Ibanichuka E. A. L.

et al 1
AXIOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS A PANACEA FOR MORAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:
A CASE STUDY OF OKRIKA IJAW AXIOLOGY

SAMUEL AMAELE
Department of Educational Foundations
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education
Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt
Rivers State.

BENNETT TAMUNOBELEMA IBIENE

Department of Educational Foundations
University of Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Abstract
The inability of the existing moral education and other commendable efforts
to stem the spate of corruption and other social vices in the country calls for a
philosophical analysis of indigenous axiology with a view to ascertaining its
place in the efforts, mostly the existing moral education. This becomes very
imperative as culture does not only have much to do in human conduct but
also that Nigerian cultures have sufficient moral values and structures that
can be transposed into formal education for an autonomous curriculum of
moral education, which has been absent for some time now, as it has been
observed that, Nigerian education, as presently taught, is done along the
lines of other disciplines. It is in this regard that the study looked at the
axiological assumptions of the Okrika Ijaw with a view to using some of our
moral and social values such as peaceful co-existence, each one being his
brother's keeper, respect for elders and constituted authority and the like to
solve social vices. Keywords: Axiology, Assumption, Morality, Education,
Values.

Introduction
The Traditional African society firmly stood on moral standards which were jealously
guarded by all members of the society. They held tenaciously those things that bind them
together, the values of the society which promotes brotherly love, social justice, equity,
fairness, social cohesion and the like. Thus, the individual or child in African society belongs to
everyone. This implies that it is the responsibility of every adult to correct where necessary or
see a child do the right thing at the right time. Therefore, the society frowns at moral
aberrations or deviant behaviours thus, African families educate their young ones on how to
conform to societal norms, respect for elders, co-operation etc. This does not imply that there
were no deviants as at then, no, there were, but very minimal and when such is spotted, it was
dealt with instantly and adequately too.
The African society as a way to check such deviant behaviour gave all round education
to their young ones which kept them engaged almost all the time. Accordingly, there was
nothing like individualism but communalism and everybody was his brother's keeper.
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 2
Things began to fall apart, when western culture was imported into African soil through
their type of education. By this is meant that, at the advent of the colonialists into the African
continent, everything Africa was seen as fetish, primitive and barbaric and so should be done
away with. This then came with its attendant problems such as capitalism, individualism, slave
trade and the like. We also see family disintegration and disorientation which indeed gave rise
to increase in social vices such as cultism, bribery and corruption, armed banditry, disrespect to
constituted authority, broken promises by political leaders, kidnapping, abduction, child and
women trafficking, drug addiction, examination malpractice, prostitution, politically motivated
killings etc. Indeed, we found in our society the total collapse of morality, the basic structures
upon which African morality stood had been greatly eroded and the society is worst for it.
It is in the light of the above that this study should be seen as an attempt by these
researchers to evaluate the axiological assumptions of the Okrika Ijaw as a panacea for moral
education in Nigeria.
A Brief Historical Background of the Okrika Ijaw
The Ijaw also known as Izon or Ijo are a collection of peoples residing mostly in the
mangrove regions of the Niger Delta in Nigeria wherein Okrika Ijaw is part. The Okrika Ijaw are
presently found in the region of Rivers State within the Niger Delta in Nigeria. If coastal land
marks of the Niger Delta are followed, the area between the Forcados and Pennington Rivers is
referred to as the Western Delta, while the Central Delta falls between the Pennington and Nun
Rivers, On the other hand the Eastern Delta lies between the Nun and Bunny Rivers. The Okrika
Ijaw are found within this area which is the Eastern Delta region (Alagoa, 2005).
