AFÀ, ÓFÓ NA OGU: THE MOMENT AJA-ANA AKPU CHIEF PRIEST WAS DECIDED
By Okey Emmanuel ODEWAIWAI
Two spiritual concepts in Igbo cosmology - ÓFÓ na OGU - are the bedrock of justice/truth and innocence especially in the process of discerning the mind of the gods. Both ofó and ógu work together. to maintain order and ensure fairness within the community.
Today, I witnessed the traditional application of ófó na ogu as they were deployed while selecting the new Chief Priest of àja-ànà Akpu.
The council of Ndî Ódinànà in Akpu had resolved to seek the mind of the àja-ànà to know exactly who the idol decided as the rightful Chief priest. Three contenders had believed àjààna had picked them for the role. One of them has, in fact, taken up the role and currently holds the ófó àjààna. But Ndî ôdinàànà Akpu would not want to take anything for granted. So they agreed to invite diviners from different towns to come and seek the mind of àja-ànà on the subject matter.
Two of them came - one from Ogbunka and the other from Njikoka side of Anambra State. Both followed the same method of divination using igbà-àfà, ófó na ogu. It was a process of elimination, first to decide the actual family among the families of Ûmû-ajàna village. Ultimately, the process narrowed down to the particular person which finally became one Anayo.
Interestingly, both diviners agreed on the same family and the same individual even though they carried out their work independently. In fact, the Ogbunka one came, finished his work and left. The second came about one hour after the first left.
During the process at the alter of àja-ànà, the Bible story when David was selected as the king of Israel came to my mind. Here, while screening through the sons of Jesse to select the one to anoint as the new king of Israel, every human imagination failed as no one believed the lot would fall on David - the least in every consideration in the family. Even Samuel - the High Priest - was squarely beaten as common sense couldn't agree with the mind of the spirit. As the spirit told Samuel, the gods do not think/see the way humans think/see.
Exactly a similar thing was replicated here in ófîá àjàànà today. The boy (Ànayó) that the lot of àjàànà priesthood fell on was one person no one would have imagined. But for reasons best known to àjàànà, Anayo is today the anointed Chief priest of Àjàànà Akpu.
Igbà-àfà, ófó na ogu is one spiritual process with a lot of deep implications and lessons. The process is shrouded in mystery only known to those who understand the language of the gods. However, the use of ogu appears to eliminate every doubt. It is the the inquirer who decides the ogus to present to the diviner while the gods, speaking through the diviner tells which ogu is the rightful one.
The beauty of this natural course of justice and fair play is in seeking the mind of the gods at moments when human decisions are at the mercy of human assumptions and imaginations. It sounds like the use lots to choose sides at footfall game but the difference is that the lots (ogus) are under oath not to mislead the seeker of justice. That's the core role of ofó. Ofó cannot fail in fairness and justice especially before the gods which are believed would always stand for justice.
I believe that if humans would always speak with ófó na ogu - be it in ôdinàànà or Christianity - our society will be greatly sanitized of evil and wickedness.
Let's hope Ndî Ódinana Akpu, through their newly revived àjàana Akpu would take the lead here.
@okey.ODEWAIWAI
_(Odewaiwai is the Head of Committee on Tradition and Culture in Akpu Progressive Union)_
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