Ndiopara: The Igbo club of the first born sons

In Igbo culture and custom, ‘Ndiopara’ literally means a  group of first sons  or first male born in their  various families  who, having given their departed fathers’ befitting burial using ‘okwukwu,’ now have  headship of their families bestowed on them. Adorned in their traditional regalia comprising a piece  of  elegant George wrapper, black flowing ceremonial  […]

In Igbo culture and custom, ‘Ndiopara’ literally means a  group of first sons  or first male born in their  various families  who, having given their departed fathers’ befitting burial using ‘okwukwu,’ now have  headship of their families bestowed on them.
Adorned in their traditional regalia comprising a piece  of  elegant George wrapper, black flowing ceremonial  wear, red cap, black cap, shoes  and  sandals with  walking sticks to match, the men – all of them.
The  ‘Ndiopara’ – danced in well measured dancing steps to  the rhythms of the ‘eshe’ traditional music.
 It was during the ‘okwuwku’ (funeral ceremony) of an old member after which the son of the late member is automatically admitted into the group of ‘Ndiopara’ at Umuatum Amato, Oboama, Ezinihitte Council Area of Imo State.
The native musicians’  hands moved like lightening as they beat the traditional musical instruments with renewed vigour and determination and the sound of the ‘eshe’ (Igbo funeral music for an old man) echoed and boomed far and wide. And filing out in a single line, ‘Ndiopara’ danced right into the room where their late member, the 77-year-old John Nwanguma, was lying-in-state and paid their last respect.
The  cultural practice of ‘okwukwu’ (funeral ceremony) during which a son will have to give his late father a befitting burial, has again brought to the fore the importance of ‘Ndiopara’ (first sons) as ‘government of a family’ in Igboland, especially among the people of  Amato, Oboama, Ezinihitte Local Government Area of  Imo State.

Being an Ndiopara
“In Igbo culture, ‘opara’ means the first son or first  male child born into any family. The very first male child born into a family is the ‘opara’ in that particular household,” the Chairman, Ndiopara Amato,Oboama, Mr. Matthew Onyekwere explained to our reporter.
But he quickly added: “I must stress in this context, opara means the son who is alive when the father dies and he gives him a befitting burial, not necessarily the biological son because the real biological son may have died before the  father, so the next male child alive will be the son. The son who gives his father a befitting burial is the one who is qualified to join Ndi Opara group.”
There is the belief among the people that if a son who has not given his late father a befitting burial in form of performing the okwukwu ceremony goes around eating or drinking anyhow at the okwukwu ceremony of another person, such a son risks being attacked by the spirit of his late father.
 “A son who has not killed a cow to celebrate his late father okwukwu may be taking a great risk to give out a cow for the celebration of another man’s okwukwu,” explained the Vice Chairman, Nze Eugene Iwuagwu Ahamba.   
 “I must say that we are praying for those sons who are desirous to do the okwukwu for their late father; we are praying  for them to get money and do it so that they can join our group,” said the Secretary General of the group, Mr Reginald Nnamdi Uruakpa.    
According to Onyekwere, Ndiopara is such an important and strong institution of administration in Igbo culture that no one can ignore. “Ndiopara is a government of itself in any family across Igbo land. And no Igbo society can exist without Ndiopara,” he emphasized.

Tradition vs the Church
Over the years, the church has kicked vehemently against Ndiopara and the okwukwu ceremony in Igbo land, describing it as unchristian and fetish. In fact, some Christians have called for the abrogation of the cultural practice, our reporter was reliably informed.  
But members of the group have always denied this allegations citing instances of notable priests who are first sons of their families who have actively participated in the okwukwu ceremony for  their fathers.
 It was learnt that notable priests, such as the late Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Rt.Rev. Dr.Anthony  Chikwe, Monsignors Boniface Nwachukwu and Nwaoguh, the parish priest of Queen of Peace Parish Church, Rev. Fr. Leonard Ugbor, among others, participated actively in the okwukwu ceremony of their fathers.
“This goes to show that the okwukwu ceremony and the activities of Ndiopara are not bad as being rumoured by some misinformed people,” said Mr. James Okedu Iwuoha, a strong member of Ndiopara.
According to Uruakpa, even the traditional ruler of Oboama autonomous community, His Royal Highness, Eze Julius Amaefule, the Aladinmma 11 of Oboama, is a staunch   member of Ndi Opara Amato.
The Secretary General explained again: “Ndi opara and okwukwu have nothing to do with devil or Satan. All the members are Christians and we have priests who are Ndiopara. Therefore the kick against this culture is insignificant, hence it cannot stand. The culture will continue. Culture is what identifies a people.  ”
One other thing Ndiopara discourages is a situation in which somebody may want to sell all that his family has in order to perform the okwukwu ceremony, thereby leaving the entire household empty and in dire need.
“As a matter of fact, you have to organsie the okwukwu in line with your wealth; it must not be that the son will have to sell all the family land in order to do the okwukwu. You have to do the okwukwu ceremony according to your capability,” Onyekwere cautioned.
 What age should a man attain in this part of Igbo land to deserve okwukwu ceremony and why is the ‘eshe’ music the only music for the event?
“In Igboland, we consider a man who has children, wealth, lived a good life, and attained the age of, say, 77 to 80 or more… these are people we consider as complete men,” Onyekwere said.
He said their part of Igbo land are not excited when a man becomes wealthy, through unexplained sources, before the age of 40 or 50 only to die suddenly.
“We don’t like celebrating such a person with the ‘eshe’ music. In the olden days, such a person who dies prematurely would be buried in the evil forest,” he said.  
Onyekwere exlanined: “There is no other music the Igbo agreed to use except ‘eshe’ which is funeral music. There is also the ‘ekereavu’ or ‘nkelebe’ traditional music which some people use to entertain themselves on the day of the okwukwu. The main music for okwukwu is ‘eshe’, and it has to be emphasized that ‘eshe’ is men’s music. It is played for a man who has achieved something positive in life. ‘Eshe’ is not played for every man.
There is also ‘eshe ike’ which is played for very great men only.”   
As the procession of Ndiopara continued dancing towards the ‘eshe’ (Ihu-okwukwu), where the son of the departed, Mr. Augustine Nwagunma was given the opportunity to ‘announce,’ at least, three of his father’s numerous achievements to the cheering crowd, it is risky or even an ‘offence’ for a non-member, particularly a son who has not done his late father’s okwukwu, to join the procession, according to the chairman.
“Any man who is not a member of Ndi opara and decides to dance the ‘eshe’ traditional dance with them is trying to cause trouble for himself,” according to Nze Ahamba.
“The reason is that if you have not done the okwukwu for your late father and decide to join the procession of Ndiopara, whatever you get, you take,” he warned.