The Okrika Ijaw can be found in three Local Governments of Rivers State which include
Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas. They are bounded at the South-
east by Andoni (Obolo) and the Elerne and Ogoni at the Eastern axis. On the Nothern side, the
Okrika Ijaw have the Ikwerres as their neighbours, while their boundaries with Kalabari and
Bonny lie at the West and South respectively (Abam 1999). The Okrika Ijaw are regarded as
amphibians, being both mainland and riverside dwellers, however, much of their socio-cultural
and economic life depends on the sea. It is a fact that the sea serves as the high way that links
several fishing villages of the people as well as trading posts. It also serves as the main source of
economic life of the Okrika Ijaw which is fishing. More so, the sea affects their religious life in
their worship of water spirits. In fact, one major deity which the Okrika Ijaw worship and still
believe in is Abaji, the god of the sea. Besides, most of their battles fought with most of their
neighbours were on the sea. The sea then became their life-line and their emotional
attachment to it conjures a mystical relationship. Indeed, as stated by Talbor and cited by
(Abam 1999) that the Okrika Ijaw have established an uncanny reputation among neighbouring
tribes by whom it is affirmed that the Okrika Ijaw understand water more than any riverside
community. In fact, the very first physical exercises for the youth born and bred in typical
Okrika Ijaw settlements in those good old days were swimming and diving. This definitely
underscores the importance of the sea to the average Okrika Ijaw man.
The word Okrika is the Anglo Saxon or better still corrupt version of the word Kirike
which is in turn a short form of Wakirike, the Okrika word for we are not different or we are the
same people. History has it that each of the component towns that made the Okrika Ijaw such
as Okrika (Kirike), Ogoloma, Ogu, Bolo, Abuloma, Isaka, Ogbogbo, Ibaka and Ele had distinct
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 3
histories of migration of the earliest settlers. The most significant thing is that all immigrants
came from the Ijaw tribe of the Niger Delta mostly the Central Niger Delta. There are other
towns and villages established by prominent chiefs. Such towns and villages include Amadi-
Ama, George-Ama, Ogan-Ama, Abam-Ama I & II, Ibuluya/Dikibo-Ama and others. Apart from
the historical origin, the roots of a people could also be traced to and even established by the
origin of their language. This point is clearly made by (Williams, 1987:19) thus: There is no
tracing the connection of ancient nations, but by language, therefore, I am always sorry when
any language is lost, because languages are the pedigrees of nations. If you find the same
language in distant countries, you may be sure that the inhabitants of each have been the same
people".
Thus, the language or mother-tongue of Okrika Ijaw is a dialect of Ijaw language which is
closely related to Kalahari and Ibani (Bonny) dialects. All the towns, villages and fishing
settlements speak this common dialect though with minor variations and ascents.
The Concept of Axiology
Axiology is the branch of philosophy which deals with the problems of values. It
examines, analyses as well as suggests value standards (Okoh, 2003). For (Knigth, 1980:28)
axiology is the branch of philosophy that seeks to answer the question "What is Value?" while
Okafor, (1990:vi) describes it as a theory of value that is characterized by Ethics and Aesthetics.
Ethics which is also known as moral philosophy deals with the value system of any society
which is an essential ingredient of social life of such a group. Therefore, value systems are not
homogenous, but universal hence, they depend on the metaphysical as well as the
epistemological assumptions of each society. Knight, (1980:29) succinctly puts it thus: 'Value
systems are not universally agreed upon and different positions on the questions of
metaphysics and epistemology determine different systems of value because axiological
systems are built upon conceptions of reality and truth". Thus, the word 'Value" as stated by
Akinpelu, (1981:14) primarily refers to those "Objects which we cherish, appreciate, want,
desire or need". Thus, value can be described as something which is qualitatively cherished,
that which provides admirations and even provide satisfaction or sense of accomplishment. In
essence, one would confidently state that value determines the choices of an individual in life
which in turn influence his behaviour. In valuing, actions, "One must distinguish between the
preferred and the preferable, between the desired and the desirable" as opined by Okoh,
(2003:79), To this extent, it is what a society prefers, chooses or judges to be better between
two or more conflicting means in its desire to attain a desirable end that is good society
relatively free from harmful vices and retrogressive influences. For this purpose as stated
above, every society enshrines in its value system in those things which they consider to be of
value, while sanctions are imposed on those things that would contravene the norms and
values of that society. Since values deal with the notion of what an individual conceives as good
or preferable, we cannot dismiss a situation where, within the same society different views of
good are held by the same society or person.
