III. HUMAN DIGNITY IN COMMUNITY LIFE

The lgbo recognizes human dignity in human origins and Worship. It is, however, in the community life that the dignity of the human person finds perhaps its greatest expression among the lgbos.

First of all, individuals are not regarded as complete until they have been identified with a community. Each one must belong to kith and kin, to parents, brothers and sisters, who are immediate, and to a wider relationship within the extended family. There is nothing like individualism. A person belongs to an immediate family, hamlet, village, clan and town. This belonging enhances chances of survival and ensures security and growth. The compound segment is very important in lgboland. A compound is made up of families of the same immediate fathers. An individual without family is an anomaly, for the family makes the person. A family includes living relatives, ancestors and those yet to be born. According to Shorter, this is the most realistic human community. There is peaceful coexistence through sharing and mutuality. This value, he says, is shown by the use of "our" instead of "my" by Africans.

Every life crisis of an individual involves the whole compound and sometimes the whole hamlet, village, clan, or town. A new born baby does not belong to the biological mother and father only. The baby belongs to the whole community. Thus the lgbos say that one person does not own a child. The child addresses father's brothers (i.e. those called "uncles" in English) as "fathers". A child grows under the watchful eyes of everybody. As they grow up, children are initiated into the appropriate roles they are expected to play. They are not left alone to learn the societal omenala (traditions) without guidance. It is a common African belief that there is foolishness in the growing person (young person). They must therefore be guided otherwise they may destroy themselves. At all levels of development, the lgbos give people titles which indicate expected roles. Thus after infancy and childhood (nwata), a person becomes okorobia (male) or agbohobia (females). In later adult life one is referred to as okenye (old adult). At a good old age one is referred to as onye nka (the very old). At death one becomes ndichie (ancestor). Each stage carries its own dignity and respect as well as its associated role.

A person also acquires respect through the age groups he or she belongs to, for a person's age group is expected to ensure protection and security.

Thus the daily duties of a weak or sick person would be carried out by companions in the same age group. In spite of poor health, one took part in collective farming, building and harvesting, which used to be usual daily experiences. Poor people were never derided as long as they had done their best. In fact, collective labour made it impossible for a family to suffer hunger or want. During the gleaning months anyone could go into any farm to harvest the leftovers.

It was a duty to protect your neighbour's back. Everyone's dignity was respected and ensured. The farmlands were fairly distributed and no one person or selected individuals could own more than their entitled portion. Thus oppression of the downtrodden was checked. In fact there were no downtrodden. Is it any wonder, then, that hunger was not a known issue in lgboland before colonialism and the modern age of capitalism and unjust economic systems.

Respect for one another was further enhanced by the fact that the ruler and the ruled were responsible to God for whatever they did, and everyone's actions were regarded as affecting others and society for good or bad. Everyone was, therefore, "his brother's keeper". Human dignity was highly preserved for that dignity was part of a person's immortal soul or life essence. The lgbo say that "Dignity is beauty". Whenever you encounter someone, you learn, through long greetings, of his or her real condition. You put forward in conversation feelers to find out the possible reactions to the proposals you might intend to make. As a host you do not ask people whether you could do something for them. You are expected to do all you can, offering them your hospitality and warmth of reception, thereby creating for them an atmosphere conducive to speaking out frankly. A visitor is never a disturbance and does not need to make an appointment for a visit. Gifts are not to be refused, for this is regarded as an insult. (21)

If a neighbour seeks to borrow from you, you give what is needed in confidence. You assist the neighbour who is in trouble without waiting to be invited.

The old are respected and cared for as they are the custodians of the societal customs and morality. The older people in the community are regarded as advanced in wisdom and self-discipline. The whole life of a person in the community is geared toward the service of God and humanity.

Sin is regarded as resulting from the urge for power. (22) Power is sought as a means of suppression and oppressfon of the weak. The lgbo understanding of human dignity recognizes that suppression and oppression (power) are desires lying at the centre of human personality which must be adequately checked if human dignity is to be upheld. Neglect of human dignity can result from sin, which can lead to catastrophe because the gods would readily react adversely - a situation that would do no one any good.

Taking care of the less fortunate ones in the community is a duty no one dares neglect. The orphan, the widow, the deformed etc. are provided for and never to be oppressed. A child is taught lessons against the oppressing of the weak early in life. This is done through songs and folk stories. The following is one such song which the writer was taught when he was about the age of five:

nwa ewen nne UnechU

nwa 'wen, nwa 'we nneh, Unneh!

eshi ma nri

Unneh!

akpaba nwa enwe nne

Unneh!!!

Eje ma oru

Unneh!!

Akpofu nwa nwe nne

Unneh!!!

Eshi sha nri

Unneh!!

Akpofu nwa enwe nne

Unneh!!!

Eri mma nri

Unneh!!!

Akpofu nwa enwe nne

Unneh!!

Nwa enwe nne Unneh!

Ahu shiela m anya Unneh!

Ahu shie anya, Unneh!!!

Ahu shie anya ka onwu

Unneh!!!

Translation

Oh! the orphan! Oh! the orphan!!

In preparing food,

The orphan is involved in the cooking.

In going to work (farm),

The orphan is involved in the work.

But when the cooking is completed,

The orphan is sent out of the house.

When the eating is carried out,

The orphan is sent away.

Oh! the orphan!

I, the orphan, have suffered indeed.

I, the orphan, have suffered indeed.

My suffering is worse than death.

The lesson that is taught in this song and the accompanying story shows that the orphan represents all the possible states of the weak, all the types of oppression which can come from the master, and the consequences for the oppressed. Oppression of the helpless leads to a most pitiable state.

In some parts of Africa, there existed the common practice afan anonymous person leaving an empty basket in the center of a village as an indication that some person or family was in difficulty. People responded to this gesture by putting into the basket whatever they could afford to give away, sometimes from their very need. No questions were asked. After a while, the anonymous person came to carry away the filled basket.(23)

21. Ibid, 133.

22. Ibid. The writer's great-grandfather who was leader of his people relinguished the throne because the colonial masters introduced oppression of the subjects.

23. A practice among the Shilluk and some tribes in Nigeria. See Ibid., 111.