Since Nigeria is
the biggest Black
nation or better still
African country with
over 150 million
people, the focus
will be on Nigerians
and titles. As fondly
called “Naija” is
used to describe a
Nigerian or anyone from Nigeria. Some can be
obsequious in their quest to hobnob with the
Rich and Influential; name dropping and party
crashing are behaviors whose origins have
been credited to Nigerians. As a Nigerian, I
have become familiar with the growing trend of
Chieftaincy titles being bestowed upon my compatriots
at home and abroad. From New York
to Los Angeles, Houston to Atlanta, Toronto to
London, Chicago to Lagos, not a weekend
passes in major metropolis in the Diaspora
where a Nigerian is not celebrating a title that
has been bestowed on him/her. In some
cases, these titles come in a combo; His and
Hers. Some of the titles include Iyalaje, Iyaoge,
Balaloye etc Cases abound where both husband
and wife are beneficiaries of this traditional
largesse. I have also heard it being bantered
around that in some communities back home,
all it takes is the construction of borehole for
one to be given a Chieftaincy title. To construct
such boreholes is approximately $1,000 to
$2,000 dollars. Which means anyone can
afford to become a Chief these days. Perhaps if
this was a piece being written for a scholarly or
academic journal one would focus on the sociocultural
factors behind this trend. However,
since this is a publication for infotainment, I will
limit my diatribe to a prima facie analysis of this byproduct
of Nigerian Pop Culture.
This growing trend is noteworthy because of
its potential to reshape the lexicon of modern
day English and propriety. Let me give some
details, for example, how do one correctly
refer to a person that holds a Doctorate
degree, is a Chief, an Elder in the Church, a
Jerusalem Pilgrim(if a Christian) or Alhaji(a) if
Moslem or High Priest(ess)? What is the right
sequence? Does the Dr. come before Chief?
Is it Chief (Dr.) Elder Monkey no-fine
Immamalikeam JP or Chief (Dr.) Alhaji Monkey
no-fine Immamalikeam? Is it just me or is
something wrong with this picture?
It is a known fact that many a traditional
ruler has made the trip across the Atlantic
Ocean to bestow chieftaincy titles on their
illustrious indigenes in the diaspora. Some
have even gone further to bestow these titles
on our Oyinbo brothers and sisters, as was
the case recently in New York. Even Wesley
Snipes, an African American actor is a now a
Chief! It makes one wonder though, if this
symbol of our great pre-colonial tradition of
governance is being compromised by
overzealous Monarchs and heads of local
communities? What should be the criteria for
awarding one a title? Money? Selfless service
to the community or what?
Finally, on a more serious note, the quest for
titles has been known to wreck havoc on families,
communities and friendships. Some parts
of Nigeria are known to do whatever it takes to
don a “red cap” or carry an “ada”, “Eben” or
a
staff. Recently in a state in Nigeria, the creation
of chieftaincy titles by the State’s Deputy
Governor was attributed as the cause of a
bloody clash between two clans in the State.
Is this a figment of my imagination or are we
going overboard with these titles?
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