By Young Erhiurhoro
LAGOS AUGUST 13TH (URHOBOTODAY)-On Friday August 10, 2018, a heroic and iconic Uwheru personality, a Professor of Religious Studies, a thinker and philosopher of Urhobo Studies, a traditional diviner, a dedicated Rosicrucian and a man of many indescribable parts, late Professor Michael Young Nabofa, Ph.D, IRC, RME, FAR was peacefully laid to rest in his residence.
In fact, the Holy Writs, a book of standard and order of Christianity written for thousands of centuries ago, disclosed that, “When a good man dies, the people mourn but when an evil man dies, the people rejoice”. The same holy book said, “Rejoice with them that rejoice and mourn with them that mourn.” These are true aphorisms among many cultures around the world. This is also true of the Urhobo people in the western Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Truly, the late Professor Michael Young Nabofa was really good to his native Uwheru people and also to every person or group of people he associated with while on this earthly enclave. However, instead of his death to cause mourning to his people and those that knew him according to the words of the Bible, the people rejoiced and celebrated the peaceful passage of this man to the other side of the world. Well, an Iroko tree had fallen from Uwheru Kingdom, an entire library in Religious Studies had gone from the academic world, a philosopher and a master of the minds is no more with the AMORC and finally, the Alabaster box of Urhobo Studies and Culture is no more. In fact, the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS), would definitely miss his constructive thoughts on many subjects of the Urhobo culture.
However, from the title of this tribute, late Professor Michael Young Nabofa was a a man of many hands to many people but I will only say a few things about him on how he promoted the Urhobo culture with his education, knowledge and intelligence in his chosen academic field of African Traditional Religion (ATR). Most important in this area was his unquantified contributions to the development and propagation of the Igbe Religion of the Urhobo people to the entire world. Until the advent of Christianity and Education in this part of the world by the British missionaries in 18th century, the people were virtually illiterate in the formal art of reading and writing. Though the Urhobo people were highly knowledgeable and educated on their cultural beliefs and religious practices, but with the above noted shortfall, many of such religious practices and cultural beliefs were not documented for our history as a people. This was unlike the Orientals that have well documented history and culture.
From the works of Nabofa on this great religion, the Igbe religion is a monotheistic and charismatic religious movement of the Urhobo people founded by Ubiesha Etarakpo of Uhwokori (Kokori) during the 19th century. As a well-known Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan, Professor M. Y. Nabofa established himself as an authority and originator in documenting all about this religion and other aspects of the Urhobo culture. The Igbe religion was such a religion that had so much impact on the then Benin Empire, having spread round Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Ukwani, Itskeriri (Delta Province) and also greater parts of the Benin Province like Benin city, Etsako and Esan.
Intriguing as it was, when British colonizers arrived in Urhoboland around 1900, they immediately came upon the pervasive influence of this religion which was alien to the religion they brought to the people. In order to create dominance for their religion and in order for it to have a place in our fathers’ hearts as their usual practice, they resorted to persecution and placed a ban on all indigenous religions especially in Urhobo and Isoko ethnic regions. However, when they could not succeed in their battle to kill this religion from the land, they became engrossed with it and some of them (White men) later became disciples and servants of Prophet Ubiesha Etarakpo. It was reported that a branch of this Urhobo Igbe religion was established in London in the 60s and 70s. But the most annoying part on these British Missionaries, as I have observed and stated before in some of my writings on Urhobo culture is that, they brought their own indigenous religion which is Christianity to replaced our own. They painted our ways of life and all our religious beliefs and practices black and pictured and documented us as crude and uncivilized people. They supposed to be sued for racial offences and human and tribal degradations against the Urhobo people and their culture according to the United Nations Charters on human rights, races and racism, tribes and ethnic groups etc. They didn’t even end there, they again deceived us to cart away all Urhobo and Isoko arte-facts. All our religious symbols which were medium of communication between us and Oghene (Almighty God) as instituted by our ancestors and forebears were all shipped to the British Isles.
