Onyishi

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Onyishi is a gerontocracy type of government practice in some parts of Igboland. [1] It is also a common term or name normally taken as surname or title by person/persons whose father is the eldest in a village or one who is the eldest in Nsukka or its villages. Nkalagu in Ebonyi state Nigeria also observes such title for the eldest man per village.

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In other words, Onyishi simply means the oldest, head, or leader - be it man or woman. In normal Nsukka settings, once a man or woman becomes the oldest in his or her village, he/she picks up the title Onyishi. For one to be Onyishi in a village, the person must be the most eldest in that village. The title "Onyishi" is also used as a surname by the family members of the onyishi but are not permitted if the Onyishi is a woman. An example of the title's usage as a surname is Chief Samuel Maduka Onyishi.

If a woman becomes the eldest in her village, she will be regarded as "Onyishi umuwunye" (the oldest of all our daughters). She summons all the women from that village for meetings if needed and speaks on their behalf. No staff of office aruah is given to her because they are only permitted to be given to men.

If one is lucky to become an Onyishi, the person in question has to host the entire village and well-wishers after which he will be given the staff of office just like the ceremonial mace but here it's called Aruah in Nsukka culture. The Aruah is only for the men whereas the most oldest women receive nothing as their staff of office. Onyishi is never campaigned for and it's believed to be a thing of nature.

The Aruah, in the recent years has been disputed by some Christians who claim it is a form of idolatry thus giving their colleagues crucifix on attaining such age.

The Aruah which is about 200 by 4 cm in length and width respectively is four in number. The aruah is carried in bulk by the village head daily to his ancestral home commonly called Obu (i.e. Palace) in the mornings. On getting to the Obu (palace), he prays in the presence of the Aruah using kola nut and left the Aruah there till the dusk time. In the evening, the Onyishi goes back to the Obu and return the Aruah back home. This practice continues like this until the present Onyishi dies.

This practice has been in existence for centuries. In Nsukka or Nru Nsukka precisely, you can get an aruah that is over hundreds of years though not yet recorded due to the late arrival of the needed technologies in Nsukka. Thus, making the family name onyishi very common to the Nsukka people.

According to one Mr.Atugwu Kenechukwu from Nru Nsukka he said that every Onyishi in Nsukka has a mode of dressing which is normally a red cap with a red feather (called "awu") from a special bird, fixed on it, a short stick gotten from a known tree called Oho, and a hand bag. In every gathering an Onyishi must always hold that oho in his hand whenever he speaks on matters concerning the people. For emphasis sake, he said that no village is recognized in Nsukka without an Onyishi as its head.

Oho stands as a symbol of office and justice, too, and it is held by all Onyishi and the oha whenever the person speaks on matters concerning the people. It is expected that whoever holds Oho should always speak the truth as it is a symbol of justice. Oho is not transferred from the demised Onyishi like the Aruah. Each new Onyishi gets his own Oho before his coronation day.

It's a common belief in Nsukka that if one speaks lies with the Oho in his hand, the person will be struck dead by the ancestors.

Demise of an Onyishi

If an reigning onyishi dies, the man taking over from the deceased has to visit the funeral home of the demised Onyishi and perform some rituals before the burial proceeds. This practice is limited to incoming male onyishi; a woman does not necessarily need the ritual process.

The rituals are done in various ways now due to the era of Christianity. In the most common ritual, the incoming Onyishi prays before the corpse and in the presence of the corpse and mourners. He brings kolanuts and a cock, which he must slaughter, declaring that if he had hand in killing the deceased Onyishi whose place he is taking over, he should die within a month.

After the ritual, the daughter of the incoming onyishi collects the aruah (ceremonial mace) from the home of the decesed. She then proceeds to her father's compound, carrying the aruah on her shoulder, followed by a procession of the new onyishi and his well-wishers while the burial goes on.

When aruah is brought home, the incoming Onyishi will not touch it for 28 days (a month according to the Igbo calendar). At the end of the month, the new onyishi is then be crowned by other onyishis his area (Nsukka) and other title holders called Oha.

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References

  1. ↑ Achebe, Nwando (2011). The Female King of Colonial Nigeria: Ahebi Ugbabe . Indiana University Press. p.  107. ISBN   9780253222480.
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