By
Chief Amobi P. Chiamogu
Lecturer, Department of Public Administration
Federal Polytechnic, Oko – Anambra State
amobi.chiamogu@federalpolyoko.edu.ng
Introduction
Grouping people into categories is one of the major organizational and leadership arts in Igboland. Grouping paves way for ease in identification and allotment of duties and functions in primordial and contemporary societies. One of such grouping/classification of natives in traditional Igbo societies was through the age grade system. Natives (especially males) were grouped into age grades according to their categorizations for initiation into masquerade society. Age grade system thus formed the most veritable structure of policy execution and implementation for effective administration and governance of communities in Igboland. Each age grade goes by a peculiar name acquired at the stage of formation and delineation.
Meaning of Age Grade
Age grade is an association of people of equal or about the same age bracket depending on communities, operating within a given territory or area with the aim of individual, collective and societal transformation/development (Ndukwe, 2015). The male and female wings of an age grade functions independently but coordinate to realize assigned roles and responsibilities. Before now in Omor, membership of age grade is usually determined by initiation into the masquerade society usually undertaken at about 12 years for male children. The initiation (Iba Mmanwu) ceremony signals gradual introduction into societal values and growth into manhood when the male child gets to know some values surrounded with folklores that he is expected to hold to very high esteem. At that, he begins to join in the discussion of issues concerning the family, the village, quarter and the Kingdom in due course.
Procedure for Age Grouping in Omor
There are procedures for the grouping of age grades in Omor and the various age grades are responsible for different roles and duties to the people of the Kingdom. From Iba Mmanwu, male children in sets (of age ranging from 0-4 years) progress through stages in the ladder of generic age groupings every 3 years starting from Isiagana Iru-nesu to Ndi-Nchi Isiagana. The structure is stated thus:
- Isiagana Iru na-esu
- Isiagana Iru na-ese
- Isiagana Iru na-ano
- Isiagana Iru na-ato
- Isiagana Iru na-abo
- Ndichi Isiagana
After Ndichi Isiagana in Omor, the Age Grades transcends to Age Groups which are more of functional classification than distinct classification by age. Two to three age grades are merged to function as one, and we have:
- Umu-Iru Imuno
- Oliokuku Iru na-ato
- Okwonma Iru na-abo
- Ogbaneri Iru na-ato
- Ndi-Iche Nta
- Ndi-Iche Etiti
- Ndi-Iche Ukwu (Akakwu)
Role Description for Age Grades/Groups in Omor
Each generic age grade is given a special name that helps define its position in the community, relative to other age grades. Members of each age grade are meant to know one another fairly well, to choose leaders among their members, to meet regularly to discuss issues of mutual or communal interest, and should be willing to help one another and defend the community when the need arises. The key roles and duties of these age grades include the following:
- Ndichi Isiagana: This age grade is responsible for notifying villagers about death of any native and summoning them for burial proceedings (iba-uno odachi), pounding food such as yam (isu-nri) at ceremonies, organizing ceremonial collective hunting festival (ichikota maka ochu-nta utakigbagwu), organizing road and village square clearing (ikwa-ama), etc;
- Umu-Iru Imuno: They are responsible for providing light at interment and burial rites (ebe ana-eni ozu) in those days Omor people usually bury their dead relatives at night, in-charge of cementry (ini-mmadu, ije na-ajagwu);
- Oliokuku Iru na-ato: They are responsible for digging of grave (igu ini), bringing out dead bodies that are to be interred (mgbaputa ozu), leading of battles and wars (na-apa ikpeke, ibu-uzo ogwu). They form the heart of the community and lead in the time of war and conflict;
- Okwonma Iru na-abo: This is a stage where people are expected to rest and prepare for overwhelming duties of Ogbaneri age group. At that, the age group performs such ceremonial functions of organizing the youth (nchikota umuokolobia) in public functions and embarking on all forms of peace building processes;
- Ogbaneri Iru na-ato: Ogbaneri is a crucial age group and status in Omor socio-political and economic life. The age group is saddled with mainly such responsibilities as hospitality to government functionaries, common guests to the community (in what is popularly referred to ikunye mmiri na ine abiama). They perform such other roles as determining how much each quarters of the Kingdom contributes in issues of common concern to the town whenever the need arises. They also do the collection. Ndi-Ogbaneri shares and divides goodies for the town in what is usually referred to ibo-anu, na-ejeli ndiche ori, i.e serving ndiche and the elders’ council, etc;
- Ndi-Iche Nta: This group enforces the decisions of Council of Elders, and as such is responsible for policy execution and implementation through iji-ewu and other forms of fine collection, visiting sites of contested land to help Ndi-iche take decisions, etc;
- Ndi-Iche Etiti;
- Ndi-Iche Ukwu (Akakwu)
Naming by Age Grades in Omor
Subsequently, at 25 years of age, natives (both male and female) of the same age grouping usually corresponding with growth into Ndichi Isiagana generic age grade are required to perform the rite of Age Grade Naming Ceremony (Ibu-Ava Umu-Iru). Members of such age grade are expected to have a general meeting at a common place to decide/agree on an acceptable name for the age grade. Upon general resolution by members, a name is given and inaugurated for the age grade.
