THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014
40
THE SOUTHEAST REPORT
Age grade system drives communal growth T
HE age-grade system in any typical Igbo contemporary set-up has always helped to fast-track communal growth. The case of Amokwo Item in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State is not different. Over the years, the people of Amokwo Item have benefited from the benevolence of the age grade system which is believed to have come into existence in the community form more than 100 years ago, including individual persons who have seen the need to plough back to the community where they were born. The normal thing is that the agegrade starts with a few youths coming together to form a social club, but they must have been born within the same period with a five-year difference. Within this period they scout for members who are of their age bracket and have the same mindset. When they increase in number, they approach the town union for registration, after which the town union gives them responsibilities, even financial targets to meet in the interest of the community. While they are still a social club in the community, they are regarded as boys even if they have married and produced children, so long as they have not graduated to become an agegrade and the already graduated age grades have the right to send them on errands and they must also have an age grade that will be their patron. When they are ready to come out as an age grade, they must approach the town union executives to assign them a project they must finish before they are allowed to come out and be regarded as men and a fully-fledged age grade in the community and will serve the community as the vanguards and local errand men and in most cases as the local vigilante people in Amokwo Item community. When they are tired and aged within the age bracket of a minimum of 70 years, they are expected to retire from
•Some age-grade members of the community Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia
active community service including paying levies as may be directed by the community union leaders. This is called Ikptonma “dropping of knives for the men and holes for the women” and they must also complete a retiring project before they are allowed to retire. They will serve the community in that capacity until a new age grade comes out to replace them as the vanguard of the community, even if it will take the new age grade five years to come out, they must remain the main errand boys of the community. On December 31, 2013, the Amokwo Item community under the executive leadership of Chief Kingsley Ogba Nwokoro, the community led a social club then known a Lovers Social Club to graduation into an age grade now known as Ochonma Age Grade of Amokwo Item. The new age grade had earlier been assigned a project at the village main market to build one of the stalls in, as the union had made the local market which normally opens every eight day into a daily market. The new age grade had built and
They will serve the community in that capacity until a new age grade comes out to replace them as the vanguard of the community, even if it will take the new age grade five years to come out, they must remain the main errand boys of the community painted the stall and handed same over to the town union as part of the criteria for their age grade outing. On New Year’s Eve, the new age grade with their men dressed in pink Igbo top with a black hat and a wrapper to march and their women wearing a pink top with a pink head gear and a wrapper to march danced from the village hall led by Chief Nwokoro and his executive council to the mini stadium built and donated to the community by Ms Arunma Oteh, the director general of SEC. The chairman of the day was Dr Davy Ukegbu Osoka, whose duty it was as the chairman of the occasion to charge the new age grade members to
live up to the standard set by the founding fathers of the community and to be ready to serve the community at any level and at all times. Dr Osoka witnessed the handing over the baton of service from the outgoing age grade that served as the vanguard of the community for a over four years, the Chinemere age grade and it was handed over to the president general of the new age grade, Sebastian Odu Onwuchekwa who pledged on behalf of the new age grade to serve the community wit diligence until another age grade comes out. The ceremony which took place during the Okwo Day ceremony was witnessed many sons o the commu-
nity which include the insurance guru, Chief Joe Irukwu, Prof Herbert Orji, chairman, BON, Chief Emmanuel Akwari Ukpabi, Emelike Igwe Kalu, Commissioner for Public Utilities and James Kwubiri Okpara commissioner for special duties, Legal and Due Process office of the governor both of them who are from the community and among others saw the President-General of Amokwo Item Welfare Union [AIWU], Chief Nwokoro, thanking everyone for finding time to grace the occasion for that year. Kwubiri Okpara used the occasion to tell the people of Amokwo Item that the governor, Chie Theodore Orji has promised to build the road from the Umuahia/Ohafia/Arochukwu road down to Amokwo Item and that it has been budgeted for, while Kalu said that the water schemes in Apuanu and Okoko Item will be revived within the shortest period and urged the people of Item to give their support to the governor. The highlight of the occasion was the giving out the certificate of age grade outing to the new age grade, Ochonma age grade and the assigning of a stand during Okwo Day to the new age grade, after which the masquerades took the centre stage.
Foundation relieves the needy •Continued from page 34 Earlier, Rev Canon Chamberlin Igwenazo prayed for Okwuosa family for rendering help to the society and less privilege which he said had been major interest the church had on wealthy people in the society to use their wealth to help others. Rev Igwenazo challenged other rich men in the society to emulate the Okwuosa family in helping the less privilege persons which he said would help to eliminate crime in the society by engaging the youths in meaningful business. The Chairman of Ekwusigo council area, Mr. John Elomba, represented by Obinna Nwachukwu commended the Emeka Okwuosa Foundation and the entire Okwuosa family for initiating the projects which is targeted at lifting the women and less privilege persons in the society. He described Okwuosa family as strong pillar in the entire Oraifite community that had rendered help to others without any feelings attached and said that the council shall continue to support any individual that has soft heart to help others especially during the yuletide seasons. In his address, the Coordinator of Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation, Dr. John Anene said Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation as a registered non-profit making and non-
governmental organization formed by Okwuosa to help render services to the society. He said that the Foundation last year distributed gift items worth millions of naira to married women from the community, adding that this year; the situation still remains the same in the sense that some other communities are beneficiaries of the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation. “Last year, we were here and all married women from our community went home each with full bags of rice. It is still so this year. Thereafter, workers of the Foundation went to other communities and various public establishments in Oraifite, Ozubulu and Nnewi” “All Irefi married women will benefit from this year’s Christmas gift distribution. The idea is linked to the philosophy that if you feed a woman, you feed not only herself but entire household. With the mindset of the proprietor which is geared towards ameliorating the lots of the rural community, providing infrastructural development and general wellbeing of the people” he said. The President General of Oraifite Improvement Union, Dr. Jap Okolo said the aim of the Foundation to radiate joy in the minds of the less privilege in the society is commendable and enjoined other wealthy men in the community to emulate the Okwuosa family in rendering help to the less privilege.
•Rice handed over to beneficiaries at the event
He said that for the community to grow, all hands must be on deck in the sense that everybody must get involved in the entire
work of rebuilding the community and making it economically viable for the rural dwellers to make living.