ENDEMIC SOCIO-POLITICAL CRISIS IN IBUSA: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND PROSPECTS – being a text of Paper Presented during the NAIBS Legacy Lecture held on the 6th July, 2013 at the Premier Club, Ibusa by Philip Ngozi Ifechukwude INTRODUCTION: The topic before us no doubt speaks volume of the prevalent socio-political scourge threatening the very essence of our existence as a people. Only a stranger among us will not agree to this in the affirmative. Basically, the scourge of socio-political crisis assumes its dual dimension because of the gravity it portends in the social milieu of our noble Ibusa. It is right to observe that we are witnessing a period in Ibusa that not only gives us cause for worry, but dares our hope of the future in its entire ramification. It is so saddening; it makes us continue to wonder where the water passed under the bridge. Ibusa has been enmeshed in difficult kinds of internal crisis right from days the progenitors sired this cultural entity. As a result, the town passed through divergent phases that place us in a precarious atmosphere, especially regarding the more recent kingship tussle which continue to bring a sad reminder of all that transpired in the past from the days of the dethronement of the first monarchical system and subsequent self exile of Ezesi to Ejeme. Maracas Tullius Cicero posited that “history is the witness that testifies to the passing of times, it illuminates reality, vitalizes memories, provides guidance in daily life, and brings us tidings of antiquity”. Recent events leave us with hanging questions on whether this was how our ancestors relished their glorious days we so much heard of before now. I will want to certainly believe that before we get a clear cut understanding of this presentation, we will have to take a gradual analytical perspective of budding issues relating to this topic. First, let us look at the causes; the effects on the societal framework of Ibusa; then we will examine the possible solutions alongside the prospects it portends for the coming generation. CAUSES: Kandi Etufunwa in his book, “This is Ibusa – An Insight into the Environment of Ibusa”, identified Ibusa socio-political problems as: Spiritual or Cosmic: One paramount thing we have to understand is that one of the engendering causes of crisis in Ibusa is far above human comprehension. Otherwise, every effort made both from the religious angle to lift her from the pit of this ominous crisis bedevilling her, all became exercises in futility. Have we ever sat to ponder on the gravity of the sin committed by the principal founder of this town? Indeed, spilling of blood in whatever guise goes with a heavy spiritual atonement. I may want to think that the various oblations poured in the past by our ancestors would have been enough to pacify the gods of our land. Yet, we continue to bask with the naked realities that none of them was accepted, hence the persistence of evil in the town. We still plead for the mercy of God to be upon our land and liberate us from the shackles of these unseen forces. Materialism: The quest for riches and materialism has no doubt pushed our people into the lane of desperation. It culminates into unhealthy show of affluence and most times, a means of suppressing the next poor neighbour by the so-called rich. This has equally metamorphosed into the quest for ‘hot money’ by the youths. In the process, a lot of atrocities are being committed in the name of making money. There is no gainsaying that 419, ritualism and the likes have taken the order of the day. Lack of Co-ordination: How can a town like Ibusa boast of the highest number of academic personnel in sub-Saharan Africa and men that calls the shots in the economic power house of the world, and yet lacks the basic ingredients that makes life worth living. The answer is simple. She lacks proper co-ordination. There is no love among her citizenry. A lot of power play has gone into the heads of those in authority; who are supposed to mastermind proper development of the town. Hatred among brothers and sisters has sealed the heart of our people. The love shown by our ancestors is no longer operational, as one person will want to lord over everything and subjugate others to lick his boots. In the end, unnecessary bickering creeps in and takes over families where seeds of animosity have been planted. Loss of Direction: This becomes a major cause of the perennial crisis in Ibusa today. If we are focussed and look ahead, we will not be distracted by petty issues that tend to drag us twenty years behind. We should remember that “the beauty of tomorrow is that you have today to create it” according to Timon Rousis. Decline in Moral Values: Most of the problems we encounter today are as a result of decline in moral values in the society. Ibusa is a case study of a rise in juvenile delinquency. We have lost the value to inculcate disciple in our children. This plague is now a cancerous tumour that has defied all form of surgical operation. The way we lived has seriously been affected in a way that our moral status is in a zero level. The fear of the unknown now