THE WAY WE WERE

 

THE BENDE IGBO

 

 

The areas of Igbo land defined as the Bende district during the British Colonial Administration was from Ikwu-Ano  L.G.A. [Local Government Area] in Umuahia, extending through Umunnato L. G. A., which comprises (a) Alayi;  (b) Item; and (c) Igbere. It combined Abiriba, Ohaffia/Ohafia, Umuhu and all the confines of Bende L. G. A. It terminated at Arochukwu.

 

 

THE PLACE CALLED ALAYI

 

 

Alayi is one of the Igbo-speaking communities of southeastern Nigeria. Currently it is one of the autonomous communities in the Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. Alayi is located in the northernmost part of the old Bende division in the formal Owerri Province of eastern Nigeria. It is bordered in the north by Akaeze, in the south by Ozuitem, in the west by Isu-ikwu-ato and Isu-umu-imenyi, in the east by Item and Igbere. Its traditional administrative headquarters was Amaeke Akoliufu and its county assemblies were held at the present location of eke Amaeke Akoliufu. In its traditional setting, Alayi consists of four major boroughs: Akoliufu, Amankalu, Ezeukwu and Ugwueke. However, in 1971 Ugwueke and Ezeukwu peacefully became autonomous communities.

 

 

THE PEOPLE CALLED  ALAYI

 

 

Alayi is an Igbo word meaning Our Land. A person from Alayi is known as Alayi and the Alayi people speak Alayi-Igbo dialect. In our tradition, Alayi traits are: Accommodating, Fearless, Calculative and Determined. Alayi men believe in perseverance as the only means of attaining their goals. They also believe that through hard work any person can be what he wants to be. They are hard working  and eager to show off accomplishments to family, friends and community. They are very traditional, but open and sincere to foreigners; they treat strangers with reverence and an open mind. Because they are kindhearted and understanding, this quality in some cases has led unscrupulous people to underestimate Alayi intelligence.

 

Among themselves, they regard each other as one. Traditionally the Alayi people believe that one Alayi man is equal to all. They feel this way because it is said that Alayi came from one ancestor. They are known for their togetherness and collective efforts to improve their community. They are home-oriented people. They do not forget their home-town while abroad. When outside their natural birthplace, they always form an organization, duplicating a pocket of their culture. Through these organizations they tax themselves to improve their villages, towns and communities. In an effort to forge greater unity, the Alayi launched their first well-organized Association in 1946, known as the Alayi Development Union. The objective of the organization was to encourage the formation of smaller but similar groups to improve and assist in the development of the community. These efforts led to the formation of many organizations including Age-grouping Associations and others. Each organization or association has taxed itself to provide for the communities certain necessities such as school building, road construction, town halls, better markets and improved living conditions.

 

 

ECONOMY AND OCCUPATION

 

 

Agriculture is the mainstay of Alayi’s economy. With vast arable land, traditionally Alayi practices subsistence farming. Their chief crops consist of: yams, cassava, beans and maize. In former times Alayi was the chief producer of yams, in the whole Umunnata Local Government Area of Abia State. Alayi also produces large quantities of palm produce such as palm oil and kernels. Among their traditional occupations are farming, hunting, wine taping, fishing and trading.

 

 

RELIGION

 

 

The people of Alayi, like any Igbo community, believe in a Supreme Being known as Chineke [the Creator] or Obasi bu lelu [the God or Creator in the heavens]. This belief is based on the worship of ancestral spirits. The ancestors are believed to dwell with the Supreme Being and therefore are the medium through which the living communicates with the Creator.

 

They also believe in Oracles which are regarded as the angels or representatives of the Creator. Shrines are also designated for each of these Oracles, where their services are sought, through rituals or sacrifices. Also holy temples exist, these holy or sacred grounds are where the living commune with the Supernatural forces. Although the introduction of Christian Churches and Western education has greatly reduced the practices and the values attached to traditional religion, these traditional beliefs and the existence of shrines and temples are still present in our society.

 

 

HOW ALAYI  WAS  RULED

 

 

Before the advent of the British Colonial Administration in Nigeria in 1847, Alayi was a matrilineal society ruled in a traditional Igbo system. This system required a set of Elders to manage the affairs of the community. The Elders were known as the Council of Elders. In Alayi the structural composition of these ruling Elders was divided into three classes or groups: the village group, the town group and the county group. The village group was composed of Elders from various hamlets. They met at Ala-ama [the village playing ground], and selected and sent representatives to the town level. The town group of Elders were Elders selected from the various villages. Each Elder represented the interests of his village or locality, however, collectively they formed and became town Elders. The county Elders were Elders chosen by the town Elders committee to represent the interests and affairs of the communities as a whole with other counties. In the absence of traditional monarchies or system of chieftains, the rank of County Council Elders was the highest in the land. Those appointed to this position were the best that both the community and the county had. These men were veteran heroes of many battles. They were brave and experienced warriors.

           

In our tradition aging was never the only qualification nor an entitlement of membership into the role of the Council of Elders. It was a status earned through manifestation of talents, strength and wisdom. Those chosen were men of honor with distinguished qualities. They were men of bravery, courageous, decisive and firm in character. They were eloquent and tactful in their speeches and statements. Some of them were even men who spoke many dialects.

 

They were men who used parables as a means of communication. These men were people with historical and geographical knowledge of their people, environment and land. These men also had extensive knowledge and skills in our traditional religion and most, if not all of them, had what it took to be a Dibia [an African native doctor]. They also possessed skills in the art of hunting. Each member of the council of the Elders performed one act of bravery or another. For instance, as a young hunter, he killed a large animal such as an elephant and earned a title of Ogbu enyi, or a carnivorous beast like a tiger or lion thus earning himself the title of bravery, Ogbu agu [the killer of tiger]. There were no honorary titles in our tradition in those days—all titles were earned.

           

The system of ruling Alayi was set in place by our ancestors with many traditional laws supported by the beliefs in African religion. They [the ancestors] designated holy grounds, streams, temples and shrines. Some of these places served as a swearing ground, used to settle disputes. These places influenced the behavior of the community and served as restraining instruments.

 

The ruling Elders utilized all the traditional professions in their day-to-day operation of governance. However, the three most active operative arms of governance were: The Hunters, The age-groups and The All-male Secret Societies. The hunters monitored the territorial boundaries of the community and reported any violation or incursion to the authorities; The Age-groups received orders directly from the ruling Elders. They were responsible for law enforcement, collecting levies and fines imposed on individual lawbreakers. They also formed and coordinated the defense of the community and mapped war strategy. It was from their ranks that fighters [soldiers] were selected. In emergencies they were also responsible for public announcements, mobilization and enforcing conscript law. The most powerful arm of governance was the All-male Secret Societies. They exercised executive judiciary power. They were only involved in serious matters, such as grave breaches of our traditional laws and property disputes. When a property dispute occurred they played the role of an arbitrator. They enforced laws through masquerades.

 

 

Note:  Village headship exists among the Item, Igbere and Umuhu. Their village heads exercise considerable political authority.