“COMMUNAL COOPERATION HAS BEEN THE GENESIS OF HUMAN PRIMITIVE EPOCH BUT MAN HAS MADE IT HUNTER AGAINST THE HUNTRESS AND THE HUNTER BEING HUNTED”
Umunna Socialism is an African ideology being ushered in the new Africa. It is an idea postulated to make all races in the world to be united. It is an African thought, which centers on the African heritage. As I look the sky, I see the renascent UMUNNA Socialist order emerging in the new African Union. As I look beyond the electricity I see the new light of communal cooperation, communal togetherness and one spirit emerging in the new world order. If I will be the person that will usher in the new communal cooperation, communal love, even if to open the road to calvary,I am ready to be the ode of gracion URN in order to lead the road to golgoter and the same time allow this philosophy to flourish across the globe. It is not by the philosophy of Karl Max neither is it by the teaching of political economy that we the sons and daughters of Africa knew abinitio what socialism is all about.
Socialism has been in our socio-cultural way of life. It runs in African blood. No body or continent taught us what socialism is all about. It comes like sleep. We the sons and daughters of the soil didn’t acquire socialism through the field of western scholarship; rather it is inherent in us. That ancient African gentleman in the village has been practicing socialism unconsciously before the advent of the white man on African soil.
The word UMUNNA is derived from my native tribe, called the Igbo’s who are popularly know as the Jews of African because of their intelligence and cultural affiliation with that of the Jews.
UMUNNA-which means kinsmen, if translated in English has been our philosophical cum social cultural way of life and at the same time not only as a guiding spirit in the mist of my people the Igbo’s but as an object of communal cooperation, unity, collectivism and consolidated societal integration which has existed in the life of the Igbo’s.(south eastern people of Nigeria)from time immemorial and that is why we believe in that saying ”UMUNNA BU IKE” if translated in English means “kinsmen is strength.” the philosophy of Umunna really made it possible for them to carry out their political, social and economic legitimate businesses based on the spirit of Umunna, and at the same time helped them to distribute allocation of values equally and share things in common which is the virgin foundation of true socialism.
Socialism has been in our traditional way of life and that is why I disagree with the western socialist scholars when they mentioned about setting pace of socialism without knowing that they aged ancient African gentle man in Umuofia village eating nchi meat (grass cutter meat) with his family, whom they feel is ignorant has been practicing socialism unconsciously before thier advent on African soil, is it not contradictory in terms? Umunna socialism as an African ideology which I’m about to usher in is quite different from that of the western socialism. Umunna socialism is built around certain core African social beliefs and practices. It is built on “communal cooperation “as well as communal love, collectivism oneness and brotherhood. Umunna socialism is not sensitive to class psychology. Both the rich and the poor assist each other in Umunna socialism which is practiced in my native Ibo primordial traditional society before the advent of the Whiteman, the rich never took the poor inferior, the way he took care of himself was the same way he took care of the poor brother believing in the philosophy that guides us irrespective of the class psychology, all are sons and daughters of the same family.
Is it not conclusion of true socialism? In the Ibo primordial tradition society, that wealth has never been the bio –meter for you to recognize in the Umunna family hood. For you to be recognized by your kinsmen you must be a man who fundamentally believes in the spirit of communal cooperation. You must be an upright man. In African traditional society, we respect elders and not money, a millionaire can own the whole world but if he cannot use his wealth for the betterment of the poor brothers and sisters, such wealth is regarded as useless wealth, this is why there is the Ibo saying that
“I baa ogranya ma Umunna gi ada ogbenye ,ike bara ogaranya?” when translated it means if you are rich and your brothers are poor, are you rich ?Umunna socialism abhors individualism ,and this is why when a man in my native Ibo society commits an offence, He will be punished by the Umunna collectively irrespective of his wealth or social status. Example can be traced in a novel written by the Ibo man named Chinue Achebe, titled “things fall apart”. When Okonkwo who was the major actor committed an offence he was banished from the land of Umuofia by his Umunna (kinsmen) despite his greatness and activeness towards his home village. He was ostracized for breaking the law of the land.
