By Uduma Kalu
Obi, my senior, you said you would earn your cognac. I say Life to all of us.
THE WRITER AS DIBIA, THE NATION AS OGBANJE
The writer has envisioned for the country like the Dibia. He has read its Afa, felt its Chi, divined its road, prescribed herbs, warned that Ala is unsettled.
But the country is divined to Soyinka's Abiku.
You remember Soyinka's Abiku: the child who dies and returns, dies and returns, mocking the mother's grief. "However oft we consecrate the shrine... the same ripples fold." It is not a child that will not come. It is a child that will not stay.
Nigeria is that Abiku.
1914, Amalgamation — it died.
1953, Kano riots — it died.
1962, census South overtook North — it was killed and cancelled.
1963, census fraud — it died.
1966, coup — it died.
1967-70, Biafra, one million children buried — it died.
1973, census North claimed 64% — it died.
1993, June 12 — it died.
2014, Confab report thrown into dustbin — it died.
Each time we bury it with rites, each time it returns, same deformed limbs, same 419 LGAs North, 95 South-East, same 19 states North, 5 South-East, same 174 of 312 seats in 1959 become 191 of 360 reps today, same British Order-in-Council still wearing agbada.
The Dibia warns. The Abiku laughs.
The more you hold to it, the more it becomes Dante's Inferno — Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
That is why this debate about Nze, Dibia and Osu matters. Because you want to conscript the writer as Osu of the Abiku.
1. OSU — NOT ACOLYTE, BUT DEDICATED LINEAGE
You said Osu is not priest but acolyte, keeper of votary animals — Ehi Amadioha, Aturu Agbara.
I agree that is ONE function — in its degraded form after Aro slave trade and missionaries turned dedicated lineages into untouchables.
Logically you commit presentism — using colonial definition to erase pre-colonial meaning.
Premise A: Pre-16th century Igbo: Every major deity had its human community. Osu Agwu, Osu Ala, Osu Anyanwu. Endogamous — married within deity line to preserve knowledge. Attested in Nri, Awka, Nsukka oral history.
Premise B: Post-Aro/Post-missionary: Osu redefined as outcast, slave to shrine.
You proved my point when you listed: Eze Ala, Eze Agwu, Duru Oshimiri, Duru Anyanwu. Those are political titles of the town. Who keeps secret knowledge of Anyanwu? Not Duru Anyanwu the politician. The Osu Anyanwu lineage — ones who never left grove.
Therefore Eze Ala = priest of Ala for whole town — political.
Osu Ala = dedicated lineage of Ala — spiritual specialist, stricter rules.
They are not priest and helper. They are two separate priesthoods. Like aBenedictine monk is not helper to parish priest. He is different order. You argued against yourself.
2. DIBIA — INHERITED PREDISPOSITION + ATTAINED INITIATION
You said: A man can be Dibia but none of his children may have calling. Apprentice may inherit Ofo Dibia. Therefore nothing genetic.
That is false dilemma: Either 100% inherited or not inherited at all.
My model is probabilistic: Dibia = Inherited predisposition + Attained initiation.
Evidence:
- If irrelevant, why every village knows "Umuna Dibia"? Why Dibia families exist everywhere?
- Why phrase "Aja Dibia waara ya" — Dibia marks have marked him from womb — in everyday Igbo?
- Chi awu otu — Chi unique — does not cancel probability. In family of 7, Agwu may choose 2, as with Mac and Anas. Variation within marked lineage IS proof of epigenetic probability, not refutation.
When Ofo Dibia given to non-blood apprentice, either he already had Agwu from own lineage and found teacher, or he is ritually adopted into Dibia lineage — made blood to carry Ofo Ndi Dibia. Still inheritance, now spiritual.
You agree Nze is attained. Not inherited. It's political oath to Ofo Nze to uphold truth among men.
Dibia is different. It's spiritual oath to Ofo Dibia to not unsettle Ala and to heal. Requires predisposition.
