The Status of Ibibio Chiefs
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2582309 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Daniel A Offiong (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1984 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 100 |
| Publication date | 1984-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropological Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-5491 • E-ISSN: 1534-1518 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3317681 |
| OpenAlex | W2043633333 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
After providing a background of the social and political organization of the Ibibio in southeastern Nigeria (some two million population), this paper reviews the function and status of chiefs and elders (used interchangeably here) in precolonial, colonial and postcolonial times. Christian missionary and British colonial intrusion wrought some decline in their previously wide powers and authority. Further deterioration in their status came after Nigeria's independence in 1960 when politization overtook what was always a sacred institution. Politicians deposed traditional rulers at will, created chiefdoms where none had previously existed and appointed chiefs without chiefdoms. Yetfield data show that traditional chiefs still merit high esteem in their communities and continue to exercise a leading role as intermediaries between ancestors, supernatural spirits and the Ibibio people. Moreover, their support in mobilizing their communities is vital in political elections and in the promotion of modernizing programs
Genealogy · Political science · Sociology · African history and culture analysis · History
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |