THE SLEEPY community of Okija in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State came into limelight in August, 2004, when the media, both print and electronic, became awash with gory stories of goings-on inside Ogwugwu Akpu, one of the shrines in the area.
Before then, Ogwugwu Akpu was just like any other shrines in Igbo land which served as checks against impunity and man’s inhumanity to man.
For instance, people who were
aggrieved over the manner they were treated in business deals, land
disputes, among other issues, took solace in Ogwugwu shrine, which they believed, was capable of delivering justice in favour of the down-trodden.
The existence of Ogwugwu Akpu and others like Ogwugwu Isiula, Ogwugwu Mmili,
among others, never affected the spread of Christianity, as Okija,
which had produced over 30 Catholic and Anglican priests with about 10
parishes and three archdeaconries, and hosts the country’s first private
faith-based university, the Madonna University, is one of the fastest
developing communities in Anambra State.
It remained so until the
emergence of the present democratic dispensation when politicians began
to patronize the shrine during which the so-called political godfathers
dragged political office seekers to the shrine to swear oath of
allegiance to them if elected into the aspired offices.
South East Voice
gathered that in the beginning, the priests of the shrine were very old
people who occupied the position because the lot fell on them. They were
also not demanding money before administering the oaths, although the
visitors could show appreciation if they wished.
Indeed, it was the visit of
former Anambra governor, Dr. Chris Ngige to Okija shrine to swear an
oath that brought the shrine into popularity. Caged by his political
godfathers, Dr. Ngige was reportedly dragged to Okija shrine to swear an
oath of allegiance to his polical godfathers to keep his side of
agreement to them on winning the election.
Looking back, Ngige in an
interview, told a national daily that, “I was a foundation member of the
PDP, I was nominated to be a minister by Dr. Alex Ekwueme, but Obasanjo
refused because they fought a bitter primary in Jos and I was in
Ekwueme’s camp. So I was blacklisted. I was the Assistant National
Secretary of the party before I came back to contest the primaries for
Senate in 2002/2003.
“Then, I was begged by Chief Audu
Ogbeh and others in the National Working Committee, NWC. Even the Ubas
came to beg me as a last resort. Before then, members of Better Anambra
Movement led by Ben Akabueze, Ben Okoye and Ausbeth Ajagu from Lagos had
screened people and rated me first from their interview and CV
evaluation.
That they were my benefactors was
because it was when they were begging me that I caved in to run. I gave
conditions for going to run and the major condition was that I should
be able to run the place unfettered and give good governance to my
people in Anambra State.
“They were the people, who
breached the agreement by asking me to sign money for them; by asking me
to allow them to appoint all the commissioners, special assistants,
aide de camp, chief security officer and personal assistants. We had no
such agreement. They breached that agreement, so I said, ‘okay, if you
breach the agreement, then there is no agreement any more.’
“On the way, they noticed some
resentment from me that showed that I was no longer happy with the
journey. They said they needed loyalty. So, one of them suggested it (Okija) and they now formed themselves into a cabal.
One night they said: “If you
don’t go with us to Okija Shrine, we will shoot (you). It’s only a
living general that can tell the history of a war. If I was shot dead,
the story could have been distorted. I have to be alive to be telling
you this story.
“I asked them: “What should I
do?” They said: “Let us go to Okija Shrine and I said, ‘okay, let’s
go.’” I took my Bible with me and followed them. When we got there, I
noticed they did not have guns; then I said I was not going in.
One of them said he could swear
for me, I said, ‘go ahead,’ so he did it for me. But I did not believe
in what they were doing because I am a staunch Catholic.
I am a knight of the Catholic Church; so I never listened to what they were saying. They were just fooling themselves.”
The Okija incident was one of the
issues that Ngige battled as a governor, eventually leading to his
ouster. Besides, Dr. Ngige, other politicians also visited the shrine
where they swore oaths of allegiance.
According to a native of Ubahuezike, one of the 30 villages in Okija, where the shrine is located, it was common to see Coaster buses filled with politicians driving into the area at the dead of night to swear oaths.
There was the story that those
who were taken to the shrine for the oath–taking ceremony were not told
their mission until they saw themselves at the shrine, at which time it
was virtually impossible for them to back out.
As this happened, most natives of other 29 villages in the town were not aware of the happenings at Ogwugwu shrine such that it was indeed a strange story to them when the media started reporting developments in the shrine.
As time went on, many young men from Ubahuezike village who were naturally Ogwugwu priests by virtue of their place of birth, decided to exploit it, and turned it into business–making venture.
These young men, most of who were
trading in Lagos and other cities, but were finding life difficult,
returned home and modernized the operations of Ogwugwu deity. They were to be joined later by some educated people in the area who introduced reforms into the Ogwugwu shrine.
It was these youths that introduced a register of those that patronize Ogwugwu shrine and thereafter, began to charge money from those who patronize the shrine. Later, they introduced a system whereby Ogwugwu agents could travel to any part of the country to deliver summons to those sued at Ogwugwu shrine, and such people were given a date to appear before the shrine in person or be prepared for the dire consequences.
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