The Concept of Morality
Moral philosophy is a concept that could be found in the regions of normative and or
prescriptive ethics. This implies that term has to do with norms as well as prescriptions. Titus
(1970:123) sees morality as "that which grows out of life and its needs, and the nature of the
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 4
world in which we live". Barrow, (1975:113) in his submission on morality argued that:
"Morality arises as an attempt to regulate human life; it arises precisely because human beings
do not spontaneously consider each other's well being".
Morality therefore, can mean the ability of one to establish differences between what
ought to be done and what ought not to be done, and this is closely related to a person's
conduct, behaviour or attitude. Hence, it deals with the goodness and badness of an action,
character and or disposition (Amaele, 2007). From the foregoing therefore, one would be right
to state that the values of a society give birth to the moral standards of that society.
The Concept of Aesthetics
Aesthetic is part of axiology. It is the branch of philosophical inquiry that gives
"judgements of beauty which are judgements of value" (Ahumibe, 2002:27). Aesthetic valuation
therefore deals with imagination and creativity, and tends to be highly personal and subjective.
One can on this premise confidently state that societies all over the world have their own
aesthetic features that are exemplified in the works of art, literature, music etc. According to
Aristotle as cited by Durant (1961:73), "Artistic creation springs from the formative impulse and
craving for emotional expression. Essentially an imitation of reality, it holds the mirror up to
nature".
In defining aesthetics Knight, (1980:30) stated thus: "Aesthetics is the realm of value
that searches for the principles governing the creation and appreciation of beauty and art.
Aesthetics deal with the theoretical aspects of art in its widest sense and should not be
confused with the practical aspects of art or the technical criticism of them".
This implies beauty being contrasted with ugliness. However, there is no concern among
philosophers in matters relating to what is beautiful and the ugly as the realist, idealist and
subjectivist theories of beauty shows some difficulties in arriving at such. However, the problem
may have been settled by the essentialist and objectivist theorists when they stated that 'There
exist essential constituting elements which are objectively identifiable, which underlie either
the ugly or the beautiful" (Uduigwomen and Ogbinaka, 2011:75). This would then mean that
values do not exist in vacuum,
Basis of Morality
However, there are different schools of thought on the basis of morality and in support
of its position each group presents arguments that would out class the other. For instance, the
traditionalists are of the view that morality and religion cannot be separated, that is, they
intertwine or inter woven. Therefore, they opined that religion is the basis of morality or at
best, both have some level of connection. In bringing this idea to a lime light, Iheoma,
(1986:143) posited thus:
From the earliest times to the present, religion has been closely
associated with morality and religious leaders have always been
regarded as the custodians of social morality. Nearly all major
religions of the world presume a strong relationship between
religion and morality.
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 5
On the other hand (Mbiti, 1969:205) asserted that "God or national leaders" are the
foundation of morality.
There exists ----- many taws, customs, set forms or behaviour,
regulations, rules, observances and taboos, consisting the moral
code and ethics of a given community or society. Some of these are
held sacred, and are believed to have been instituted by God or
national leaders.

If a serious examination or appraisal is done on all the above views, it shall be glaring
that indeed religion had a very tremendous influence on the moral life or the value system of
the people as we look at it in the context of Africa and indeed Nigeria. Accordingly, the
functions carried out by religious leaders are seen basically as both religious as well as judicial,
and such functions are solidly premised on societal norms and sanctions. This implies that any
violator of any of these norms would be subjected to the rigours of the law and the penalty that
goes with it. Accordingly, the violation of any of these norms which are held, in a very high
esteem is not only frowned at seriously but also seen as abomination or immoral. Consequent
on the above, the chief priests of local deities are seen as "custodians of social morality"
especially by those who reside in the rural areas in Nigeria. Thus, in order to avert any wrath of
the gods and ancestors as a result of a grievous offence, there ought to be both penalty and
propitiation, however, failure to do that may spell doom for the person as well as the entire
community.
