M. O. ENÉ
June 30, 2007
African culture is mostly male-dominated, as is the culture of many native nations worldwide. However, the paternalistic propensity of African culture, especially the Igbo culture, does not indicate subjugation of women. On the contrary, women in traditional Igbo societies are a force in political, legal, and social issues. Long before the colonists arrived in Africa, and even during and after colonialism, women have been a powerful part of the Igbo society. Women have many forums designed to present and protect their interests. The most important of these female forums is Ụmụada.
DEFINITION
Umuada is a compound, collective noun formed from “ụmụ” and “ada.“ Ada means “daughter”; ụmụ is a generic plural prefix that conveys the sense of many. Most naturally, every Igbo woman is “ada” (a daughter) of a certain community and is recognized as such for all the days of her life. Although it is used often in referring to the first daughter of a family (“adaobi”), ada generally means a female child. Viewed with a modern lens, ada is the origin of the politically correct term “Ms”—a non-distinguishing title for women and probably the English equivalent of “Ada.” Thus, “Umuada” connotes many daughters in a social group.
Umuada means native daughters, the daughters of a common male ancestor or “daughters of the soil.” Also called Umuokpu (in parts of Anambra State) or Ndimgboto (in parts of Imo State), Umuada is a collective of all daughters of a particular clan, village, town, or state… whether old, young, single, married, separated, or divorced. It is the inalienable right of every daughter of a particular place, without exception whatsoever, to belong to Otu Umuada, the society of native daughters. As a collective, Otu Umuada is a powerful sociopolitical setup in Igbo culture, a functional forum for females.
The membership of this forum is the absolute right of all women born of the same male lineage. Even if and when a woman marries outside the village or town setting, she remains ada of her father’s community. In other words, membership of the group is conferred patrilineally; that is, from the father’s side of the family. So, strictly speaking, any woman who does not belong to the group is either an outsider or she has been ostracized by her community for some abominable acts.
ROLE
The Igbo have about seven indigenous approaches to conflict resolution:
(1) through the immediate family head;
(2) Ụmụnna, (the agnate);
(3) Ụmụada;
(4) Otu ọgbọ (age-grade/peer society);
(5) Dibịa (diviner),
(6) village/town tribunal; and
(7) masquerade cult.
In certain cases when the approximate male counterpart called “Ụmụnna” (“sons of the soil”) fail to agree on an issue, Umuada will step in and resolve the matter. In complex conflicts of conjugal character, the intervention of Ụmụada is always a given. In such matters, the men (Umunna) take a backseat and abide by the rulings of Umuada. Umuada also plays important roles in many matters of birth, puberty, marriage, and death—the four major cycles of life.
Umuada are strict but fair in their interventions and enforcements. For example, if a brother maltreats his wife and no one would stop him, Umuada will step in and straighten him out. On the other hand, if a woman married into the clan becomes unruly, Umuada will intervene and resolve the matter, even if it entails forcing the bad wife back to her own clan to cool off, make amends, and possible return to turn a new leaf. In extreme cases, they can ostracize and even place a curse on an intractable member of the clan.
Umuada are, as a group, decent and dynamic in their decisions and actions. They are great arbiters probably because they are not a part of the problem, and they do not have to stay back in the community to face anyone on a regular basis.
RESPECT
The male members of the clan respectfully repay the role of Umuada as judges and enforcers. Whenever one of their daughters is maltreated in her matrimonial home, they go to war, literarily. So, while their brethren would prefer that they marry locals, they do not frown when umuada marry outsiders because the men too marry outsiders. Hence, when ada marries locally, she is called “Adaejemba”—a daughter who did not marry out. When she marries out, they hail her “Adaejiejemba” (the daughter with whom you go places), probably because they act as spies, expand the community network, and help to broaden the worldview of the community .
Umuada do not regard the wives of their brothers as sisters-in-law or equals; in fact, they call them “wives,” signifying that they are the “husbands”! To counter or at least minimize the sometimes-overbearing influence of Umuada, the women married into a particular community (Ndiinyomdi) form “Otu Inyomdi”—the society of sister-wives. When the two are strong, mutual respect reigns or returns.
