CEREMONIAL VALIDATION OF CHIEFTAINCY TITLES IN DIASPORA These days, for Africans in Diaspora like in the United States of America the distance between their local community and their abroad station makes it difficult for the Africans in Diaspora to monitor the conferment of chieftaincy titles back home in Africa or Nigeria. Therefore, the validity of certain people going by the name and title of chiefs abroad has become questionable especially where the members of the community abroad have no credible ceremonial evidence that such chieftaincy title was conferred on such an individual. As a matter of practice, one means of validating such conferment of a chieftaincy title is for the said recipient of a chieftaincy title to invite fellow clansmen to come and witness the event in far away Nigeria. When the individual returns to his station in the foreign land say the United States of America, he would also invite his fellow tribes men or clansmen (most of whom were unable to be in Nigeria for the event proper) to a chieftaincy reception or celebration ceremony to formally announce his newly acquired title to his people, friends and folks. This is obviously not a flawless way of validating a chieftaincy title brought abroad from home but to some extent it does help in eliminating most of the inevitable questions that would follow if one was otherwise seen suddenly wearing a chief's regalia and engaging in other chieftaincy activities including special chief-like mannerisms like the unique greeting of another chief when encountered. Recently, courtesy of Chief and Lolo I.J.O. Njoku, former Mr. Ignatius Akujuo and his wife Mrs. Victoria Akujuo (now chiefs) recently called members of the larger Ibo community in the New York State area to come and witness and confirm (as well as share and celebrate with them), their newly acquired chieftaincy title - Orikukwu 1, Onyeihoma nadinma of Ogbor (English translation: The consumer of a big share the 1st, the one who appreciates goodness of Ogbor) For photo coverage of the event, and a sneak at the fashionable attire donned by attendees, CLICK HERE |
