Prácticas didáctico-pedagógicas que mejoran la convivencia y el clima de aula.

Anyone speaks his opinion and when all have had their say , the council retires and consults together until they come to an unanimous decision. It is expedient to note that all the systems discussed above dealt together with administration and judicial matters. While minor offences are dispensed at once, very serious matters are thoroughly investigated and settled. For instances, inter village disputes are settled by the elders of the villages; concerned land disputes are settled and dowry disputes in the houses of the middlemen who arranged the marriages.

Obi (1996) said that “it is pertinent to note that kindred was formed in Ogidi according to a lineage traceable to a man and not a woman”. (p.40). On no account will a true son of the town dream about tracing his lineage to his mother (a woman). Land and property in a family are shared among the male children of a man according to seniority. It is not part of the culture of the town to share the family belongings especially land among the male and female members. This is so because the females are said to be “Ezi ama onye Ozo” by this, it means that the women will get married to men from other families and will live with their husbands,’

so it is argued that they should not inherit the property of their father since they will not be in the family to look after them. This shows that it is fool hardy of man to dream about forming a kindred from his mother’s lineage.

Membership of Umunna / Kinship

The male members of the kindred constitute the membership. Any son born in the kindred by the member are said to be eligible for membership. The son is to register officially as a member when he must have attained the age to enrol in the suitable age grade for his age.

At this juncture, the member is recognized and must obtain his own part of goods and services shared at any point in time among the members of the kindred. In the same vein, he must contribute materially and otherwise to the cooperate existence of the group.

When a member gets married, the wife is automatically recognized as an affiliate member. Likewise the daughters born by the man are said to belong to the kindred. All the rules and regulations of the kindred concerned are binding on the wives and their daughters.

The most significant unification symbol of members of kindred is that there should be no

sexual intercourse among them. It is only a husband rightly married to a wife (wives) from another family that has the right/privilege to interact in that aspect. This is kept to ensure procreation in the kindred concerned. The consequence of defaulting the order is to invite a man from Nri or Adama Nri specifically for the cleansing ceremony called “Ikpu alu.” An Nri man is invited when the abomination (aru) committed is severe.

Again, members of the kindred are expected to be their brother’s keepers. They are expected to contribute immensely to the development of each and every one of them. Any member who tries to block the progress of another member by a process known as “Mgbachu”

will be punished severely. Depending on the type of Mgbachu” exhibited, the culprit might be instructed to invite a native doctor (dibia) for appeasement. The types of “Mgbachu” that are in existence are as follows, “Mgbachu Nwanyi, Mgbachu olu, Mgbachu asam niru” etc.

Members of the kindred are not expected to kill themselves no matter the prevailing circumstance at that time. Any member who consciously defaultes the order is to be killed or banished from the town for ever.

Kindred in Akanano

Originally, the kindreds in Umuru, the forth son and village in Akanano are two, Umuogbogu is the elder kindred while Umuezerulu is the younger kindred. Out of Umuogbogu there are six autonomous kindreds in Umuru. Umunte was the most senior while Umuezerulu was the youngest. In recent times there were seven kindreds in Umuru.

“Nru”(homage) was made to Umunte by the remaining six kindreds. It is the duty of Umunte kindred to take the “Nru” from Umuru to Umuezeani Ogidi kindred in Ire.

Table I Below is the List of all the Kindreds in Akanano

S/N IRE EZIOGODI ABO UMURU

1. Umueze Ogidi Umuezeani Isieke Umunte

2. Umuezenwelle Umuobataosu Urugebeda Umuuba

3. Umuokam Umugbo Uruowelle Umuaja

4. Umuenyokwa Umuduogba Umuifuno

5. Umuebe UmuofulOzo

6. Umuonyezuna Umuchimaa

7. Umuezenire Umuezerulu

8. Uruokpa

9. Umutazi

10. Uruezenokwu 11. Uruene 12. Umuojiekwe

Kindred in Uru

There are forty-seven kindreds in Uru quarter of Ogidi. Except Ntukwulu village which is said to be the most senior, other villages in Uru recognize Ajilija village as their eldest brother. For this reason, Nru from these six villages in Uru (Adazi, Uruezealo, Uruoji, Umudoma, Ogwugwuagu, and Umuanugwu) was made to Ajilija. Ajilija then takes the “Nru”

