Chief Ben Okolo, the grandson of Eze Obalike I of Nri, has advised ndi Igbo to take every measure necessary to preserve their language and culture as was done by their ancestors.
Okolo, reminded ndi Igbo of what his grandfather who reigned as the 14th Eze Nri told invading colonial masters that “we can take your education but our culture cannot be compromised.”
Nri is widely regarded as the ancestral and spiritual home of ndi Igbo.
Okolo said this in Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra, during the unveiling of the statue of the 14th Eze Nri.
The statue was erected by the community to commemorate Obalike’s contributions to the sustenance of the unique history and cultural heritage of his people.
According to Okolo, although Eze Nri Obalike was forced by the colonial masters to break an ancient tradition that prohibits Eze Nri from leaving his palace, the people of Nri remained resilient in the face of adversity.
The picture used for the statue was provided by Prof. Paul Basu of University of Oxford, U.K. who researched on the activities of British Government-sponsored anthropologist, Mr Whitebridge Thomas.
Okolo said that Thomas made his second tour between November 1910 and December 1911, during the reign of Obalike.
“We would want to put on record our huge debt of gratitude and indebtedness to Thomas for his research, photographs, and writings on the king.
“It is on record in British archives that Thomas made charring efforts to impress upon colonial authorities the need to respect Eze Nri Obalike’s spiritually ordained authority as a divine king, but they had no interes on doing so.
“We thank Prof. Angulu Onwuejeogwu, anthropologist at the university of Benin City, Nigeria, historian, and inaugural curator of Odinani Museum Nri who collated many previous works on Nri Kingdom and hegemony’’, he said.
Okolo said that the colonial used heavy intimidation on Eze Nri’s subjects and as such he had to obey them because he did not want them to further harm his people.
He said that the king as a wise man knows better than the white man that as agent of the Eze Nri since AD900 having been performing political and ritual functions.
“The fact that the high office of Nze Nri continues, and that Nri remembers and remains proud of its remarkably history tell us that ultimately the colonial destruction of a civilisation was not successful.
In his message, Basu, whose address was read by Chief Chukwudi Obalike, revealed that it has been thrilling to learn about Nri’s unique history and its culture.
He described Nri people and their culture as resilient.
Unveiling the statue, Nrri Regent, Prince Ikenna Onyesoh, acknowledged urged members of the community to always adhere to the ideology of Nri dynasty, widely known for peace and good humanity.
In his welcome speech, Chief Judge of Anambra State, Prof. Peter Umeadi who was the chairman of the occasion and appreciated Onwuejeogwu for collating many previous works on Nri Kingdom.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obalike ruled from 1889 to 1936 according to Okolo, who is 98 years old and a retiree of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
Mr Tony OkiKpa, was sculpted the statue said it was part of contributions to sustain the efforts sustain Nri culture.
(NAN)