A good example can be cited in the character of Odewale in The Gods Are not to Blame
written by (Rotimi, 1971:71). Odewale in this play committed incest as well as patricide,
however, the entire community suffered the devastating effect of this act by the gods, not until
the culprit was exposed and brought to book. Therefore, one would be right to state that what
provided the strongest motive for the moral conduct of the people is their belief in the divine
will of their gods. In another development, morality can exist without religion as viewed by
another school of thought. This group is of the opinion that morality cannot as a matter of fact
grow from belief in any transcendental reality. One of such in this school of thought is Thiroux,
(1977:12) who asserted thus: 'While it is obvious that most religions contain ethical systems, it
is not true that all ethical systems are religiously based: there is therefore no necessary
connection between morality and religion",
For the humanist, morality and religion are like birds of strange fellows flocking together
and described this relationship as "a very uneasy one indeed". This kind of view can best be
described as atheistic. The reason is that, it places high premium on deities and ancestors as the
fountains and bases of morality. This position was made vivid by Bull, (1969:93) as he described
atheism thus:
-gives no place to the supernatural as the source or sanction of
morality. Values are not to be tied to beliefs. They are quite distinct
— moral duty is towards man, not towards God.

Nevertheless, one would argue especially in African societies that morality that is based
on religion has far-reaching effects on such societies that uphold it because if a person
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 6
abandons his religion, he becomes morally confused. The alienation of religion from morality
certainly would also lead to increased crime-wave, disorderliness, extreme individualism, and
fanaticism apart from moral confusion, A point in case is what is happening in Nigeria where
Boko Haram has continued to maim and destroy peoples' lives and property almost on a daily
basis all in the name of religion.
Like other African societies, the basis of morality in Okrika Ijaw land is largely religion.
Accordingly, the concept of morality is expressed among the people in the following
statements; "ibi yemie bara" - good manners or ibidumo - good life and "si yemie bara" - bad
manners or si dumo - bad life. The words "yemie bara" - manners and dumo - life in Okrika Ijaw
are closely related and they mean behaviour and life-style. For instance, if one is said to have
"ibi yemie bara" or "ibi dumo" that person is said to lead a good life - "ibi dumo" or "good
manners". This is in reference to social behaviour. This implies that such a person is seen as one
who behaves according to the norms and values of that society. The other side of it is that, the
opposite of the above phrases are not excluded from the concept of morality. For example, if a
person is described as "si yemie bara nyana bo" - that is one who has bad manners or who lacks
good manners such person is being judged from the point of view of his social behaviour or
how that person relates to others in either his immediate environment or beyond.
Furthermore, a person could be viewed as sitibi nyanabo which may mean wicked
person that is someone who is depraved or bankrupt morally. This same statement may have a
debasing moral meaning which implies "one who engages in diabolical acts". For instance, a
person who does not have good relationship with others in the community may be said to have
committed one evil or another such as murder or defilement of secret places of the people with
impunity. Such a person like the devil is always 'eaten with a very long spoon'. Again, another
person could be referred to as "ama beri p9i bo" that is one who eats the ear of his community
which may imply one who violates the laws of the land, that is one who commits abominable
things such as taking to himself what belongs to the entire community or leaking secret
information of the community to enemies, such a person can best be described as "mpasi bo".
As earlier noted, the basis of morality largely rests on religious line in Okrika Ijaw.
Accordingly, it would not be out of place to remark that the religion of a people depends
essentially on their occupations. Some of the most prominent deities in the land include amakiri
which is the earth goddess, fenibeso - the god of thunder and rain, odobiri the god of fortune,
Okuna-the god of fire etc. Certainly, amakiri, the earth goddess is regarded as the goddess
responsible for agriculture and morality, as such it is held in a very high esteem and one can
locate the shrines in many communities of Okrika Ijaw. Thus, any offence may not be out of
place to state that the existence of morality is not in a vacuum, that is, there must always be
either a moral situation or dilemma which is never static rather it is dynamic, that is changes.
