A call to Ostracize Ohaneze, and Other Ibo Traitors

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." – Samuel Adams

As fully configured stooges, sycophants, and traitors, the contemptible southeast governors, Ohaneze, shadow organizations, status pastors, and the rest of Ibo impostors have, as anticipated, issued combined, and, or individual statements without warrant, ordering Biafrans to jettison their “protests” and “freedom”, and instead enter into an unholy dialogue with the murderers of their own people. Clearly, you flatter yourselves.

You will by no means escape recompense for all the senseless massacre of Biafrans which your shameless treachery and complacency has caused. For you charlatans, everything under the sun is compromisable. You have literally dug your own graves for the sake of greed and crumbs, not minding that the cake belongs to you, and those you double-cross. You’d rather share with invaders than your own people.

Of course not every elder is in this category, but the culprits understand themselves as they are understood. Therefore this message is for you, the enemy within. You have never showed any modicum of the leadership you kill or die to take. You have abdicated your natural roles, and sold your birthrights for a pot of stew. You wear treachery and cowardice like a staff of duty. You mingle and dine with the enemy who hates you and seeks to destroy your people.

You have failed to identify clear and present dangers by mortal enemies of Biafra. You have refused to speak out vociferously, but instead acquiesce as your countrymen suffer progressive genocide, are mass buried in shallow graves in the wilderness of Northern Nigeria; systemically marginalized, subjugated, massacred, scattered, and impoverished. Your age-long meddling, duplicity, compromises, betrayals, and greed has reached intolerable levels, and continues to endanger all Biafrans. You are collectively an anathema to Biafra.

You have complacently and smirkingly watched as Nnamdi Kanu—who bravely took on the goliath that you are too terrified, and cowardly to face—is abducted, tortured, and incarcerated by your coworkers of darkness. Shouldn’t you have insisted that that wicked genocidist freed your sons and daughters whom he arbitrarily incarcerated, before shamelessly asking Biafrans to abandon their struggle, and negotiate new conditions of rape? Are you so merciless that you enjoy riding on the suffering of your own flesh and blood? Or are you asking Biafrans to be patient with Satan as his hell still blazes?

So what then if any basis should any of you imposturous leaders be dialoguing with the enemy who is destroying your people and heritage while he’s still at it? And what more are you second-guessing about one Nigeria and Muhammadu Buhari? Take a look @1Nigeria. Could it be that Buhari secretly repented without our knowledge, or showed remorse for his role in the massacres, following the June 1966 coup, of more than 300 Biafran Soldiers; followed by a pogrom of 300,000 Biafrans trustfully living among the Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba; and the

subsequent genocide of 3.5 to 6 million Biafrans, mostly women and children? Or that his current actions, nepotism, callousness, and continuation of killing of Biafrans are not telling enough for you blind bats? How much wickedness and greed does it cost to buy out your children, your land, your integrity, and your soul?

Your baseless benefactor Buhari is unmistakably an impervious stark illiterate, a lawless man, a murderer, a genocidist, a war criminal, a chameleon, a congenital liar, and worst yet, an Islamic terrorist; though in a democracy, but too illiterate to comprehend the rule of law, let alone fight corruption, or manage an economy. Buhari will say or do anything in pursuit of Sharia. Therefore who and who are dialoguing, and with whom exactly?

The aforementioned attributes might seem impertinent until you factor that Buhari has left a long trail of bloody foot prints since 1966 to date. To delve deeply will immediately derail this message, but quickly, let’s take one recent example. During Jonathan’s regime, Buhari floated an anti-Jonathan radio station, used freedom of speech to heap every manner of accusation against Jonathan’s regime, continually spewed incendiary remarks, dared Jonathan to arrest him, used freedom of association to conduct clandestine gatherings, incited many riots, defended Boko Haram, killed multitudes of Biafrans and others via his riot instigations, constantly rained threats on Jonathans administration and his supporters. Here “Dogs and Baboons” may relieve your amnesia.

Having successfully terrorized his way back to power—because he has historically relied on terror instead of superior argument to usurp power—Buhari is now demanding his Senate gofers for wider power to crush freedom of speech—the same freedom he usurped—the very epicenter and heartbeat of democracy. In exactly what breadth then should this menacing monster be taken seriously? Clearly, his involvement in democracy is a fraud. Buhari’s real agenda is to kill, destroy, terrorize, pillage, deceive, and Islamize. Only a dangerous chameleon would dare to use democracy as cover whiles indeed a rabid raving tyrant. But worse yet, only a delusive bumbling buffoon will give more room to a blood bathing genocidist. Buhari remains an unrepentant mass murderer, and a very wicked Haman.

