Regain of the Lost Throne

What had began as a simple contempt of her Rethship’s court, turned out to an everlasting curse, exclusion, and discrediting of all women from ascension into the throne of the Collo kingdom. The thorny decision amounted to a “smeared axe” onto the women’s face.

Her Majesty Queen/ Abudhok Nya Pwoc, falls number eight (8) in the traditional censorship of the “Orri” Collo (Princes and Princess), who successfully, reached the highest plateau of ruling “Kwom” in the history of Collo. Widely believed to have assumed the throne from (1661-1667), Abudhok ruled from Pathworo and her reign lasted for almost a decade.

Her term was postmarked with “weakness”, “lack of confidence”, and “lack of courage”. The champions of this theory are of the opinion that females were principally, unfit for claiming the throne of Reth. To find and answer for how, then, she became reth lies in the result of a war notoriously, known as Anyual-Collo war (Bel-Collo). Their assertion is, in that war all of the male princesses got kill, and perished. With no one left alive, the Panel of Advisors, in charge of the nomination of the new Reth, “Jag wij Padwal”, hence, accentuated the way for Abudhok to ascend to the throne, as an exceptional and unique situation. The said story orchestra made it clear why Abudhok Nya Pwoc largely, remains the first and the last female to have ever retained the Rethship of Collo people. The predominant theory here maintains that the throne is for males (men) alone.

However, a more consolidated theory referred the actual accounts for that to an unfolding event before her majesty panel, which had reckoned “the Great Seat” of Her Majesty, Reth/ Abudhok Nya Pwoc, in an unprecedented fashion. The famous stories by Collo narrators scripted and detailed her majesty the queen, being humiliated, scorned, and disdained by a woman, or some women attending her grand court and at her presence.

Obviously, the local chief in the designated village or area might have failed to resolve a serious and complex case involving a female or group of them. Therefore, the customs and regulations required him (the chief) to raise that particular issue to her majesty and her Rethship’s court, being typically, the most highest and final hierarchy for contested disputes and trials, in accordance to Collo customs and traditional norms.

In her Rethship court, where the disagreeing parties had brought their differences through the chief, Her Majesty/ Reth/ Abudhok Nya Pwoc recited her deliberation on the matter in dispute before her and then pronounced her final decision, in her capacity as Reth.

A woman, who might have got angry or unpleasant with the outcome of her decision, shamelessly taunted and mocked her by saying: “Your Majesty …you just spoke like your ass”. Collo people commonly repeat this phrase in reference to that woman, to have said; “wooh…yidi a logi ki log murri”.

That profane language was the stick, which has blocked the women’s path to Pachodo forever, and let to their denouncement. After Reth Abudhok must be the deluge. While still on the throne, she made her spell or reth degree, with regard to women: that none of them shall make it to the throne after her. The effect of her spell or order continues to draw Collo women away from the throne, until this very day.

Though Collo people may strongly agree or strongly disagree with any decision reached by a Reth, none of his/her subordinate citizens is openly entitled to a slipless permission to his/her insult. Acting as the final judge, Reht’s decisions are measured by weather they are just or unjust. Now, we are in the year 2007 and the events that triggered Reth/ Abudhok Pwoc, for that sharp turn, occurred sometimes back around the 16^th century. It is not possible for us now to concur with or disapprove her judgment. For, the particularities of her time and era plus the Collo norms and rules of those days could possibly been different from that of her successors’ or even from our present time.

However, I am putting these words as a concern for as Collo, to diagnose and analysis, the overall impact of that spell or wrath on our today’s women, especially the female-NyiRaath (princess), who could have been fully entitled to the throne, if not because of the Spell. Moreover, should we derive from that notion, a justification on why Collo men tend to enclave or engulf women before the public?

Keeping a secret is another principle in Collo lives and common ethics. And who ever cannot live up to it, lacks trustworthiness in the public eyes and compromises his own integrity as well. While men do not hold themselves tight enough to the same principle, they rigorously permit the sideways and engulfment policies towards females in any of their public panels, gatherings or meetings. The noticeable reason for some is that women cannot watch out their mouth in public.

Looking back to the antiquity age of Kingdom’s inception our fore fathers seemed to have not worried at all on the issue of gender in the selection of reth for the throne. Both Female and male were granted the same right of ruling; otherwise, it would not have been so easy for Abudhok to rule. The history kept many vivid examples of women or females in the ancient African kingdoms and dynasties, who governed and ruled their subjects, and so, Collo kingdom is not an exception. One concept that female reth is prohibited from having a husband or be married, is circumstantially, a permission of their right to throne, on equal footage with male.

Obviously, had it not been for her insult, we would have seen several female reth acquiring the throne of the Collo kingdom. Only that odd wrath, which has constituted an incident of rare magnitude, is what Collo need to address, in pledge for pardon. Contempt of court is a forbidden act, everywhere in the globe; it is exactly what Reth Abudhok had faced during her reign. The subjects must pay for this.

Hopefully, when listening to the Singer/Vivian James (Nyachan)’s song in: “Wenge Togo” –Our Grandma is not present”, we get a glimpse of what need to be done. The song constitutes high and remarkable tribute and recognition for Reth/ Abudhok Nya Pwoc. It is not about her charming image or beauty but the pledge for spare and forgiveness.

The song goes:

Kwaca wenga Alal Nya Pwoco….Be Yiel won……

Wenga Tugo ….Giew giel Yiel won…

Jada Keiny Yo da En.. O Yu da keniy lou louy…

Nyachan was begging our Grandma “Alal Nya Pwoc” to come, elevate us, and save us.

But she is nowhere to be found. Becuase she has gone...Far…very far away.

Perhaps, the kind of Redemption and Forgiveness sought by us all, may not be of forthcoming nature and fully realized unless a female accentuates herself upward to the Throne “KWOM” as an indelible mark of Pardon and Clemency.

Dear Daughters and Sons of Nyikango Wad Okwa, please let us put our contributions in favor of, or in opposition to having a woman on the throne?

By: Kimo Ajing Aba

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