Money Talks

Onye Ọfọogeri

By

Obododimma Oha

Young men who are very carefree about life are referred to in Igbo discourse as "ọfọogeri" (literally meaning, "It remains a wife or woman.")  However, it means that the referent is

  -- - wayward

  - - - not focused in life

  - - - not serious-minded

  - - - too casual with life.

The literal interpretation is based on an assumption that being married to a woman helps a man to get organized and be focused. So, "onye ọfọogeri" (an ọfọogeri person) is not yet anchored in life and is too carefree. Such a person cannot be entrusted without a serious social responsibility. The fellow is still growing up and needs to see more of life. 

"Ọfọogeri" may be rendered in other Igbo dialects as  "Akaroogeri" or "Efulefu." Some would prefer "iforifo." But the sense is the same. 

Ọfọogeri" may be used as a mere commitment to what is not helpful to the making of a man. For instance, someone could have a passion for accumulating carved objects. This may be called his or her "ọfọogeri." In that case, "ọfọogeri" becomes his or her commitment in that understanding. Poor judgment, you may say. 

In that case, it is seen as "ọfọogeri" to be spending one's money (wasting one's money?) buying and accumulating what is considered "not wealth." 

That means that every individual has their own kind of "ọfọogeri." It could even be the accumulation of books, as in my own case. In fact, I had jokingly told one of my booksellers one day: "If I am dead and buried and my children want to auction my books, I would rise from my grave and shout, leave my books alone! In fact, I don't want to die again!" For some, it may even be the case of taking photographs of every lizard that crawls past and posting them on Facebook! Or, somebody may be too attached to the cellphone and always looking out for an opportunity to have a chat. So, my "ọfọogeri"may even be your wisdom! 

Another thing is that some people even make light the idea of "ọfọogeri," adding another decorative term, "ọfọse" to it. Nobody can tell exactly what "ọfọse" means. They just utter "ọfọogeri ọfọse" without bothering about the meaning of "ọfọse." 

A "special ọfọogeri," but one cannot tell what makes the "ọfọogeri" special. Same for "bad ọfọogeri." Where or what is the badness? So, it is possible that "ọfọse" is a mere embellishment. 

Some more on marriage and "ọfọogeri." The referent is being humored for lacking a wife and being foolishly free or enjoying the freedom of foolishness. In that case, "ọfọogeri" is freedom but it is foolishness. It is considered better to have a source of a headache than not to have it at all or to rejoice that one is free from it! Imagine the fallacy! Having a family to take care of or being married does suggest a headache. It could even be a therapy! But the fallacy is the discursive logic and rules life in the society. One, therefore, has no choice than to run away from being called an "ọfọogeri." 

It should be clear now that "ọfọogeri" is just what a society calls a character it does not admire or desire. Implicitly, it is a society that thinks that personal freedom has to be earned and that observers need to see the extent one has lived, fulfilling responsibilities and performing social assignments. Marriage is one context where one can prove to society that one can be entrusted with responsibility, it seems. 

There is also that assumption that the "ọfọogeri" is just doing things without being focused. That is a statement supporting it being presented as the social undesirable. Maybe the "ọfọogeri" has a different model but that model has no place in a context where responsibility is measured by compliance to norms. Maybe the "ọfọogeri" is just a maverick. 

There are some professions that seem to be marked out for the "ọfọogeri," for instance, music or entertainment . Being a musician was particularly seen in the Igbo local area as being lost in life. The feeling was: how can someone be playing music all his or her life and hope to place food on the table? That should remind us about Chinua Achebe's character, Unoka, who liked playing his flute and played it all his life as his main commitment. Musicians were seen as super "ọfọogeri" who were not rooted and could not be rich in life. 

Next to music as the territory of "ọfọogeri" is professional driving. The professional driver is one public figure who meets various kinds of people. Mainly dominated by men, professional driving in a place like Africa is such that the man meets several women and may fall in love with some. So, at every stopping point, he is likely going to have a lover or a woman who is already his wife! So, professional driving is classified as an "ọfọogeri" business. 

But whether a professional driver or a musician, the "onye ọfọogeri" may live longer and happier, managing to attend to home and societal needs. In fact, some "ọfọogeri" persons succeed in accomplishing what socially approved citizens cannot. 

"Onye ọfọogeri" is just a social label. Times change and attitudes must.