Based on that, one would agree with Titus, (1970:123) that "morality grows out of life and its
needs: it arises from the nature of the world in which we live". However, Barrow, (1975:113)
makes it clearer when he asserted that morality arises as an effort to make life worth living, and
more so, that it arises in order to checkmate human excesses as well as selfishness. What one is
saying here in effect is that a moral problem which could either be of any dimension or
magnitude could be caused by a moral situation.
Consequently, the moral concept in Okrika Ijaw is similar to that of the universal
concept. In local Okrika Ijaw parlance, the term is expressed as "ibiyemie bara" meaning good
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 7
manners or good conduct, or on the opposite, it is expressed as: "si yemie bara" meaning bad
manners or bad conduct. "Ibi yemie bara" stands for a behaviour that is generally accepted and
acclaimed as standard which is neither questionable nor objectionable. However, "si yemie
bara" means a socially deviant behaviour which is objectionable as well as questionable. What
this means is that a system of life or behaivour that goes contrary to the generally accepted
practice of any given society is termed bad or wrong and vice versa. In the same vein, "ibi
dumo" meaning good life portrays a social standard that a given society expects every of its
member to imbibe, it is a standard that requires the individual to respect the feelings, views as
well as rights of others and the societal norms and values. Thus, he who lives a good life is seen
as a person that is morally good or upright that is "ibi dumo kon bo" or he is regarded as a
person who respects the sanctity of what society cherishes and holds in high esteem or "ama
bele mabo". On the other side, the person who does not regard the social norms and values
could be described as one leading bad life "si dumo kombo", thus termed as ill mannered.
These kinds of expressions or remarks are reproachable and highly hated in Okrika Ijaw.

The Concept of Good Life

The concept of good or bad life style had been briefly discussed earlier, however, these
life styles have different visible manifestations or traits that do manifest in some individuals are
seen as the pillar of morality or moral values among the people of Okrika Ijaw ethnic
nationality. Akinpelu as cited by Nduka and Iheoma, (1986:36) succinctly identified these pillars
of moral values as:"... honesty, integrity, chastity, vivacity, modesty, tolerance, truthfulness,
self-discipline, brother lines, honour, humility, patience, industry, self-control etc..."
However, the opposite side to these pillars of our moral values which are seen as moral
vices include pride, dishonesty, self-centeredness, or selfishness, greed, indiscipline,
intolerance, avarice, jealousy, indolence or laziness, vulgarity, as well as disrespect. Moral
uprightness is a synonym to good life ibidumo as a concept, and anyone who has such
attributes is expected to possess some of the traits society appreciates, cherishes, applauds as
well as admires. In view of the above, one of such traits is the sense of self-discipline which is
characterized by obedience to the laws of the land no matter the social standing of the person.
It is strongly believed that the community is greater than an individual as they would say "ama
bebe buru, ngeribo buru pekere" meaning a tuber of yam is for the entire community while an
individual can have only a fraction of that one tuber of yam. Therefore, compliance to and
conformity with social norms are for every member of the society, In other words, the interest
of the larger society subsumed that of the individual. This idea is symbolically expressed as "bila
nama, ngeribo deki deki ke" meaning elephant meat cannot be lifted or carried away by an
individual. Also, it is said, "beie bipigbeinye duba tein bele nengi nengi ke" which literally means
that the cover of a pot can never be bigger than the pot itself, or "gborieje piri mie mieke"
meaning a tree cannot make a forest. This shows that no matter how wealthy or influential a
person may be, he cannot act unilaterally for the community. More symbolically is this wise
saying that "gboribo ngeri ineda duein deki-eke" meaning one person only cannot carry a
corpse.
In a nutshell, the strength of the individual depends to a large extent on that of his
society, implying the supremacy of group interests and authority over and above those of the
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 8
individual. Thus the hall marks of a discipline member of the traditional Ijaw society is easily
identified with his implicit obedience and conformity to the norms of the society. Its
manifestation is brought to play in the fife of self-control and moderation in whatever an
individual does. In the area of moderation, this saying becomes relevant "Opuma nwengi kuku
aru kulo chin bian bianme" meaning that a canoe moving too fast, hits against a stump or tree
easily. Accordingly, extremism is seriously abhoured in every facet in the life of Okrika Ijaw.