In contemporary terms, age grades bear and answer the following names in Omor:
1. Oganiru Age Grade
2. Njikoka Age
3. Igwebuike Age
4. Udoka Age Grade
5. Ekwueme Age Grade
6. Ofuobi Age Grade
7. Uwaovu Age Grade
8. Mmeye Age Grade
9. Enyimba Age Grade
10. Ikemba Age Grade
11. Ugomba Age Grade
12. Agunechemba Age Grade
13. Uwaoma Age Grade
14. Obinwanne Age Grade
Age Grades and Public Infrastructure Provision in Omor
Till date, the age grade system in Omor Kingdom has not lost its value especially their unique role in development and execution of community initiatives and projects. A good number of public infrastructures that are in existence in Omor today was conceived and executed by age grades. The history of self-help projects dates back to the early 60s when the community primary school and later on its secondary school counterpart were executed by the community under the leadership of age grades.
The Organiru age grade is however the first age grade that initiated and completed a community development project when they built the Omor town hall which provides common venue for community meetings outside nkolo and village squares. The building of the town hall provided nice venue for the meeting of the Omor Council of Elders and other social groups. The Oganiru age grade sincerely paid its dues in community development especially when they further reinvented another sterling role of age grades in Omor by constituting themselves into the most respected vigilante group in the Kingdom and its neighbouring communities. A very formidable and reliable security outfit that literally eradicated crime and criminalities in Omor.
The next age grade in line is the Njikoka age grade which followed suit and executed 2 projects for Ndi-Omor. Due to their inability to agree on a project owing perhaps to factions in the group, the Njikoka age grade unassumingly initiated, completed and got relevant government agencies commission the Magistrate Court and Post Office buildings for Ndi-Omor.
At their turn, the Igwebuike age grade like their immediate seniors (Njikoka) executed 2 projects for the community. They built a police post and NEPA office block. Like ndi-Njikoka, members of Igwebuike age grade could not agree on a project. They divided into factions and each constructed their choice project for Ndi-Omor. The police post was completed but the NEPA office is yet to be fully completed.
Then, the Udoka age grade was the next in line according to seniority. The age grade set out to build girls secondary school but is yet to hand over the project to the community.
After Udoka age grade, no other age grade has taken up project execution for the community in recent times. However, the emergent age groups have squarely attended to other functions of road and village square clearing (ibo-ezi and ikwacha ama) at their turns. Again some have started embarking upon sectional project execution as seen in the conception and execution of Aturia Civic Centre and Akanator Hero’s hall.
Exhortation and Need to Rekindle Age Grade-Assisted Community Development Projects
At this age when government is geometrically shading its functions; collaboration, partnership and collectiveness by natives have become imperative for community development. At that, it will be very good as it were before the recent time for illustrious natives and age grades to adopt think-home philosophies and again, begin to take up community development projects. The Kingdom is in dire need of public infrastructure some of which can be provided through the instrumentality of age grade-assisted community development projects. Therefore Igulubeism has to be deployed to community development projects. It will be laudable once again in Omor if all the age groups that are yet to execute community development projects should begin to embark on one. Omor would probably build community hospital, girls’ secondary school, modern market with lock-up stores/shops, embark on rural water supply, urban planning and renewal, rural road marking and construction, etc to the benefit of all natives and residents in the Kingdom.
Omor amaka is a slogan that resonates joy, healthy competition (inwu aria) and igulubeism amongst Ndi-Omor. We must join hands to achieve the Omor of our dreams where access to medi-care and other basic amenities abound.