RACIAL IDENTITY CONSCIOUSNESS AND
THE MEANING OF THE WORD “IGBO”
The coming into existence of Social
Media in the World, Africa and Nigeria in particular has help in no small way to the knowledge of people of
different race and culture.
I do not know whether people have
noticed the race consciousness going on all over the world now. People, tribe
and race are tracing their roots.
I read recently how Jewish people
are conducting DNA of some people to identify their missing tribe, whatever
sparked this off I do not know but God is about to do something of which we are
not sure about before the advent of Christ second coming.
I also read Femi Fani Kayode’s post
on “Who are the Yoruba People”? (part 1).
“He systematically traced Yoruba
ancestry to the black Cushite migrants and settlers. That they were driven out
of Arab’s lands and communities because they refused to give up their religious
faith, their deep mysticism and paganism and their idol worship after Islam was
introduced to those places by Prophet Mohammed.
They migrated to the banks of the
great river Nile in Egypt where they intermingled and inter-married with the
Egyptians, the Nubians and the Sudanese of the Nile, For many thousands of
years many of the Yoruba remained on the banks of the Nile but the bulk of them
eventually migrated to what was to later become known as North-eastern Nigeria
and once again they settled, mingled and
inter-bred with the Shuwa Arabs and the Kanuries of Bornu” he stated that it was from here they migrated
to where they are today, the Western Nigeria.
Of so much interest was that he
stated that nobody knows the meaning of the term YORUBA, neither did he suggest
any or infer one through their cultural and spiritual heritage.
I was happy to read that write up
because it allied with the Scripture of Truth of the hand work of God in his
creation and distribution of tribe and races.
I believe that there is something
in a name. God gives a child of destiny names. Such names reveals calling and
destiny.
Many have written about Igbo race
but none has attempted to define the word “IGBO”. Some body has said that this
word is a corrupted form of Hebrew (Igbo – Heebrew), and that to a large extent
is correct seeing that they claim descent from there.
But the simple meaning of the word
“Igbo” is Trumpeter, Announcer, or Somebody that create awareness.
From the culture of Igbos we have
this instrument the messengers use in delivering message to the people which is
call GONG AND IS CALLED IN IGBO LANGUAGE “IGBOO OR IGBUGBO” it is from here we
got the name.
Spiritually this name portray the
destiny of Igbo people whether physical or spiritual.
The spiritual calling and destiny
of Igbos are to be a sent messenger of God, a watchman , an announcer, a priest
to themselves and to others, a mediator. Physically that is exactly the role
they have been playing for themselves and for other tribes where God plant
them. As the instrument trumpet and gong makes noise for the messenger and
create awareness to deliver his message, so Igbos makes noise to air their
view. They fear no one in doing this.
They hardly keep secret especially
when its purpose is to hid evil and perpetrate injustice. They know how to cry
out when injustice is done and they are ready to die trying to solve it no
matter the tribe or race that is involve. Their conscious riot against
injustice and they cannot hold it.
So you can see where their problem
comes from, it is in their blood and cannot help it, it is God’s imposition, gong
and trumpet do not make noise on their own, somebody must have provoked or
beaten it, Igbos just do not make empty
noise but the noise of a watchman, for justice, equity and fair play and it is
expedient to listen to them whenever they raise alarm.
IGBO IS A DESTINY NAME, ATMOSPHERE OF WATCHMAN AND TRUMPET FOLLOW THEM ABOUT. I PRAY THEY KEEP IT UP, FOR GOD WILL
HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY ARE THERE AND EVIL KEEPS ON THRIVING.