hovers above us like a cacodemon because an alien culture has taken over our land. We have lost respect for elders and respect for our culture. There is a constant denigration of our cultural values vis-à-vis our traditional institutions. Greed and Selfishness: In addition to the causes of crisis identified by the erudite traditionalist, Kandi Etufunwa, greed and selfish tendencies rears a twin-headed evil that drums up war between brothers. A senior sibling will be so selfish and self-centred to amass and sit on a family inheritance, claiming sole ownership. Due to the recent value of land in our environment, this crisis has become a regular occurrence in Ibusa. Martin Luther King Jr. warned that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Indeed, the essence of existence as a people is threatened by this ugly trend. Pride: Whether we like it or not, every human has an element of pride attached to him or her. This is because even our creator is a proud and jealous God. But pride in an average Ibusa son tampers with our senses of reasoning, especially those in authority in Ibusa. I wonder why an Ibusa son will think first of who takes the glory on a project that will benefit his people. Wickedness/Vindictive Tendencies: The heart of man is sown in wickedness. Thus, it permeates across all strata of individuals in Ibusa out of sheer envy. Observably, many people hold grudges, most of which generated from transferred aggression or ancestral. They however, tend to forget that when you hold your opponent down, you are still entangled in the scuffle. How long shall we continue to prolong family vendettas in the name of upholding family loyalties? It is not uncommon that many would be expecting me to highlight the Obuzor / Diokpa crisis as one of the major causes of the crisis we experience today in Ibusa. But I tactically decided not to delve into that area for obvious reason, even when I will want to believe that our problems are far beyond that. However, from a peripheral point of view, I will categorically tell us that my reasons are predicated upon the facts that the machineries that established the system are smeared with structural defects, hence, its unworkability. EFFECTS: Having identified some of the likely causes of these crises, another question that comes to mind is how has it affected the socio-political environment of Ibusa? Without mincing words, the unending psychological war which brews the crises we face in Ibusa have adversely affected and retarded the growth and development of this town through many ways. Focuslessness: There is a continuous lack of vision in the affairs of the citizenry due to lack of co-ordination. When we constantly chase trivialities at the expense of meaningful deliberations that will boost the economic well being and bring success in our noble town, the end result is often dastardly. It is not out of place to believe that the present status of Ibusa today is occasioned by directionless leadership. After all, according to W.J. Davison, “the life that conquers is the life that moves with a steady resolution and persistence towards a predetermined goal”. Confusion indubitably remains a by-product of tainted and dirty mindsets of the people. It pains that most people in Ibusa get busy often with their minds laden with evil thoughts that in turn breed disaffection and disenchantment to the entire polity. In effect, there is misguided direction. It is quite glaring that oblivion have taken over the quest to seek a recourse on the spiritual problem hovering over Ibusa for a long time. Our continuous romance with materialism have overtime beclouded a tinge of decency in our once repository of decorum. We want to build an El Dorado overnight; hence we step on every form of indecent act to please our disgruntled urges. Today, the effects are evident in many cases of mental derangement, untimely deaths, and spiritualism that litter the once peaceful serenity of Ibusa with great decay. Have we considered the amount of killings going on in the name of making money and seeking for power? Ordinarily, a household that boasts of the essential ingredients of nation building is not supposed to be in want of the vital tools of progression. But, the case of Ibusa is a far cry and complete aberration from the norm. It continues to leave us with a large mass web of question mark hanging: where did we get it wrong ab initio? Instead of utilising the abundant natural resources that God bestowed on this town for her good, Ibusa is left to brood constantly like a desolate widow. Let it be known to all of us that generation unborn will ask us what we have done with the great and abundant talents that God bequeathed on this town. Today, we continue to witness and rue over crass destruction and utter denigration of traditional institution because of the heady attitude of our fathers and some focusless youths. To think that this was necessitated by the avaricious characters of some poverty-stricken personages in our midst is to put the issue on a mild scale. It is quite unfortunate that the Ibusa our fathers are planning to leave for us is not the same left for them by