Umunna Socialism as I propounded is not sensitive to class psychology. Umunna socialism believes in social justices which is one of the true features of African socialism, and that is why in the Ibo tradition society there is carved sacred stick we call “OFO” which is one of the elements of Umunna socialism. “OFO” is a sacred stick in my native ibo society which symbolizes collectivism, social justice, communal live, oneness, brotherhood and authority. “OFO” abhors individualism.OFO strikes’ any person to death in my native Ibo tradition society who believes or who have that psychology of greed and exploitation of his fellow Umunna.
OFO acts as a watch dog towards the Umunna,and that is one of the virgin elements of true socialism.
Ofo has played a vital role in the practice of Umunna socialism in our Ibo society. This is because of the fact that the OFO commands great respect from the people of all classes as it prevents people from committing all sorts of atrocities, which are against the spirit of “Umunna socialism”.
OFO also helped a lot in the past in solving the problems in my native Ibo society. People who were involved in one dispute or the other were usually asked to swear with the OFO in order to ascertain the truth of the matter. At the end of such exercise the innocent was usually set free while the guilty was struck to death by the OFO. In our primordial Ibo society, we never believed in going to court to seek social justice, which will be bought with money by the highest bidder. Such was foreign to us. OFO was there for us as a judge which cannot be bought with money.
COMMUNUAL CHILD REARING:
In the Ibo society, a child is not owned by the immediate nuclear family rather the child is owed by the community. Everybody both the aged and the young take every child as his own blood child, and this is why we the Ibo’s believe in that saying “Nwa bu nwa oha” meaning –A child belongs to all. Children are trained by the community or kinsmen that are not there own blood parents believing in that philosophy of oneness, communal cooperation, believing in the spirit of family hood and that is why every elder can discipline any child that he sees going astray. One cannot separate the interplay between Umunna socialism and Christian socialism. For in it is the foundation of ideal state which is democratic and peaceful.
COMMUNAL HUNTING EXPEDITION:
This is one of the elements of Umunna socialism, which centre’s on African anthropology. During hunting expedition, in my native Ibo society, all men who have the reached the age of manhood did move out together in the moon light hunting for Nchi while our women will be busy taking care of our house hood. During the hunting, if the Nchi is caught whether by an individual or group, the Nchi meet will be shared equally without anyone cheating the other. We never had that foreign perception which was brought by the capitalist, that the person who caught the Nchi should have the bigger share; such foreign perception which was brought by the foreigners is greedy built on class psychology, which our Umunna socialism does not encourage.
COMMUNAL ASSISTANCE OF THE UMUNNA TO A BEREAVED FAMILY:
When a man dies, it is not in our culture that he will be buried by his immediate nuclear family rather by his kinsmen. The nuclear family has no individual right to bury him without consulting his family. The Umunna will assist in arranging both his funeral rite and even collectively digging the grave where the dead person will be laid to rest without charging anything from the immediate nuclear family. We never had that greedy psychology of telling the bereaved family to hire and pay an undertaker who will organize the burial rite for them. Such is foreign in our land and exploitative.
KOLANUT AS A SYMBOL OF HOSPITALITY:
Oji which is kola nut has always been the symbol of hospitality in my native Ibo traditional society. It is the symbol of open mindedness and acceptability. In the Ibo society, when a man comes to your house, the best way to show him that we are all one irrespective of class psychology is through eating kola nut with him and that is why we the Ibo nation strongly believe in the saying that “Ebe onye no bu ebe ya” – meaning any place you find yourself is your home. Irrespective of your tribe, you are welcomed and that is an attribute of socialism.
COLLECTIVE ASSISTANCE TO THE BRIDE:
When a lady is getting married, she will be assisted by her age grade. During her preparation, they Umuagbogho age grade (young ladies of the same age) will fetch water for her, cook the food that people will eat in the marriage festival, plait her hair for her, they will go out collectively to the bush to get firewood that will be used for the ceremony without collecting any form of payment from her believing in the spirit of family hood.
COMMUNAL OWNERSHIP OF WIFE:
In my native Ibo traditional society, a wife is never owned by the immediate husband. A wife is collectively owed by the kinsmen and this why whenever a man wants to marry, he will first consult his kinsmen and his kinsmen will assist him. Although individually he has the wife, but there is that establishment of that spirit of collectivism in taking care of the wife.