Without doubt, today the Urhobo Igbe religion founded by Ubiesha Etarakpo centuries ago is now a recognized religion all over the world as an African traditional religion through the pen and paper of late Professor M. Y. Nabofa. He was able to change the orientation, understanding and belief many Urhobo people especially Christians had on the disciples, adherents and devotees of the Igbe religion as being idol worshippers. Professor Nabofa was able to create religious tolerance through his studies among the different adherents of the different religions operating in Urhobo land today. As it was with Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam and Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, Prophet Ubiesha Etarakpo, the founder of Igbe religion also had many faithful and devout disciples which were hierarchically placed in order of leadership and spiritual importance. Some of the leadership positions in Igbe religion which are equivalent of the Orthodox Church settings are Uku Supreme (Primate), Uku (male bishop), Omote-Uku (female bishop), Olori (male archdeacon), Oni-Igbe (female archdeacon), Oyiko (messenger),Odjobo (prophet/prophetess), Oneki (sales servant), Igbe-Ighele (male devotees) and Igbe-Uku (female devotees).
Some of the dedicated and devout disciples of Prophet Ubiesha Etarakpo that helped to propagate his gospel of salvation through the use of the holy chalk (Orhe) and the hand fan (Udjuodja) were Uku Igugu of Ugono-Orogun, Uku Agege of Orhomuru-Orogun, Uku Okonedo of Olomoro, Uku Sunday Efedudu of Unenurhie, Omote-Uku Utoro of Otovwodo and many others. I want to conclude this short tribute on the late Professor Nabofa by highlighting some of my personal interactions with him as a little child on this same Igbe religion. In the first place, I’m a native of Uwheru Kingdom but was brought up and nurtured in Unenurhie town, a close knit neighbouring community to Uwheru under the tutelage and mentorship of the late Uku Sunday Efedudu, a strong advocate of the Igbe religion and a dedicated disciple of Prophet Ubiesha. He established a branch of the Igbe religion in his home town of Unenurhie and registered his own branch with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with the name: Igbe Orhe Ofuafo Oghene Healing Home Inc.”This branch was so famous and popular in Urhobo and Isoko ethnic groups since 1975 when this late Uku Sunday Efedudu was ordained Uku by Uku Supreme Ibodje Ubiesha, a descendant of the Ubiesha dynasty who inherited the exalted lordship position. The Uku Sunday branch of the Igbe religion even spread to parts of Ijaw and Itskeriri. The propagation was like a wild fire in the harmattan season because of the healing power of the holy chalk. Different kinds of testimonies were being shared by different members almost in every worship days.
In 1993, then I was in secondary school, late Professor Nabofa visited this man to gather more information from him on the history, beliefs and practices of the Igbe religion. As a maid servant and messenger then to this great man, he mandated me to present kola nuts and drink to late Professor Nabofa as the culture of the Urhobo in entreating visitors. In that meeting, he taught few of us (young children) who were present with them how to use the kola nuts with three or four lobes to practice “Epha”. That is, Urhobo form of divination by using a distinct form of esoteric language that only the spirits and ancestors can understand. The diviner (Obuepha) in this case is just an interpreter of the language of the spirits to the people. He even co-authored a remarkable paper on this important subject of the Urhobo culture with Professor Ben Elugbe in 1983. Today, I can say late Professor Nabofa taught me to be a diviner like himself. In that meeting with our father also, he mentioned it to me that when he did his Ph.D in 1978 on African Traditional Religion in the department of Religious Studies at the University of Ibadan, he came to meet the same Uku Sunday during his field research to get deep knowledge of the Igbe religion. He concluded his conversation with the late Uku Sunday during that meeting by advising him to push his children towards acquiring formal education to sustain and promote his Igbe religion. According to Professor Nabofa, “Education is the light of the mind to unravel hidden knowledge”.
The Urhobo people and Nigerians at large, what else can I say about this great departed Urhobo philosopher, originator and thinker? Remember, I said earlier in this tribute that the man we are today extolling his academic prowess and avid scholarship was a man of many hands to many people, not just the two physical hands. I only pictured him from one hand. The perspective through which he used his academic know-how to developed and propagated the Igbe religion of the Urhobo people to be recognized and accepted today, as one of the African traditional religion in the whole world. In other words, the Igbe religion as a religious group should consider it imperative and a mark of honour to try as soon as possible to immortalize this great man of knowledge in the religion especially in the religion’s international headquarters in Kokori-Inland, Agbon Kingdom in Ethiope East LGA of Delta state as a form of song or monument. Truly, late Professor Michael Young Nabofa is a prototype of the Urhobo culture. Adieu Papa!!!
Young Erhiurhoro; Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society.