In a nut shell, Haman was the anti-Semitic villain in the biblical story of Esther who tried in vain to exterminate all the Hebrews living in ancient Persia around 500BC. He built a tall gallow and set about to hang a very prominent Hebrew (Ibo) official named Mordecai. By divine intervention, Haman’s plot boomeranged, and he was hanged on the very gallow he set up to hang Mordecai (Marduka, Mmaduka) as the rest of his wicked scheme backfired on his family and minions.

Although we can’t speculate the outcome had Mordecai been gutless and gone instead to appease, negotiate, dialogue, bend over, and compromise with Haman. But we do know with absolute certitude that if Biafrans dare to negotiate with Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Britain, Islam, and Buhari, soon they will attempt to obliterate the children of God. So what, with whom, and for who are these treacherous Ohaneze and their ilk negotiating?

Suffice it to say that you have completely lost your compass conniving with the Muslim North to keep your countrymen in a devilish contraption where bullies, criminals, and murderers like you,

are promoted, and the innocent destroyed for resisting. Your actions mean something, if anything, a set of fiendish ideologies that must be exorcised by these brave Biafrans marching daily in their multitudes—many of whom have died fighting to free you from mental slavery, and relative imbecility.

You’ve embezzled your way to notoriety as those you rob wander for their next meal. You have not only embraced a contraption that is comprehensively destroying your heritage, scattering your children abroad, and enslaving those left behind, destroying your infrastructure, maintaining a permanent air, land, sea, blockades against your people as if at war, besieging your land with Muslim terrorists, police and military touts, who mount roadblocks, and molest your folks, extorting your kith and kin, abducting, and shooting your countrymen, raping your women as their wild cattle eat out their crops, planting Boko haram terrorists among you, and the list goes on; but one that has profoundly rejected you, insult your sensibilities, while using exclusively your resources to develop their regions. How pitiful.

In the relatively short period of her existence however, the Indigenous People of Biafra under the leadership of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu have pressed the restoration of Biafra to the center stage of world politics. IPOB and Radio Biafra has redeemed more than 80% of Biafrans from the shackles of British divide and conquer policy which runs exclusively on blood, lies and brainwashing of which you (Ohaneze, puppet governors, and other colonial agents) are hapless casualties—because your minds have been colonized, scrambled, and fully reconfigured like robots. You function exactly as the British intended. What a disgrace.

Furthermore, against your wish, Biafrans from the entirety of former Easter region of British-Nigeria are now more united than ever before. Exponential progress is recorded daily via IPOB and associates’ united peaceful worldwide demonstrations which cover the globe with images of a nation breaking free. All these were accomplished in spite of your perfidy, betrayals, and wickedness.

According to a reliable intelligence report, Ohaneze ndi okwu asi, connived with one Ibo trader in Cotonou to scuttle Biafra protest as part of the criteria before his coronation as a caricature Eze Ndi Igbo in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Saturday, December 5^th 2015. To want to be king, and then be crowned a king in diaspora, albeit without subjects or real territory, at best is not just laughable, but questionable; not unless the agents of such parody have no shame.

Having temporarily obstructed the planned IPOB demonstration, the sponsors of this lampoon gathered in Cotonou to fantasize, while tens of their brethren are massacred senselessly at Onitsha Head Bridge while fighting to free them from Bondage.

These same Ohaneze elements accepted N5 Billion from Goodluck Jonathan to remain silent as Biafrans massacred in the north are discarded with no regards for the cultural rites they claim to champion. Now, for the sake of, I suppose, relevance, Mr. Ebuka has boldly set himself against Biafra’s independence. But make no mistake; you will be no more successful at stopping Biafra’s independence any more than you could a moving train by jumping headlong in its path.

You say you are the mouth piece and chief custodians of Ibo culture? Agreed. But by whose tradition are you crowning an Ibo king outside Ibo land? Or is this diaspora king a novelty of

Ohaneze? You silverbacks have taken Biafrans for granted for too long; even in the face of existential threats. Your Priorities as seen in Cotonou testifies against you.