COMMUNAL FARMING:
In our Ibo society people come out in group in time of farming or any other Agricultural activities. My people never believed in the division of labor, which was brought by the foreigners. Everybody comes out together, the young and the old, the poor and the rich. During this period, any widow or aged who could not work were assisted by the younger ones based on the spirit of “communal cooperation” which is inter play of Christian socialism and Umunna socialism at work.
UMUNNA AS A VILLAGE ASSEMBLY:
Before the coming of the white man on the Ibo soil, Umunna was regarded as the highest body in setting any dispute of what ever kind among the villagers and that has always been our way of life in African society. We never supported individualism. A man no matter how wealthy he is cannot rise above his umunna and that is why the Ibo’s believe in the saying “Oha siere otu onye nri,ogaghi ericha ya,ma otu onye siere oha nri,oha ga ericha ya” which means if the public cooks for an individual he cannot finish it, but if an individual cooks for the public they will finish it.
COMMUNAL ASSISTANCE OF A MAN BY UMUNNA:
In African traditional society especially, in Umunna socialism, which is practiced by the Ibo’s, when a man has no money to marry a wife, he will be assisted financially by the umunna. Every kinsman must contribute to make sure their brother gets married, irrespective of his poor status. African socialism is built on communal way of life of the people and not sensitive to sub –structure or class psychology.
FORMATION OF AGE GRADES:
The existence of age grade in the pre-colonial Ibo-society was the brain work of Umunna spirit. Because of the believe of “Umunna bu ike” meaning “kinsman is strength.” age grades were formed to enable for the development of the Ibo society. The age grades carried out such works like building and donation of house to the less privileged, especially to the widows ,fighting crime e.g. by arresting criminals and minor offenders, clearing of roads leading to the places of Nze and Ozo titled elders and above all acted as the most powerful agent of defense. These were done without hostility or discrimination. In fact, the existence of Umunna socialism has been the bedrock of the growth of Ibo society. This as mentioned is true African socialism at work. Umunna socialism does not believe in the philosophy of class contradiction, revolution or the overthrow of the rich through revolution which was propounded by Karl Max rather centered on “communal cooperation” and assistance between the rich and the poor, strong and weak, each being his brothers keepers for that is the basic foundation of true socialism.
In my Ibo traditional society during planting season when a man comes back from work with his fellow kinsmen, his wife will prepare food both for him and his friends in which everybody both his wife will eat from the same pot. We never had that capitalist culture which was brought by foreigners that you must eat from your own plate. All sons and daughters of African eat from the same plate irrespective of class believing in the spirit of Umunna. In my native tribal society it is never in our culture that a wife is owned or taken care of by her immediate husband only and that is why when her immediate husband dies, the brother to the late man takes the responsibility of taking care of the widow and her children. He also accepts the children the woman brings forth in the future as his, while some will be for his late brother if it happens that the man hadn’t any child before his death, thus making the death brother have offspring that the society will use to remember him and that is the true African socialism.
Socialism comes naturally as sleep to Africans and not the attitude of the man as I have stated categorically, and that is why I diplomatically disagree with Pa Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (mwulimu) one of the most celebrated Pan Africanist that I have long admired, when he stated his “Ujaama socialism” that socialism is the attitude of the mind to Africans. Socialism is neither a thing of the mind to Africans nor a thing of psychological belief nor does it come through the power of belief or orientation, rather, it comes like sleep to Africans. We the sons and daughters of Africa came into the society with a socialist spirit, which comes naturally like sleep as I have stated in my previous discussion. Then talking about a millionaire being a socialist, Pa Julius Nyerere was considering human reasoning. Pa Nyerere did not put in place the human nature of a millionaire, which is human evil passion, will outflank his human reasoning but with Umunna socialism, which is a panacea , will bridge the gap between the poor and the rich, which will be through “ communal cooperation” which is were Umunna socialism is being centered on.
In summary, the tenets of Umunna socialism is built on the people, inter group relation, social justice, communal living, loyalty to the state, private initiatives and private ownership of properties accepted for the public good of humanity and the state.
