Ochonma Age Grade: Redefining age grade system in Amaokwe Item
Age grade system is common in most communities in the Igbo land of the South-Eastern Nigeria. It serves as the strongest structure of governance among communities in Igboland and each goes by a peculiar name.
At the formative/outing stage, the age grade acquires its name and they go by it until all the members are gone to the world beyond and the age grade no longer exist. Age grades are groups of persons who, according to societal norms and values, are regarded as people of the same age bracket, though it varies from one community to the other. A specific period of three, four or even five years age bracket form an age grade in most communities in the south-eastern Nigeria.
Each age grade is given a special name that helps define its position in the community, relative to other age grades. Members of each age grade are meant to know one another fairly well, to choose leaders among their members, to meet regularly to discuss issues of mutual or communal interest, and should be willing to help one another and defend the community when the need arises. In spite of the speed of modernization, industrialization and urbanization, the roles of age grades in the communities in Igboland remain significant. Furthermore, they are into conflict resolution within the age grade and the entire community at large. Other roles of age-grades include serving as agents of change and modernization and sophistication; role models and community conscience; educators and socializing agents; managers of projects; advocates of best practices; power balance in community initiatives; providing voice and support to the poor and the disadvantaged; enforcers of ancestral wishes and protectors of cultural values and norms; and pulling the community ahead and ensuring good value orientation.
It’s in line with this noble objectives that the Ochonma Age grade, Amaokwe Item, Bende Local Government, has embarked on programmes and actions that will redefine age grade system in the community.
Since her outing in 2013, as a full fledge age grade, Ochonma has proved that it is out to blaze the trail in the community that started from age grade system about 100 years ago.
Ochonma Age Grade II as their name implies having adopted the name from their forunner that retired in 2013 has a vision of showcasing those virtues that would project the rich cultural values and potentials of the Amaokwe item as the age grade is poised to serve as a vehicle of deepening the development of Amaokwe Item.
Commenting on this, the President-General of the age grade Mazi Sebastian Odu Onwuchekwa said that the age grade is revolutionising from the hitherto concept of traditional roles/ functions of an Age grade to an all encompassing group without losing focus of its initial identity as an age grade.
Mazi Onwuchekwa said that they are trying to keep abreast with modern reality hence have put in place certain vision/programmes like women granting women equal rights and statues with the men in the age grade, institution of a contributory welfare package/fund so that members can draw from in case of unforseen circumstances as well as setting up/sourcing for cheap funds for investment bearing in mind that their financial strength cannot be at its optimum with time and age.
He said that such investment will easy pains in future especially during their igboto nma.
He further said that their community social responsibility committee would from time to time will come up with programmes such as the road walk and health Seminar, they had last December to keep members and non members fit and healthy.
The President General said that what necessitated the Road Walk
was the prevalent of terminal diseases associated with age and life style like diabetes, HBP and prostrate cancer in our immediate society and among our members and It became pertinent to embark on a walk for life and sensitization on this illness ravaging our society.
He commended the Committee for a job well done and promised of a more elaborate walk for life this year, with the Teem …”Zip up or” in awareness of the endemic nature of HIV positive level in Item.
The Ochonma President disclosed that they would partner with the State Agency for the control of HIV/AIDS (ABSACA) in organising on this year’s programme.
In his speech, the President General, Amaokwe Item Welfare Association (AIWU), Chief Okkoji Nmaju commended the age grade for achieving such an uncommon feat, stating that this was the first of its kind in the annals of age grade system in Amaokwe Item and promised that the AIWU would the age grade to ensure that the event becomes an ian annual fiesta.
Speaking during the road walk and health seminar, a medical practitioner, Dr Onyecherelam Ogele, who participated in the walk, highlighted the benefits of such activity health wise and advised that it should be sustained.
The Chairman Planning Committee, Mazi Chinenye Uko, thanked everyone that participated and promised to further consult with the Exco on how the event will be sustained in subsequent years.
The Secretary-General of the Age-Grade, Mazi Udeagha Aja who assured all the participants that OCHONMA AGE-GRADE intends making the 2020 Road Walk a much more colourful masterpiece and solicited the cooperation of all in achieving the aims and visions of the age grade in defining age grade system in Amokwe Item.