Since I can only speak for myself, I suggest that Biafrans all over the world openly disown forever Ohaneze Ndi Ojoo. It is time to come out boldly and expose to the world that Ohaneze are Trojan horses who aid and abet the enemy to subjugate, exploit, and kill Biafrans. Their cup henceforth is full. It is time to alert the world that Ohaneze are traitorous personae non gratae among genuine Biafrans; and they must seize and desist from using the hallowed name of Biafra to advance their criminal enterprises, and wash their dirty laundries. Let the universe know that Ohaneze are impostors and are by no means representative of Biafrans’ interests.

Finally, the quest for absolute restoration of Biafra is a phenomenon that both the puppets and their puppeteers, as well shadow organizations like Ohaneze Igbo are totally powerless to dispel. It is a phenomenon that is defiant of every human intrigue. It is, indubitably, a moving force not only recognized the world over, but an insurmountable force arisen from a battered people, but placing itself above the will of man. Thus, Biafra spirit is indestructible and her march to freedom immutable.

Hence, you must understand that this is a movement that shall not reverse until Biafra is unconditionally and completely restored. You bottom feeding scoundrels have blood in your hands; thus, you have lost forever the moral right to speak concerning Biafra restoration. Know that your treachery is in full view of Biafrans, and Him who watches over Biafra, and you will by no means escape judgment.

Your only hope is to repent now, and visibly condemn Buhari, and British-Nigeria without reservation, then step aside, before it is too late. To be forewarned is to be fore armed.

For True Biafrans, 3 cardinal principles must continue to govern all actions:

1. Never negotiate with mortal enemies or their benefactors.

2. Seek independence from a position of strength and remain unshakable.

3. March fearlessly, ceaselessly, and overcome all enemies, at home, abroad, within, without; and in every way, shape, or form that they come.

There’s no substitute for militant freedom. The only alternative is submission and slavery ~~Calvin Coolidge~~

By Ndubuisi Anukwuem

Police Clampdown: Scores Arrested in Nigeria For Listening To Radio Biafra

The Right of Indigenous People of Biafra is repeatedly and unabatedly trampled upon by Nigeria government
By Ibeh Gift Amarachi
(For Family Writers)

The Human Rights Act protects the fundamental rights we all have as human beings. Every Human has the Right to Freedom. The "International Magna Carta" for all Mankind adopted by the United Nations says; "Disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” The Islamic Terrorist and Hypocritical President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari exposed himself, via his United Nations Speech on Self-Determination and the Right of Indigenous People. He stated that; "As we engage in these annual debates, we need remind ourselves of the principles that led to the founding of the United Nations. Among those are peaceful coexistence and self- determination of people. The world has no more excuses or reasons to delay the implementation of the long list of Security Council resolutions on this question. Neither do we have the moral right to deny any people their freedom or condemn them indefinitely to occupation and blockade. International community has no excuse to continue to delay implementation of UN resolutions on self-determination for Palestinian people". This same Hypocritical President of Nigeria, who pretended to be agitating for the Freedom of Palestenians, has unabatedly unleashed Mayhem, Terror and as well ordered for the violation of the Human Rights of Biafrans.

Enugu State SARS have arrested Ten IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) members who gathered in one of their members shop listening to Radio Biafra at Trans- Ekulu ugbo Odogwu. Their offence being that they were listening to Radio Biafra and for such are instigating war. According to our source who pleaded anonymity, the men of Nigerian Police also threatened the owner of the shop that they will come back for him. Such indiscriminate arrests of peace loving citizens listening to Radio Biafra have also been reported some time ago in Aba in Biafra Land. Similar case has been reported in Owerri by the members of Indigenous People of Biafra, who the Nigeria Police arrested for having Radio Biafra Application, on their devices. There is nowhere in the World, that Humans are been arrested for listening to a Radio Station. Kudirat Radio Station owned and sponsored by Yorubas, went on the waves, but there was no recorded case of arrest for listening to the Station. BBC HAUSA and AREWA24 are Television Stations owned by Hausa/Fulani which is used to propagate Islam and political interest, but no case has been reported by any Nigeria, that he/she was arrested for listening to those stations. The Right of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, is repeatedly and unabatedly trampled upon by the Nigeria government, which is against International Human Right. This has to stop, thus the World should let Equity and Justice prevail.

