 His
Holiness, Ahanyi, K.O.K. Onyioha
(1923-2003)
Spiritual Head of Chiism (Godianism), and founder
of Chiist Academy in Nigeria during his coronation
ceremony as Eze
(King) Ewelu
Ochie II of Ukwa Ukwu, Nkporo, Nigeria. |
Born
to Ogbuagu Onu Kama of Ukwa Ukwu village of Nkporo was
a son, Kama Onu Kama, (K.O.K.) in the
month of July in the year 1923. When
he was in school, he was taught to sing with gusto "Rule
Britannia" during empire day celebrations imposed
on the people by the British colonial government of the
time. Kept at arm's length from the colonialists, he and
his compatriots got the impression in their distance that
the European had come to Okebulani (Africa) to share their
Christian civilization with them.
This impression so dominated their mind that when, in
1943, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik), who later
became the Governor General and Commander in Chief of
the Federation of Nigeria, submitted a one-man memorandum
to the then Secretary of State for the Colonies asking
for self-government for British West African territories
in 15 years time, they thought Zik was crazy. In fact,
one Reverend minister of the Anglican church in the Port
Harcourt province of the former Eastern Nigeria told K.O.K.
that when he read the news in the papers, he thought that
Zik was being very ungrateful to the people of Britain,
more so as he, Zik, was a member of the African Press
delegation which at the time was touring England as the
guest of the British Government.
The reverend gentleman of the Anglican mission, who himself
was a black Nigerian carried his objection to Zik's demand
to the pulpit and in a Sunday sermon, fuming and raging,
asked his congregation, "Do you think that this black
devil is capable of ruling himself independent of this
white angel!?" He pointed to a picture hanging behind
him on a wall above his pulpit, and the picture showed
an angel painted white on a white charger straddling a
Satan painted black that had been trampled to the ground
by the white horse. "Do you think this Zik man should
be taken seriously, asking for freedom for this black
devil!?", the reverend shouted again. Such was the
reaction of many Nigerians to the idea of freedom for
the African people when Zik first raised it in 1943.
During
the June strike of Nigerian workers in 1945 and the banning
of a political and popular newspaper, the West African
Pilot, by the then British Governor in Nigeria, Sir Arthur
Richards, the Nigerian Legion in Egypt organized a mutiny
of black African soldiers in the Middle East in sympathy
for both the workers and Nnamdi Azikiwe, whose press was
banned. At once, the military authorities grabbed Kama
Onu Kama, charged him with treason, participating in politics
while in the army, and spreading mutinous and subversive
propaganda. A Major, D.T. Nicklin was an army intelligence
officer who had the assignment to investigate the case,
build up evidence against Kama Onu Kama, and prime him
for court-martial. When the investigation reached Nigeria,
the then Governor of Nigeria, Sir Author Richard made
a statement, which caused the army to drop the case against
him. Thus, miraculously, he was saved from facing a firing
squad. Thereafter the British, who believed that he was
dangerous and ideologically contagious, no longer would
post him to any unit among Nigerian soldiers. He was isolated
in the heart of the Kassasin desert for one and half years
until repatriated home in June 1946.
On
demobilization, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe took him in as a staff
of the West African Pilot, and a career for him began
as a journalist. The press gave Kama Onu Kama the columns
to
vent his anger on British rule and the freedom to organize
anti British groups. He became the secretary of every
youth organization that was against British rule in Nigeria.
He
became the first Secretary General of the Nigerian Legion,
1945; Secretary General of the Zikist movement and of
the protest committee of Nigerian Youths, 1947; Field
Secretary of the Nigerian National Federation of Labor,
1949; First Assistant Federal Secretary of the NCNC responsible
for organization throughout Nigeria, 1950. He carried
the fight into the religious front and became the Lagos
District Superintendent of the National Church
of Nigeria in 1950. For inspiration, he began
conducting research into the past of African spirituality.
Ahanyi, K.O.K. Onyioha
became the Spiritual Head of Chiism (Godianism), and founded
the Chiist (Godian) Academy which is
a center for learning, prayer, libation, research and
dialogue with regards to the cultural traditions of Africa,
past, present and future, in all its ramifications, for
the purpose of determining, preserving and promoting Africa’s
cultural contributions to world civilization; and for
the showcasing of the totality and diversity of the spirituality
of all people. The Chiist Academy was also founded because
Ahanyi, K.O.K. Onyioha believed that Africans needed an
institution of higher learning dedicated to the global
African Community.
Dismayed
at the mutual hate and mutual killings ravaging the religious
front everywhere on earth to frustrate the claim of present
day religions as reliable agencies for peace promotion
among humans, Ahanyi,
K.O.K. Onyioha
was inspired by Chineke to build the Chiist (Godian) Academy
to bring together all the religions of the world to teach
them the civilization of spiritual balance of Africa and
to harmonize and co-ordinate all religions in Chiism (Godianism),
since Chi (God) is the common denominator for all religions.
The
Chiist Academy is a center of learning at which every
facet of the cultural traditions of Africa--religious,
socio-economic, political, metaphysical and trado-medical
is evaluated, philosophically identified, systematized
and taught to the end that the entire world comes to the
Academy on pilgrimage to re-learn the light of love distilled
from the hitherto neglected forests of African wisdom.
The Academy is the first of its kind not only in all Africa
but also in the entire world---an epitome of the era.
After tutelage, the Aquarian age of everlasting peace
on Earth.
The
Chiist Academy is an international center of cultural
renaissance from where the descendants of Africa and the
Children of the light are regaining their cultural freedom,
now almost totally destroyed by centuries of colonialism,
neo-colonialism and missionary religious aggression.
The
Chiist Academy is a dream come true. The realization of
the dreams of great sons and daughters of Africa like
Itchie Mbonu Ojike, Dr. Martin Luther King; Dibia Nnamdi
Azikiwe; Leopold Senghor; Dibia Kwame Nkrumah; Itchie
Marcus Garvey; Dibia J. B. Danquah; Ezenwanyi (Queens)
Nzinga and Ndongo; Itchie W. E. B. DuBoise; Ezenwanyi
Yaa Asantewa; Itchie Malcom X; Eze (King) JaJa of Opobo;
Ogbaja (Prophet) Ahanyi Kama Onu Kama Onyioha; Nneoha
Ngozi Nwosa Onyioha, and many other luminaries of the
world like Dr Oswald Spengler, Prof. J.H. Breasted; Prof.
George Benard Shaw, etc.
The
former Governor of Abia State, Dibia C.O.Onu, laid the
foundation stone of the Academy on the 17th day of Amadioha,
7 D.T. (15th of March,1993), in the presence of a delegation
of Black pilgrims from the United States of America and
African Diaspora. All religious organizations were invited
to lay a commemorative plaque on this altar of religious
understanding and tolerance, this symbolic cradle of all
religions.
The
management and governance of the Academy is the eternal
challenge and responsibility of the international African
community; of every good man and woman who is emancipated
or yearns and aspires for the emancipation of all people
from spiritual bondage and racial denigration.
For
more information, logon to http://www.chiism.org