to Ire, the eldest of all the villages in Ogidi. Ire kindred is the eldest while Umuarumodu kindred is the youngest. The three younger kindred are to pay tribute of Umuezeani. It was

the privilege of Uru-muezeani Ntukwulu to receive, “Nru” from other villages in Uru through Ajilija village. Ajilija village originally had two kindreds. The kindreds are Umujidofo, and Umuezeobodo. Umujidofo kindred was later divided into three. This brought the number of kindreds in Ajilija village to four. Umuezeobodo kindred being the eldest, has the privilege of accepting “Nru” from the three younger kindreds in Ajilija. Also other villages in Uru except Ntukwulu are expected to bring their “Nru” to Umuezeobodo kindred in Ajilija village.

It is the duty of this kindred, on behalf of the villages to take the “Nru” to Ntukwulu village in Uru Ogidi.

The kindreds in Adazi village are four. Umunneoma kindred is the eldest while Umuezeisiogwu kindred is the youngest. The younger kindreds are to give “Nru” to Umunneoma to take the “Nru” of Adazi village to Umuezeobodo kindred in Ajilija village.

Uruezealo has five kindreds. Urueji kindred was said to be the eldest while Umunebo kindred was the youngest. It is the second kindred in Uruezealor called Umundaa that has the right to receive “Nru” from the three younger kindreds. It is the duty of Umundaa kindred to present the “Nru” to Urueji kindred while it is the duty of Urueji kindred to take the “Nru”

to Umuezeobodo kindred in Ajilija village. There are thirteen kindreds in Uruoji village.

Originally, there were two kindreds in Uruoji. The kindreds are Umuowaogige and Umukpeke.

Four kindreds emerged from Umuowaogige, while nine kindred emerged from Umukpeke kindred. Umuenechi is the eldest while Umunkiti is the youngest. It is the duty of Umuagu kindred to present the “Nru” from Umudoma village to Ajilija village who would then take it to Ntukwulu village. Two kindreds were existing in Umuoma village, Umuagu kindred is the eldest. Umuagu kindred has the right to receive “Nru” from Umuodogwu kindred. It is the

would then take it to Ntukwulu village. There are four kindreds in Ogwugwuagu village.

Umuokpu is the eldest while Umuezeakpu is the youngest, Umuakpu kindred is to receive

“Nru” from the kindreds in Ogwugwu. Umuakpu kindred on behalf of Ogwugwu village has the right to present “Nru” to Ajilija village.

In Umuanugo village, there are eleven kindreds. Originally, there were two kindreds in the village. The two kindreds are Uruowa later five kindred emerged from Uruama and six from Uruoma respectively of all these kindreds Umuokocha is the eldest hence it has the privilege of receiving “Nru” from the other kindreds. Umuokocha in turn presents “Nru” to Ajilija village on behalf of the entire Umuanugwo village.

Table II Below Shows all the Kindreds in Uru

S/

N

Ntukwulu Ajilija Adazi Ur u

Uruoj i

Umudom a

Ogw u

Umuanug o

1. Umuezean i

Umuezeobod o

Umudo m

Kindred in Ezinkwo

There are twenty-one kindred in Ezinkwo quarters of Ogidi. The kindreds respectively exist in the four villages of Ezinkwo. The eldest kindred is Umukokwulu in Ogidiani Etiti village while Umuodia kindred in Uruowelle Nkwelle-Ogidi village is the youngest. In Ogidiani Etiti, the eldest village in Ezinkwo, there are six kindreds. Umukokwulu is the eldest kindred while Urudiora is the youngest. The five younger kindreds present “Nru” to

Umukokwulu kindred. This is so because the mentioned kindred is the most senior in the village. It is the duty of Umukokwulu to present the “Nru” from the kindred and the entire villages in Ezinkwo quarter to Ire, the eldest village in Ogidi.