Nsibidi is an ancient Igbo writing system of graphic communication indigenous to the people of Biafra

Nsibidi (also known as nsibiri,^[2] nchibiddi or nchibiddy^[3]) is a system of symbols indigenous to what is now southeastern Nigeria that is apparently an ideographic script, though there have been suggestions that it includes logographic elements.^[4] The symbols are at least several centuries old: Early forms appeared on excavated pottery as well as what are most likely ceramic stools and headrests from the Calabar region, with a range of dates from 400 to 1400 CE.^[5][6]

There are thousands of nsibidi symbols, of which over 500 have been recorded. They were once taught in a school to children.^[7] Many of the signs deal with love affairs; those that deal with warfare and the sacred are kept secret.^[7] Nsibidi is used on wall designs, calabashes, metals (such as bronze), leaves, swords, and tattoos.^[2][8] It is primarily used by theEkpe leopard secret society (also known as Ngbe or Egbo), which is found across Cross River among the Ekoi, Efik, Igbo people, and other nearby peoples.

Outside knowledge of nsibidi came in 1904 when T.D. Maxwell noticed the symbols.^[4] Before the British colonisation of the area, nsibidi was divided into a sacred version and a public, more decorative version which could be used by women.^[8] Aspects of colonisation such as Western education and Christian doctrine drastically reduced the number of nsibidi-literate people, leaving the secret society members as some of the last literate in the symbols.^[9] Nsibidi was and is still a means of transmitting Ekpe symbolism. Nsibidi was transported toCuba and Haiti via the Atlantic slave trade, where it developed into the anaforuana and veve symbols.^[10][11]

History[edit]

The origin of the word nsibidi is not known. One theory traces the word to the Ekoid languages, where it means "cruel letters", reflecting the harsh laws of the secret societies that hold nsibidi knowledge.^[12][13] In Calabar, nsibidi is mostly associated with men's leopard societies such as Ekpe. The leopard societies were a legislative, judicial, and executive power before colonisation, especially among the Efik who exerted much influence over the Cross River.^[5]

Origin[edit]

The origin of nsibidi is most commonly attributed to the Ejagham people of the northern Cross River region, mostly because colonial administrators found the largest and most diverse nsibidi among them. Nsibidi spread throughout the region over time and mixed with other cultures and art forms such as the Igbo uri or uli graphic design.^[5] In 1909 J. K. Macgregor who collected nsibidi symbols claimed that nsibidi was traditionally said to have come from the Uguakima, Ebe or Uyanga tribes of the Igbo people, which legend says were taught the script by baboons,^[3] although one writer believes Macgregor had been misled by his informants.^[14]

Status[edit]

Nsibidi has a wide vocabulary of signs usually imprinted on calabashes, brass ware, textiles, wood sculptures, masquerade costumes, buildings and on human skin. Nsibidi has been described as a "fluid system" of communication consisting of hundreds of abstract and pictographic signs. Nsibidi was described in the colonial era by P.A. Talbot as "a kind of primitive secret writing", Talbot explained that nsibidi was used for messages "cut or painted on split palm stems". J.K. Macgregor's view was that "The use of nsibidi is that of ordinary writing. I have in my possession a copy of the record of a court case from a town of Enion [Enyong] taken down in it, and every detail ... is most graphically described". Nsibidi crossed ethnic lines and was a uniting factor among ethnic groups in the Cross River region.^[5]

Uses[edit]

Court Cases - "Ikpe"[edit]

Nsibidi was used in judgement cases known as 'Ikpe' in some Cross River communities. Macgregor was able to retrieve and translate an nsibidi record from Enyong of an ikpe judgement.

The record is of an Ikpe or judgement case. (a) The court was held under a tree as is the ^[15]

custom, (b) the parties in the case, (c) the chief who judged it, (d) his staff (these are enclosed in a circle), (e) is a man whispering into the ear of another just outside the circle of those concerned, (f) denotes all the members of the party who won the case. Two of them (g) are embracing, (h) is a man who holds a cloth between his finger and thumbs as a sign of contempt. He does not care for the words spoken. The lines round and twisting mean that the case was a difficult one which the people of the town could not judge for themselves. So they sent to the surrounding towns to call the wise men from them and the case was tried by them (j) and decided; (k) denotes that the case was one of adultery or No. 20.

