Personally, I don't believe Omenala is a religion. I believe religion is within Omenala, but it did be funny to say that Omenala is religion. It is like saying a leaf of an Iroko tree is Iroko tree. It makes a part of the Iroko tree, but can ever be called an Iroko tree.
Omenala is the totality of the life of the Igbo people. How they live their life. Their food, their music, their marriage, their worship system etc. These things makes up the Igbo way of life.
I know exactly why some proponents of Omenala are driving the notion that Omenala is religion. What they are after is worship. They believe that Igbo can't be liberated without going back to the worship system of our fathers. I am not against them, yet don't accept it. Religion is like the leaf of an Iroko, while the Iroko is the Omenala. Taking religion as the anchor of Omenala can't stand.
In a debate, one of the propagators of Omenala (Religion) told me that the Biafra I seek will have her laws drafted from Religion (Omenala). I simply told him that the Biafra I seek is not to enthrone any religion, be it Islam, Christianity or Omenala(Religion). You are joking if you think this sacrifices of ours is to enthrone a certain type of worship.
This is not me fighting to chain myself with religion that pleases you. The Omenala religion propagators should stop thinking that Biafra is for them to enthrone their religion.
Omenala for me is our way of life.
Elochukwu Ohagi, 2020.
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