Barbaric & Uncivilized : Fighting for Ancestors instead of The Spirit Being to Fight for Itself

Every law abiding citizen is a morally conscious person. And every morally conscious person is a law abiding citizen. No matter how we practice our culture, the laws of the land, the constitution of the Federal Republic  of Nigeria which binds us together  is sacred, sacrosanct and the sanctity must be respected. Anyone going against the laws of the land in the name of culture, traditions or religion will be visited by the wrath of the law. Ignorance of the law is  responsible for some of the defects in our behaviour. 

What kills Abah? Questions reigning on the woman suspected to e responsible for the death of her husband in Ogugu Kogi State.A practice which must be condemned in strong terms

The gods or ancestors should be allowed to fight for themselves. Why are we fighting for ancestors widely believed in Africa  to possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Why are we dehumanizing fellow human beings for going against certain spirits that serve as guardians of those people. This is the height of hypocrisy.

Death is not a sufficient condition for becoming an ancestor. Only those who lived a full measure of life, cultivated moral values, and achieved social distinction attain this status. Ancestors are thought to reprimand those who neglect or breach the moral order by troubling the errant descendants with sickness or misfortune until restitution is made. Such ancestral ground is a delusion of grandeur in out modern days now. 

Gone are the days, masquerades travel through the ground before appearing in any cultural event. Today masquerade particularly in Igalaland ride motorcycle to event, even own exotic cars. They are no longer representative of ancestors but a living entity extorting money from vulnerable women. The number of youth dieing today is more than the number of young person's death in the past. The missing link is not necessarily an unfaithful wife. Our elders of that calibre is missing without replacement. Any attempt to practice what they did successfully in the distant past will fail, causing death and man's inhumanity to man. No question is raised in an unfaithful husband going after other persons wife with impunity. 

   You cannot fight for ancestors when you cannot affort three square meal for your home. You are not a totally  committed ancestral worshipper, sometimes you are  sitting on the fence Muslim today, another time Christian, another moment cultist, thief, lier. In fact, the same offence you are helping ancestor to fight your fellow human beings, you have committed it numerous time nobody could raise an eyebrow. 

It is a show of shame to have ancestors whose primary responsibility is to disgrace unfaithful woman in public. Hardly can we have ancestors capable of fighting for free education, good hospitals, physical and infrastructural development. This is a sharp contrast to what is obtainable in other parts of world. Let God judge an infidel woman, stop fighting for the gods. It is primitive !

Attai Stephen