The neo-Pentecostal movement – that blossomed in early 70s in America – thanks to Billy Graham and the Afro-American-Baptist-churches have their right destination in Nigeria and wider African countries. In Nigeria for example, they found metamorphoses: in Archbishop Idahosa of Benin city-environ and later Mr. Emma Ukpai in the southeast etc. It brought the “gospel band” and the “gospel choruses” with it.This Pentecostalism was a “new wind” that later equally entered – infiltrated the Catholic church via the “Catholic charismatic renewal movement” but later “infiltrated” and corrupted as “watchman-Catholic Charismatic Movement.”
Then began the “upward growth and massive rise” of the “Pentecostal churches” in Nigeria. Each time “discordant voices!” This led to the “multi-Pentecostal-churches” in Nigeria today.
In this postmodern epoch – one of the greatest focus of the “Pentecostal movements/churches/similar ministries” today is “condemnation of our ancestors.” Accusing them of all kinds of “curses”: so called – “foundational curses!” Today – most of our individual woes and collective woes – are today laid on the shoulders of our elders “ancestors”: the so called “ancestral curses.” This is so much in vogue – today! The real “demonizing” of our ancestors so much today among the “sects – churches” has prompted the urgent need for this article. We don’t hear “praises” and accolades about our ancestors, often. It’s all about “negativities.” That we inherited “curses” from them. After many years of studies in the WEST and ministering as a native catholic priest – this writer has never heard where “oyibo” – the WEST were condemning their “ancestors” as we do in our churches – and ministries today.
The important questions that arise: were our ancestors so evil – as they are being presented today in most “ministries” and by most “men/women of God today?” Are there nothing positive that they contributed to our wellbeing – as “their children” – today? This writer can really remember – “memory lane” in the early 80s this writer listened to Archbishop Idahosa mainly on Sundays – even demised T. Joshua and Mr. Emma Ukpai. Rarely did they condemn our ancestors and nor raised so much eye-brows about the so called “ancestral curses” as this present ministries are doing today. Why is this so much in the “dose of preaching” we give to our people today. Most “spiritual diagnoses” we do today – for our people are anchored on – ancestral curses? Why? Is this a way of “intimidating -our people” – the gullible and unwary or what? Or have ancestral curses suddenly taken new development in our epoch? Or are we really in the ministries doing the distortions ourselves? Why are such “ancestral curses” in spite of the history of slavery – not mentioned by pastors in America and Europe – to their people? All we see and hear are the “good-legacies” their ancestors left them and they are building on those foundations. Why is it that, that of Africa – Nigeria – specifically in the “southeast” Ndigbo so much pronouncements about ancestral curses are daily overblown? Why is everything today mostly attributed to “ancestral curses?” Why this massive “demonizing” of our ancestors?
Think along with me: please! Is there anywhere in the world – where people have as much nourishing and nutritious food and healthy vegetables and meals as “we” in the southeast? Ndigbo! Who discovered these “foods”: ugu – Egwusi – okro – akpu (cassava) – how to make “gari” – yam – onugbu “bitter leave” – Ede etc? Who discovered and left these “nourishing-food-legacies” for us if not our ancestors? What of most “powerful medicinal elements:” like: Oji, ose-Oji (alligator pepper) – Agbi inu (bitter kola) – ogerisi – and many other “healing and meaningful plants and herbs” in our history? Who discovered all these? Or are these not “real discoveries” by our ancestors not as much important as “scientific discoveries – today?” In our villages – buying land is just “extra”: everybody (man) in each Igbo village for example has “ala – obi”: a piece of land naturally inherited from your ancestors. Are these not so much “goodies” in our hands from our ancestors? And there are much more unaccountable great legacies that our ancestors left us behind? Why is the so called “ancestral curses” overshadowing today – practically everything positive about our “cherished ancestors”? What’s really the crime of our ancestors in history – that WE their children are being hunted by this so called “ancestral curse” – till today? And after us – our grand children perhaps too? Why is “ancestral curses” not so pronounced in America and Europe?
This writer will want to know what really is this “evil” that never go away – that our ancestors did – that curses are following us all “their children” – after many – many years – till date? Do our ancestors hate us so much so as to have left us “curses?” We must start rethinking these “demonizing of our ancestors.” And start thinking “outside the box!” The long-brainwashing of our people – using “Christianity and God” is longest overdue and should have expired by now. We must all rise up to this challenge of deceiving our people: especially the unlettered and gullible. Think of the Old Testament – are there no ancestors then? In spite of the “disobedience of the people of God at the water of Meriba”: did this become an “ancestral curse” on their children and later generations? Did this “disobedience” destroy the covenant and promise made to Abraham and his seed forever? If as some argued that Ndigbo are from the tribe of Gad/Jews – and surely part of the covenant of Abraham: then, why is: “ancestral curse” specially following us and our different families in “Igboland?” And not so in other lands – places? We must rise up from this charade of misleading our people – and teach – enlighten and “lead” them well to the “throne of Grace”: God!
Added to the forgoing – we have destroyed so many so called “ancestral shrines” and the “artifacts” thereof in our place. Most of these artifacts that we destroyed in these shrines after “exorcising” them could be kept in our museums as it is done and cherished in America/Europe, but we prefer to burn them totally – leaving “no memorabilia” for our children and the next generation. But we pay so much to go to America/Europe and watch artifacts- some stolen or taken away by missionaries to their museums without our permission. Why can’t we encourage tourism via these “artifacts” in our homestead? Will it be a bad idea that each diocese in igboland has a special museum for conserving these artifacts gotten from “buubuuyayaa?” Instead of the healing ministries etc burning them even after “exorcising them of the so called demons in them and ancestral curses?” We must start now to “reset” our brains – to overcoming the way we view and see and often present our ancestors to others. We can’t continue to deprive them of their “good legacies” in our midst – and only “demonize them.” Do they really merit all those “cajoling”: so called “ancestral curses?” Have the blood of Christ shed on Calvary not destroyed “all curses?” We must balance our thoughts – thinking with better actions. It’s now or never! A Stich in time saves nine.
