Asiwaju Adewale Oluwaseun

26/04/2022

Active and Buying massively

28/03/2022

*BUYING USDT/BTC*

*200k$ NEEDED*🉐

*VERY HIGH RATE*⚡️

09/01/2022

For more trade you can chat me up on what's app 07013404588

24/02/2021

Nah here we dey oh

18/11/2020

22/10/2020

Please, we must stay strong and sane at this time. The fight is not against other humans, race or ethnic group. The fight is against the decayed system and rot in governance. If we are not careful, we might become like 'our' governments. Our differences don't mean division, it means we can achieve more in diversity.
's stay strong 's stay hopeful days are here Oodua Voice

21/10/2020

Freedom is not for free
Only the strong survive it!!

We ain't backing out until our demands are met!!

20/08/2020

*Ibu Ozu Nwaokpu*

In many part of Igboland the traditional rites of ibu ozu nwaokpu predates to the days of antiquity- that is a belief system of practice where a woman is buried with her kinsmen rather than the husband's kinsmen in a symbolic rites.

A woman in Igbo cosmology is highly placed and appreciated. Like men, a woman belongs to her fathers house till death and her inputs are sacred in the land. In time of great calamity, a man runs to his ikwunne ( maternal home) while a married woman runs to her fathers. Unlike many foreign religions, women have a place in omenana and igo mmuo and they play a part in Igbo spirituality.

Ibu ozu nwaokpu as a practice was introduced by our forefathers as a necessity in place of burying a woman in her fathers house instead of her husbands. In things fall apart Uchendu asked Okonkwo " Why is it that when a woman dies she is taken home to be buried with her own kinsmen? She's not buried with her husbands kinsmen. Why is that? Your mother was brought home to me and buried with my people. Why was that?" The answer to the above was summarized in the word "Nneka" which will be discussed other time. Our ancestors are clever and wise men, they sat down in their obi to discuss salient points and seeks guidance from great seers of their days.

In Ozubulu, and other parts of Igbo land once a woman dies, her people will be duly informed as custom demands. On the day of burial, the dead body of "nwaokpu"- the deceased will lie in state first at the fathers house and then at the husband's. The woman's kinsmen will visit their in-law for the ibu ozu nwaokpu afterwards and matters that follows will ensue. It is a practice in Igbo land that at bride price or igba nkwu the brides family provides her with cooking utensils like knife and nguga (meat and fish basket) sic, also the woman is gifted with a goat and a hen to be reared in her husbands place. Before the advent of Christianity, a married bride goes into her husbands house with her 'chi' which is represented with the oha tree or any other symbol.

At death- during the ikwu okwu ozu ( negotiations on the dead woman), the husband's kinsmen will return back the cooking utensils- mma ekwu (knife) and Nguga (meat and fish basket) to the dead woman's family. Goats will be presented back and fowls as well- this is a symbolism that a woman in Igbo land is never sold to the husband but is only on errand. The right term is ije di ( a woman can only sojourn into marriage) and can come back either in death or alive- in the case of divorce. Today many feminist are hell bent fighting the culture, in believe that it made women a stock in trade whereas reverse is the case.

A gun powder will be blown either around the burial ground or elsewhere - symbolizing the ritual of taking her back home to rest with her own ancestors. Some call it igbaze chi ( the ritual of taking back her chi home)- once this gun powder is blown- dancing and chants ensue and departure.

At their home, the dead woman's family will hung the nguga/ngiga (meat basket) at the front of the compound- once you see this in any compound, you don't need to be told what happened.

This ritual of ibu ozu nwaokpu like other traditions have faced antagonism from fanatic Christians but it is still prevalent.

Every woman in Igbo land belongs to different groups at every stage in her life " Otu umuagboghobia", "Otu ndi umuokpu and " Otu ndi nwunyedi" but in all the groups a woman belongs the most powerful is "Umuokpu". Their words are not taken for granted and when they stand in the right, the goddess of the earth- Ani stands with them and would visit any offender with wrath.

✍️ *Izuegbu Chigozie is from Ozubulu*

Picture credit: Google.