Governor Charles Soludo Calls Ndị Ọdịnaanị ‘Common Criminals’ And ‘Idol worshippers’ – An Insult To Ndị Ìgbò & Aja Ana Ìgbò

Professor Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra state, is inviting the wrath of Ajana (Ani) by calling Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị practitioners, common criminals and also calling for the destruction of shrines, and the prosecution of innocent faithful – while maintaining that they are idol worshippers.

It is a shame that in this age and time when the world is waking up to the lies of colonialism, a supposed professor is bold in calling the spirituality (cosmology/traditional religion) of his ancestors, evil. And is bold enough to use government power to suppress people’s rights to freedom of religion.

During the dedication of a new church building for the House of Testimony, Life of Faith Gospel Assembly, in Onitsha, Soludo called on all churches in Anambra state to fight against our people who practice Ọdịnaanị – calling them “Common criminals” and Idol worshippers. Soludo said he was in solidarity with the Christians to fight the evil of Idolatry in Anambra state. 

In his speech, the Governor said: “Since the inception of my administration, we have declared war on criminals, their shrines, priests, and burnt down their idols. They can come with whatever they want to, but with the Bible in our right hand, we shall prevail… Anambra is in the hands of God, but we must continue to pray to take back our state from criminals, touts, and lawlessness… Idolatry is the fastest-growing religion in the state. We must not take it for granted. Pope Francis preaches ecumenism. I just don’t preach it; I try to live it. If we bond together, we will survive collectively, but if we go separately, we will die separately. This land is our own, we must not give on it…”

It is very unfortunate, that a governor and professor would be so uninformed as to the true meaning and goal of Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị, as a form of spirituality for Ndị Ìgbò – and used his office to call Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị Idol worshipping; and also grouped those who practice Ọdịnaanị with criminals. Just because he is a catholic, and was brainwashed by the missionaries & colonialists to see the ways of his ancestors as evil.

It is the height of irresponsibility, on his part as a governor of a state that is, and has never been designated a “Christian State”.

It is an insult to every indigene of Anambra, who practices Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị, as a means of connecting to the divine, just like our ancestors did. By tagging Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị as Idol worshipping, and calling those who chose it as a means of connecting to Chi Ukwu, common criminals, Governor Charles Soludo has invariably and subliminally insulted Ajana Igbo (the great Ani – mother earth), and will face the spiritual consequences someday. Go and mark these words.

The Nigerian constitution clearly emphasizes the ‘Right To Freedom of Thought, Conscience, And Religion’. In Chapter 4, section 38, No. 1, it states:

“Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice, and observance.”

The above part of the constitution simply means that every Nigerian has the right to practice whatever religion he/she chose. It means you are allowed to change from Christianity to Ọdịnaanị, just like many of us have. And that no one should harass you or force you to return to Christianity, by calling you an idol worshipper or tagging you a criminal.

As an Igbo son or daughter, who practices Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị, you should know that you have the ancestral, spiritual, and legal authority, embedded in your heritage, to practice Ọdịnaanị as a form of spirituality. No one has the right to stop you. Not your parents. Not your governor. And as a matter of fact, not the Christians in your immediate or extended family.

Now to further educate the Governor and others who think like him, let us define what “Idolatry” is and put it to them that Ọdịnaanị na Omenaanị is not idol worship.

Idolatry is the worship of idols, or the extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.

According to the Christian Bible, from which Soludo gains the use of the word Idolatry, it says that “Idolatry, in Judaism and Christianity, is the worship of someone or something other than God as though it were God”.

By these definitions, the Governor, Soludo, should understand that it is they the Christians that worship idols, by worshipping a Caucasian man, a white man, and calling him God. When in fact, and according to Ndị Ìgbò: Chukwu bụ mmụọ. Onwebero ònye fugolu Chukwu anya – The creator is spirit. No one has ever seen the creator.

By bowing to the images of a Caucasian (white) Jesus, Mary, Saints, Angels, and their Pastors, it is the Christians amongst us, who are worshipping Idols.  By giving Chi Ukwu the title God, and falsely characterizing him as a man, it is the Christians, like Soludo, who have made an idol for themselves and are now imposing that Idol on the supreme creator.

In Igbo Odinani, every deity, energy, or spirit is an intrinsic part of Chi Ukwu (the creator). When we pray, we first call on Chi Ukwu, before calling on the various deities that are part of Chi Ukwu – the various forces of nature that connect us to the creator – that make our experience of the unseen Chi Ukwu whole. When we call on the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the trees (Ngwu, Akpu), our Chi, Agwu, and Ndi Ichie (our holy ancestors), we do so with the full knowledge that they are all part of the supreme creator – that the experience of the creator, for us, is not complete without bringing in all the Alusi, mmuo, mmili, mmadu, etc, that makeup creation. When we pour libations of carved wording artifacts, we use that as a physical representation of the spiritual energies of Chi Ukwu, that we pray. Carved objects, for us Ndi Igbo, remain sacramentals used in communing with Chi Ukwu, and not idols (god distinct from Chi Ukwu).

In Conclusion,

There are people, criminals, kidnappers, and occultic men/women, who use charms in their operations. And they are drawn from all corners of society. They are Christians, pagans, atheists, etc. There are bad people all over the place. And just because they patronize certain so-called charm/Ọgwụ makers, does not mean that they are working with a true Dibịa and disciples of Ọdịnaanị. Just because they make use of carved images, red cloths, and other items synonymous with Ọdịnanị-Igbo, doesn’t mean they represent those of us who uphold Nsọ ana – which is the purest and holiest way to connect to the divinity of creation.

Nso ana in Ọdịnaanị Ìgbò, are a set of laws and principles which maintain that taking of human life, killing, lying, cheating, and all acts of immorality are wrong, and are a sin against Chi Ukwu, punishable by Ajana/Ani, the mother earth. So how then does a true Odinani adherent or Dibia, who understands Nsọ ana, will engage in kidnapping, armed robbery and raping etc? You see that it is not possible. So it is careless for Governor Charles Soludo to group common criminals with Odinani, just because they use charms.

Therefore, Governor Charles Soludo has no right to use the fight against criminals who operate with charms, to then attack an entire faith – an ancient cosmology and spirituality of Ndị Ìgbò, to say that we are idol worshippers & common criminals. 

This Article Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, of Voice Of The Sun

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