HISTORICAL DYBAMICS OF INTREDACTION OF CHRISTIANITY WITH OZO INSTITUTION AND WIDOWHOOD PRACTICES IN OGIDI

1.1Background to the Study

When asked to define history, what comes to mind is a systematic and expository record of past events, their causes, their effects, their peaks and their declines. History deals with people, institutions and relationships as a study in humanities. So the historical interaction and encounter define and distinguish people and their societies from others. History as an aspect of culture is all embracing and encompassing. Suffice it to say that every group, every institution and in fact, everything has its own history. It is a historical reality that no group of people with a particular culture encounters other people’s culture and remains the same. There must always be a give- and take or accommodation in order to co-exist peacefully. The reverse is the case when there is intolerance, indoctrination, ambivalence and fanaticism. It could be observed from the above that history is dynamic in extolling the African cultural values of truth, honesty, hard work and love which have a unifying dynamic force on Ogidi people. That is to say that the same culture has its own merits on the people. No wonder Achebe (1958) opined that “the white men have put a knife on the thing that held us together and things have fallen apart and the centre cannot hold” (p. 62). Ogidi people’s contact with the Christian Missionaries initially called for accommodation which seemed to have led to an improved understanding of Ozo institution and widowhood practices. Ozo institution and widowhood among others are dealt with here. The Catholic Church was in the fore- front of this accommodation. OzoInstitution is one of the highest political class, in Ogidi before the coming of missionaries. Ozo institution brings one to lime light in the society age notwithstanding. Without being an Ozo title holder, one cannot be eligible to become a member of Igwe’s cabinet. They settle cases, make peace on the other hand, while in recent times, some use Ozo to intimidate others.

In many places in Igboland functions attached to Ozo Institution are immense despite its conflicts with organizations like the Christian religion and Partisan politics.The Ozo title man in Ogidi is seen as the highest social paradigm to which people aspire. Ozo title is one of the greatest social achievements one can make, for this reason, some parts of Igbo land like Awka, Nnobi, Nkpor, Oba, Obosi, Nri, Ihiala, Abatete, Alor and others, Ozo titled men are usually regarded as one who worked hard throughout their life before coming to the present position. The holder of Ozo title is protected against indignities from anybody. This is as a result of his new status in the society. He plays an important role in the maintenance of law and order in the society. He has the authority to inflict prescribed punishment on any person who commits a serious crime, like murder, rape, stealing etc.

Normally, only the male gender who are freeborn of the villages are allowed to take the title, in other words, Ozo title taking is limited only to the male of the community. An “Osu” cannot be an Ozo person in Igboland generally. On the other hand, widowhood is focused on the practices that are oppressive and humiliating to women as a result of the death of their husband. Women in Ogidi are meant to suffer stressful situation when their husbands die. They suffer a lot of emotional, physical, mental and spiritually problems Widows were also neglected. Widowhood practices in Ogidi, originally were a major fora to control women who lost their husbands by death. The vision was bastardized by corrupt traditional leaders

who used obnoxious treatment like shaving of hair, denial of their husbands rights in the family, and others on the women just to, subjugate them in the family.

With the coming of the Christian churches especially the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic, the Pentecostal churches such as the Living faith church and the Assemblies of God, things began to change in a positive direction. The level of religious tolerance became a problem. The Christian missionaries in Ogidi kicked against some rituals in Ogidi tradition, especially Ozo rituals, political bureaucracy, poor leadership, ritual killing and inhuman treatment of widows. Christian historians have did everything possible to reduce these obnoxious religious practices as they relate to Ogidi in Anambra State. The preaching of the early Christian missionaries coupled with the colonial system of justice shook the very foundation of the Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices in Ogidi. This situation called for an improved and balanced understanding of the Igbo world view which anchored on Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices and the purported obnoxious religious practices in Ogidi.

The foregoing indicates a conflict of culture because the Christian ideas were opposed to Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices and other religious practices. Some aspects of the two religions really had a serious conflict. This conflict was unhealthy and was compounded by the approach the early Christian missionaries adopted which did not reflect a proper approach to reconciliation of the divergent views. It was observed that the Christian missionaries clung to Western thoughts which were claimed to be superior and better than Igbo traditional world-view. The missionaries were using derogatory names like heathen, idol worshipers and others. Anxious to propagate the message of salvation to the people, according to Nnamdi (1999) the missionaries, therefore, not only condemned the local culture but also tried to destroy it. Nwodo (2014) says “By so doing, the Christian missionaries presented a

one side view of Christianity to the people” (p.3). There is no need to cry over spilt milk. What the Christian missionaries had, they gave to Ogidi people. It is now the responsibility of Ogidi sons and daughters together with historians to look into the historical dynamics of the interaction of Christianity with Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices in Ogidi. History has it that the ambivalent life of Ogidi people could be traced to the evangelization approach of the early Christian missionaries especially the Anglican Church Missionaries. The new converts were taught to despise their own traditions and culture in order to embrace the new religion. The interaction made by the early missionaries to study and understand the cultural moral values of Ogidi Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices was not encouraging and there was no corresponding effort to incorporate some of the values into the Christian moral values. Consequently serious conflict of identity arose not only between the converts and their kits and kin, but it became obvious to recognize Christian and Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices in order to satisfy both adherents of religions.

