Elaboración del plan de cuentas bajo NIIF para las PYMES

Religion as a Recurring Theme in

Nnenna Ihebom

Literature is a very dynamic instrument of social orientation and re-orientation. Jane Yolen defined literature as a textually transmitted disease normally contracted in childhood. This definition, while hilarious, expresses the basic fact that whenever one reads a piece of literature, something is transmitted from the author to the reader. This transmitted stuff can be love, hate, kindness, diligence, happiness and many others. What this means is that the writer is a carrier of some treasures who has an overpowering passion to transmit same to the society through his art. Of course, there is a school of thought that professes art for art’s sake but even they cannot alter the fact that their works transmit something to their readers.

It is against this backdrop that one appreciates better the writings of Celestine Ibezute. This unassuming icon is known everywhere as a didactic writer, one who uses literature as a teaching tool to correct society. The religious chaos that has enveloped our society is one dominant theme I have seen in many of Chukwuma Ibezute’s works.

In his first book, The King of Alandu, published in 1993, the invasion of our space with foreign religion and customs was one major factor that incensed Ubadi, stirred up his evil nature, and pushed him to commit many dastardly acts. The following paragraph is very instructive:

But later in Alandu, with churches built everywhere, new teachings and doctrines gained ground. The people were taught that their gods were man-made gods and as such, could not even harm an ant let alone harming human beings. The fear, respect and adoration of the gods started to diminish. Many atrocities started to be committed. The people of the new faith only believed that the supreme God lived in heaven but they were not serious in keeping His Commandments. Even those

145

who introduced the alien religion were found wanting in its practice. They held the bible to preach and teach in one hand and held arms and ammunition that killed and maimed in great numbers. They also introduced racial discrimination and divide-and-rule tactics. Thus with the emergence of the new religion, things continued to get worse day by day. (51-52)

In this book, Chukwuma Ibezute x-rays the ills of both the traditional religion and the new religion which the white man came with. King Ikejionu, Ubadi’s maternal uncle epitomizes one of the ills of the old religion that paved way for the new religion to thrive, in spite of the obvious threats it posed to the oneness of the native populace. Hear him:

“Who is able to get two heads for me to bury a titled relation of mine? A handsome reward awaits the person” (46).

Human sacrifice tops the list of sinister practices of the old order that made it easy for the people to reject it. Looking at the character of Ubadi, the Chief defender of the old religion in The King of Alandu, the reader comes under the impression that the traditional religion is all about brutality, wickedness and raw evil. This is far from the truth because the same era that produced the brutal Ubadi also produced the saintly Ugonna, his elder brother.

However, the inability of the practitioners of the traditional religion to identify and expunge the evil in the killing of twins, the use of human heads for burial and the insensitive ostracism and stigmatization segments of the society for no just cause, raise doubts about the sincerity of these practitioners who upheld a system that made truth and justice its cardinal focus. This also points to the fact that these practitioners of the old religion were largely responsible for the falling apart of our cherished values and norms.

What the proponents of the new religion did in many parts of Africa was to cash in on the existence of a few weevils to throw away the whole bag of grains.

In Stain on a White Robe published in 2004, Ibezute beams his searchlight on the leadership of one of the frontline churches. He seems to be saying that the pollution that led to the fall of the old religion is still very much prevalent in the new. In yet another work, Goddess in the Cathedral Ibezute highlighted in gripping detail, the evils of hypocrisy in today’s church. What I find most interesting in this work is the active marriage of the old and new orders. This is evident in the novel thus:

146

Every ardent member who has worshipped with us for five years and benefited from the miracles of the church should be brought here at River Omocka for further initiation into a higher position. Such ones will be qualified to be briefed about the Queen and her authority, and if competent, will be assigned further roles on earth. (88)

In this story, Ibezute hits his literary harmmer at the head of the confusion that has enveloped our religious environment today. The double standard that we see all around us, especially in the political sphere, can be traced to this religious craze that has assumed epidemic proportions.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that Chukwuma Celestine Ibezute is driven by a passion to correct the society. This passion is holistic as it touches on the political, social, and religious aspects of life. However, religious orientation seems to dominate many of his works. This is understandable as religion is the bedrock of society and affects every other aspect of life. People’s actions are determined by what they believe in. When there is confusion in the psyche about what one believes in, the behaviour of such a person is affected adversely.

My assignment as a reviewer is merely to highlight what the author seems to be saying. The society will find its bearing the very day the people are able to resolve the prevailing festering religious quagmire.

147