3. EPIGENETICS — YOU WERE FACTUALLY WRONG
You said: "Epigenetics is not about gene expression, it is about how environment affects your genes and your behavior without changing DNA. In other words epigenetics has nothing to do with genetic inheritance or even methylation."
Self-contradictory. Standard definition: Epigenetics IS about gene expression, and methylation IS its primary mechanism.
- Genetics = DNA letters inherited.
- Epigenetics = chemical marks — mainly methylation — placed ON letters by environment, diet, trauma, ritual — turning genes up/down WITHOUT changing letters.
- Those marks CAN be inherited. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Demonstrated in mice, plants, Dutch famine 1944, Holocaust trauma studies.
So my use was correct: Lineage spending 10 generations in shrine — handling herbs, fasting — lives in extreme environment. Environment marks biology. Child born bookmarked to healing. Not mysticism. Epigenetics. Igbo says Aja Dibia waara ya, biology says methylated.
4. NOW THE POLITICS — DID NIGERIANS FREELY CHOOSE?
You said Umuaro is like Nigeria — people covenanted, created Ulu at center.
No. Umuaro came together themselves, debated, covenanted, created Ulu with own hands — republic they made. Direct democracy.
Nigeria is British convenience, amalgamation 1914 for administrative ease. No one covenanted.
You cite 1951 Ibadan, 1957-58 London, plebiscite for Southern Cameroons, debate to rename Nigeria Songhai. Yes elites negotiated. But negotiated by whom? For whom?
Ibadan 1950: Chaired by Attorney-General Sir Gerald Howe, delegates picked by Britain from three regional Houses Britain created. North demanded 50% seats.
London 1953: 19 delegates. London 1957: 10 delegates + 5 advisers per region.
London 1958: Lancaster House, 70-80 delegates "broadly representative" selected under Colonial Office. Even then Governor-General retained reserved powers to act without Ministers, plus defence, police.
Was any Igbo farmer asked? Any Yoruba market woman? No. No region outside Southern Cameroon was asked for a plebiscite Southern Cameroons got plebiscite in1961 — choose Nigeria or Cameroons. Britain knew how to ask. Chose not to ask the rest. Don't forget the UN involvement in the Cameroons.
Census fraud that made 1959 possible:
1911: North 50.1% South 49.9% — slight.
1931: Depression + Aba Women Riot 1929. South enumeration abandoned by Governor's order. South = old records only. North 57%.
1952-53: 31.6m North 54% — used to allocate 1954 and 1959 seats.
1962: South 24m (51%) overtakes North 22m — Balewa cancels result, fires British chief.
1963: Balewa says North undercounted by 8.5m, scales 60.5m to 55.6m. East unchanged 12.38m, West jumps 7.8m to 10.3m because Akintola allied with NPC. Okpara: "Worse than useless" — sues, court says no jurisdiction but implied growth 5.8% was impossible. This figure was used for 1964 elections, triggering Western crisis, 1966 coup.
2006: North 75.02m (53.6%) South 64.98m. Kano 9.38m vs Lagos 9.01m, making Kano most populous despite Lagos megacity. Lagos State rejected it.
Rule: Every census South wins, cancelled. Every census North wins, accepted.
Election rigging 1959:
Declassified File CO 554/2123 notes that Britain determined to rig for NPC with Governor General Robertson saying, "Any election not producing NPC, Britain will refuse independence."
Harold Smith, officer detailed to rig, refused. Robertson: "I personally gave order... keep your mouth shut or means will be found to shut you up."
New Africa 2005 says: British had "stuff on Zik that could send him to prison... forced him to do deal with North".
Seats: 1954 House 184 — 92 North 92 South 50/50. 1959 House 312 — North allocated 174 (55.7%) South 138 — got more than asked. Results: NPC 134, NCNC/NEPU 89, AG 75. But NCNC had 3.1m votes 40% more than NPC. If proportional, NCNC produced PM. Robertson preempted — invited Balewa before results declared to prevent North seceding.
