Ignorance is one thing that money or age cannot cure or erase. A lot of people suffer from this

As an Igbo man, why would you remove your cap when going into the temple of other religions?
Such behaviour implies submission and acknowledgement of being inferior to the other.

Why would you remove your cap to pray or for igo ofo? Wearing of red caps may not be as old as our traditions, but ever since our ancestors began using it, they have always had it on when praying. Removal of headgear is a Western doctrine and we only do it because subconsciously, a lot of us are still under the influence of colonialism.

As an Omu, I can never remove my cap for anyone, not even for the Obi. I once visited Agbor and the chiefs at the palace asked me to remove my cap before entering the palace. I made it clear that I’d rather go back home than do that. The Obi later asked me to come in with it.

An Igbo traditional title holder has no business with mixing Igbo Odinani with Western ones. I see some of our traditional rulers shaking hands, hugging everyone, eating in public and removing their caps when Christian priests are praying. Some even kneel before priests for them to “bless” their heads.

A King, with the Ọfọ of his community, spirits and ancestors, kneeling down before a foreign deity and allowing a mere man lay hands on his royal head.

Whoever does so, has directly insulted the heritage of his ancestors and the throne he sits on. No traditional ruler is permitted to do such by our traditions. Eze bu mmụọ and his authority is questionable only by his ancestors and the spirits of the land. Everyone in his domain is under his spiritual dominion and he has absolutely no reason whatsoever to bow to anyone.

Today we see our Dibias wearing crosses and hanging pictures of Western deities in their shrines. Where did you learn all these nonsense from? Who told you that you have anything in relation to these things?

I also see our titled men breaking kola in the name of foreign deities. Oji is sacred to the Igbo people and you dare not break or pray over kola with a foreign language or to a foreign deity. I’m not against you going to church or believing in any other religions, but please, while at it, do not drag our own culture and traditions into it. Do not infuse Western norms into purely traditional ancestral practices.

Allow white to be white and allow black to be black. Do not try to mix them. If you are a King and you know you want to remain a Christian or Muslim, step down from the throne. The throne belongs to your ancestors and the spirits of the land so you can’t sit on it and practice something else away from what the throne represents.

Even in the UK, the royal family must be Anglican and nothing else. This is because they own the Anglican church. Why must ours be different? Why can’t we be proud of our identity and heritage?

If you are in any occasion or setting and kola is being broken by any Nze or Eze and he goes on to end his prayers in the name of anyone other than Chukwu okike or Oseburuwa/Osanobua, please do not eat from the kola. You’d only be partaking in a curse because such prayers have no connection to our ancestors and spirituality.

We must correct these mistakes and reaffirm our true identity and heritage. From the Enuani region to the Ukwuani region to the Ika and Odiani regions, and then down the rest of the Igbo nation, our cultures and interests must be protected and respected.

Umu Igbo ekene m unu.

~ Hrh Omu Onyebuchi Okonkwo