Jnfact, the cultural values of the people of Okrika Ijaw ethnic nationality is highly placed on the
level of piety, loyalty, respect for parents, eiders as well as constituted authority. In the land,
age was highly respected and hallowed by youths no matter who the person may be, therefore
any disrespectful youth to an elder was seen as cursed and such behaviour is seen as an
aberration. These sayings therefore, seem necessary in this direction: "omu mu alatoru osike",
meaning the housefly do not give any respect to the rich or wealthy. This teaches us that any
form of disrespect is not tolerated. Therefore, he who behaves like the fly shall not be allowed
to settle down to perch even for a minute as he shall be chased from pillar to post. This saying
invokes the picture of the fly that perches indiscriminately and as such has no place to rest as it
is pursued wherever it perches, and "sin nyanabo pirika chu kan alake" meaning, the head gear
or hat that is not surrendered to its original owner cannot be well protected from imminent
damage. It is such a colourful picture which shows a hat forcibly removed from another and
used with no consideration for the right size and no concern for proper fitting as well.
Undoubtedly, the headgear or hat represents seniority, responsibility and or position in the
society therefore, refusal to surrender or being loyal is tantamount to disregard of age, and
usurpation of office. Thus, the society vehemently opposes and frowns at such insolence,
insubordination and disorderly behaviour.
Accordingly, the youth who is seen as intelligent, vibrant as well as ambitious is advised
not to forget to respect his elders and be dutiful as well as obedient so as to attract the
blessings of all and so merit a place of honour in the scheme of things in his society. The spirit
of self-help and self-reliance is most valued. This tells us the fact that a person should have the
initiative and drive to achieve his goals in conformity with societal goals and values, What one
needs to note here is that the concept or ideas of inter dependence is usually evoked to a
greater extent. This is emphasized in the following wise saying: "dawo ka obokotoku paka
boke", meaning the chicken cannot become a cock if it does not learn how to crow at the early
stage. The lesson drawn from this proverb is that the child should be very vigilant and careful in
whatever field he finds himself for a living, although it may be meagre initially. For it is through
carefulness and vigilance could one learn and succeed in all endeavours.
Another consideration this study needs to make is that of personal liberty and self-
contentment. Within the social frame work of the traditional Okrika Ijaw society, individual
freedom was so treasured. Personal freedom and security can only be infringed upon when one
goes against the norms of the society. This idea of self-contentment purely stood on the socio-
economic and political structure. This implies that what promoted the sense of contentment
were the social, economic and political institutions, however, there were some negative effects
either on the individual or the larger society or both from these institutions. Never the less, the
sense of personal freedom and self-contentment has never diminished the spirit of
communalism.
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 9
Such spirit of communalism is explicitly expressed in the communal relationships within
the society and its impact felt within the rank and file of the society. The impact of communal
spirit is prominent in the economic sphere of the Africans. Akinpelu as cited by Nduka and
Iheoma, (1986:38) has this to say on the spirit of communalism:
… the guiding principle for economic arrangements is that of being
one's brother's keeper or caring for each other's welfare, at least
within one's immediate community. It is as President Nyerere
exquisitely described it, the basic principle of traditional African
communalistic socialism was a reaction against extreme capitalism
and exploitation, and a product of class conflict.
The fact that communalism is valued as against the back drop of extreme individualism
could be seen from the view point of social security. Taking cognizance of the above fact, the
people has this saying "mina inyo-e" meaning unity is strength. In this case, they will always cite
the bunch of broom and that of a stick of broom to buttress their point. Similarly, the saying
"biasa buru ngo lake" meaning food that is done is no longer a wealth for the owner. This
implies that anyone who comes around at the time of sharing that food certainly has a portion
or partakes of it. This shows that people assist each other in the provision of the basic needs in
the society. This points to the fact that generosity was a culture of its own; it was cultivated,
nurtured and inculcated. This then brings to the fore why the extended family system has
survived the onslaughts from the western civilization which aimed at severing the bonds that
held the people together, it is a bond that binds social relationships and promotes social
security. Akinpelu as cited by (Iheoma and Nduka) went further to state thus:
The security is not just for the old age ...but also for the poor and
the disadvantaged members of the family, who have been seen to
have made efforts but have not been successful. Children of such
unsuccessful adults are a legitimate economic charge on the wealth
of the luckier members ... the underlying' principle is that of
collective richness or collective poverty.

