THE BIRTH OF AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY IN MGBIDI AND IGBO LAND GENERALLY
An autonomous community is seen as a beneficial and innocuous sore of home rule that is crucial for Igbo and indeed, for the wider Nigerian political, economic and Social development. With the onset of British colonial administration, the political independence of Igbo towns was complete by undermined, for both administrative convenience and imperial necessity, these towns had to be brought under the control of the British imperial power. Politically, economically and socially, they were progressively integrated into the lager Nigerian state. That towns was, in itself, a measure of their relevance. Effective control of towns supported the control of the colonial Nigerian state.
The colonial town was the lowest level of colonial administration. Presided over, under normal circumstances, by the warrant Chief appointed by the colonial government, the colonial Igbo town, through self-help efforts, played a crucial supportive role in the social, economic and political development of the town. The town was also an important nursery for the new type of political education.
After independency, these warrant Chiefs under the new law of the state were transformed into Ezes and Igwes overnight and their towns were also turned into autonomous communities.
These warrants Chiefs system was anchored on the colonial native court system from the 19th century court of equity. The warrant Chief owed his authority to a warrant given to make him a member of the native court, but also recognized his as the “de fato and de jure” ruler of his community. The method of appointing these Chiefs and the performance of their duties as agents of colonialism have been generally condemned.
However, a close study shows that these Chiefs (many of them) far from being ruffians, riffratts, rascals, slaves and vagabonds were respected, courageous and dignified leaders of their communities who, confronted with a new age of charge which they did not fully comprehend, decided to some in order to save their people and themselves. Many of them at the same time were corrupt, dictatorial and ruled atrociously, many more provided courageous leadership in the unstable political climate of colonial occupation.
Some warrant Chiefs who were not used to their new authority did not perform adequately, the Town council has the old town Assembly was now called and they also didn’t function about the new political reality. Thus the colonized community also had its independence circumscribed. It was now required to operate according to the regulation governing the native court system itself a colonial creation that only paid regard to those community laws it did not find repugnant. The native court was subordinated to the supreme court of colonial Nigeria.
The colonial town was the lowest level of colonial administration. Presided over, under normal circumstances, by the warrant Chief appointed by the colonial government, the colonial Igbo town, through self-help efforts, played a crucial supportive role in the social, economic and political development of the town. The town was also an important nursery for the new type of political education.
After independency, these warrant Chiefs under the new law of the state were transformed into Ezes and Igwes overnight and their towns were also turned into autonomous communities.
These warrants Chiefs system was anchored on the colonial native court system from the 19th century court of equity. The warrant Chief owed his authority to a warrant given to make him a member of the native court, but also recognized his as the “de fato and de jure” ruler of his community. The method of appointing these Chiefs and the performance of their duties as agents of colonialism have been generally condemned.
However, a close study shows that these Chiefs (many of them) far from being ruffians, riffratts, rascals, slaves and vagabonds were respected, courageous and dignified leaders of their communities who, confronted with a new age of charge which they did not fully comprehend, decided to some in order to save their people and themselves. Many of them at the same time were corrupt, dictatorial and ruled atrociously, many more provided courageous leadership in the unstable political climate of colonial occupation.
Some warrant Chiefs who were not used to their new authority did not perform adequately, the Town council has the old town Assembly was now called and they also didn’t function about the new political reality. Thus the colonized community also had its independence circumscribed. It was now required to operate according to the regulation governing the native court system itself a colonial creation that only paid regard to those community laws it did not find repugnant. The native court was subordinated to the supreme court of colonial Nigeria.
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