A Traditionalist and Chairman of Rumuchiorlu family in Rumuokwurushi Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Dr. Benneth Chima Chiorlu has enjoined Africans to embrace our traditional religious worships and ways of life.
Dr. Chiorlu, in a chat with newsmen over the weekend during the family’s new yam festival described cultural and traditional worship as the backbone of the African society, noting that the white colonialists brought their religions to steal and bastardise our resources.
The community leader, who is also an Alternate Medical Practitioner frowned at the reference to traditional African religious practitioners as idol worshipers, stating that the colonial masters brought the Christian religion to deceive Africans in order to take away our natural heritage and resources, adding that they made Africans believe that it’s only them that worship the true God.
“I don’t know who is Joseph, Peter, John and James, neither do I know all those mentioned in the Bible. But I know my ancestors and I believe I will worship God through the ways of my forefathers. Before the arrival of Christianity, my forefathers were worshipping God and He always answered them. They brought the Bible to us to deceive us and make us believe that they are the only people who know the true God,” he stated.
Dr. Chiorlu, a former devotee of the Anglican Communion said he left the Church when he noticed that the leaders were not practising what they preached, lamenting that Christians always view traditionalists as evil.
“They said we should pull off our caps when we want to pray to God but the Bishop and Pope put on their caps. So, their command and teaching are not real. My Bible in Proverbs 22:28 said I should not remove the ancient landmarks. So I will not deviate from the ways of my fathers.
“We don’t know of any other God than the Almighty God of our forefathers. If you want to worship God, worship God in your house with your heart. God is with you,” he declared.
The Rumuchiorlu chairman who described Christianity as a fake religion, disagreed with the notion of Satan as evil, stating that Satan was the angel called Ogbumnabali which was sent by our forefathers to fight wars against the white imperialists that came to ravage the continent.
“We have Ogbumnabali, Amadioha, Arubaragu, Igwekala, Nwachukwu and others. Amadioha stands as Angel Micheal. So Christianity is fake. I therefore urge everyone of us to go back to the roots of our forefathers. Wake up in the morning, use hot drink or ‘nzu’ or your native kola and alligator pepper or water, talk to your ancestors, the mother Earth which is the land because when you plant your yams, it produces in multiples. The land represents the God of fertility,” Dr Chiorlu stated.
According to him, tradition demands that the Rumuchiorlu family, as the first born in Esera kingdom will be the first to observe the new Yams festival before others, adding that the festival can only be performed by families who still have their custodian staff in place.
He further explained that the four families making up the Rumuchiorlu kindred were fully represented at the activities heralding the new Yams festivities, stressing that although the Rumuchiorlu family may appear small in size but that they are spiritually mighty.
“We are a small family but large in spiritualism. We are the first son in Esera kingdom but mighty in spiritual matters. We are the first to open the floor for other families to start the festivals. I will be hosting the entire community in the new yams festivities in the coming week,” he stated.
Also speaking was the traditional custodian and Regent of the family, Ojiowhor Stanley Uzoma Chinda who said that the new Yam festival ushers in the harvesting of new yams in preparation for the next planting season, adding that he performs the rituals involved in the breaking of yams for the festivals.
The Paramount Ruler of Rumuchiorlu, Eze WCK Owhor Chiorlu stated that it was traditional for the Chiorlu family to usher in the celebrations of the new yam festival before others in Rumuokwurushi Community, pointing out that it signifies the planting and harvests of yams for the season.
“So before you eat the harvest, you have to appreciate and thank God for what He has done. We thank the God of planting and harvesting. Ordinarily in Ikwere, our people don’t know about Christian religion, we deal with tradition,” the King stated.