In all social functions, from marital rites to title-taking, Umuada play important roles. They are pampered and treated right, or they would raise hell… and no one wants to tango with them as a group. In many marital rites, the intending husbands give them special treats to win their approval because a no-vote could cause a rejection of the proposal by the Umunna. In many cases, Umuada act as middlepersons, steering assumed good guys from their husbands’ community to potentially good girls in their native community.
Communities treat the children of Umuada specially, even though they belong to different clans or towns. If the children of Umuada encounter difficulties, they and their families are welcome to come back to the community as “umudiala” (children of a citizen). They can stay for as long as they wish, but they are encouraged and supported to return to their father’s community as soon as conditions permit.
In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo packed up his wives and children and ran away from Umuofia to his mother’s Mbanta community to serve the seven-year sentence for the manslaughter of Ezeudu’s 16-year-old son during his friend’s funeral. As nwadiala (a child of their daughter) the people of Mbanta had no choice but to accommodate Okonkwo and his entire household for seven years. Of course, Mbanta happily helped the Okonkwos back to Umuofia after the expiration of the mandatory ọsọ-ọchụ (homicide exile). Probably for this reason, all children of Umuada remain connected with their mother’s community.
UmUada Enugu
The native daughters of Enugu State are no different from other daughters of Igboland, but they have very special attributes that set them apart. To start with, the most beautiful, the sexiest, and the most powerful women in Igboland are from the Waawa country, which extends from beyond Awka in Anambra State, across the length of Enugu State to the beyond Abakaliki in Ebonyi State. Without any shred of doubt, Enugu daughters make the best wives. Apropos, the mother of the father of Nigerian nationalism, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, was from Nsukka, Enugu State.
Such a combination does not exist just about anywhere in the wide world. Enugu women adapt easily to any community because they have big hearts, and they are rooted in the culture of humility, honesty, and hard work. They make the best homes because of the family skills inherent in Waawa social structure. At some point in the 1980s, some communities worried at the rate Enugu State daughters married outside the area. Before we forget, Enugu State women have the best dance step anywhere on earth; it is in their genes.
It is no wonder that one of the
world’s most beautiful girls, a British-trained lawyer, and arguably the most
beautiful woman in Nigeria–Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu—is from Enugu State.
Daughter of the former Governor C. C. Onoh (Aninefungwu)
of then Anambra State (now Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu States) Bianca married one
of the most recognizable men in the world,
Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the
Biafran head of state. What Odumegwu-Ojukwu wrote about Bianca, in “Because
I am involved” is true of
Enugu women:
“What can I say about this very beautiful young girl that won the 1989 Miss Inter-Continental pageant? … [If] I exclaim with all men that she is beautiful, it would be like standing in front of the Empire State Building in New York and exclaiming that the building is high. I would be stating the obvious and it would be trite.
Before Bianca’s brain and beauty, many Enugu women were powerful and successful ladies of their times. Mrs. Vero Onyia of Obinagu, Udi LGA of Enugu State, was a Lagos socialite of immense economic and political power during the First and Second Republics. Countless other professionals married at home or abroad.
Back in time, during the colonial era, Ahebi Ugabe of Enugu-Ezike in Nsukka area, was the most prominent female member of the native court system in the entire country. According to John Oriji (2000):
“Ahebi, who was appointed a Native Court member in 1930, was reputed for her spiritual prowess, and popularly called “Agamega” or “Female Leopard.” Like the Warrant Chiefs, Ahebi was carried to the Native Court in a hammock, and the road she passed to the Native Court in Ogrute village is still called “Akpata Ahebi” (Ahebi's road). Because of her fame and spiritual prowess, Ahebi is the only woman known in remembered history who was permitted by the elders to watch the powerful Omabe masquerade, and build an Omabe shrine in her compound (Meek 1930, 136-139).