their fathers. Today’s fathers would rather die after the deed have been done and leave subsequent reparation for those alive to manage themselves. We cannot easily exhaust the many effects of the continuous decline in moral values in one fell swoop without mentioning the steady rise in some alien cultures that have come to roost in our domain. Cultism used to be associations set up to fraternize in institutions of higher learning at the earlier stage of tertiary education in the country. But today, it wears an ugly mask right at our doorsteps with a lethal bludgeon infecting our youths with its cancerous virus. The aftermath of these have equally contributed to an astronomical increase in crime rate. Little wonder unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape cases stare us ingloriously in the face without bating. Can you imagine that the number of boys a teenage girl was able to sleep with during a cult initiation ceremony proves her eligibility into the group? Lack of peace is a big bane in any ethno-geographical setting. Peace has eluded the natural serenity that God endowed Ibusa with. Many of our sons and daughters are afraid to visit home again because the town is not safe for them. Fear of which uncle to greet grips them. This is simply because if he either pro or anti Obuzor or Diokpa. We have witnessed colossal neglect and underdevelopment because we have failed to get it right. Ibusa is in total mess because of the greed of those in power, mostly our politicians. Continuously, we tell lies that even provoke the Heavens. Yet, there are always reasons why certain things are not done; and more reasons why the people must continue to show loyalty and be submissive. Cases of image battery, laundering and pull-him-down syndrome are part of the trend that demeans our social essence in Ibusa. We help to crucify our brothers instead of applauding and appreciating God’s faithfulness in their lives. Often times, we indulge in washing our dirty linens outside instead of “izobe ashia” according to our forebears. Let us note according to Sir Karl popper that “we may become the maker of our fate when we have ceased to pose as its prophets”. PROSPECTS: In proffering a solution, Etufunwa posited that “the worst problem in Ibusa is that most people have refused to recognize that the people of Ibusa have problems”. Ibusa should begin to throttle on the pedal of rebuilding of our spiritual altars. The prominent founder of this town – Umejei committed a sacrilege that needs to be atoned. Let us come to God and cling tightly to Him, while seeking for penance. Our individual lives should radiate a reflection of God’s glory. Let us wield good characters as instruments of peace and mutual co-existence. In all sincerity, the only solution to our problems in Ibusa is us – you and I first, then God, God and God. There should be a chained coherence among Ibusa people. Let our leaders be co-ordinated in their manner of leadership in order to steer the boat of governance in Ibusa forward so as to attract development to the environment. Our moral institution needs to be rebuilt as a matter of exigency. Continuous re-orientation of our youths should be a regular exercise so as to ward-off this preponderant menace in our society. Furthermore, let us institutionalize a legacy of truth and peaceful co-existence in the environment. A situation where the man you trusted so much applies a series of prevarication in a matter that requires absolute candour brings a total betrayal of that trust. Let us eschew rancour and imbibe the spirit of oneness in order to forge ahead among a comity of ethnic settings within and around the environs of Ibusa. If it can work in Asaba, Okpanam, Ogwashi-Uku and other places in Aniomaland, why can’t it work in Ibusa? CONCLUSION Ibusa is a great town. Let us all join hands in lifting her up. The need to avoid the causes of things that will continuously place Ibusa as a crisis zone should be our ultimate goal. There is need to step on the pedestal of social order by embracing dialogue in resolving issues bothering our social welfare. In his book “The Traditional Political System of Ibusa”, Prof. M.A. Onwuejeogwu recounted the dark period of jungle justice during the era of Ani ka nmadu cult group. Said he, “this was a group of secret police that had the traditional prerogative to use naked force on any Ibusa person that was found guilty of any offence by any of the groups that had the constitutional and traditional rights to do so”. Hugh Latimer in the spirit of peace and dialogue makes us understand that “the rain maketh a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by oft falling”. We have a problem of pride and the ability to be rigid in our decision. But Alexander Pope advised that “a man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong…” Let us bear in mind according to Edmund Burk that “nobility is a graceful ornament to the civil order. It is the Corinthian capital of polished society”. Thank you and God bless. Oganihu Ibuzor.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 13:15:16 +0000
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