Opinion: Long Juju of Arochukwu and a walk into an ancient temple of judgement

The long juju deity in the ancient Arochukwu Kingdom was a temple of justice in the defunct eastern Nigeria and beyond, during the era of pre-colonial trade.

At that time, the traditional approach to conflict prevention, management and resolution was anchored on revered deities in Igbo land.

The Aro deity, otherwise called chukwu or ibini ukpabi stood out among the rest. It was a major destination for both the complainant and the accused.

The Aro, as those of Arochukwu origin were called, dominated the rest of Igbo land in pre-colonial trade. The Kingdom was also regarded as a haven for knowledge and fountain of wisdom.

All parts of south eastern Nigeria made long treks to Arochukwu to seek wisdom, knowledge, present cases in dispute to the Long Juju deity on matters considered complex and beyond human resolution.

The public trust was huge and the impact, a bitter-sweet experience- depending on which side one was standing.

A trek to chukwu of Arochukwu (the long juju) was at that time like taking a case to the Supreme Court of Nigeria in today's contemporary time.

It was a long trek and journey of faith, in which the verdict of the Long Juju was final , whereby disputing parties must accept the outcome in good faith no matter how unpalatable.

During this period, the Long Juju deity was famous, considered very powerful, unblemished and largely the last resort in conflict prevention, management and resolution in eastern Nigeria communities.

Aro traditionalists and curators at the shrine caution that the method of adjudication, operations by the Long Juju remain a mystery only known to the deity and therefore not open for debate, discussion or speculation.

As the chief priest and curators would admonish visitors, "The Long Juju is a cult of sort and its knowledge and way of judgement is unknown to any man."

Tourists entering the Arochukwu Cave [Hometown.ng] Pulse Nigeria

"It is therefore a taboo, reprehensible to table its process of adjudication or the outcome for either discussion, review or both".

Inside the Long Juju, the judicial pilgrimage route is a six-foot gully that takes people to the temple of judgment in the ancient days. It is a tourist delight better seen than described.

Approaching the ibini ukpabi environment, one is certain to come face to face with ancient history that humbles but enlightens, informs, educates and truly entertains. It is usually a visit of a lifetime.

A journey not for the fainthearted but better for the brave.

However, it is well known that the influence of the deity, testimonies of its power and influence led to the emergence of numerous worshipers, disciples, and agents from the West African sub region. The chief priest insists that the efficacy of its power is still intact even today.

It was believed that the Long Juju called ibini ukpabi or chukwu of Arochukwu helped to advance and deepen Aro influence as a known ancient Kingdom and cradle of Igbo civilisation.

The Aro themselves exploited this advantage fully to promote trade, education and Aro social dominance in Igbo land during the ancient times. The role of the Long Juju and the Aro during pre-colonial trade has remained a subject of debate by historians and social commentators.

However, Aro scholars and historians have consistently maintained the position that the Aro involvement in pre-colonial trade happened only when it was legal and globally legitimate.

They insist that the Aro as a people and one of the few surviving historical kingdoms east of the Niger, takes no responsibility for matters arising from pre-colonial trade for which all known Kingdoms in Africa played different vital roles.

Unfortunately, today, the Long Juju is abandoned, neglected and ignored in spite of its potentials to serve as a national monument and tourism destination.

The development is a statement on our country's level of attention to history and recognition of national monuments.

This is why a recent visit by a presidential team all the way from Abuja to explore and document the historical significance and opportunities of Ibini Ukpabi, the Long Juju of Arochukwu as a national monument and tourism center raised high expectation that may be sooner or later, "a Daniel will come to judgement".

Historians across the country have welcomed the visit as an idea whose time is long over due. They call for a comprehensive program to be put in place to identify and develop such known centers of history all over Nigeria as sources of foreign exchange through tourism.

They argue that this will be easy if special attention is paid to these known kingdoms by supporting them with social infrastructure; especially access roads.

Generally, a visitor to Arochukwu kingdom will be attracted to its serene environment, relics of historical sites, order and civility.

In Arochukuwu, the visitor is at home and in peace with nature, an ancient Kingdom truly rich in customs and tradition.

It is a kingdom where tradition and Christian religion are at home with each other in peace and mutual respect.

Unfortunately, travelling to Aro from any axis is a herculean task as the Kingdom is surrounded by terrible access roads.

For instance, a journey of one hour from the state capital, Umuahia to Arochukwu now takes upwards of four hours due to the poor condition of the road. This is where both the federal and state governments need to urgently intervene, especially at a time when the search for non-oil revenues through tourism is deepening.

It is noteworthy that after the cities of Aba and Umuahia, Arochukwu, sometimes referred to as Aro-Okigbo, is among top designated urban cities in Abia State.

The Kingdom is an urban town with colonial planning features that resembles the city of St Andrews in Scotland; a reflection of the age-long close association of the Aro with Scotland.

During one of my recent visits to the University of St Andrews, I saw the resemblance only in planning. But in infrastructure and development, the two cities diametrically reflect the opposites. The close ties between the Aro and Scotland dating back to pre-colonial trade may explain why Arochukwu is ingrained boldly in one of the Scotish currencies.

Arochukwu Kingdom is composed of 19 villages with a first class traditional leader called the Eze Aro of Arochukuwu Kingdom as the overall paramount ruler.

The Eze Aro (Mazi Vincent Ogbonnaya Okoro) CFR, is also the overall king of all the Aro in over 253 Aro communities that exist all over southeastern Nigeria.

There is hardly any Igbo community without the Aro. The spread followed Aro role in pre-colonial trade in the hinterland. And wherever the Aro are found, their allegiance to the Eze Aro and the culture of the ancestral kingdom of Arochukwu remain supreme.

Interestingly, apart from Ibini Ukpabi, there are other historic tourist sites that exist in the city of Arochukwu. Among them, are the pre-colonial trade routes, relics of early Aro-colonial masters etc.

This early contacts with the whites established the Aro firmly as a unique people in a united Kingdom at a time most communities have been fragmented through "political" creation of autonomous Chiefdoms.

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Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji is a journalist, public affairs analyst and member, national executive committee, Nzuko Arochukwu. He contributed this piece from Abuja.

*The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Pulse Nigeria.