Ukara Ekpe[edit]

Nsibidi is used to design the 'ukara ekpe' woven material which is usually dyed blue (but also green and red) and is covered in nsibidi symbols and motifs. Ukara ekpe cloths are woven in Abakaliki, and then they are designed by male nsibidi artists in the Igbo-speaking towns of Abiriba, Arochukwu and Ohafia to be worn by members of the Ekpe society. Symbols including lovers, metal rods, trees, feathers, hands in friendship war and work, masks, moons, and stars are dyed onto ukara cloths. The cloth is dyed by post-menopausal women in secret, and young males in public. Ukara was a symbol of wealth and power only handled by titled men and post-menopausal women.^[16]

Ukara can be worn as a wrapper (a piece of clothing) on formal occasions, and larger version are hung in society meeting houses and on formal occasions. Ukara motifs are designed in white and are placed on grids set against an indigo background. Some of the designs include abstract symbols representing the Ekpe society such as repeating triangles representing the leopard's claws and therefore Ekpe's power. Ukara includes naturalistic designs representing objects such as gongs, feathers and manilla currency, a symbol of wealth. Powerful animals are included, specifically the leopard and crocodile.^[5]

Examples of Nsibidi[edit]

Below are some examples of nsibidi recorded by J. K. Macgregor (1909)^[15] and Elphinstone Dayrell (1910 and 1911)^[1][17] for The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland and Man. Both of them recorded symbols from a variety of locations around the Cross River, and especially the Ikom district in what is now Cross River State. Both of the writers used informants to retrieve nsibidi that were regarded as secret and visited several Cross River communities.

Igbo Ukwu the lost ancient civilization in Igboland

A bronze ceremonial wine bowl, Igbo Ukwu, Biafra land, 9th century

Igbo Ukwu is an archaeological site near the modern town of Onitsha, southeastern Nigeria. The site was part of the Nri Kingdom, and it was used in the 10th century AD. The site has several parts, including a main burial, and associated caches and shrines.Igbo Ukwu was a burial place

for elite personages, and the burials identified there were interred with a large quantity of costly grave goods.

Cast Bronze Vessel with Animal Motif from Igbo Ukwu

The principal burial is of a person buried sitting on a stool, in fine clothing and rich grave effects such as over 150,000 glass beads, and accompanied by the remains of at least five attendants. Elaborate cast bronze vases, bowls and ornaments were discovered at Igbo Ukwe, made with the lost wax technique.The bronzes are among the earliest cast bronzes in sub-Saharan Africa. The bronzes were manufactured locally; but the glass beads are an indication that the Nri Kingdom was also involved in considerable long-distance trade.Igbo Ukwu was excavated by Thurstan Shaw in the 1960s.

Bronze bowl cast by the 'lost wax' method, Igbo Ukwu, Biafra land, 9th century

Bronze stand incorporating images of a warrior, Igbo Ukwu, Biafra land, 9th-10th century

Sources

This glossary entry is a part of theAbout.com Guide to the African Iron Age, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.

A brief essay and photographs of the bronzes can be found at the Metropolitan museum website on Igbo Ukwu.

Phillipson, David W. 2005. African Archaeology (third edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

What does Kola nut represent in your own villages and towns where you come from in Biafra Land

Kola-nut or carpel is a nut content of a pod, produced by a tree called Ọjị or Kola accuminata. It is used according for rituals, for marriage ceremonies, title taking, offering or prayers at traditional ceremonies, to welcome visitors and to introduce very important discussions and requests.”

Among Ndi Igbo, the Kola nut (Ọjị) symbolizes pure intention and connects us to our ancestors. Oji is the channel of communication beyond the physical world and into the spirit world. This practice is part of the Igbo traditional religion, or Odinani.

“The founding fathers chose Ọjị as the king of all the fruits and because it came from the gods, it is used in communicating with gods. Because it is the king of all the fruits (a sacred fruit from the gods) it is used in showing goodwill to visitors and for entering into bonds.”

Growing up, I do not recall ever seeing having a visitor in our home or seeing a function commence without the “breaking of the Kola nut.” To not include the kola nut is unheard of and almost criminal.

I can recall, however, that anytime an aunty or uncle (I use this to include all Igbo family regardless if there is immediate blood relation) came to visit our home, my mom or dad would tell me (or one of my siblings) to go and bring a special wooden plate (which we use in our home to serve the kola nut) with the kola nut on it. I would set the plate down before our guests, who would respond with a smile and/or thank you. That seemingly small gesture indicated that there was no ill will in the home towards the guest, and that essentially they were welcome. After I set the plate down with the kola nut, I would go back upstairs and resume whatever it was that I was doing.

