Ntụle mbụrụ metụtara nzuzu na nsirihụ ndị igbo: Mgbazi akparamagwa ndị ọchịchị
Authors: Ibeh Florence Uju 
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on various Igbo metaphors that are centred on foolishness and how they can serve as tools for remoulding leadership at various levels. The writer intends to find out those metaphors relating to foolishness in Igbo people’s belief and how they can be used in correcting abnormal attributes of some leaders whom the people see as performing below expectations. The writer notes that some states in the country are having some challenges with regard to non-payment of workers’ salaries, unhealthy environment, insecurity of lives and properties of the people, poor maintenance of infrastructure and so on as a result of bad leadership. The need to address these problems aroused the interest of the writer. The data collected are from secondary sources such as libraries and online platforms. The approach used for the work is survey method. The work adopts two theories namely, the Use Theory and Cognitive Linguistics Theory. The writer examined the characters of bad leaders in metaphorical relationship to animals in Igbo belief system. The findings of this work are that the leaders, based on their characters are identified in the metaphors as wolves, snakes, pythons, tortoise and so on. The animals have different characteristics which include gluttony, greed, slothful, pride, cunning and so on. The paper will be useful to the leaders and those who aspire for leadership, scholars who have interest in topics relating to this subject matter and researchers in this area. The significance of this paper is that people will have a change of manner in the course of selecting their leaders. The writer suggests that in choosing a leader, efforts should be made to see that the person is well known to the entire populace and should be a person of unquestionable character like the ones mentioned here.

ỤmịedemedeNchọcha a lebara anya na mbụrụ dị iche iche metụtara nzuzu na ka a ga-esi jiri ha gbazie akparamagwa ndị ọchịchị n’ogo ọ bụla. Odee chọrọ ịchọpụta mbụrụ ndị ahụ metụtara nzuzu n’echiche ndị Igbo na etu a ga-esi jiri ha gbazie akparamagwa ndị ọchịchị a hụtara ka ha amaghị achị. Ihe kpalitere nchọcha a bụ na odee hụrụ ka ụfọdụ obodo na steeti dị n’ala Naịjirịa si enwe nsogbu dị iche iche dị ka iji ndị ọrụ ụgwọ, adịghị ọcha obodo, enweghi ezi nchekwa ndụ na akụnụba, enweghị ezi nchekwa akọrọnwa na mmepe dị ka o si kwesị, ka odee jiri bagide ime nchọcha n’isiokwu a. Nka e jiri mee nchọcha bụ ederede nke bụ nchọpụta site n’ọba akwụkwọ dị iche iche na ọwa ikuku. A gbasoro usoro sọvee wee mee nchọcha a. Atụtụ e jiri mee nchọcha a bụ atụtụ Njirime na atụtụ Ncheke. Odee tụlere ajo akparamagwa ụfọdụ ndị ọchịchị dị ka o si metụta mbụrụ na-akọwa anụ nzuzu na nsirihụ ndị Igbo wee chọpụta na ụfọdụ ndị ọchịchị bụ agụowu, ụfọdụ bụ agwọ, ụfọdụ bụ torotoro, ụfọdụ bụrụ eke, ogwumagala na anụ ndị ọzọ. Anụ ndị a nwere agwa dị iche iche ndị gụnyere oke oriri, anyaukwu, pride, adịghị nkọ, aghụghọ na ndị ọzọ. Nchọcha a ga-abara ndị ọchịchị ma ndị nwere mmasi ịchị ọchịchị uru, ndị nwere mmasị ime nchọcha n’ihe gbasara isiokwu a na ndị na-eme nchọcha na ngalaba a. Ọ ga-enyekwa aka igbazighari usoro ndị mmadụ na-agbaso n’ịhọpụta ndị ọchịchị. Aro odee bụ na onye ọchịchị ọ bụla a ga-ahọpụta ga-abụ onye a maara nke ọma, onye enweghị agwa a na-enyo enyo gụnyere agwa ndị arụtrụ aka ebe a.