The people of Ekinobo community in Apara Kingdom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, have expressed concern over the declining observance of indigenous customs and traditions, including a longstanding cultural restriction against keeping female dogs.
The community blamed urbanisation, the influx of strangers and growing Western influence for the gradual erosion of its cultural heritage and traditional values.
The concern was raised during a cultural orientation programme organised by the Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Gift Eziwhuo Johnson, Eze Ohna Apara IV, and the Chiefs-in-Council for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Culture and Tourism Community Development Service (CDS).
The programme was designed to familiarise corps members with the customs, traditions and laws of the Ikwerre people, while promoting cultural preservation and peaceful relationships between residents and visitors.
Speaking during the visit, the leader of the Culture and Tourism CDS group, Dominic Umoh, said the initiative would help corps members understand the cultural values of their host communities and preserve indigenous knowledge for future generations.
He explained that understanding local traditions was important, particularly as corps members could develop lasting relationships with people from their places of service.
Umoh said the visit was intended to acquaint participants with the dos and don’ts of Ikwerre culture.
Lectures on Iwhuruoha, popularly known as Ikwerre, culture and traditions were delivered by Eze (Dr) Chibuike Wali, Darlington Wigwe, Prof. Nmecha Akani and Chief (Dr) Chinedu Amadi.
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Commending the corps members, Eze Johnson, who spoke through the Palace Spokesman, Chief Chinedu Amadi, described the engagement as successful, noting that chiefs from different parts of Apara Kingdom attended to support the initiative.
He said participants were educated on several indigenous practices, including the prohibition against keeping female dogs and traditional rites associated with deaths occurring on certain days, particularly the day locally known as Iriagbo.
The monarch cautioned against condemning the cultural practices of other ethnic groups, stressing that no community should regard its traditions as superior to those of others.
However, he expressed concern that modernisation and Western lifestyles were weakening traditional institutions, citing the disregard for community restrictions and the alleged sale of ancestral lands and shrines as major challenges.
On the restriction against female dogs, Johnson said some people living in the community, particularly newcomers, continued to disregard the custom.
He explained that although traditional authorities previously enforced the restriction by ordering the killing of such dogs, the community now had to report violations to law enforcement agencies in line with modern realities.
The monarch also regretted that indigenous customs were no longer adequately taught in schools and that oral histories remained poorly documented, warning that younger generations risked losing important knowledge about their cultural identity.
He further alleged that some residents disregarded traditional restrictions on days considered appropriate for giving daughters in marriage, sometimes arguing that they were not indigenes of the community.
Johnson said the traditional institution remained committed to preserving Apara Kingdom’s cultural heritage despite the challenges posed by urbanisation and changing social values.
He called for greater efforts to protect ancestral lands, document indigenous history, and pass traditional knowledge to younger generations.
