The mischievous Bastardization of Titles

By Dr jarlat Uche opara

Our society is driven by titles. Titles that elevate and place some on a pedestal often far removed from their moral and ethical values.

Nothing makes our society beams with smiles of satisfaction than titles. Once one has them , truckling before the bearers becomes very seamless.

Majority are in this rat race of prefixing their names with such titles, earned or bought. Name the price, once it is something that would give them class, visibility, recognition etc expenses unspared, they would get them.

This crave and pinning isn’t limited, it cuts across the church, the society and every other place that holds titles that would shore up that optical value of the bearer.

It is in Nigeria that one would see names prefixed and suffixed with titles( Chief. Dr. Nze .Professor Michael Johnson PhD. Sir Dr. Chief Paul Peters. FNAA, MIOCA, KSJI) very long and clumsy names, showing the insecurity and uncanny crave for public approval of the bearer. Miss any as one addresses them , one stirs their hornet nest.

I grew up in an environment that honors titles. Back in the day, titles especially traditionally orientated ones were sacred and valued above rubies. It wasn’t an all comer’ affairs, the bidders choice and discretion.

Usually an honour to deserving people whose antecedents of community services spoke volumes and their impact on humanity very obvious, aligning more with societal values. Not anymore.

Those days, women weren’t in the list of chieftaincy title. The veil is torned and their necks and hands adorn beads exclusively masculine.

This isn’t a subtle way of promoting male chaurvinism rather a suppressed cry of shame of how traditional titles have been bastardized, monetized and placed on the counter for those with means to have as many as they would want, regardless of their bad moral and ethical optics.

If value, morals and integrity are the definining criteria both in the church, society etc before one gets a title, the Akacham of this world wouldn’t smell the Knighthood title. Bastardized, commonized, monetized etc anybody that desires it with means has it– the language of the now.

A trip to our villages would make one cringe at how our traditional titles of Chief, Nze, Ozo etc have been derobed of their ancient awe, grandeur and value and a new garment of childishness, pedestrianism and mere commodity wrapped around them..

For the Ezes that bestow such titles , it was no more on recommendation , not one for the neck and hands of credible persons with values, integrity and morals, rather a means for revenue generation for their Palace, yours for the asking.

This is a thing of concern, thieves, robbers, ritualist, merchants of evil are using such title to validate their very questionable tracks while the Ezes smile to the bank and our cultural values get demeaning marks and tags making them unappealing to those who have some measure of value and integrity in their lifestyle.

As it stands now with the level of title bastardization no reasonable person would bring forth their hands, necks, heads etc for such beads and caps except such a person is gasping for recognition and validation like a choked person pinning for air.

Neverthless every cloud has a silver lining. There are some title holders whose titles are reflections of their life of integrity and values. The truth however is, they are in the minority, very negligible few.

This isn’t an attempt to cast aspersions on our cultural values and traditional institutions, rather a call for a more intentional approach in making our traditional and church titles one priced invaluably, only the credible get to have them. A rocket science to do?

Jarlathuche@gmail.com