Whose interest is all these? Prof David Anderson, Oxford says, "British manipulated... North Islamist, conservative, close relationship... ruled through emirs... bulwark against opposition... West Africa vulnerable to communism." Shell-BP oil.
The structure has worsened today:
- States 36: North 19 + FCT, South 17. South-East 5 only.
- LGAs 774: North 419, South 357. North-West alone 186, South-East 95 — difference 91. Kano 44, Jigawa 27 — old Kano 71 vs Lagos 20.
- Senate 109: North 58 South 51. Reps 360: North 191 South 169.
- FAAC: Equality 40% divided equally among 36 — South-East loses ₦11.11bn every ₦1tr for having 5 not 6 states. LGAs are revenue units.
- Presidents 16: North 10 — 62.5%, 41 of 65 years. South-East executive 0 since Azikiwe ceremonial. Under Tinubu, Federal leadership North 56.3% South 43.7% — South-East 12.4% lowest.
Yet, as you once wrote, Eastern Region economy under Okpara grew 9.2% 1958-67 fastest on earth for 9 years per Arthur D. Little plan, projected to overtake West by 1978 — truncated by war. It's now worst FG developed yet oil from old East funds federation.
Cost of Not Listening to the Dibia
WHILE SINGAPORE, INDIA DID
Nigeria vs Singapore: 1960 Nigeria $4.196bn was 6x Singapore $705m. 2025 projection Nigeria is $188bn Singapore $564bn, 3x Nigeria. Per capita 1960 Nigeria $93 Singapore $428, 2016 Nigeria $2,200 Singapore $53,000.
And what did that rigged structure cost on ground? A recent research I did last month says South East has contributed estimated $111.5bn + N9.1tn more than it received since 1970. This report traces 25 policy decisions. No factory, no land, SE smallest 29,388 sqkm, density 400/km2 vs North 80/km2, no seaport/rail/gas tap to trade, no federal job, checkpoints hostile, no presidency to complain. Leaves economic exile. Effect on Nigeria: Loses trading network, inflation, brain drain, insecurity, = anger vacuum, cannot be unified market, economy stagnates.
5. THE WRITER
I still insist.
You say writer is Osu of nation, flotsam when land atrophies like Ngugi cremated with no stone.
No. Achebe in There Was A Country, says Writer must take sides with powerless against emperor. Not with emperor against powerless.
Rushdie says: Beware of a writer who sets himself as voice of nation. Okri warns, Literature doesn't have a country. Shakespeare is African writer. Gordimer: Writer serves humankind only insofar as uses word even against own loyalties.
Soyinka did not defend Abacha. Ngugi did not defend Moi writing on toilet paper. Baldwin did not defend Jim Crow. Solzhenitsyn did not defend Soviet emperor. None flotsam. All immortal.
If Ngugi ashes scattered to wind, it was choice to be wind touching all shores, not failure to be stone.
CONCLUSION
Obi, the writer may choose to be Dibia. You cannot conscript him as Dibia for Abiku.
If we continue conscripting writers as priests of State, we will have more Ezeulus — great men destroyed because they obeyed legislator instead of people. Ezeulu refused to eat sacred yams out of season to save people because angry with people — personalized office, arrogated power. Deity broke him. Agwu always serves people, not priest.
The Abiku has refused to stay. The Dibia has warned.
If it must disintegrate, let it disintegrate in peace — in five, six, seven wind-blown pieces that may finally grow like Singapore, Malaysia, fifteen children of USSR, seven children of Yugoslavia — rather than remain one inferno held together by memory of Lugard.
As Zik finally said in 1964 when he saw: "If Nigeria must disintegrate, then in the name of God, let the operation be short and painless. It is better that we disintegrate in peace and not in pieces."
That is not secessionism. That is diagnosis. Zik was a poet, a Dibia who retreated from his earlier diagnosis. He left you behind.
0 Comments