…They help to instill discipline

…Embark on projects to contribute to community development 

…Age grade system a buffer against crime in Igbo land

AGE grade sys-tem is a very important and strong arm of governance in Igbo communities. In communities where it exists, they help to enforce rules and regulations guiding the communities; they help to instill discipline on rascals and outlaws in the communities and ensure that peace and order reign. In addition, they also compete among themselves to embark on specific development projects in their communities. Perhaps its absence or nonrecognition in many Igbo communities is the reason indiscipline and rascality reign high in Igbo land today.

The age grade system is a buffer against crime in Igbo land

It is clear that but for the presence of a well-organised age-grade system in many Igbo communities, the crime rate would have been higher. They play very important roles in their communities. In Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, the age grade system is very active, and they go by such names as Oganiru, Udoka, Okaa-Omee, and Oba, among others.

Particularly, they play major roles during festivals and burials in their communities, as well as on other special occasions because they are usually assigned specific roles on such occasions to ensure orderliness.

In some communities, a particular age grade is entrusted with the administration of the community during a given period and when the members attain a certain age, they retire from public service and the next age grade following them takes over. In other communities, it is the age grade that determines the requirements to be met by the suitors.

According to Mr. Nwabisi Ndiogulu, who is the chairman of Oganiru Age Grade in his Ihite community in Anambra State, the age grade system is the best organised and respected group.

“My age grade, Oganiru, took over the administration of the community two years ago, and we will be in charge. When we retire, we will give way to the next age grade following us. During this period, it is the reigning age grade that makes all the roads good. We ensure that markets are in good condition.

“In the case of marriage rites, we fix the requirements for both suitors outside our town and those within.

It is also the responsibility of the age grade to monitor the activities of the village vigilante groups to ensure that they operate responsibly and also control the masquerades. Anybody who commits any offence, whether male or female, is disciplined by the reigning age grade,” Ndiogulu explained.

Ndiogulu added that the existence of the age grades ensures peace and harmony in Igbo communities as people who commit offences are adequately disciplined.

Age grade gov very active in Afikpo (Ehugbo) community

Afikpo (Ehugbo) Community in Afikpo North Council Area of Ebonyi State is one community where the age grade system functions effectively. When the community banned the sale and consumption of cow meat in the community due to destructive activities of herdsmen and their cows, the ban is still in force, it is one of the age-grades, Ekpuke Eto Age Grade that is enforcing the ban. They go into their Eke market and fish out those disobeying the order.

Also, the Essa Ehugbo, another age grade in the community, has banished a middle-aged man said to have been found guilty of defiling young children and also practising homosexuality in Ehugbo community. The suspect who sells spare parts in the community was ordered to leave the community on the 19th of June and the Age Grade went ahead to also sanction six elders of the community accused of collecting the sum of N100,000 from the suspect to pervert justice. 

Nobody can dare age grade in my place—Community leader

The Nze of Obokwe Obetiti in Nguru, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Collins Amadi, said no indigene of the community can defy the powers of age grade.

Nze Amadi submitted that age grade is one of the law enforcement arms of the community.

He referred to a case of injustice against a widow in the community which his age grade settled recently.

According to him, a brother to the deceased member of their age grade had decided to victimize the wife of the dead member and said that the age grade went after the man and ensured the widow was protected.

“Age grade is very strong in my community. It is one of the law enforcement arms of my community. You cannot dare age grades in my place. Age grades fight injustice, ensure the welfare of members, and also see to the development of the community.

“There was a matter our age grade handled recently. A brother to our late member rose against the wife of the deceased with all sorts of ill-treatment. The woman reported the matter to us and we waded in and ensured she was protected.

“If it is a matter that would involve the police, the age-grade members wouldn’t mind taking up the bills on behalf of their member. We also engage in community development projects periodically,” he stated.

Govt needs to support age grades to deliver —Abia community leader

A community leader in Akpaa Mbato autonomous community in Obingwa Council Area, Abia State, Chief Bon Nwogwugwu noted the importance of age grades and said the government needs to support age grades to deliver more developmental projects in their communities. He stated that since the age grade system has been responsible for most developments like the building of markets, schools, town halls, resolution of communal and land disputes as well as provision of scholarships in communities, it ought to be supported to address the infrastructural decay and deficit, especially in the rural areas.

“Since everyone knows the age grades as agents of community development, the government needs to support the system to address the infrastructural gaps or decay in our communities, especially in the rural areas. There’s no community with no positive impact of projects from the age grade system. They have built schools, boreholes, markets, and town halls, resolved disputes among the people, and even given scholarships to indigent students in many communities. They also have social welfare  programmes for their members. The age grades are also responsible for the maintenance of peace and security in the communities. The communities that still maintain the age grade system are doing well. The age grade system in Igbo land is very competitive and brings out the best in the people,” he noted.

I’s an important

governance channel in Igbo communities—Prince Muo

Onitsha-based legal practitioner, Prince Christopher Muo said the importance of age grade in Igbo communities cannot be underestimated, saying that it has stood the test of time and brought unimaginable development, peace, and orderliness.

He, however, observed that the system has been bastardized in some communities by unnecessary show of wealth thereby leaving behind the duties and values of the system. Muo advocated for communities to revive their age grade system first as a community forum that is not burdened with mega million naira projects. They should allow the revived age grades to continue their evolutionary journey and not bother them with projects that place too much burden on them.

It’s great gift from

Igbo forbearers

The age grade system is one of the best things the forebears of the Igbo left for them. It plays a very important role in building communities. In the traditional Owerri community, for instance, the age grade system breeds love, togetherness, understanding, peace, and development.

It is used for the propagation and dissemination of information, and facilitation of developmental policies.

In Ihejirikaramba Age Grade, as in other age grades in Owerri, every new member takes the traditional membership oath. With this, nobody will ever engage in any harmful thing against the other person. With this, the fear of having any form of enemy within the fold is eliminated, while very meaningful cooperation is elicited, managed, and pursued.

Apart from this, top on the agenda remains the development of the community and human infrastructure.

Age grades also help in growing and sustaining Igbo culture and practices. There is the yearly Oru Owere Festival. It is the responsibility of age grades in Owerri to organise this festival.

Hon. Dr. Christian Chidozie Okeke, a former member of the House of Representatives for Idemili North/South Federal Constituency of Anambra State and one-time President-General of Nkpor Development Union, NDU, described the age grade system as an age-long pattern of championing community development and cultural revival. He said the grade system in Nkpor dates back to 1948 when it was formed to carry out various developmental projects before the formation of the Nkpor Town Union.

According to Okeke: “In Nkpor, we have Akatamaka Age Grade, Irude Age Grade, Akaenyi Age Grade, Umumma Age Grade which my late father belonged to, Obialunamma Age Grade which I belong to and Christian Age Grade which was formed by the Nkpor Christian community for those who might feel that the town age grades might have elements of diabolism, among others.