Part of A Forsaken History: The Igbo Custom of Ori Na Ndu Ceremony/Rite. By Ben Onyekelu Olisa

Every race has its culture, which should be remembered, practiced and also stand in as law if they are not in conflict with natural justice, equity and good conscience. Vide Evidence Act (2011) Section 18 (3).

Custom means the established or common usage of a particular people. Vide Prof. Osita Nnamani Ogbu, 2013. It has also been defined per Ndoma-Egba, J.C. A in Aku v. Ahaneku as:

"The unrecorded tradition and history of the people which has grown with the growth of the people to stability and become an intrinsic part of their culture"

In the light of the forgoing, Ori Na Ndu is an Igbo Custom which has grown with the growth of the people.

I was working on a research topic I intend to publish in a magazine and needed many facts to achieve some targets. It's on women in precolonial Nigeria: Igbo and Hausa case study.

 It could intrigue the reader to know that oral history lives with elderly people. I got much from my grandmother, who although in her late 70s knows a lot about Igbo history, especially Igbo people of her area. On my arrival to the rural community burbling of wishes and aspirations, I went to another elderly woman who I always visited to ask questions. I look pity on her. The old mama whose age couldn't given me all the facts I need for my research work because old age and loss of memory became a victim of Neglect. It had never occurred to her that such could happen when she would no longer be able to fend for herself. She wakes up every morning surprised and thankful, having survived the pains she passed through the night with her infirmities. God will bless that mama.


Back in my grandmother's Mud kitchen, she told me stories about my ancestors, things they did well and also the one the did wrongly. Even customs that are far gone, albeit they should have lived. It's also nice for one to ask for the bad ones and even demand for details. There should be what Chinua Achebe called, a Balance of Story.


Igbo culture is a very wonderful and matchless one; with wisdom embedded in it. It is rich in values, and its glory transcend the horizons of east. It virtually made provision for everything.

I noticed that Grandma calls my father, her first son, ONYE NA NDU each time they spoke on the phone, and with that Innocence of a child who knows nothing and was curious to learn, I would ask her to explain what that means and it's history.


Ori na ndu rite/ceremony is custom peculiar to people of Mgbidi in Awgu Local government of Enugu state. Although some communities in Igbo land performs the same or similar Ceremony/rite with a different name. It will be my humble wish to keep it within the area aforementioned. It is a ceremony sons and daughters owe their parents for bringing them up. While they were small, their parents fed them and did necessary things for them. Such love is expected to be requited by the children when they grow up and get established. If they fail to do so, one is at liberty to call them ONYE NA ONWU (one who gives at death) after they pay some fines during the burial of their parents for not performing the ceremony.

The word ORI NA NDU literally means "one that eats when one is alive", and one who performed the rite is called Onye na ndu. This literally means, "one that gives when to the receiver is alive". Ori na ndu ceremony is, however, not a type everyone can host if they haven't established themselves. It entails heading to ones mother's kindred and invite them to one's house for a party. On that beautifully blessed day, usually in the morning, the performer's kindred would also come and kola nut, a symbol of peace, prosperity and life in Igbo land, would be broken and fresh palm wine would be presented. Men would be drinking as they await food being cooked by the ladies to be done. The host would send an entourage to go and accompany his or her mothers people to the house while his wife/wives and other ladies dresses the mother, father or both (if they are alive) in beautiful attire he or she had provided. When the mother's people arrives, they would be welcomed and led into the compound for the rite to commence proper. The man/woman who performs the rite for his/her parents would take the stage and eulogize the parents as they are being decorated with gifts. He or she would hand over to the mothers people, a fat He-goat which would be slaughtered and other rites performed. After that, a huge celebration would follow. This ceremony changes the status of the performer as he/she joins another level amongst his kinsmen and community. He or she would be admitted into such a 'secret cult' of braveness, that tiny room of people who have distinguished themselves and provided for their parents when they are alive. Such moments are waited on by every parent when this ceremony is observed with deep sense of responsibility and sincerity.

Sadly today, not much persons perform this rite. This however is not separable from the Stings of colonialism and it's effects on African customs. I'm very proud of my father who had done this with his wife. I wasn't present to witness it, but I always see the happiness which even after a decade of the ceremony still live in peaceful grandmother's face. She speaks about such moment always; telling same story over and over again as if she had never said it before. Such happiness will follow her to her grave after she must have spent her years here on Earth; that her children gave her food and clothe when she lives. Each day she puts on clothes given to her on her Ori Na Ndu day, she would always remember and tell anyone around it's history.

Contemporary Igbo people seems to have forgotten so soon this beautiful culture of responsibility to parents. The eyes has seen people declare, with much consternation, that they don't, even by the virtue of being born and raised, owe their parents any dime. For these class of 'spoilt elites', they had merely performed their responsibility as parents and should not be given accolades. But in Igbo customs, people gets accolades for doing their works well. It's part of rudiments of Igbo and African culture. Ekene dike na nke omere, Ike adi ya ime ozo. (When a hero is praised for his heroic deeds, he gains strength to do more)

The 'culture' now seems to have changed. Giving to parents when they are no more to gain some cheap accolades, seems to be the trend. The eyes has seen a woman who gave birth to a Barrister and a medical Doctor but lived in a house that leaked water when it rained. She died, and as surprised as never, they punished her the more. She was abandoned in the mortuary for some months while her sons, even in disunity and cold war, renovated the house hurriedly because they wouldn't want their colleagues see the other part of their lives. Her burial was very awesome, and people ate and drank, but benevolent spirit, a womb that gave birth to heroes went to the grave hungry and perhaps angry. What a pity! In most kindred, some kinsmen only visit village when someone died and each time they come, they hand in envelopes and will leave the next morning. What if they give to their parents alive! Won't she live longer?

History has always been the saver of every race. It's time we look back and continue customs that are good and harmless. Our customs should be the Mirrow of our lives. Education should shape one's mind to see various good customs as something that can be rebranded and even taken to a greater height not spoil or abandoned without remorse. A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.     

Mahatma Gandhi

In the word of Chinua Achebe of the blessed memory:

'When a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don't just turn it off one day'.

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