http://www.africaresource.com/war/vol2.1/oriji.html, West Africa Review (2000)
The fascination with the prowess of Enugu State women is further explored in Laz Ugwuanyi’s book titled: All Christian Practical Praying Band (Ekpere Ufuma): 50 Years of Evangelism. Ugwuanyi explored the prowess of Madam Sophie Nwokolo, the founder of All Christian Practical Praying Band, ACPPB, also known as “Ekpere Ufuma.” The prayer group was well-known throughout Nigeria. Today, ACPPB has branches outside Nigeria, even in New Jersey, USA! Unbeknownst to many, Madam Nwokolo is an Nsukka, Enugu State woman. She married Mr. Eleazer Nwokolo, an Anglican catechist from Umunebo-Ufuma, in Orumba, Anambra State.
So, 50 years ago, long before televangelism and prayer “warriors,” an Enugu woman was on the scene beating a path through a tough thick forest of faith-based foundations. Madam Nwokolo passed to the other side on June 6, 2006, but her legacy endures.
It is no wonder Nwando Achebe has spent time studying the powerful women of Nsukka. She revisited another powerful figure from the area: Prophetess Ngozika Ogbu, leader and founder (in 1994) of the Jehovah Messiah Alleluia Hosanna Mission or “Uka Ngozi.” Here was a 22-year-old woman who took on a very powerful shrine (Adọlọ) in Alor-Uno and changed a people’s way of life. Without condemning or condoning Ada Ngozi Ogbu, the fact remains that she came from a long line of powerful women in a society where women of power are neither rare nor discouraged.
EMERGING TRENDS
Otu Umuada in Enugu State is not radically different from other setups in Igboland. But in Igboland today, modern faith-based formations, such as Christian Mothers, and other economic-driven setups, such as Otu Isusu, have somewhat diluted the color and vivacity of Umuada. The roles of migration and urbanization are also noted. It is therefore a thing of joy that the concept of Umuada is reemerging in faraway America. There is Umuada Waawa in Houston, TX, led by Ada Edith Ugwuanyi, and here we have Umuada Enugu State, NJ led by Ada Edith Nwaeze. This emerging trend is the globalization of Umuada concept.
Many women groups in America incorporate native daughters and wives. In traditional Igbo society, the wives are not a part of Otu Umuada; the wives are Ndiinyomdi, and they form Otu Inyomdi, a society of sister-wives. With the elevation of Umuada to state-level, Otu Umuada will no longer parallel Otu Inyomdi, since some Umuada are also Enugu State wives.
I foresee no conflict in separate or combined setups. When pulled together, the prowess and political sagacity of women are quite compelling. I recall here the organizational and leadership attributes of my maternal Grandma Uka Eze (Wireless). Probably because she married locally, she exhibited a great understanding of the town’s politics and deployed it in her inimitable representation in “Okaluome” society, the umbrella assembly of women groups in the town.
CONCLUSION
The role of Umuada in the preservation and promotion of peace in communities needs not be overemphasized. When women rise and call the bluff of men, peace percolates. Where women rumble with the men, anarchy often rears its ugly head. Some schools of thought therefore prefer not to involve women in everyday male malfeasance that may compromise their objectivity, in the hope that women groups will save situations like Umuada of yore.
Alas, the times have changed; and this is US of A!
Finally, women do not need anyone’s permission to assemble. I applaud the emergence of manageable and focused all-female associations in Igbo communities. They should be encouraged—not discouraged, be it as Umuada (Umuada Enugu State, NJ) as Ndiinyomdi (Elegant Wives of Umuahia), or as a mixture of both (Ifeatu-Ifediche Anambra State Women). With this development and with each dedicated group striving to excel, we will see a healthy rivalry, a responsible relationship, and an improved community relationship hitherto unseen in New Jersey and in America..
Here is wishing Umuada Enugu State all the best!
© MOE, June 2007
Feature article in the inauguration souvenir journal of Umuada Enugu State, New Jersey, June 30, 2007