By IkeChukwu Unegbe, Esq
The term ‘tradition’ and his brother ‘custom’ attract certain awe and reverence, indeed mystique of inviolability. Many, therefore, only refer to the ancient traditions and customs of their people with such sacred approach that invokes a sort of life and death status. It is almost similar to the approach offered to the distorted concept of “till death do us part” used around marriage institutions.
The debate, especially relating to the status of Obas in the south western regions of Nigeria (as, indeed, it affects all other regions), on whether they must strictly adhere to every ancient custom and ritual, even unto death, is one that touches the very foundation of cultural identity and human progress.
On the one hand, traditions provide continuity, identity, and cohesion for communities. On the other hand, traditions are not meant to become rigid chains that deny man his freedom, dynamism, and upward striving. This writer is of the firm opinion that while traditional rulers owe respect to the heritage of their people, they must also exercise the freedom to reform, alter, or out-rightly reject fetish and uncivilized practices that contradict the higher principles of human dignity, morality, and spiritual truth. The question may always be about who determines what may be termed civilized and uncivilized practices? The answer lies in the natural human evolution guided by the spiritual intuition; the same eternal compass imbued in man, as The Creator invested upon him the task to take charge of the material creation and infuse it with beauty and love; working in cooperation with other beneficial beings and helpers.
To begin with, tradition is not an end in itself but a means to preserve values that elevate communal life. The very word “tradition” derives from the Latin _tradere_ , meaning “to hand over.” What is handed over must serve the good of man, not enslave him. Customs that once had symbolic value may, with time, lose their meaning or become distorted into superstitions that harm more than they help.This is more the norm than the exception. If rulers, who occupy exalted positions of guidance, are forced to blindly observe rites they know to be degrading or fetish, they become prisoners of the past, unable to lead their people into a higher future. Leadership demands courage to preserve what uplifts, but also to discard what hinders growth.
Spiritually, creation itself teaches dynamism and renewal. In nature, nothing remains stagnant: rivers flow, seasons change, plants grow and decay, and new life continually replaces the old. This eternal rhythm of renewal is a reflection of divine law—the law of motion and transformation. To rigidly insist that customs must remain unchanged, even when they no longer serve truth, and welfare of the community, is to stand against this natural law.
Traditional rulers, as custodians of heritage, should instead act as interpreters of these laws, ensuring that traditions remain aligned with the living will of God rather than with dead forms. Man is not only charged with the task of upholding societal customs and traditions, but also with the higher task of upholding the will and ordinances of The Almighty Creator. Both the material and spiritual welfare of mankind must be seen as mutually inclusive.
Moreover, there is a deep spiritual danger in fetish practices that bind rulers and their communities to fear and darkness. Practices that demand human sacrifice, demeaning rituals, or oaths invoking forces outside of The Almighty Creator are direct violations of man’s higher calling. Man was placed in creation to recognize and serve the Light, to ennoble his environment through purity, justice, and love. Any custom that contradicts this purpose cannot be defended on the basis of culture. Traditional rulers who insist on reform are not betraying their heritage; rather, they are rescuing it from corruption and aligning it once again with the eternal laws of creation. Even in our extant legal systems, there are procedures for the acceptance of customs and traditions of a people as sources of laws. Often, customs and traditions, which are adjudged repulsive, repugnant, incompatible with natural laws, equity and good conscience are not acceptable among civilized societies.
It is also important to recognize that culture itself is a living expression of man’s spirit. It ought to grow, develop and evolve with him. Just as language evolves, laws adapt, and technology advances, so too must cultural expressions refine themselves to reflect man’s growing awareness of truth.
A ruler who refuses to reform harmful customs condemns his people to stagnation. Often, they may be made to come back in another earth life to make ammends. A ruler who reforms with wisdom, however, becomes a bridge between past and future, enabling his community to retain its identity while also advancing toward nobler expressions of life.
Furthermore, the authority of traditional rulers is not derived merely from the performance of rituals, but from the trust reposed in them by their people and from the higher responsibility of their calling. They are meant to embody justice, wisdom, and truth. To be bound to practices that strip them of freedom or reduce them to mere tools of priestly cults is to degrade the dignity of their office. The true ruler must have the courage to say no to what is false, and yes to what uplifts.
In conclusion, the insistence that traditional rulers must, without question, follow ancient customs unto death is not only unreasonable but also spiritually dangerous. It negates the law of dynamism, which calls man ever upward, and it chains leadership to forms that may no longer serve life. True reverence for tradition lies not in blind imitation but in discerning the eternal principles behind it—justice, community, respect for life—and ensuring that these are preserved in ways that are pure, ennobling, and free of darkness. By doing so, rulers honor both their ancestors and their Creator, guiding their people with courage, truth, and light. It should also be said that most of us are actually the very same reincarnated souls of those we refer to as our ‘ancestors’.
Email: ikeunegbe@gmail.com
whatsApp: 0803-320-1244
NB: Reflections series
