Stop chewing what you don’t understand.
In Igbo land, kola nut (Oji) is not ordinary food.
It is not served because visitors are hungry.
Oji is spiritual language.
When Oji enters the gathering, humans are no longer alone.
The ancestors (Ndi Ichie) stand present.
The earth (Ala) listens.
Chi witnesses every word.
That is why we say:
“Onye wetara Oji, wetara ndu.”
(He who brings kola brings life.)
Because Oji carries life-force.
Before any serious discussion — marriage, settlement of disputes, title taking, land matters, reconciliation — Oji must speak first.
Not people.
Why?
Because:
• Oji opens the gate between the visible and the invisible
• Oji seals truth
• Oji binds promises
• Oji exposes lies
Once kola is blessed and broken, whatever is said becomes covenant, not mere talk.
If you lie after breaking Oji, you are not deceiving men.
You are challenging your Chi and Ala.
And Ala does not forget.
This is why our elders feared swearing falsely on kola more than swearing in any court.
Courts punish the body.
Oji punishes destiny.
Understand this:
When you collect kola and eat it, you are silently saying
“I stand in peace. I come without hidden weapons. My heart is clean.”
That is hospitality, yes.
But deeper than hospitality…
It is a spiritual agreement of harmlessness and truth.
So next time you see kola nut, don’t treat it like groundnut.
Respect it.
Because in Odinala…
Oji is food for the mouth, but covenant for the soul.
Do you still think kola is just tradition…
or do you now see why no serious Igbo ritual begins without it?
_Isee!_.
Chief Emenyonu Paschal
Ekenweohia