Legend of Ọjị

“The importance which the Igbos attach to Ọjị can further be illustrated by a legend which speaks of the visit of the founding fathers to the home of the gods where the gods asked the founding fathers to choose a fruit from all the fruits in the orchard of the gods. The founding fathers chose Ọjị as the king of all the fruits and because it came from the gods, it is used in communicating with gods. Because it is the king of all the fruits (a sacred fruit from the gods) it is used in showing goodwill to visitors and for entering into bonds.”

Presentation of Ọjị

A person cannot present the Kola nut any way that he or she pleases.

“There is the usual handshake immediately a visitor comes in. This is the first demonstration of goodwill with the palm open and the fingers stretched one announces as it were: “I have not hidden on my person any object that will harm you.” A visitor is given a seat and within seconds there is an air of conviviality, which makes the visitor feel at home.”

“Soon a kola-nut is brought “E nwelem Ọjị” -“I have got kola-nut, Ọjị abiala –kola-nut has come.” This pattern obtains at simple receptions. Two kola-nuts may be served to a titled man. One is broken and shared and the other is taken home in fulfillment of the Igbo saying that: “Ọjị rue ụnọ okwue onye chere ya”- a kola-nut brought home says who offered it. It is not customary to present three kola-nuts at a time. Four kola-nuts or multiples of four are served at big gatherings such as fixing of bride price or at Ọzọ title taking. Incidentally, kola-nut is not served in five and six compositions. Seven kola-nut and other requisites in multiples of seven may be served during an important ceremony like “Igbu ewu ndi ichie” – killing a goat for ancestral gods. Eight kola-nuts are normal for marriage that is when the bride is to leave her abode for that of her husband’s. One kola-nut is normally shared even where there are many people; after all an Igbo proverb says: “If kola-nut does not go round when shared, then there are no finger nails to break it up to the required number.” Kola offering is a precursor at receptions, important meetings, customary ceremonies as well as the ceremonial slaughter of cows, goats and cocks. Who offers or can be offered kola-nut is determined by factors culturally discernable. A host offers or can be offered kola-nut as gifts. Priests, elders and titled men at village meetings or even at markets can offer kola-nuts to guests or any people who call on them for advice. The Igbo man offers kola-nuts to guests any time of the day. But, at night, he could excuse himself simply saying by this common saying: “Anyasị ewerela Ọjị’ – the night has taken away the kola-nut. Some are selective in the choice of kola-nut they offer to guests. Ọjị Ugo –champion kola may be selected for presentation to a particular dignitary or it may just happen that a chance pick is Ọjị Ugo. In whatever circumstance Ọjị Ugo is served, the recipient is always held highly as implied in the Igbo statement: “Ọjị Ugo ana-echere nwaeze” – the princely kola which is offered to a prince. Ọjị Ugo (a champion kola-nut) is symbolic of royalty and purity. It attracts blessings and luck on the parties.” (Source)

Breaking of Ọjị

”Usually it is the privilege of the eldest man in a group to offer prayers and thanksgiving when the kola-nut is about to be broken and shared. In some parts of Igboland, the youngest breaks the kola-nut. Investigations show that in some other areas, the youngest one shares out the kola-nut as a service though the eldest man still prays for the well-being of all present. A grandson cannot break kola-nut in the presence of his grandfather and maternal uncles however young they may be, because it is held that he has no effective prayers to offer for them. It is they who will pray for his good health, posterity and progress in life. One cannot also break kola-nut in the presence of one’s in-laws. This is because it is also held that only one’s in-law can effectively pray for the fruitful marriage between the latter and their daughter. Women do not break kola-nut in the presence of men though they can do so when it is an all women gathering. If a man is present, he would be called upon to break the kola-nut. This obtains because women do not offer rituals in Igbo tradition. Kola-nut is held by majority of Igbo people to be sacred. Hence women who because of their monthly period are regarded as impure are barred from breaking kola-nut in order to avoid its defilement. It is even held that women should not climb a kola-nut tree as this could result in the tree going barren. An old woman herbalist however has a privilege to break kola-nuts. She should nevertheless precede this operation by an act of self-purification. This she does by waving seven seeds of alligator pepper over the head, one after the other, and throwing each of them away.”