Don't Belittle Igbo Traditional Red Cap, Die-hard Igbo Believer Warns Socio-eco-pol Organisations

By Odimegwu Onwumere

The Senate president, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Thursday Jan. 31 2019 tweeted on his Verified account @bukolasaraki that they had arrived Delta State for the PDP presidential rally ongoing for the 2019 elections. He pitched his post with some faces of bigwigs in the party wearing the Igbo Traditional Red Cap with a barge of PDP's logo – umbrella – laced on it.

In the words of Saraki, "We just arrived in Delta State, the Big Heart of the nation where our Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, will be speaking about their plans for a #BetterNigeria. #PDPDeltaRally."

I want to call on the general public not to denigrate the Igbo Traditional Red Cap in whatever guise. It is sacred and should not by any means be desecrated for social, economic or political lucre.

Putting on the Igbo "red cap" is not for everybody, let alone, using it for political rally; something that cannot be attempted in other traditions across the country. The Igbo ‘red cap’ is for a particular people in the Igbo cosmos and not worn by Tom, Dick and Harry. It is a sign of authority and culture and power in Igbo land. It is not for beer parlour outing!

Whether the Igbo “red cap” it is worn with eagle feather or not, its significance of leadership in the Igbo nomenclature cannot be overemphasized. The Igbo Nze na Ozo, might not be laughing when a non-initiate in the Igbo tradition is putting on the "red cap" talk of affixing a political emblem on it in the name of electioneering campaign. This is an insult to entire Igbo traditional institutions and the aberrants have no reason not to apologize.

While I am not against the PDP or its agents in whatever way, (I’m openly saying that I’m not in support of President Muhammadu Buhari, but not APC) it is very offensive to use our revered Igbo Traditional Red Cap for political rally with PDP logo attached on it or any other logo.

I would not want to say that those who did this to our esteemed Igbo "red cap" have no value for the Igbo traditions and cultures but the customary rulers in Igbo land who allowed the downgrading of the Igbo "red cap" for political rally or any other are bogus.

I therefore call on all Igbo traditional institutions to reject this aberration with all their weight and might and call on abusers to retrace their steps.

Let these atypical offenders heal the wound they have inflicted on the Igbo tradition by apologising for their unmerited and unwanted act. This cannot be done on the Fulani/Hausa chieftaincy turban. Proverbially, “It hurts the most when the person that made you feel so special yesterday, make you feel so unwanted today.” One of one own is wearing the "disgraced red cap" without calling for a shift. This is one electioneering campaign gone wrong.

Signed:
Odimegwu Onwumere (Nze Obimgbegbuo), is a writer based in Rivers State and diehard believer of everything aboriginal practice of Ndigbo; their cultures, traditions and spirituality. {None of these should be desecrated.}

Date:Jan. 31 2019.
Tel:08057778358