UMUNNA (kindred) is a very vital administrative organ in Igbo land. Umunna ensures that peace reigns in the communities by being involved in the resolution of communal disputes. 

Umunna consists of  all the families of the kindred in an Igbo community. It is the Umunna that handles the issues of sharing the inheritance and properties, including land, of a dead member of the Umunna, especially if the family members are quarreling over the inheritance.

Umunna strictly discipline erring members of the community. This is the reason every Igbo community has a well-organized and structured Umunna that ensures peace, order, and progress.

Umunna is an integral part of Igbo custom, tradition — Ezeogo Oketa

The traditional ruler of Nkaliki Echara Unuhu autonomous community in Ebonyi state, Ezeogo Sunday Oketa (Onu Ohana III), describes Umunna as the engine room of Igbo culture.  He said Umunna is an integral part of Igbo customs and traditions, saying that without Umunna, there is no Igbo man.  Ezeogo Oketa explained that every Igbo man has his bearing and route where he comes from which is traced to his Umunna where he was born into.

He said that no Igbo man exists in a vacuum as he must come from somewhere called family and families make up the Umunna where every Igbo man belongs to.

“Umunna is very important in Igbo land. They are a congregation of men of the same blood and lineage. They are men of the same blood who converge on a place of their choice or at the oldest man’s place to decide on particular issues or take decisions on certain matters of importance to the families.

“No Igbo man exists without Umunna. They are made up of blood brothers and extended family members. They come together to discuss and make decisions on pressing matters in the family. If there is any matter between blood brothers on land or other properties, it is the Umunna that settles it.

“No traditional ruler in Igbo land will decide on any issue in the community without first referring to the Umunna. It is when they fail to resolve the matter at Umunna level that the matter will be treated by the Igwe”, the monarch explained.

Umunna is a strong administrative institution —Nwokolo

Chief Ifediba Nwokolo, the oldest man in Udeigbo Kindred of Okija, Anambra State, said the Umunna are such a strong institution in the area, that any decision taken is binding on everyone.

According to him, sources of conflict can either be among the living children of the deceased person or the brothers of the deceased with the wife/children. The Umunna help to resolve such conflicts.

“Conflict resolution is the process by which two or more parties in conflict reach a peaceful resolution in a dispute. It is the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of a conflict. It can also be thought to encompass the use of nonviolent resistance measures by warring parties in an attempt to promote effective resolution. 

“Conflict resolution can either aim at resolving or terminating conflicts in an open and predictable process by legal principles or focus on efforts to increase cooperation among the parties to a conflict and deepen their relationship by addressing the conditions that led to the dispute; fostering positive attitudes and allaying distrust through reconciliation initiatives.

“The overall objective of conflict resolution is to uphold and promote peaceful co-existence among and between community members. In my community, it is essential that in settling conflict, the Umunna must be impartial and transparent. The elders must be neutral, unbiased, and transparent.   All issues emanating from conflicting situations are placed in the public domain for all to see”, Nwokolo said.

The head of Obo Village in Ekwusigo, Casmir Nduka said the process of conflict resolution by the Umunna in his area involves getting the parties and their families together and getting to the root of the conflict to ensure that the underlying causes of conflict are resolved and the parties reconciled.

“The family is the first in the process of conflict resolution in cases concerning the family. If the crisis is between neighbours, the families involved are required to come for dialogue. Where the family or families are unable to resolve their problem, the Umunna come in to help. Umunna is called upon when families cannot resolve their problems.

“The weekly gathering of Umunna is not only to settle or resolve conflicts; when there is no conflict, the umunna gather to strengthen the bond of family ties.  They do a lot of conflict prevention and also take proactive measures to ensure that conflicts do not arise among members. The major aim of the umunna is to keep the brotherhood in unity. In Igbo land, drinking palm wine together is the sign of unity and friendship”.

A traditional prime minister (Onowu), Chief Chigozie Omenka described Umunna as a very vital organ that cannot be ignored or relegated to the background in Igbo land.  He said that peace,  growth, and development of any Igbo family, village, or community lies wholly on the Umunna.

“Umunna is the first administrative organ of any Igbo village or community. All disputes start with family/Umunna who either resolve it as a family or they bring it to the notice of the community through the traditional ruler.

“The safety and growth of any Igbo community is based on the peace of Umunna. It is the Umunna that gives women out for marriage; they determine the bride price and not necessarily the father of the bride. In Igbo tradition, no man, no matter how wealthy he is, is bigger than Umunna.  The organization of Igbo custom or tradition is in such a way that decision is taken collectively through the Umunna who are a combination of all the men of age in a larger or extended family”, Omenka explained.

Umunna are a strong force to settle disputes in Igbo communities –Ogbugo

A community leader in Aba North council area of Abia State, Chief Emeka Ogbugo, describes Umunna as a strong force that settles disputes in Igbo communities.  He also said that unity and love in the kindred, villages and communities, rest on the ability of the Umunna to settle disputes and promote love among the people.

Ogbugo, who is a traditional title holder, explained that disputes about land, tradition, marital and family crises are the major areas the Umunna usually intervene on.

He said: “The Umunna are a strong force that settles disputes in Igbo communities. They can adjudicate on matters ranging from land disputes, tradition, marriage rites, and family matters. They also deliver their verdict in all disputes and defend them if a party decides to appeal to the traditional ruler or courts. They also enforce discipline and laws to guide kindred and villages.  The unity and love in the kindred, villages, and communities, rest on the ability of the Umunna to settle disputes and maintain peace”.

The Chairman, Board of Directors of Igbo Think Tank, Professor Maduike Ezeibe on his own, describes as priceless, the role of umunna in the development of communities and settlement of disputes in Igbo land.

He said: “With the advent of Western education, Igbo started with raising funds for the education of their brilliant children. The Umunna would  harvest the community palm trees to pay the school fees of children of the kindred.  That was what gave the Igbo an advantage over other tribes in Western education. 

“For these good roles,  the Umunna have been playing in Igbo land; the people have great respect for them. So that when there is dispute their decisions are respected and decisions are accepted by the parties involved”.

Umunna no longer active in many places — Nwachukwu

However, a community leader in Itu, Ezinihitte Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Donald Nwachukwu said Umunna are no longer as strong as they were in many communities in the past, which he blamed on politicization and commercialization of traditional leadership.

He said that some money bags that are not rooted in the Igbo traditions have hijacked the leadership in many communities. He  noted that in some communities, some members of the Umunna no longer hold truth as sacred, which he said is vital in the administration of justice.

“Umunna are no longer as strong as they used to be. This is a result of the politicization and commercialization of the traditional leadership.  Moneybags who know nothing about the tradition have seized many communities.

“In those days, Umunna believed so much in the sacredness of truth. But these days, many of them stand the truth on the head.  Things have fallen apart in many communities”, he regretted.

Also, the National President of  Ogbako Ndigbo Nile, Azunna Akpelu, advised that Umunna should avoid politicizing their affairs.  Akpelu,  agreed that Umunna is well positioned for community development, but expressed worry about the level of politicization of the Umunna affairs.

“Yes, the Umunna administration is well organized and they participate extensively in the development of our communities. They execute all the above but they must avoid politicizing the affairs of their various communities. They must separate the traditional institutions from the political institutions. The Umunna administration should be empowered to operate within the rule of law in their various communities”, he advised.