Nigerian Independence Day

Nigerian Independence Day

Today, October 1st, is Nigeria’s Independence Day. This year marks fifty-nine years since Nigeria achieved its independence from Great Britain. Or to put it another way, since Great Britain relinquished its hold on Nigeria, one of its prize colonies!

Unlike the United States, Nigeria did not have to fight for its independence. The transition came about peacefully.

But the country was ripped apart a few years later by the Biafran War when a portion of the country seceded. Great Britain helped its former colony to defeat the secessionists.

Today Nigeria is still trying to recapture the sense of hope and anticipation that came with independence. After many years of military rule there is a democratically-elected government. That’s good.

But corruption is still endemic, as is violence. Boko Haram has not been defeated. Other groups are struggling for land, and much of the country is still enveloped by poverty.

Progress is Ongoing

One small victory is a change to the status of the people called osu. Recently the leadership of the ancient community of Oraeri declared an abolition of osu, the practice of slavery, that has existed for centuries among the Igbo people.

The osu were dedicated to protecting the shrines. They were not allowed to marry other Igbo people and were not considered full members of their communities.

The Eze Adama Gburugburu Na Igbo Nile, king of the town, undertook the ceremony to abolish the practice. He said once he had done the rites, the system of osu no longer obtained. “When he finally pronounced the abolition, there was thunderous shout of joy by the people even as cannon shots were released,” the reporter said.

The Eze commented, “So, once we have abolished the Osu caste system, our people who have been living in bondage since 500 or 600 years ago, we don’t know when, are now free and freeborn forever.”

Another Move for Human Rights

In 1919 women in the US finally won the right to vote! Hard to believe that we had not had that right from the beginning! A group of singers from our Unitarian Church sang for the anniversary celebration at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in nearby Norwalk.

Sister Suffragettes was how we titled ourselves. We wore white with purple bands as the suffragettes had done.

Julyen, a choir member and board member of Lockwood-Mathews, made the arrangements. He organized us and the songs! Though the audience was small it was fun to do. He says there may be another opportunity to sing, so I kept my music!

The Lost Okoroshi Film

A recent movie by Nigerian filmmaker Abba Makama premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. “With its blend of magic realism, comedy and tragedy, and art house values, Makama sees The Lost Okoroshi as part of a new wave of Nigerian film that aims to go beyond the established—albeit highly successful—tradition of rom coms,” Makama said.

He described the origin.

The idea for The Lost Okoroshi came from childhood memories. He would travel with his family to their ancestral village, where they held the masquerade of the Okoroshi. Women and children were not allowed to view it directly, so he remembers it as an exciting event he peered at from a crack in the door. “When I got older, what I realized was yo, he’s just a guy in a suit,” he laughs. Still, the idea of masquerade—of donning a mask and actually becoming someone or something different—stuck with him.

I hope the film will make it to American theaters soon. Or maybe I can watch it in Nigeria over the Christmas holidays! You can watch the trailer right here.

Igbo Women’s Association of Connecticut

On Saturday night I drove to North Haven Connecticut – in my lovely Tesla! – for the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Igbo Women’s Association of Connecticut. I was nominated to receive an award by Pat Anekwe who had attended my talk in New Canaan.

As I read the program book, I found that Omaa Chukwurah was the Founding President of IWAC! I met her many years ago when she attended an event at the YMCA in Westport. Then we were together in a book group until she moved away. We shared a stage at Greenwich High School several years ago.

IWAC printed my bio in the program. The award was for my contribution to awareness of Igbo culture.

But I couldn’t stay to receive it! By 10:30 pm the awards part of the evening was still at least 45 minutes away, and I had to drive back to Westport and get to church the next morning at 8:30. I trust I will be given me my award later!

They must have said good things about me. I sat beside Dr. Dike and his wife at the head table. Before I left I asked him for the PowerPoint presentation he had used with his keynote talk on mental heath issues in Nigeria. He sent it the next day and said, “You are an inspiration – to put it mildly!”

Oke Ndibe and his wife Sheri Fafunwa were there. I didn’t see them until we ran into each other on the dance floor! Also present was one of the women who had visited us when Clem’s sister Monica was here. She had been Monica’s pupil in Nigeria.