joshua
By Achegbulu Philip Adejo
As a young man in his late forties from Idah in Kogi State, I have spent a larger part of my life in Ebonyi State. I am Igala by tribe and I hardly get myself involved publicly when it comes to anything that has to do with my people. However, a recent matter that happened has made me to write in order to right the wrongs that some people especially the youths from my side I expected to be knowledgeable procedures are rather coming up with a different standpoint which is so embarrassing to me and by extension the entire Igala nation.
Since the early advanced cultures in the world, a throne has been known as a symbol of divine and secular rule. The establishment of a throne is also a defining sign of the claim to power and authority. A man or a woman who becomes a king or queen is well decorated and well adorned the same which represents a symbol of power and strength.
Talking about what adorns the Attah Igala, the beads plays a larger role. The Attah Igala wears beads on his wrists and also a beaded royal crown known as Onunu-Ere. He also wears a jewelled gown known as Ichakpa and a royal shoe referred to as Obijim. All of these are beautified with precious and beautiful beads. The throne of the Igala kingdom is known as Akpa. It is a specially carved stool that only the Attah sits on. It is this revered stool that some unscrupulous elements of my Igala extraction have woven a liar around at the moment and therefore the urgent need to call them to order.
From my findings, I was made to understand that the present Attah Igala, His Royal Majesty, Agabaidu Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche lost his elder brother to the cold hands of death. As a First Class Chief holding firth as the custodian of the Igala tradition which has been existing for years and also the Chairman, Kogi State Traditional Council, one would expect all other Chiefs and high ranking Government functionaries to pay a condolence visit to our king that was bereaved.
Aside traditional rulers from different domains, the Kogi State Government headed by His Excellency, Alh. (Dr.) Yahaya Bello (CON) sent Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi serving as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to deliver his condolence message to the Attah Igala. Let me quickly point out here that the traditional position of Attah Igala and that of other traditional rulers are all under the control of the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. The same control obtains for other traditional rulers across the country.
Moving forward, Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi was said to have arrived at the Palace of the Attah Igala at a time when all the members of the visiting Kogi State Traditional Traditional Council members were already seated and there was no more space for him to sit. The source of my information who will always remain sacred to me told me that those who came to commiserate with the Attah Igala over the loss of his elder brother, Deacon James Faruna Opaluwa Oguche Akpa were not hosted right inside the Palace having the royal insignia and other symbols of authority which are held in high esteem to dignify the Igala traditional stool. He told me that he was there in flesh and blood and that they were all received at the inner recess of the living end of the Palace.
Now, the mourning Attah Igala who is well versed and schooled in the revered tradition of the Igala nation which was one of the criteria that qualified him in the first place to be made a king over his people offered out of hospitality a space on the long couch that he was sitting on for the visiting representative of the Governor, Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi to sit on. This couch can simply be referred to as a normal cushion chair that most of us have in our various living rooms is what those who wants to foment trouble referred to as the revered and consecrated stool of the Attah Igala which is the symbol of power, authority and sovereignty of the Igala people that the Attah Igala asked Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi to sit on. Can you imagine how myopic, dark and retarded the mentality of people can be when they are truly against you and all that you represent?
When I was first told the black lie that our Attah Igala threw traditional caution to the wind by allowing Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi to sit on the traditional stool with him, I took the path of the doubting Thomas. I maintained absolute silence and was waiting to dig further till I was actually able to find another source from the same Attah Igala Palace who gave me the exact picture of what transpired. He went on to tell me that some of our Igala youths for the sake of their political affiliations which is way different from the government of the day decided to cook up the story just to curry favour from the Igala nation they are trying day and night to set an agenda for in the forthcoming Governorship election. I buried my head in total shame when he gave me the detailed explanations of the many harm politics is causing our people at the moment.
I decided to write to right the wrong impression the public must have had against our highly rated, respected and traditional umpire of our kingdom, Attah Igala. I am still wondering what on earth entered into the hearts and tongues of those who came up with the lies that the Attah desecrated the Igala traditional stool by allowing a person that is not so decorated and appointed to sit on it. I am also wondering why many of our Igala people both at home and abroad believed what they said hook, line and sinker without giving any recourse to finding out exactly what happened. How on earth will people think that a king having the status of Attah Igala will descend so low to allow what can cause total chaos in his kingdom? How much in naira, dollars or pounds sterling was given to these people carrying and spreading this false tale gaining ground like a harmattan wildfire?
I will like to humbly submit that many of us from Igala land are not in anyway in support of this trending disrespect and lie against our hallowed kingdom and ruler. All those involved in peddling lies must also seek for a way of cleansing themselves else the wrath of the gods will wash them away sooner or later. There is also the dire need for the Igala nation to tender an unreserved apology to His Excellency, Alh. (Dr.) Yahaya Bello (CON), the Executive Governor of Kogi State who sent one of his foot soldiers in person of Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi to deliver his soothing and comforting words to the Attah Igala whose elder brother went the way of all flesh. Or has it now become a crime to fraternize with a person whether highly or lowly placed in their hours of grief or even if they just pay a royal father a visit?
The picture accompanying this article shows the truth in what I have written and stand for all along. How can a right thinking Igala son and daughter agree that where Alh. Ahmed Deedat Ozigi sat with the Attah Igala is the royal stool of our Igala kingdom that has been coming for ages? The other picture is that of the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, His Royal Majesty Alh. (Dr.) Ado Ibrahim as he is seen sitting down with one of our own son from Igala land, Dr. Usman Ogbo working as the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. The picture was taken when he paid a courtesy visit to Ohinoyi of Ebira land in his Azad Palace at Okene. Did the Ebira people retort that their king made Dr. Usman Ogbo to sit down on the revered throne of the Ebira people? Is what you are seeing with your naked eyes on both pictures not a normal chair that anyone can sit on? I am wondering what is really wrong with some of us as a people from the East. This act of not understanding issues is alien to the Igala nation but it is so sad and surprising that we now have people within our domain whose characteristics traits cannot be said to have come from the shores of our land and these crop of people are now the ones holding sway and as it is to our detriment.
May we as a nation known as Igala not allow some ill fated fellows to reduce to nothing the traditional stool our forefathers and mothers handed over to us to keep and nurture. I was born into a family of those who always stand out for the truth therefore, I make bold to say that in this matter we were only out to stir the hornet nest and the insects whose stings is painful are already out stinging us for our undoing. We ended up painting ourselves black and it is high time we covered our faces in shame. May this public disgrace we have deeply plunged ourselves never repeat itself in our kingdom.
