Supposed St. Pa Louis Eloke

Supposed Saint(St). Pa Louis Eloke! of Umuofiagu Ukehe, of blessed memory. By Literatus Nnamdi Ezeh Kingsley (Ezedu-Ukehe) 

In the beginning of time and time imemorial when Oha Umuofiagu (Umuofiagu general assembly) was instituted and established by our forebears. Every member of Umuofiagu belonged to one religion which was traditional religion. Then, Onyeihu Umuofiagu (Eldest man) played double role. He was both the political head or the chairman of council of elders and chief priest of earth deity (Al' Umuofiagu (Ani Umuofiagu), and goddess of water (Iyi okpe Al' (ani).

So, when someone becomes the oldest man in Umuofiagu, two major ceremonies are performed.

 One, He takes the Arua( the scepter or staff of office and sword of justice) to assume the leadership of government of the village institutionalized in the Oha Umuofiagu (Umuofiagu assembly). 

Two, He offers sacrifice to the shrine of Earth  deity and becomes the chief priest of both Earth deity and goddess of water (onu al' and Iyi okpe al') as well as head of traditional religionist.

In the first situation, when he takes the mantle of leadership of Oha Umuofiagu, he becomes the head of government of the village, the government of the village by Oha Umuofiagu involves; formulating, popularising and legitimizing the social, political, constitutional, adjudicatory, economic, defense, security, cultural and educational activities.

In the second situation, as the chief priest and head of traditional religionist, his duties involve offering sacrifice or appeasing Al' Umuofiagu and Iyi okpe Al' and announcing/regulating calendar feast days and ceremonies connected with Odo/Ekewo. This second role involves purely traditional religious activity. 

With this, Umuofiagu of Ukehe was not left out in acephalous nature of Igbo in government and social stratification. Because in Umuofiagu we had no recognized kings and the highest political platform was/is the Oha Umuofiagu (Umuofiagu general assembly)  which is supreme in all Executive, legislative and judicial functions. 

Generally in igbo land and Africa in it's entirety place premium on age, and that was why gerontocracy was best and most welcomed system of government in Africa. Gerontocracy is a system of government by elders or elderly people because of the belief that wisdom abides in grey and the older man becomes the more experienced and wise he becomes and ceteris paribus.  Africa, and when I say Africa, i mean virgin Africa  before refugees or those who came from middle east to settle and rapport with Africa and thereby influencing, distorting and entangling  our culture and tradition. In Africa the grey hair of methuselah is acknowledged more than the wisdom of Solomon.

Even before Aristotle stole the Egyptian mystery temple (system) because of lack of documentation in Nile valley, Africa was the originator of all forms of trends including cradles of civilization. Africa never believed in Oneity rather they believed in oneness and that differs from Karl Max Socialism and Julius Nyerere of Tanganyika, present day Tanzania Socialism. Because in Karl max socialism there is existence of class struggle which there is no such in Julius Nyerere's. 

We believe in Communalism which is collective ownership, in Africa, you do not own yourself you are owned by the community. And when you are wealthy your clan must all extract from your wealth. We believe in the saying that " I am because we are and since we are, therefore I am". Ubuntu  words of John Mbiti. 

In Ukehe as a case study, because of his communitarian model of lifestyle. If anyone slaughters a cow, cattle or bleating animal, the eldest person of his clan has part of the slaughtered animal belonging to him, likewise others from his clan according to age chronology. That's why no one slaughters a cow or four-legged animal and eats it alone, anyone who breaches this is said to have breached an ordinance, Because the kindred will take the lion's share while the slaughterer goes with the minute share. And that is the communal nature of Africanism. That was how Africa lived until the European came and mate (mating) their belief  with our tradition and culture and diversity was bred. 

So, that was how acephalous nature of government was found workable in igboland.

Pa Louis Eloke (christianity and traditional religion at the ringside in 1995) 

After the demise of Odo nwandubuisi (Ego l'abuiyi), Pa Louis Eloke took the mantle of leadership as the eldest man in Umuofiagu, already taking the scepter of office and sword of justice to lead Umuofiagu assembly. But then, Pa Louis Eloke was a Christian and not a traditional religionist to be offering sacrifice to earth deity and goddess of water as tradition demanded. Earth deity and goddess of water are manuport placed in propinquity (clustered) right behind John Nwodo's house in Ikpogwu,  which represent the earth  and the river, although where the river is located is no where to be traced hitherto, because of this fact about the Artifact cum ecofact I consider it (manuport that represent river) an unsubstantiated superstition. These manuports are strong in superstition and supernaturally fetish, that is where sacrifices are been made to gods (earth deity and water goddess). When there is bountiful harvest, during Fijoku, sacrificial appeasement or propitiation will also be made. 

But then, Pa Louis Eloke despised this chief priest role as it was against his faith as a christian. Pa Louis Eloke was deprived of privileges as an eldest man, He was religiously discriminated because the Oha Umuofiagu as of then constituted mainly traditional believers, Oha Umuofiagu refused to assemble in Pa Louis Eloke's house as custom and tradition demanded on the ground that he had not and had refused to be performing chief priest role. As of 1992 to 1995, there was a strong tussle between christianity and traditional religion over Pa Louis's case. A powerful group of Oha Umuofiagu refused to accept Pa Louis as the eldest until he prayed at Onu Al' Umuofiagu. The powerful group of oha Umuofiagu stepped on his toes. 

On March 20th, 1995. Pa Louis was compelled to delegate power to Someone else who would be performing religious rite on his behalf. But, Louis replied with the following words " asking someone to do what I have rejected myself is not wise, how can I be a catholic and ask my brother or someone else to remain a pagan"? 

Oha Umuofiagu mixed up politics with religion, when such rose and was about becoming problem In Britain, there was an introduction of DISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM which separated politics from religion because both means two different things. 

Pa Louis Eloke stood-still by his faith, maintained his ground, stood and was counted. Shunned the assembly and marked his martyrdom in the christian family. No one was as brave as He was to stand and defend his faith. Despite being ostracized He never gave up on his faith, he was a committed christian. He remained the only man that an assembly of men fought against but He never relinquished nor retreated. 

I, Ezedu-Ukehe can tell you that Pa Louis was one of those who saw salvation that comes through the cross, because true  salvation of man comes from cross (my obutobu once went with a name THANK-CROSS)  and pa Louis embraced it. The struggle between Oha Umuofiagu and Pa Louis Eloke made the church to stand firm, because Pa Louis did what and more than he was supposed to have done to protect his christian faith. He fought the war of faith and he flawlessly won the war. 

Until he slept the sleep of the just, he maintained his christian faith and his Solidarity can never be marched nor Equiparated.  

 Life worthy of emulation to every Christian.

Peace upon earth! 

✍ © An intellectual property of Literatus, Ezeh Kingsley Nnamdi (Ezedu-Ukehe).