“UGO SI MBA” Title: A Shameful Betrayal of Ibibio Cultural Heritage
Thomas Thomas
I am compelled to express my profound disappointment and concern regarding the actions of certain village heads in Ibibio land. Despite my initial reluctance, the gravity of the situation necessitates my speaking out to maintain my personal integrity and uphold the cultural heritage of my people.
Recent events have highlighted the alarming lack of knowledge and understanding of Ibibio culture and history among some village heads. A egregious example of this is the conferment of the Chieftency title of Ugo Si Mba on Lolo Mrs. Anastasia Eze, an Igbo woman, by the village head of Afaha Offiong, Obong Ime Wilson Ndem. While awarding chieftaincy titles to non-indigenes is not inherently problematic, such titles must be conferred in accordance with Ibibio customs and traditions.
As custodians of our cultural heritage, village heads have a sacred responsibility to preserve and protect the cultural integrity and territorial sovereignty of their communities. The actions of the village head of Afaha Offiong constitute a blatant disregard for this responsibility and set a perilous precedent.
Furthermore, it is distressing to note that some youths, ignorant of the implications of cultural erosion, have seen fit to defend this egregious error. Their attempts to silence critics and stifle debate only serve to underscore the gravity of the situation.
As an Ibibio person and cultural activist, I assert my right to speak out against the bastardization of our cultural heritage. The failure to address this issue will have far-reaching consequences, potentially culminating in the erosion of our cultural identity and the compromise of our territorial integrity.
It is imperative that we hold our community leaders accountable for their actions and ensure that they uphold the sacred trust placed in them as custodians of our cultural heritage.
The egregious error perpetrated by the Village Head of Afaha Offiong has far-reaching implications that threaten the very fabric of Ibibio identity. If left unchecked, this precipitous act may ultimately culminate in the marginalization and displacement of the indigenous Ibibio people, effectively realizing the Igbo agenda. The audacity of some Ibibio youths and indigenes to commodify their ancestral heritage, including the sale of ancestral graves to Igbo individuals, is a direct consequence of such leadership failures. This not only emboldens the Igbo to disparage the Ibibio in their own territory but also enables them to aspire to political offices in Akwa Ibom State. Notably, no Igbo community would confer an Ibibio title, such as “Obong Uforo,” upon an Ibibio individual, regardless of the circumstances. The dearth of knowledge and understanding of Ibibio history and culture among some village council members has resulted in a plethora of blunders that undermine the cultural integrity of the Ibibio people.