Four kindreds are existing in Ogidiani-Ukwu village. The eldest is Urueze. It is the privilege of the kindred to receive “Nru” from the three younger kindred in the village. Its duty is to present the “Nru” from the village Umukowulu kindred in Ogidiani Etiti village.

Ezinkwelle Nkwelle Ogidi village had five kindreds originally. There were four kindreds in the village. The number increased to five because Okperi the second kindred was sub-divided into two. Mgbuke kindred is the eldest of all the kindreds in Ezinkwelle Ogidi. It is the right of the kindred to receive “Nru” from the four younger kindreds in the village. Also it is its right to receive “Nru” from Uruowelle village Nkwelle Ogidi, the younger village. The duty of Mgbuke kindred is to present Nru from the entire Nkwelle Ogidi to Umukokwu kindred, the eldest kindred in Ezinkwo quarter.

The youngest village in Ezinkwo quarter of Ogidi called Uruowelle Nkwelle Ogidi is made up of six kindreds. Originally, there were only three kindreds in the village. The number increased to six because the eldest kindred, Umuezeani was sub-divided into four. Umuntuka which is the eldest kindred in Umuezeani then became the eldest in the village. It is the duty/right of Umuntuka kindred to receive “Nru” from the five younger kindreds in Uruowelle village; also, it is the duty of the kindred to present the “Nru” from the village to Mgbuke kindred in Ezinkwelle, Nkwelle Ogidi.

TABLE III: Below Shows all the Kindreds in Ezinkwo Quarter

S/N OGIDIANI ETITI

OGIDIANI UKWU

EZINKWELLE NKWELLE

URUOWELLE NKWELLE OGIDI

1. Umukokwulu Urueze Mgbuke Umuntuka

2. Amaogbu Ezealor Umuosodi Umuobubo

3. Umuezearo Umuokam Uruoga Umubelo

4. Umumaunu Umuezegolu Amanwoke Umude

5. Dumuna Amangwu Umuokwagu

6. Urudiora Umuodia

Kindred in Ikenga

Ikenga, the last quarter of Ogidi is made up of sixteen kindreds. The kindreds are found in the four villages of the quarters. Obodokwe village, the eldest village in Ikenga is made up of four kindreds. Akpara kindred is the eldest. The kindred has the right to receive

“Nru” from the three younger villages in the quarter. Akpara ought to present “Nru” from Ikenga to Umuezeani Ogidi kindred in Ire village. In Anugwo village there are four kindreds, Ekenabo kindred is the eldest. All “Nru” from other three kindreds in the village were made to it. It is the duty of Ekenabo to present “Nru” from Anugwo village to Akpara kindred in Obodokwe village. Four kindreds exist in Nanri village. Umuibe kindred is the eldest. The kindred was favoured with the privilege of receiving “Nru” from the three younger kindreds

in the village. Umuibe, on behalf of the kindreds in Nanri village, has the duty of presenting

“Nru” to Akpara kindred in Obodokwe village. Umudualo kindred is the eldest kindred in Odida village. There are four kindreds in Odida. Isiuzo kindred is the youngest and the last kindred in Ogidi. It is the privilege of Umudalo kindred to receive “Nru” from the three younger kindreds in Odida-Umudualor has the duty of presenting “Nru” from Odida village to Akpara kindred in Obodokwe. Table IV below contains the kindreds in Ikenga quarter of Ogidi.

Table IV – Kindreds in Ikenga

S/N. OBODOKWE ANUGWO NANRI ODIDA

1. Akpara Ekenabo Umuibe Umudalo

2. Dike Agbala Umuodegwu Umueze

3. Dualo Okwuidu Urudalor Okpuani

4. Dueze Umuobata Umuonwum Isiuzo

In Ogidi, kindredship is a major avenue for promoting fraternity and good neighbourliness among the members. The members see each other as blood relations. Since blood relationship is regarded and held in high esteem in the town, the members make effort to keep the spirit alive. Ogidi community at large was administered through the kindreds and Age Grade. Before 1943 when Ogidi Union Nigeria (OUN) came into existence, it was the leaders and titled men in the kindreds and age grades that were deliberating on matters concerning the community. In recent times, revenue for the administration of the villages or