UNIZIK LAUNCHES IGBO DEMOCRACY
By Ikenna Nwokedi, PhD
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, through the Directorate of Igbo Village and Centre for African Civilization (IVACAC) has launched the ‘Igbo Democracy’.
The Igbo Ohacratic Democracy concept was officially launched on the occasion of the hybrid conference of the IVACAC held on Friday, 10th December 2021 at the Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies with the theme; “OHAZURUME: CELEBRATING IGBO DEMOCRACY” under the leadership of Very Rev. Fr. Prof. Bonachristus Umeogu, who is a member of the UNIZIK 9th Governing Council and former Dean of the Faculty of Art of the institution.
Umeogu in an interview with the media stated that Igbo Democracy came into being as a result of OHAZURUME which is an Igbo Multimodal Ideology showing its multifaceted and multidimensional concept and theory depicting the undivided unity of the spirit of Igboness. The scholar emphasized that Igbo Democracy through OHAZURUME establishes the United agreement of the spirit of Igbo People (Ohajekwu), underlines the prevailing courage and power of Igbo people (Ohagbaoso) while describing the oracle status of Ndi Igbo (Onu Oha bu Onu Chukwu) as well as guarantees the eternity of Ndi Igbo (Ohagwu).
The clergy also opined that Igbo thought and Culture kingship belongs to the people (Ohabueze) showing that if the Igbo Civilization kingship belongs to the people, it is only the people that can know and select the king (Ohamaeze, Ohamadike, Ohamereze) as against the controversial proposition of opposition in Igbo Life and Being: “Igbo enwe eze” which he described as “Oha bu Eze Igbo”.
He also disclosed that without “OHA” the people, the people will be soulless without origin, identity, culture and life. On the term “OHA” and “ORA”, Umeogu said both can be traced to each other and dependent on the dialect. Umeogu revealed that IVACAC has come to act as the conscience of Igbo people, by fostering and preserving Igbo Civilization in the world and also using Igbo Spirit, to organically measure and maintain the order and homogeneity of Igbo Civilization amidst the changing and heterogeneity of the Igbo times.
He described Ndi Igbo as people endowed with strong confidence in God, intimidatingly independence, imbued with infinite resilience, unlimited innovation, unyielding migrant mentality and consensus democracy.
