Mijovia News Publication, 15th August, 2022
There are many things we as a people experience in life, that plays negatively on us, but we might not take note of it. Do you know that Nigerian home movies has played a significant role in shaping your sense of reasoning? Do you know that it contributed to your dislike of your cultural heritage? And in many ways set you up against yourself. Take a walk with me as I expose these things to you.
Many movies we've seen in the past in Nigeria are mostly centered on how Jesus and Christianity is the solution to every problems suffered either by a family or community. Another is how they present all evil men in a society as those who serve as native doctors or patronise them. Yet, all Sout East governors who steal the people dry and kill them at will in the East today are Christians and attend churches, but Nollywood never demonize the church as a result of this in their movies. They always portray our culture and traditions as evil that never should've existed. All this played a major role in the way our people think today. Many now see our culture and traditions as evil that should be avoided at all cost but that's not true. People demonise items like Nzu and Kola nut. Our culture as a people is rooted on sound morality. You all know about the famous "nsọ ana"(what the land forbids) in our tradition and culture? If our culture is so evil, will such laws be promulgated?
Igbo culture and tradition is centered on peace and progress for all and how to be a good brother to one another. It also put sanctity of human life (mma ndu) at a high level. This is the reason Ndi Igbo have so many remarkable sayings in Igbo language such as "egbe bere ugo bere, nke sịrị ibe ya ebana, nku kwaa ya"(live and let live). There are also words like "onurube nwanne agbana ọsọ"(do not abandon your brother in difficulty). These were the bedrock of Igbo society under our culture. Before I forget, do you also know that our culture forbids most of this evil we have inadvertently taken as normals of today? Infact, our tradition and culture calls them 'aru' meaning "abomination" or "taboo". Do our culture accommodate stealing or killing? What of envy and even immorality? The answer is a no.
Back then, Igbo people had no use for doors and fences, they aren't afraid of thieves breaking in because Igbo culture and tradition has punishment for those who try such. Same with high level of fornication and unwanted pregnancy that is so common among young people of today. Igbo culture and tradition also had a unique way of discouraging these abnormalities in a typical Igbo society of old. Now, between a culture that prevents you from engaging in immorality and evil and the one that literally gives you a free pass to commit evil and immorality without any earthly consequences, which one is should be embraced? I leave you to answer that yourself.
It has become imparative that we call our people's attention to all this abnormalities targeted against our innocent and prestigious culture and traditions which was handed over to us by our ancestors. A culture that kept them at peace for thousand if not millions of years as a people, but see how we are so divided today simply because we allowed ourselves to be fragmented into denominations. This is one of the major setbacks facing us as a people. But we must continue to educate our people from time to time until we fully understand the need for us to embrace our culture and tradition.
Written by Chukwudi Samuel, .
For Mijovia News International, 15 08 2022.
