The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has called for collective responsibility in addressing violence against women and vulnerable people.
He said this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, noting that his community has certain rules to protect women and other vulnerable groups against violence.
“We are using culture to protect not only girls and women, but to protect everybody: the widows, the disabled, the down-and-out, and the unhealthy,” he said on the breakfast show.
“It is about coming together within our community, the way we organize, and taking care of each other. We have our rules, regulations, and guidelines; when people act otherwise, the system calls them to order. It’s working for us.”
The traditional ruler said the Onitsha community has discarded “certain elements that don’t make sense today” in a bid to curtail domestic violence and other acts inimical to women.
“We have the authority within our traditional council to make those decisions,” he said. “We have a very robust organization active in transforming our community to effectively bring it into the 21st century.”
Igwe Achebe listed enlightenment campaigns and the embracing of dynamism as key ingredients that societies need to be on par with the realities of modern times.
“Culture is the way of life of a people. As has just been said, culture has to be dynamic. People oftentimes misunderstand that dynamism, but it must be there because culture exists to serve the people,” the respected king said.
“From ancient times, our ancestors’ worldview was very limited. The sun rising in the east and setting in the west was a mystery.
“Today, we know better. Certain health issues that were once seen as taboo are no longer viewed that way. So, first of all, it is about education to enlighten our people regarding the true core elements of our cultural traits.”
