Right from my university days in Lagos, my father had made it compulsory for all his children, who were outside his jurisdiction to return home during the Christmas celebration that rolls into the new year. In his daily moral instructions to us as young adults, he would reiterate the importance of having appreciating community value. He would stress that the period from January to the third week of December was for us, while the last week of the year should be spent with members of the extended family.
He would request to see our presence at home to partake and synchronize in the growth of our community. That week-long visit by us meant a lot to him, and we all honoured his request until he passed on to glory. Even as we started getting married, he would ask our spouses not to break the chain, but rather sustain the practice of celebrating together, re-uniting and being part of the greater plans to forge ahead. In fact, at the beginning of September, he would write letters in his beautiful cursive handwriting, to remind us of the home coming in December. The moment such letters arrive, we already knew the content and financial preparations would start earnestly without givingundue excuses. I can authoritatively say that thoughts similar to that of my father runs through the minds of so many other parents who do not live with their children in the same town or city. There is nothing that gladdens the heart of a father more than to see his worthy children and grandchildren come home to meet him. With such ingrained training, it therefore became a lifestyle, and a massive movement of the Jah-people arises from West, North, South towards the East. No matter how one tries to send money to his parents, the quality time spent with them is most cherished by the aged ones.
The Yuletide season has become the strong force that pulls easterners residing in other parts of the country, and makes them embark on the annual mass return.
During the Yuletide mass return, the “abroad” members participate in deliberations on community development projects like good road networks, rural electrification, scholarship awards, establishment of micro industries and other social amenities. Evidence have also shown that an average easterner does not wait upon government for survival, rather they strive to raise money to support their communities. To this end, they collaborate on the basis of principle of ‘Igwebuike’ (strength in numbers). This belief has enabled astronomical achievements to be made in Igbo communities. Worthy of note is the Imo Airport project that was successfully executed through the contributions of the people of old Imo State.
The airport project remains the best example of what a motivated people can do. It was conceived and started by the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe, a successful lawyer. From the moment the idea was conceived, several meetings began to take place as Imo people both at home and the diaspora saw the need to gather daily, weekly, monthly and yearly until the project was executed and commissioned.
Though the project was initiated by Mbakwe, the bulk of the construction phase was supervised by succeeding governors like Major General Ike Nwachukwu, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke and Commodore Amadi Ikwechegh. The then military governor, Navy Commodore Anthony Oguguo commissioned it in 1992 after it was completed. Worthy of note is that all funds were provided by the people as the highest donor was the great philanthropist Engineer Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who donated out N1million, which was a huge sum at the time. There were also other donors but however, the majority of the contributors were ordinary Imo indigenes, who contributed paltry sums.
(Yes, a levy was added to both primary and secondary school fees) which we all paid. Then daily wage earners, hawkers, food vendors, artisans and others were involved in the financial contribution for the project. Today, the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport stands as a testimony to honesty and organization. While some other persons regularly embezzle government funds, the coordinators of Imo Airport Project gathered negligible sums of money and executed an astronomical project; not a dime was lost. A million ‘gbosa’ to those coordinators who did not politicize the project or squandered and diverted the financial sweat of the people meant for the project. It is reasons of this nature that Igbo relocate during the yuletide because several meetings would be held for various projects.
Interestingly, the Christmas period is like ‘a working holiday’ for the Igbos. It is a time for brainstorming, strategizing, building, stock taking and reunion. Again, being our brother’s keeper is entrenched in our culture ‘Onye aghala nwanneya’ (No one should forget a relative). We love our families and practice the extended family system. Hence family is not just the nuclear family but also includes uncles, aunties, cousins (on both sides of the family) and in laws. In some cases, the family ties have become very blurred. Few persons can actually trace the relationship of ‘umunne’.
Now, during the yuletide, every day is like a party in Igbo land. Relatives and neighbours gather in different homes, especially those of the affluent, to celebrate and make merry. This may be seen as wastefulness by the uninitiated; but however, like Chinua Achebe said in his legendary ‘Things Fall Apart, that when people gather for moonlight games in the town square, it is not because of the moon, everybody can see the moon from his house; rather it is because we love to relate. This is the time when many aspects of the culture are passed on by oral history. In those days, during the moonlight games, Igbo values and moral teachings are passed on precept upon precept, line upon line. This is the way values are thought in the traditional society but nevertheless, education, urbanization, emigration have broken this basic fabric that once reigned supreme in our culture. Hence the Christmas time has become the period of the year when enough people travel back home and gather for this type of get-together. The yuletide therefore provides a great reunion for easterners. It is the time to see our families, merry with them; spend quality time, then, eat and drink together. Has one considered the number of marriages that are contracted out, issues that are resolved, community development that takes place during the yuletide; how all these happen? It is because people come together to make it work.
Sir Ben Ojike, a chattered accountant with a blue-chip industrial company built a magnificent country home across the express road in his village. He was a hospitable man who prepared sumptuous meals and varieties of drinks for his people. His kinsmen, however, refused to visit his home as expected because the express road was considered a menace. They feared they could be crushed to death by oncoming vehicles after a night of merriment and therefore told their principal to keep his food and drink. The noble man who loved his kinsmen resorted to carrying his food and drinks back to the village so he could eat with them. It is a well-known fact that one man can cook for a whole village but same village cannot cook for one man. He finally solved the problem by selling his magnificent edifice across the road to build another one inside the village where he can have the company of his kinsmen.
Consider Dr. O’connel Obi, the first university graduate from his community. His father worked with the Irish missionaries and named him after the last master that he served. He came back from the United Kingdom in 1947 as a soil scientist and got to the zenith of his profession. He also represented his federal constituency in the First Republic. As a great achiever and greatness exemplified, he noted that one of his greatest regrets was building his country home outside the village across the express road and regularly bemoaned that he was unaware of the happenings in the village since the town crier never got to his country home across the express road. “When the village town crier passes information as usual very early in the morning, he would not come towards me because of my location.” (He was always quoted). He therefore lamented that his kinsmen couldn’t visit him as he lost their companionship. The disconnect with his kinsmen was a constant agony to this great man until he passed on. The Igbo men and women rejoice and mourn together. It is a time to reflect and refresh on all; the good, the bad and the ugly. It is a time to broker peace, of great re-union, listening to each other and giving a helping hand.
For those who ask, why do you travel during Christmas, what do you people look out for in the village? Well, my answer is that if we do nothing and remain in the cities, our values, culture and norms would leave us out too. Happy New Year to you all!