When Obi Of Onitsha unveiled Chimedie Museum

History was made on Saturday when the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR, mni, unveiled his plan to build a world-class museum – the Chimedie Museum.

The museum is to serve as a centre of excellence for the development and promotion of African art, and to help create a future in which African art achieves greater relevance and sustainability such that it becomes a key development resource.

The monarch, who also marked 75th birthday as well as his 14th anniversary on the throne that very day, launched the museum as a private endowment for the benefit of the public.

Speaking at the launch, which had dignitaries including the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, in attendance, the Obi of Onitsha said the museum would make Onitsha and the entire Anambra State destinations of choice for business, tourism and leisure.

His words: “It is our intent to build an edifice, which will become a reference centre for our history and culture, relating the past with the present for the benefit of the future.  For instance, it is from the hundreds of museums around the world that we derive most of our knowledge about life in ancient Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, China, India, and Nigeria, among the world’s great civilisations.

“The big difference with Nigeria is that we have not cared to preserve our heritage, the best of which now reside in foreign museums, where we and our future generations will painfully visit if we must know about our past. Today’s event is the beginning of a private journey to reverse that trend for Onitsha Ado N’Idu, Anambra State and, to some extent, Nigeria.

“The museum that we are about to launch today is named after Obi Chimedie, my direct royal ancestor.  Chimedie was the son of Eze Aroli, who was the son of Obi Chimaevi, who was the son of Ezechima the Onitsha Ado N’Idu. My more immediate ancestor, Orezeobi, was hundreds of years for the descendant of Orezeobi to mount the throne of Ezechima, we thought it appropriate to name the museum after Chimedie, the father of Orezeobi.” The museum, which was designed by Architect Theo Lawson, the creator of Freedom Park in Lagos, will warehouse modern African Art numbering over 1200 pieces at the present time, amongst the finest collections of visual art in Nigeria; all his royal paraphernalia and those of his predecessors that may be available, including photographs, music and video recordings, apparels, jewelleries, ornaments, etc.; as well as historic documents and research materials, including the digital copies of the entire academic socio-anthropological study of Onitsha.

The Obi of Onitsha noted that the Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation had been duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as not-for-profit independent trust and a board of trustees would soon be constituted.

He also said the land for the museum had been allocated in his name by the state government and he had executed an irrevocable Deed of Gift conveying the land to the Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation, enlightenment on the history and culture of Onitsha and Igboland.

“The museum will in due course be linked with one of our universities and become a Centre for Onitsha and Igbo Studies. Our daughter and distinguished academic, Professor Nkiru Nzegwu, of the State University of New York in Binghamton, New York, has painstakingly built up a bibliography of over 500 sources of published materials on Onitsha and related subjects.

The museum will equally painstakingly acquire such materials over time to become a research centre,” he said.

Obiano, who performed the foundation-laying ceremony, was full of praise for the initiative and noted that the museum would help his administration in its bid to develop tourism in the state.

Meanwhile, the Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation is engaged in discussion with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to endow a prize for a yearly award for creative excellence to a graduating student of the university. The Chimedie Museum will also continue to host the yearly Oreze Art
exhibition during Ofala Onitsha.

At the 33rd edition of Centre for Values in Leadership’s (CVL) Leaders Without Title (LWT) held at the National Institute for International Affairs (NIIA) Lagos, Achebe said the worse thing colonial system did to Nigeria was attempting to kill its traditional system.

“Colonialism disfranchised traditional communities from their source of revenue for the government,” he said.

Notwithstanding, the Igwe said Traditional rulers would work closely with the government “to ensure that the wealth of the nation is put in the right place”.

He emphasised the need for the government to put the right policies in place for all the institutions of the society such as, Health, education and others. “I have a particular interest in our cultural institutions, such as the museums and art galleries, music, theatre, Libraries, which have been badly neglected by the government in terms of policies and funding,” he said.

On the theme of the event- Modern Traditional Leaders as Development Catalysts, Achebe said Traditional Leaders are role models to their subjects. “They drive their people to achieve the best they can in education, economic empowerment, community development and safety and security within their communities.”

The founder of CVL and Leaders Without Title, Prof. Pat Utomi in shedding light on why the Centre was created, said it was to show the Nigerian youths that many people who contributed immensely to the development of the country had little or no titles. “We want to raise the thought level of thought leadership,” he said.

Utomi also revealed that he would be engaging a television series with civilised conversation soon to reach out to more youths.

On why CVL is turning to traditional leaders, he said, “they could be valuable agents of mobilization for policy implementation, monitoring and even for review of policy options. In some ways, the conversation on the appropriate role of traditional leaders is based on hazy understanding of the dichotomy between traditional and modernity.”

The event featured a panel discussion, with discussants paying tribute to the Igwe and touching on some real cultural malfunctions in the country.

Dr. Chris Chigoziri Asoluka, a panelist, said traditional rulers stand as symbol of unity. “ Obi’s wealth of exposure-his style of leadership is no doubt a catalyst to national development, the catalytic leader knows how and where to take his people to”, he noted.

The veteran journalist and columnist with The Guardian, Mr. Ray Ekpu, on his part wonders why Achebe chose to be a traditional ruler not the president of Nigeria, considering his intellect and exposure. He noted that there was a decline in the quality of political leadership and a rise in the quality of traditional leadership. Giving examples of the Ooni of Ife, Emir of Kano, the celebrant among other traditional rulers, “they have held different positions in the financial, economic and political spheres of the country, and retired to be traditional rulers. Their sole aim is to give a better quality of life to their territory.”

He continued, “I hope something could be done to bring back the literary honour of Onitsha.” He called on all Onitsha indigenes to support the Igwe to bring back the commercial city to its former glory.

While lamenting the collapse of culture in Nigeria, Ekpu said, “We should encourage traditional rulers to be as political as possible but to reserve certain comments, I also believe that these traditional leaders would ensure that gender related issues are balanced.”

Dr. Tunji Olaopa said understanding the 21st century leader entails understanding the trajectory of traditional leadership. “ I believe traditional leaders bring a lot of value to our political system, though there is a bit of gender discrimination in traditional leadership, and we also have a problem of oversized government,” he noted.

Olaopa emphasised the need to have History and Nigerian languages in schools curriculum and made mandatory to study. “Most of our institutions are not working because we don’t obey them, we need to respect these institutions”, he noted.

To Chief Goddy Uwazurike, there is need to structure a common good that enhances better relationship between the people and the chiefs.

Achebe advised the Nigerian youths to have the fear of God, as there was no easy route to success than hard work, determination and focus.