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• Traditional worshippers storm Enugu community for revival
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
It was a colourful and symbolic gathering, as lovers of tradition and cultural enthusiasts assembled in Enugu Ezike, Igbo Eze North Local Government, Enugu State, on April 24, 2025, to rekindle the flames of African Traditional Religion (ATR). The belief system has seemingly been fading under the weight of modern faiths.
The event was a rich display of traditional folklore, ancient incantations, traditional dance competitions, masquerade performances and a feast of African local delicacies. Participants were treated to the full flavour of indigenous practices that once formed the very core of their ancestors’ daily life.
Promoter of the event, Okwy Nwodo, from Igogoro Agu in Enugu Ezike, who spoke on behalf of his aged father, Chief Odo Nwaogilija, said the programme was to enlighten his people on the need to return to the ways of their fathers: “This worship is our language. It is what we know.
“We are embedded into it. You can change yourself to look like a white man by dressing and by speech but your blood cannot be changed. That your blood is an African traditional symbol. What I mean is that we need to retain our indigenous religion, not foreign religion.
“They came and tried to abolish our religion by propagating theirs. That has made African religion weak. We are trying to bring it back to what it was before. If it was as strong as it was before, there would be no need to renew it.”
He challenged some misconceptions about traditional practices especially as they related to charms and diabolism: “When some people talk about charms, we only do what will make someone progress but not to hurt or harm anyone. Before the white man came, no woman gave birth through a caesarean session.
“People fell from trees and they were healed without going to orthopaedic hospitals. This is part of our culture and way of worship. The abolition of our culture has made us forget some leaves that are very important to human life.”
Nwodo, however, regretted the lack of mutual respect between Christianity and African traditional religion, stressing that it was possible for the two faiths to work together: “But the issue is that Christians do not associate with us.
“In traditional religion, we accept anyone. If you are a Reverend and they want to ordain you and you invite me as a Chief Priest, I will be there. But you cannot invite a Chief Priest to their own events.
“They will say you are a devil. But if they are launching and you bring money, they will accept it. The gulf between the two religions is too far but it is as a result of the way the Christians do their own things.”
He explained that they formed the association to make the African traditional religion viral and stronger: “Christianity didn’t just come and take over immediately. It came and gradually took root. The same way we will go gradually and we too will become as strong as we were before. Even if I am not alive, my children will continue from where I stop.”
Secretary of the association, Felix Agboja, said: “There is serious decline in African traditional religion. The white men came with their religion but we forgot that Christ said that He has come to modify our laws, not repeal it entirely. The way the white men came and condemned the way our forefathers worshiped, saying that it was fetish. Because of that erroneous belief our people have been deceived for a long time.
“That is why we are doing this. Nobody is condemning Christianity. They have their own good side. But before the advent of Christianity on this side of the globe, there was a medium our people used to communicate with God.
“There is no doubt about the existence of God who is Supreme. There is nothing that was not created by God. Every herb you see is highly medicinal. If it is not revealed to you by this Supreme God, you will not know.”
He condemned the blanket disdain on African traditional religion saying that even in Christianity, some people still practiced the opposite of what they preached: “There is always a negative side of everything. It depends on how you apply it. A lot of killings and fraud take place in the church. But that is not enough reason to condemn the entire Church. It’s the same with African traditional religion.”
To the Chief Priest of Nnemocha Shrine and chairman at the occasion, Uchenna Odo, the gathering was about affirming the legitimacy and pride in African spirituality: “We’re here so that our tradition will never go extinct. So that the whole world will realise that tradition was there before Christ. The Jewish people have their own tradition the Romans have their own tradition. What I am telling the whole world is that tradition is not a sin.
“As an Igbo, we should know that nothing concerns Igbo with Christianity or Islam. Igbo people are traditional people and we are celebrating it to tell the whole world that we are happy. On this occasion, we heal people we promote people. We turn the situations of people around for good. It’s all about prayer.”
He recounted his personal journey from Christianity back to his roots, even as a pastor: “I was once a Christian Pastor but I had a call and I had to return to my roots.
“Even if you go to Christianity, they say that someone has a call but there are different kinds of calls. You have to identify the one you have. As a traditionalist, I have a call of prophecy. I did pastor’s work but that was not my calling. I realised that I was misled.”
Ukamaka Ogbu, aka Enyama (Eye of the gods), said: “I am a young woman. I am a graduate but I left my job because of this tradition. Because it is like we are lagging behind in this direction.
“Christians want to abolish everything about tradition but we have decided to bring it back. You don’t have to sacrifice a human being to be called a traditionalist. You have to keep your hands pure.”
