Ofo Symbol: The Ideological Implications for Peace Building in Asaba, Nigeria

Abstract

Ofo is bound up with the traditional Igbo religious experience and their conception of the world. It is necessarily involved in the dynamics of Igbo social and cultural life. However, Igbo culture has been jeopardized by colonialism and globalization and is on the precinct of dilapidation and extinction as a result of ignorance and disdain for cultural practices. The Igbo cultural practices are mostly facing extinction, probably by the effects of acculturation. The Ofo usage is one of the cultural practices in Igbo society that despite the contribution to sustainable development in the traditional Africa, especially the symbol represented by the stick, there is lack of awareness on its merit in the present day Asaba community. Many people attribute the oblivious nature of Ofo to the fetishes and thus demand complete destruction. However, the use of Ofo ritual symbol in recent time in Asaba to avert the menace of cultism informed the curiosity of the researcher to examine the structure of Ofo symbol as alternative method for peace building in Asaba. This study adopts a qualitative method for analysis of data collected from primary and secondary sources. Phenomenological approach is also employed to allow the symbolic object speak for itself. The methodology via ideological pole brought out the socio-religious implications of Ofo symbol towards peace building. Some of the findings from ideological pole present Ofo as instrument of truth, unity, justice, authority and retribution which are some of the elements of peace building in the traditional Igbo society. The understanding of these values of the symbolism of Ofo will remove the doubt of those who view Ofo as a symbolic object for negative actions and help people to appreciate and clarify the practices of traditional office of Ofo title holders which many see as diabolic.