Yul Edochie: “Spirits Are Angry” – We Must Go Back to Our Traditions to Stop Premature Death
Nollywood actor Yul Edochie has sparked a debate on social media with his thoughts on the high rate of premature deaths among young Nigerians.
In an Instagram post, he attributed the trend to “our abandonment of our traditions” and “total adoption of foreign religions”.
According to Yul Edochie, he is worried about the number of people dying in their 20s, 30s and 40s, he called it unnatural and disturbing. He said the shift from our traditions to Western religions is the major cause.
Edochie said powerful ancestral spirits, once respected in ‘our traditions”, are angry because Nigerians have neglected them.
He linked the adoption of foreign religions to loss of cultural identity which he believes has spiritual implication. He asked Nigerians to go back to their roots and embrace the “pure and powerful” traditions of their ancestors.
“Too many premature deaths these days,” he wrote. “Young people dying in their 20s, 30s, 40s. It’s not normal. It’s because we have abandoned our traditions and adopted the ways of oyinbo people.”
“Those that protect many of us and our lands are angry because they have been neglected. We must go back to our traditions which are pure and powerful.”
Edochie’s post got many reactions on Instagram, fans and haters. Some agreed with him on going back to our traditions, some said we must preserve our culture. Others questioned his spiritual views on modern day problems.
Edochie’s argument is based on the fact that traditions maintain harmony between humans and ancestral spirits. He believed neglecting the traditions disrupts the balance and can lead to negative effects.
His view is personal and cultural. Studies on traditions show their importance to community well being. But his claim of angry spirits is subjective and spiritual.
Edochie’s message may be controversial but it’s a food for thought on cultural identity, spirituality and societal well being. Whether you agree with him or not, the conversation shows we need to strike a balance between preserving our traditions and modernity.
What do you think: Should we go deeper into our traditions or is modernity the way to go?