ORON CULTURE - A Dynamic Instrument for the Positive Development of Oro Nation

By Sunday Ntekim

In this volume, Mr. Ntekim has succeeded in identifying the importance of culture - Oro culture as an essential tool for the socio-political and economic development of Oron society. Culture is a viable component for economic and technological development. Here is a book that provides exciting and stimulating reading for both the layman and all those seriously interested or involved in the improvement/development process in Oron society. Oron culture remains the standard by which our people can perceive, predict, judge, and act in a rapidly changing world of today. Let Oron culture be harnessed to become an instrument for forging our social, political and economic development. Any stranger who wants to form a correct opinion of Oro Nation Culture should not confine his observations to the metropolis. Let it be noted that ORO people are strongly gifted with rural feelings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunday Ntekim
• Release date: Jul 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9789785578478

Book preview

CONTENTS

SECTION ONE

Dedication

Introduction 

Concepts and Definitions

Cultural Manifestations

Oron Culture in Components of Culture

Material Aspect of Culture

Institutional Aspects of Culture

Philosophical Aspects of Culture

Nluk as a Cultural Philosophy in Oro Nation

Creative Aspects of Culture

The significance of Red Iyara Oro in Oron Culture

SECTION TWO

Notes and the Way Forward

Cultural Dimension of Development

Leadership Structure in Oro Nation

Cultism in Oron Society

The Cult

SECTION THREE

Cultural Institutions for the Development of Village Economy

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my family and my late parents.

SECTION ONE

INTRODUCTION

This book sets out to analyse the contributions of Oron Culture to effective development of Oro Nation. There is no doubt that cultural patterns play crucial role in the development processes of any nation. A careful study of the National Cultural Policy launched in 1988, whose aims and objectives are contained therein, would reveal that culture and its components provide necessary instrument for positive development of our communities in Nigeria. Taking into account our traditional setting in Oro Nation, the author has in this volume identified certain cultural patterns/measures which, when used in combination with its components would foster progressive and positive development in Oro Nation.  Such cultural patterns range from Cultures of Consultation; Culture of Dialogue; Culture of Interactions, Culture of Belongingness to Culture of Efficient Management of resources.  

With the combination of the above cultural patterns or measures with such components of culture such as Material Aspects of Culture; Institutional Aspects of Culture; Philosophical Aspects of Culture and Creative Aspects of Culture, the various leadership in Oro Nation would in the long run provide solutions to the problems of stressful existence of a lot of Oron people in our rural communities. There will be improvement in economic and social activities in the rural villages which will enhance the growth and living standard of Oro Nation population.

Communal conflicts and tensions created by politics of stomach infrastructure and disputes over land and other areas in Oro Nation could be solved through Culture of Consultation and Culture of Dialogue.

Culture of Interaction can be fostered by initiating traditional games such as wrestling or sports programme like football and creative displays like Afiaha-yid or mbaya for competition among village communities. Culture of Belongingness through educational enlightenment would reduce poverty among the rural poor and forces of Culture of Efficient Management by Village Councils, Village Heads, Paramount Rulers, Clan Heads and Community Leaders would ensure effective management of the socio-cultural groups and institutions and in essence reduce hostilities and anti-social behaviour among unemployed youths. These approaches in the long run would guarantee purposeful development in many areas.

We thus need leaders and followers that will employ Oron Culture in development processes in our various communities and by so doing reduce the vast social inequalities now a common social idiom in Oron environment.

Village Heads, Family Heads, Paramount Rulers and Ahta–in-Council as custodians of Oro Culture and tradition should rise to use Oron cultural system and patterns for dynamic and meaningful development of Oron environment.

It is therefore, expected that the leadership in Oro Nation and all institutions and groups concerned with development in our rural villages should at all times understand the general cultural conditions in Oron communities in order to provide enduring development in Oro Nation. Culture cannot be ignored by any society in its development programme or journey. The existence of noble cultural patterns in Oro Nation should enable the people to act in common to foster development in various areas. The name ORON is a short form of ORO NATION OR NATIONALITY according to Udung-Uko Village Traditional Council. The name may also mean ORO nationals.

According to Kaktehene Uno, historical records confirmed that Oro people migrated from the Bantu tribe of East and Central Africa during the tribal movements across Africa between 9th and 12th centuries. These movements were as a result of the tribal wars of survival and religious persecutions. Oro people migrated from the Bantu race to the Cameroon and then to their present location in Nigeria before the beginning of 15th century. They became known as ORO Nation or ORON in short (Voice of ORO: A Publication of Oron Union, December 2003 Edition. Oro Nation: A PROFILE by Kaktehene Uno).

During the great dispersal war which scattered many tribes in the horn of Africa and the Congo Basin as indicated above, the Pygmies gave protection to the ORO-Obolo ethnic group to nagivate to South West Cameroon.

Centuries after the war, the Pygmies showed up in Oro Nation to ensure that all is well with Oro.  The people of Oro put up a cultural carnival to welcome the pygmies. On the eve of their departure to an unknown destination, their proclamation was: IT IS WELL WITH ORO (see 20 Reasons for AKS Governor of ORO EXTRACTION in 2015: A Publication of ORO THINK TANK - 19).

CHAPTER ONE

CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS

The concepts and definitions of Culture are viewed in various ways and in different forms in the literature.

In scientific usage, Culture is defined in broad terms as a total way of life of a people. For E. B. Tylor, Culture is defined as that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits, acquired by man as a member of society. (Primitive Culture, Vol. 1, 1871).

A more modern definition of Culture refers to the organization of experience shared by members of a community, including their standards of perceiving, predicting, judging and acting. (Problems of Modern Society: A Sociological Perspective, Edited by Peter Worsley, page 148). The bearers of a culture are a collectivity of individuals such as a society or community. However, culture and society are not the same, though they are closely related.

A. L. Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn define Culture