The above situation has created a dilemma in the life of the Ogidi people. This sweeping confusion gave rise to a burden on the Ogidi Christians whether to belong fully to the Christian faith or to Ozo Institution. It has also been observed according to. J.Ofodili, (personal communication July 1, 2015) that several severe crises between the Christians and the Ozo Institution and widowhood adherents in Ogidi gave rise to some cases of physical assaults which occurred and in some other areas, people have sustained injuries as Christians and traditionalists, struggled over traditional rites or practices and Christians practices in Ogidi..

Could it be true that these Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices organized cultural values inimical to human development? The traditional festivals were therefore despised

including new yam festivals which Nwogu (1985) describes as “the cream of most festivals in Igboland” (p.4). Despising traditional festivals was also a subject of ridicule because the Christian church did not understand the social bond it promoted in Ogidi. The noble work and faith of our early Christians are fast passing out of memory for lack of records. The present generations especially the young Christians do not yet know the historical interaction of Christianity with Ozo Institutions and widowhood practices in the history of Ogidi town. There is also the need to look into what ordeals the early founders and converts had to undergo to preserve the mission work which is being enjoyed today. Thus most of the young Christians do not know what life looked like before the coming of missionaries as to be able to appreciate what contributions the Christian faith made to the civilization and progress of Ogidi town and the interaction between traditional institution and Christian religion.

The central place of religion in the life of Ogidi and the Igbo people in general is upheld by Idowu,(1973) who attempted to portray the unreasonability of being irreligious when he said that:

Religion cannot wisely or safely be ignored or neglected as it is by frivolous persons today. Even if defective or obsolete scheme of religion will serve the individual better than none at all. This is why so many old-fashioned persons possess in spite of their defective views on some topics a wholesome and completeness of character which is absent from the ultra-moderns. (p.1)

Like in any other Igbo society, religion forms the basis of the socio-cultural life of the people of Ogidi. Religion was interwoven, if not synonymous, with culture. Individuals and groups in the society were guided by moral codes that emanated from the traditional religion. Obedience or disobedience to ethical norms were not only a mere individual affair but had a

communal and collective connotation. Ozo title is one of the greatest social achievements one can make. For this reason, Ozo title is highly revered in Ogidi and some parts of Igbo land like Awka, Onitsha, Nnobi, Nkpor, Oba, Obosi, Nri, Nnewi, Ihiala, Alor, Abatete etc. An Ozo titled man is usually regarded as a person who has worked hard throughout his life before he came to the present position. The Igbo, according to Baseden (1983) demonstrate a kind of superiority complex when they have achieved their title rank. (p. 20).

In Ogidi, the Ozo title holder is protected against indignities from anybody. This is as a result of his new status in the society. He plays an important role in the society. He has the authority to inflict any punishment on any person that commits offence like murder, rape, stealing etc. They are therefore regarded as men of proven worth. Christianity has helped to bring colonial rule, civilization and development of education. The Ozo today are more enlightened than men of yester years.

Normally, only the male gender who are free born that are allowed to take the title. In other words, Ozo title taking is limited to the male of descent origin. An “ osu or ohu” cannot take Ozo title in Ogidi and Igboland in general. Every organization or association has rules or regulations guiding their members and so it is with the Ozo title, that is why a holder is exempted from all manual labour and is safeguarded from all bodily assaults which may tarnish the image of the organization. Also, the Widowhood practices are age long practices in Ogid. They are practised till today. They have there merit and demerit, but the Christians have helped to shed some light into the Widowhood practices. This dissertation is therefore set out to analyze how Christianity interacted with Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices.

In essence, therefore, the work deals with the traditional life of the people of Ogidi before the advent of Christianity, the missionary interaction and its spread. Finally, the

interaction of Christianity with Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices and socio-cultural life of the people of Ogidi till date were observed to have created some problems within the community. Conflicts existed between the Ozo cult members and some Christian Churches. Ozo title members are recognized more in the society than none members. The Ozo cult introduced intimidation and wickedness that calls for solution. Also , the practice of shaving of hair, wearing of black/white cloths sleeping and sitting on the floor or mat,being refrained from bathing for a number of days, seclusion and being made to swear with husbands’ corpses, among the widows were considered a difficult life. This constitute a source of emotional and psychological stress which requires a period of time to overcome.The cultural conflict which was in the highest peak in 1960 started to take a better shape when Bishop Onyemelukwe in 1985, appointed cultural issue committee. They looked into the interaction of Christianity with Ozo Institution and Widowhood practices. With time, better understanding started to come in, to an extent that there is Ozo Uka today.(today Christians can go into the Ozo institution without being involved in idol worship)