By Jemanze Ego-Alowes
L-R: Nze Akunne Onyi Muoto receiving an award from Barrister Christiana Ndubuisi and Ezinwanne Ejike Aguoru receiving an award on behalf of Nze EbubeAgu Chief Iheanyi Aguoru from Lady Joyce Onuoha
Before the white man came, the following were pretty ascertainable. The white man was head and shoulders above us in material civilizations. This advantage was both qualitative and quantitative. At least, they had the maxim guns and we didn’t. Also they had founded complex mathematical functions and we had not.
But when it came to the philosophy of life, to dance etc., the matter is a little different. The white man may have been above us too. However, the difference was essentially quantitative. It was not particularly qualitative.
Yes, it is true Plato etc. wrote books and our ancestors did not. But our ancestors also thought things out. Perhaps, they were waiting to invent the instruments of writing before the white man struck and left us in a time warp. The rest is history.
This history is that the coming of the white man arrested the further development of indigenous Igbo, nay African philosophies. Expectedly, the colonialists dismissed them as mythological at best. But more tragically our own scholars keyed in and followed after the colonialists. For them, African philosophies before colonialism are curators’ treasures, museum pieces.
This is in part why Africa is not developing. African scholars lost their nerves and followed those who seduced them they are shit. Take the Igbo for instance. Which Igbo scholar has taken out time to question the Igbo way as living philosophies, not an archaeological or historic relics?
Why for instance do the Igbo say oha-na-eze, not eze-na-oha? Can’t we recall that for the Romans an equivalent quip is, The Senate and the People. And for Iranians, it is, The Shah and the People.
Again why do the Igbo say Oru na Igbo and not Igbo na Oru, when Oru is the emergent or the new world? Oru by the way means the new world though wrongly translated as riverine. Even more, why ofo na ogu and not ogu na ofo?
A living inquiry into these and more will astound the diligent Igbo scholar. It will reveal that the Igbo were as sophisticated as the Platos and even perhaps more prescient. It is a long story but come 2020, we shall attend to it fully.
These and more were triggered by the close of family meeting by Ndimbara Amaegbu, Nkwerre, Imo State Union, Lagos Branch. Just like the inimitable Achebe wrote ”our eyes and ears”, who were out doing great things in the Diaspora, joined us. And as was expected the community honored the duo.
Leading, is the international business magnet and philanthropist, Nze Akunne Onyi Muoto, who flew in from London to join his brothers and sisters. Also honored was Nze Ebubeagu Iheanyi Aguoru, who flew in from America, but was unavoidably absent. He sent his emissary, Ezinwanne Ejike Aguoru and apologies. In summary, all Igbo may join the Nkwerre people to chorus Nkwerre wu college o oyo yo. Why? If you put Igbo, instead of Nkwerre, you did be as right as the angels. Igbo wu college o oyo yo. It is time to celebrate. Merry Christmas. Ahiazuwa.
Picture [1] shows Nze Akunne Onyi Muoto receiving an award from Barrister Christiana Ndubuisi.
Picture [2] shows Ezinwanne Ejike Aguoru receiving an award on behalf of Nze EbubeAgu Chief Iheanyi Aguoru from Lady Joyce Onuoha.
