By Lucky Isibor
It was a gathering of who is who in Esanland on Thursday, 13 March, when the Uromi Justice Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (JDPCI), in collaboration with the Enijie in Esanland gathered together Esan opinion leaders, opinion moulders, experts in Esan native laws and customary practices, Edionwele in the various communities in Edo Central Senatorial District to validate the Codification of Esan Customary Laws and Practices.
In his opening remarks at the well attended event which held at the Chancery of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi, the Executive Director of Uromi JDPCI, convener, and initiator of the project to codify all the Esan Customary Laws and Practices in the various communities across Esanland; Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Fidelis Arhedo emphasised the imperatives of codifying all Esan customary laws and practices which he pointed out govern all aspects of community life, including marriage, inheritance, dispute resolution among others.
The Executive Director of Uromi JDPCI noted that these laws, though in practice from antiquity are not documented, pointing out that the gap has resulted in inconsistencies and ambiguity in their interpretation, application and enforcement, adding that the project as sponsored by Uromi JDPCI is to bridge that gap in its avowed commitment to prevent conflicts in communities within Uromi Catholic Diocese.
To bridge the observed gap, according to Fr. Arhedo, the Uromi JDPCI in conjuction with its partners, MISEREOR commissioned the Esan Khide Development Foundation led by Prof. Michael Izibili to go round the various communities in Esanland to codify the customary laws and practices under five thematic pillars of “Marriage, Divorce, and Widowhood Practices; Inheritance and Land Ownership, Burial Rites and Customary Laws; Taboos and Cultural Norms and The God-father/ God-Mother (‘Oro’) System”. The clergy, on behalf of Uromi JDPCI extended his appreciation to MISEREOR for its assistance in the realisation of the project.
According to Fr. Arhedo, “Esanland, with its rich and vibrant cultural history, has long been a beacon of tradition, community, and social order. Our customary laws, which govern marriage, inheritance, dispute resolution, and other aspects of community life, have been the guiding principles of our ancestors, shaping our Society and providing structure to our everyday interactions.
“There are sets of customs and practices that are classified as taboos in the land, which are largely prohibited. Yet, as we all know, many of these laws have remained unwritten and undocumented. This has, at times, Ied to inconsistencies in their interpretation and application, leaving room for ambiguity in their enforcement.
“Recognizing this gap, Uromi Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiatives (Uromi JDPCI), with its mission to promote social justice, human development, and peaceful coexistence, took the important step of addressing this issue. In collaboration with Professor Matthew Izibili of the Esan Khide Development Foundation, we embarked on a critical research initiative aimed at systematically documenting, analyzing, and proposing a framework for the codification of Esan customary laws. This endeavor is not merely an academic exercise; it is a cultural and legal mission to preserve and modernize our traditions while ensuring they align with contemporary Iegal systems and human rights principles.
“The goal of this initiative is both clear and urgent: to clarify our traditional norms, safeguard our cultural continuity, and enhance their integration with modern Iegal frameworks. By undertaking this process, we are ensuring that the values of justice, fairness, and equity embedded in our
traditions continue to be relevant in our rapidly changing society”.
Presenting the findings for comments and validation, the Chief Responsibility Officer (CRO) of Esan Khide Development Foundation, Prof. Michael Izibili pointed out that in the course of the research they have to formulate other thematic pillars in addition to what was initiatially contained in their briefs from Uromi JDPCI, as a result of the contentious nature of the issues rearing their heads therefrom; with a view to forestalling conflicts from them.
These include Breaking of Kolanuts, Ebhe Ikpise (The Presentation of Goat to a Wife’s Family After First Child Birth) and Legitimacy of Children.
Izibili explained that the issue of Ebhe Ikpise has even been reformed in several communities to align with the dynamic nature of culture and religious neutrality and renamed Ebhe Omon or Ebae Omon ( Food Heralding Child Birth) in some communities to forestall its extinction.
While analysing the findings from the ten communities covered by the research and codification, Izibili highlighted areas requiring amendments and fine tuning to comply with all the existing State laws and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In their various comments, representatives of the various Esan Enijie and communities made comments as it affects their communities.
The research findings and codification had earlier been transmitted to the Esan Enijie to enable them lay it before their people and views collated for onward transmission back to Uromi JDPCI for inclusion in the final draft.
Participants also called for the publication of the codified Esan Customary Laws and Practices so that it can be used as legal authority in Customary Courts in Esanland.
Present at the event were representatives of Esan Enijie, Local Government, legal practitioners, security agencies, Edionwere, opinion leaders and moulders in Esanland, representatives of the different Christian Denominations in Esanland, Muslim Community and adherents of Traditional religions in Esanland.
High point of the event was the validation of the document on the “Codification of Esan Customary Laws and Practices”.