Furthermore, honesty is like a highly prized social value or virtue in the traditional
Okrika Ijaw society for the simple reason that a good man "ibi tomonibo" is known by his words
and actions, therefore, such a person enjoys the confidence of everyone, as opposed to the liar-
irio konbo or epelenibo. Also, it is believed in Okrika Ijaw society that while the liar dies before
the expiration of an oath period, the honest man survives it. Accordingly, the people of Okrika
Ijaw would say "iruokon bo goye goye furubo-e" meaning "every liar is a thief" becomes
relevant. Thus, truthfulness and security are highly esteemed. Another essential value that is
closely affiliated to honesty is the term justice which demands equitable and amicable
resolution of disputes amongst members of the same society. This may further mean "fairness
in one's personal dealing with others". Tolerance and good neighbourliness, courage,
patriotism, loyalty as well as unity are some other values. Such values as mentioned above are
age long and tradition bound, as such, they need no specialized agency or law enforcement
bodies to give them teeth to bite, if they are to bite at all, since it is the responsibility of every
member of the society to ensure that they are duly enforced.
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 10
The deities themselves in some cases when abomination was committed in secret
enforce the values, not only that they also expose the perpetrators of the act. In some cases,
the wrath of the deities may fall upon the entire community so as to make the community find
out the course of the calamity that has befallen them. It is of great importance to note that
enforcement of values and punishments depend on the hierarchy of values, thus, some values
are seen as more sacred than others. In order to keep the sanctity and sanity of the society at
equal level, these social values are said to be in-buiit mechanism and so used as such.
The Aesthetic Values of Okrika Ijaw
Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder and as such, the idea of whether
something is beautiful or ugly in Okrika Ijaw is imbedded in the thought system of the people
which are a reflection of their overall philosophy since aesthetic cannot be detached or
separated from the rest of the people's life.
These aesthetic features are also marks of identity. Such ancient works of art which
were in the forms of carvings tells the level of creativity of the people and their imagination and
also depicted the level of their civilization. Some of these creations were not just ugly by sight
but also obscene, as they were created to frighten troublesome children and in some cases to
make caricature of a particular condemnable incident that took place sometime in the past.
The aesthetic valuation or judgment also includes architectural designs and paintings.
This point to the fact, that the houses built by the people were built according to designs and
specifications although the level of technology in the traditional Okrika Ijaw society was low.
Accordingly, the beauty of either a house or compound or otherwise truly depended on the
factors as stated above and the pattern of painting, which also included scrubbing. Also, the
traditional musical instruments of the Okrika Ijaw are drums made of wood covered with
animal skin, Ekere - small wooden gung and kuku - water pots of different sizes. These provided
entertainment and relaxation during the festivals and during some free seasons, especially
Christmas season or year-end. Composition of songs was mostly done by very talented singers
and composers.
Okrika Ijaw Axiology: Implications for Moral Education in Nigeria
The value system of the Okrika Ijaw was guarded jealously in the past, as such all were
very careful in tampering with the value system so as not to incur social stigma upon
themselves or their families. All through Okrika Ijaw, the fear of the gods of the land hold sway
since they dispense quick justice, thus the morality level was high reasonably as people live
peaceably with each other as brothers. As peace and social justice reigned supreme, conflicts
and tensions were unheard of relatively, while children were trained in the values of the
society.
Consequent upon the arrival to African soil of the colonial masters, all of Africa's value
systems are seen as fetish and as such thrown overboard, they however replaced our social
values with theirs. Okafor(1990: vi) succinctly puts it thus:
Morality ... has gone down the drains of bribery, corruption, armed robbery, cultism,
ethnocentrism, religious intolerance and fanaticism. These have since become the order of the
day in Nigeria ... a lot of traditionally accepted norms and values have been upset.
