Cultural Conflicts and Resolution Mechanisms in Ibibio, South-South Nigeria

Cultural Conflicts During The Colonial Era In Nigeria

Culturally, the African chiefs had double personalities which capacitated them with the ability to migrate between the spiritual and physical universes. However, the pacification of South Eastern Nigeria by British colonial powers from 1900 to1910 and the sacking of the traditional political rulers and their reduction to mere servants of the colonial rule, destabilized agencies of social order which got their mandate from the spiritual world. Thus, the centre of their familiar world could no longer hold and things simply fell apart (Achebe, 1958) as the power of traditional rulers and spirits came to a jarring halt and bred conflict.

Ignorant of the African culture, the colonial masters considered Nigerians barbarians who had to be protected from themselves (Barret, 1968) and they based their assumption on the conviction that everything that the Nigerian did or thought was evil (Kenyatta, 1938). For example, the existence of witchcraft is very real in Southern Nigeria. In fact, it is a thorn in the flesh of individuals and of society. That is the reason why there had always been moves in the society to eradicate it. It was therefore not surprising that in the 1950s a witch-hunting group known as Atinga or Anatinga flourished in West African Countries (Apter, 1993). But in Nigeria it did not go through as smoothly as the one here reported because the movement was proscribed by the colonial administration (Apter, 1993). The proscription, however, was met with opposition in certain quarters with the plea that the government should leave “our God-sent Antigas to continue their work (Nigerian Tribune 1951, cited in Igenoza, 1985). Of course, the government turned down their plea; consequently there was conflict.