DIBIA NWANGWU UCHENDU

A covenant is a sacred agreement between OKIKE, man, spirits and their children extending to their forthcoming and unborn generations. It can have sets of specific and favorable conditions thereby eliciting promises to bless, protect, fight for, guide, guard, prosper, multiply among other promises, as our ancestors and us obey certain conditions. It is usually a formal, solemn and binding agreement therefore making and keeping covenants, qualifies us to receive the blessings that has been assigned to a generation by man and their ancestors.

Why Are Covenants Important?
In spirituality, a covenant involves CHUKWU, our ancestors/Ndị Ichie, Aja-ani, Alusi, Ndị Mmiri, Ogwugwu, Akwali Ọmụmụ and many spiritual guides which entails covenanting in general, in the historical and ancestral sense. It is that solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. The covenantor is obligated to carry out certain spiritual rites monthly or yearly either through carrying out a blood sacrifice using animals or abstaining from eating certain meats, foods etc in honor of such covenant which is a sacred agreement between OKIKE , ancestors, deities and their living children. Spiritually, there are specific conditions and promises that qualifies us to receive the blessings involved. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings and promises. In covenanting, same is applicable in imported christian religion.

The Main Purpose Of A Covenant.
Every covenant made is established on the basis of a relationship, conditions and promises including the consequences, if those conditions were unmet. Overtime, indication shows that each person in the covenant promised to give his or her own life to keep its terms. Therefore to break a covenant is to invite one’s own death as a penalty. There are no more serious relationships than those that are a commitment of life itself.

The Four Elements Of A Covenant.
There is the covenant, covenanter, covenantee and witnesses.

1. Two or more parties are involved. Those involved commit themselves to a binding agreement which involves promises or oaths.
2. It usually has some physical sign or symbol.
3. It involves a witness or witnesses.
4. It is usually sealed.

A ceremony or a ritual is performed to enforce it. There are two types;
A. Conditional covenant: It is an agreement or a covenant between two or more parties which in fact are equal.
B. Unconditional covenant: It is a covenant between two or more unequal parties for example between OKIKE, a deity and his people.

Components Of a Covenant.

1. Those involved commit themselves to a binding agreement as it involve promises or oaths.
2. It usually has some physical sign or symbol.
3. It involves a witness or witnesses.
4. It is usually sealed using blood.
5. A ceremony or a ritual is performed to enforce it.
6. It has serious and negative consequences experienced by those who break it and benefits for those who keep it.

Reasons For Entering Into Covenant In Igbo Society.
The role covenant plays in Igbo society is that of enforcing social control.
A. It tries to eliminate deep seated hatred and calm frayed nerves on issues concerning land disputes, communal or individual squabbles.
B. The process of Igba ndu ensures that the parties to a dispute settle such disputes amicably without physical or spiritual attacks on each other.
C. Covenant strengthens the unity that exists between the individuals, groups or communities.
D. It plays the role of adjudication as the final processes of arbitration in which parties concerned, witnesses, ancestors and the gods are involved in the process of ensuring peaceful coexistence, hence when administered it becomes the final process of peaceful resolution as parties concerned have involved the spiritual world to adjudicate on their behalf.
E. Igba ndu checkmates the incidence of witch craft, spiritual or physical attacks, puts a check on the activities of the wicked against the just in the society.
F. One enter into covenant seeking for protection.
G. One can use the covenant to ask Chukwu to remove sicknesses from family members and the person involved.
H. Covenanting based on the liberty to ask for blessing of prosperity, wealth and other material blessings.
I. One can decide to request for long life, Children or any other thing according to their hearts desires in accordance with CHUKWU, deity, and ancestors wish.

Items Needed For Covenant /Ịgba Ndụ.
These items depend on the type of covenant. Items like kolanut, palm wine, hot drink, ỌFỌ, blood, plantain stalk, cockrel, kaolin (nzu), fresh palm frond, snail, yam, tortoise etc plus material objects, the deities, witnesses, elders, the incantation made by the priest or Dibịas. However, the covenant is administered in the shrine where necessary items have been prepared and incantation made to invoke the ancestors and gods to witness it. The people involved will swear not to harm each other either physically or spiritually as any one who goes against the covenant, the gods and ancestors will dispense justice. Another instance, a hole is dug and plantain stalk used to cross the hole, the people concerned are made to cross the makeshift bridge, with a declaration that whoever breaks the covenant will fall into the pit which signifies endless problems.

Benefits Of Covenant.

1. Supernatural increase and promotion.
2. Restoration of all the enemy has stolen.
3. Honor before your enemies.
4. Increased assets as the covenante keeps to the covenant reward is sure to come from the Gods, ancestors and deities involved.
5. Greater achievements, success despite challenges or impossibilities.
6. Spiritual and physical recognition even when you do not merit it but because of the covenant, one is covered.
7. Prominence and preferential treatment from one generation to another as long as they keep renewing the covenant and keep its laws.
8. Petitions granted even by ungodly civil authorities.
9. Rules, Policies, regulations, laws are changed to one’s advantage as there are higher forces in charge due to the covenant.
10. Victories in battles because the elements involved in the covenant fights for you.
11. Offering of thanks either yearly or monthly depends on the agreement during the covenant opens up the portal for goodness like glory, better jobs, promotion, grace, unmerited benefits among others.

Consequences Of Breaking A Covenant.

1. Generational curse or stigma.
2. Afflictions such as sickness, infertility, disappointment, madness, bareness, broken marriages, broken relationships, mysterious illnesses.
3. Disunity in families.
4. Death.

Solutions To Breaking Of Covenant.

1. Afa consultation/divination.
2. Appeasement rituals/rites.
3. Reinstitute the covenant.
4. Honor and keep the covenant.
5. Appease, Dissolve and Renounce the covenant. After appeasement rites are carried out by the parties involved if there’s no need to keep and honor the covenant any more, then renegotiate to dissolve.