Similarly, taking a globai look at this fast deteriorating moral climate, Knight (1980: 31)
asserted thus: 'The last century has seen an unprecedented upheaval in value structures, and
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 11
today we live at a time when mankind's axiological position might best be described by the
words "deterioration" and "influx."
By and large, foreign morality has taken root while the age-long African moral code of
conduct is fast giving way. The new way enthrones materialism and capitalism at the expense of
other members of the same society. What has replaced communal or the extended family
system which gave its members a sense of belonging and sharing in what one may term the
"common wealth", is that of extreme individualism and nuclear family system. More so, the
custodians of our moral values who are the elders and constituted authorities have lost their
bearings. According to Akinpelu, as cited by Iheoma and Nduka (1986:44): 'The moral
disarmament in our society, is traceable to the breakdown in the social conscience and the age-
long principle, that the good of the individual is a function of the good of his community".
The crux of the matter is that, many people's consciences which are the ultimate judge
of morality are seared. Consequently, at the expense of the larger society, self is now unduly
promoted. Take for instance, what happened in Rivers State recently where honourable
members as they called themselves would fight in the public and disgrace themselves all in the
name of power. How about the recent stalemate in the Rivers State Judiciary? Thus, there is
that urgent need for a reappraisal of all axiological trends in our present society. One may agree
with this assertion that the present generation no longer has "a mind well stocked with moral
ideas, as was the case many years back. From the foregoing therefore, there is every need to
re-emphasis our axiological concerns so that our educational system would become an agent of
constructive resources and not an agent of destruction. In a similar but more elaborate manner
Okafor, (1990:viii) put forward a curative proposal to our axiological malaise in the following
words:
The unhappy situation both in our educational institutions and in
the wider society calls for immediate remedy by re-orienting our
value system. There is need to revive and sustain the moral, social
and spiritual values which brought equilibrium to our traditional
society. Besides, the family, the easiest place to begin would seem
to be the educational institutions.
The present education system needs much more to learn from the axiological
foundations of the Okirika Ijaw people in its attempts to address the moral decadence in the
society.
1. There is the need to identify and adequately apply some core moral values of the Okirika
Ijaw such as hardwork, dedication, honesty, humility, justice, fairness, diligence, patience,
patriotism, among others, into the present education system in Nigeria.
2. There is also the urgent need for a synergy between the informal, non formal and formal
education system in Nigeria, with the purpose of cross fertilizing ideas on very relevant
values of the traditional society, as are applicable to the Okirika Ijaw people, on the formal
education system.
3. The method and strategies of teaching and handling moral and immoral cases in the
traditional Okirika Ijaw concepts, especially the reward and punishment schemes can be
very helpful in teaching moral values or moral education in Nigeria.
4. Moral education could be effectively handled when the school authority, teachers and
other staff keep themselves morally upright, hence becoming moral models and agents to
 Ibanichuka E. A. L. et al 12
the pupils and standards, as were demonstrated by the leaders, elders and parents in the
traditional Okirika Ijaw Communities.
5. Practical demonstration of knowledge should be more appreciated and valued, as were in
the traditional Okirika Ijaw setting, rather than the present quest for unmerited certificates
or degrees, that opens the door for corruption.
6. The corperative and communal spirit that governed the ideal existence of the Okirika Ijaw
people, if re-introduced and followed up effectively could help to redress some of criminal
acts that are commonly meted on people, within and outside the school system in Nigeria.
Conclusion
The cardinal duty and importance of education is the development of the individual and
society. This is why it will be unacademic to ignore the place of modernity in any academic
attempt. Aminigo, (2008:131) affirms thus: "We are not advocating an atavistic return to the
purely traditional. That cannot work for us". This implies therefore, that the above values
cannot work for us if used hook line and sinker in schools as they are seen locally. The essence
of adopting or considering local axiology itself is an expression of an intention to modernize
these moral values for positive cultural change as an element of pragmatic education relevant
to the moral development of the individual and society.
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