The Sacred Ofo of Igbo People And The Staff Of Moses In Comparison -Ifeduba

                                 OFO CHUKWU ( THE IGBO STAFF OF GOD )

Ndi Igbo are extremely ethical. Morality comes to them so naturally that it is a part of their daily living. Ethics is such a part of their life that the Igbo vernacular has no word for it. Morality is not enforced (by the law enforcement group), yet, everyone is considerably moral because every action is either rewarded or punishable by the ancestors. Every unethical behavior has pancosmic effect on one’s children and on one’s children’s children. morality is such an integral part of Igbo cosmology that the Igbo word for man is “Mma du” which means, “Let goodness be.”
Ofo and Ogu are used to symbolize justice, fairness and more. Ogu is the repeated chances that Igbo people give their offenders prior to retaliation. Ofo, like retribution, is the actual vengeance that is done in a fair manner as obtainable in just wars Igbo proverbs and short stories are used to delineate, depict and illustrate the concept of Ofo Na Ogu.

The Ofo is a sacred symbol of worship of the Igbo people.The most important 'Ofo' is the lineage 'Ofo', believed to have been acquired by the founder of the 'Umunna' (family lineage group), as head. At the death of such a head, the next 'Okpara' (first male child) inherits it. So it goes, handed from generation to generation. There are also personal 'Ofo'. A young man acquires his first 'Ofo' when he is initiated into his first 'Ozo' (a sacred institution reserved for the honourable elders of the community) title.As one advances into the more senior 'Ozo', one acquires the corresponding 'Ofo'. Thus, to possess 'Ofo' is a symbol of great social, religious and moral achievement. The individual 'Ofo' of the 'Ozo' titled man can only be inherited by his eldest son after all the burial rites have been completed. It is regarded a calamity when a dead father has no son to inherit his 'Ofo'. Ofo is the ritual symbol of authority among the Igbo,An Ofo is obtained from the twig of the ofo tree (Delarium Senegalese). This falls naturally away from the branches of the parent tree. These twigs represent the authority of a man to control his wives, and children.the ofo was among the Igbo “the supreme ancestral symbol, the staff of traditional authority and influence as well as the symbol of justice, truth and right living.Among the Igbo the eldest son of a man inherits the family Ofo on his death, through the ceremony of Abam n’Obi. The custody of the lineage or village community Ofo lies with the eldest male member of the lineage or village. These observations show that its most important aspect is its symbolism of ancestral authority, especially when it is formerly handed on to Okpara (the first-born son) through the Abam n’Obi Ceremony

         THE STAFF OF BIBLICAL MOSES AND OFO IGBO IN COMPARISON 

" And the Lord Spoke to Moses saying ,, Speak to the Children of Israel and take of every one of them a rod by their kindred , of all the princes of the tribes , twelves rods and writes the names of every man upon his rod..

Numbers  17:2 " So Moses took His wife and Sons  put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt AND HE TOOK THE STAFF OF GOD IN HIS HAND"..

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Ofo is an aged old symbol , the staff of God which was already in place among the Igbo people of Nigeria as far back as over 5000 years ago