keep quite watching and  allowing masquerades continue molesting and wreaking havoc on the Innocent masses and  more especially the  priests?.”

Can't we have measures to checkmate the excesses of these masquerades?

“These masquerades are gradually turning Nsukka into full blown terr0rist zone in the name of promoting culture and we don’t want them to turn Nsukka into a violence prone area because of masquerade. We want our community to remain as peaceful as ever.”

I know that some masquerades doesn't know but the sponsors or someone who knows should tell them that

In 1999 Constitution Chapter four fundamental human rights: there is a provision for right to dignity of human person.

“In the first provision, it stated that nobody should be subjected to torture. But these masquerades don’t know anything about your right, your liberty or your freedom of anything. They can abuse you; torture you contrary to the provisions of the constitution.

“We have freedom of expression, freedom of movement, they don’t allow you to move about, they have so much abused it that at times they use the opportunity to stéal which is completely against the express provision of fundamental human rights, and I don’t think that is culture. A culture does not mean violation of another person’s right.”

Many people are unhappy that masquerades that should be source of unification and cultural development have become threát to people of the area and have therefore, called for their outright ban or at best, limiting of their days of outing in different communities.

Only the few who praise the brutality from these masquerades have kept  me wondering the following:

If they are yet to realize that Nsukka is no longer the small village it used to be?

If they don't know that Nsukka is now a town filled up with people from different parts of the country?.

If they don't know that most of these masquerades beating needs to stop?

Doesn't they know that some of these Masquerades have messed up culture using this as an avenue for hein0us crìme. Etc.

In summary, Masquerades are gradually turning Culture into Barbarìsm and Barbarìsm is not culture.

Your's Sincerely, Dr Hero Victor Emeka Okechukwu 

#DrHero

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