Igbo World Assembly tasks Ndigbo on cultural revival

The Chairman of Igbo World Assembly (IWA), Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has called on Ndigbo across the world to ensure that Igbo culture and tradition are revived.

Speaking to newsmen at his hometown, Abagana, Njikoka Local Council of Anambra State, the Onowu Abagana (Traditional Prime Minister of Abagana), urged Ndigbo not to allow their culture and tradition to go extinct due to external influence. He noted Igbo culture as one of the richest in the world that must be protected to give Ndigbo an identity.

“Ndigbo have a richer culture than other races in the world and we must not allow our culture to die because of Western culture and tradition,” he said.

The former leader of Anambra State Association-United States of America (ASA-USA) observed that Ndigbo in the U.S. had established Igbo Institute in the country as part of efforts to teach those abroad their culture and tradition.

“We have Igbo Institute in the U.S.A. It teaches Igbo language and culture online. A lot of Caribbeans and Afro-Americans are Igbo. Some families have been there since the slave trade era.

“We also do hold the great Igbo Cultural Day every August, in collaboration with Eze Eri, Chukwuemeka Eri of Aguleri, in Anambra East Local Council,” he said.

Anakwenze urged Ndigbo all over the world to preserve the Igbo language, stressing that many languages were dying. His words: “We must respect our culture and tradition, and if we cannot respect and preserve them, we don’t have anything to be proud about and say is our own. Our values are in our culture and we should be proud of them.”

The traditional prime minister berated those Igbo who give preference to European culture to Igbo culture by taking foreign titles, lamenting that many Igbo men had taken chieftaincy titles from the Europeans and Americans at the expense of Igbo titles.

“The white men never took Ozo title in Igbo land, but Ndigbo are rushing to take up the Englishman’s chieftaincy title – the one they call knight.”

We have our own chieftaincy title, which is called Ozo and others.

“I have refused to take the Englishman’s chieftaincy title because I have not seen any European take Ozo title in Igbo land. I will only take the chieftaincy of a white man when they take one title in Igbo land,” he said.