By Rev. Fr. Angelo Chidi Unegbu (cangelo123@yahoo.com) written April 9, 2021
1) During my 4th year (SS1) as a minor seminarian, my cousin and classmate Fr. Elias Chima Unegbu (of blessed memory) and myself decided to spend our Easter holidays together at Owerri with our uncle Bishop Mark Unegbu, the then bishop of Owerri diocese. The day we arrived coincided with the first day of the Ikeji festival. The bishop, who was not expecting to see us, asked, "When is Ikeji beginning?" "It began today, my Lord," we answered. “Why are you here? Why did you not go to the village to celebrate with others?” The question threw us off balance because it was the least we had expected from him. We had thought that he would have been happy that we decided to spend the holidays on the holy grounds of Assumpta Cathedral rather than going to the village to celebrate what was largely considered a ‘non-Christian’ festival. He did not ask us any other questions. Quickly, we retired to the boys’ quarters, where we normally stayed each time we visited.
2) The next day, after breakfast, he asked us to dress and get our belongings ready so he could take us to the village. As we were driving into the village that sunny afternoon, we were greeted by the sounds of ekwe and other musical instruments. Various chants and Ikeji melodies by young men filled the atmosphere. We saw some masquerades. Some were dancing to the tune of the choruses and instruments as they marched along the road, while others were walking swiftly as if they were late for an appointment. Intermittently, our car was halted by one masquerade or the other, or by young men in frenzy who would later grant us passage. The bishop asked the driver to slow down so that he wouldn't injure anyone.
3) I was sitting with the bishop at the back as he kept on feeding his eyes with those cultural displays. That was the first time he was home during the Ikeji festival as a bishop, I think. Normally, he visited the village once every year on December 26 to celebrate Christmas with the entire family. That was also his last visit to the village during the Ikeji festival. From his countenance, he was very happy for such a rare opportunity. He dropped us off at our family home and returned to Owerri.
4) Because of this and subsequent experiences, my interest in or appetite for deeper knowledge of African/Igbo culture, as well as its religion, politics, and history, grew. The more I tried to know, the more I realized how little I knew, and the more I wept for my long years of ignorance. After my graduate studies before my priestly ordination, I thought that I had understood it all until I traveled to Europe for my postgraduate studies. It dawned on me how little I knew of the beauty, richness, and value of our culture. One of the saddest experiences an African will ever have is being asked by a European professor: Why do you not see the beauty in your culture and tradition? More than once, I had some portions of my theses returned because I did not show my culture enough respect and appreciation. It is sad that I learned to appreciate my cultural values in a foreign land and from a foreigner!
5) Unfortunately, a good number of Ndigbo/Africans are still caged by the chains of cultural ignorance and hate. Many are still in the business of disrespecting their culture and even seeing it as evil and diabolic. We still see men and women of God in the 21st century who still go about demolishing cultural establishments and castigating our cultural norms. Funny enough, these people have no reason to justify their actions except that they were brought up to hate themselves. Many of them do not even know that hatred for African culture, religion, history, tradition, negrophobia, and afrophobia pre-existed the Christian mission. They have little or nothing to do with religion!
6) Well, I do not blame African Afrophobes or negrophobes so much because I once belonged to that school of thought. The truth of the matter is that the education system in Nigeria, at all levels and in all places, is basically faulty and intrinsically destructive. If we don’t move our education system from this imbecilic stage, we will continue to sink into the mud of ignorance, retrogression, and self-destruction. Just like religion, quality education must recognize and develop the educational tools and paradigms of our forebears. It must be rooted in our culture if we are to make progress; otherwise, we shall forever remain imitators, copycats, or dependents.
7) Only natural and organic growth is sustainable and beneficial. Our desired character, cultural, and environmental values can only be realized by pruning to improve on what we already have. It is never done by uprooting, importing, or replacing. That would be a lazy and unwise way to address real human issues.
8) Even with the decline of Christianity in the West, elements of Christianity have remained in their cultures; they still have their flamboyant carnivals, festivals, Dorpsfeest, Santa Claus, and so on. These are ways of sustaining their community consciousness, linking the past generation to the present.
9) We do not condemn or discard Christmas, Easter, or Valentine celebrations as evil because of the aberrations that are today associated with their celebrations. It is also unreasonable to condemn or discard our cultural celebrations and values because of aberrations that have crept into them. Our duty is to remove the aberrations so as to preserve their purity and purpose. May we remember that Ikeji and most of our cultural celebrations are nothing but acts of thanksgiving to God for his love, protection, and provision of bounty harvest.
10) Unfortunately, ours today is to destroy what we have inherited from our forebears instead of transforming (where necessary) and promoting them. May our eyes be open to the reality that our doom or success as a people will depend on our attitude toward our culture, tradition, history, and identity. As for me, I am very grateful to God for letting me be born an Igbo. I thank him for my culture, which gives me my identity and pride. Every African should feel the same about his or her culture and identity.
With the psalmist, I say:
"For it was you, Lord, who created my being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation." Psalm 138.
As the Ikeji celebration begins today (April 9, 2021), may we remind all the participants that Ikeji is nothing but a celebration of thanksgiving to God for his love and care and also a demonstration of love for our forebears who have gone before us. Let us avoid acts and behavious that might suggest otherwise. Peace be with you!
Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu
