By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha
An Anambra State based legal practitioner, who hails from Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, Chief Barr. Pat Agbata, (a.k.a. Akadike Ogidi, Ogbuagu Chamber), has in a bid to continue from where his ancestors stopped, goes traditional and received staff of office, (offor) from Ezeugbofor deity, at Okwuani Ogidi shrine, through the Chief priest of the deity, Chief Anene Chukwuma Godwin, (a.k.a. Ezeani).
Advising the counsel on the dos and don'ts to save his life and lives of his family,, the priest warned him that failure to abide by his oath of office will amount to his instant death stating that deity is not like the church where sinners have longer time to repent.
Recalling how he took over as Chief priest he disclosed that, "I grew up, met the tradition which existed before me, I took it from my late father, and anybody that demanded for the offor, we give to him, the sick comes here and get healed, any body in captivity by the spirit also get deliverance after hitting the offor on the ground.
"This offor will make him, Agbata, to prosper, the jobless will get job and anybody who visits him with bad motives would be back to sender," Chief priest warned.
On speculation in some quarters that Igbo culture may go into extinction, he said that it is impossible disclosing that more people especially the youths have now embraced culture and tradition having discovered their root, stating that culture is older than Christianity.
" I thank Ike counsel for the offor he came to collect today and I have prayed for him in that offor, good things will be happening in his life and family," he further disclosed.
In his response, Agbata said, "I am not going through any problem, I came for the offor because afa (prophesy) was carried out in my father's house that I should be the one to collect the offor and when it was given to me. When it was revealed to me I rejected it insisting that another person should collect it, but to avoid death, I surrendered.
" I decided to collect the offor before entering my father's house, they said that they wanted somebody with a clean heart. However, I see the offor as to tie me down, to prevent me from my reckless life I used to live, because holding the offor will make me to avoid certain things like keeping late hours, eating in public and avoid unnecessary public interactions.
"However, I promise never to disappoint my brothers, it is God that made king, I don't want outsiders again, let me face my family and if there is anyway I got it wrong let them not kill me.
"I grew up and found out that I belong to the tradition, I decided to participate fully in it without fear, I used to decorate my face with Nzu (white chalk),before entering the court room, some lawyers know I am a traditionalist while others think I belong to a cult, but I used to tell them that I don't belong to cult.
"Tradition has helped me to prosper in my profession, erect story building in the village and I am building another one elsewhere for my retirement, when I will enter my father's house, the judges and other prominent people will be invited,' he affirmed .
Speaking, Chief Nwabueze Obi, (a.k a Ezennaya na Ogidi), said, I am here to support the offor he came to collect today, to make sure the event is successful. it would also make him to prosper in whatever he is doing," he stated
Also Chief John Akwuobi Maduka, from Ire village Ogidi, disclosed that "This place we are is the Obi that connects all the Ogidi people, Obi Okwuani, Chief Agbata came to collect offer for him to be a full fledged man. For any man to be complete man he must come to collect offor because they say that whatever you are doing in this world, you most hold offor.
"The offor he came to collect is Igbo tradition and as a titled man, it is not only for the ozo titled men, anybody that indulges in tradition must come to collect offor, you cannot see it anyhow or go to the market for it, the one in the market is called offor isi (blind offor) they are for the criminals. But the one from this Obi is the main one.
"This offor Chief Agbata collected today will be beneficial to him, he will bear children and they will be all fruitful because after praying, he will hit the offor on the floor and every thing will start to happen.
"If you are with offor, the spirit that gave you the offor would follow you in whatever you are doing until you are done. There are those baptized in Christianity, their spiritual leaders, their Bible is their offor, after talking or praying and he hits the Bible on the ground, it will do almost the same thing because the Bible is holy, the Igbo culture is older than Christianity.
In his own contribution, Israel Emeka Nwachukwu, stated that, "Agbata is my friend since 2011, from Ebonyi state.He said that one should not condemn ones belief because it is only one God, it was culture that made our people to live up to 100 years and above in the olden days but now 60 years is a blessing because they left the culture.
"It is the culture and our ancestors footprint that will help us , we used to answer Nweke, Nwoye etc but now it is Ukamaka, I agree with the culture and I am practicing tradition, it is those that don't belong anywhere that always say that culture is going into extinction.
"They are the mixed multitude in the churches, they should know that this world is being controlled by the spiritual realm, be committed with the one you believe in , the reason people run from the tradition is because it kills instantly if disobeyed but in Christianity you can ask for forgiveness which will be granted unto you," he stated.
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