The Tor Tiv, James Iorzua Ayatse, has introduced comprehensive changes to longstanding Tiv customs, marking what many see as a historic transformation of the traditional system.
The announcements were made at the Ijir Tamen, the supreme assembly of the Tiv Nation chaired by the paramount ruler and attended by traditional leaders, elders, and Tiv representatives from within Nigeria and the diaspora.
The measures, according to the council, are designed to encourage unity, discipline, financial responsibility, and gender fairness among Tiv people globally.
One of the most significant resolutions concerns burial rites.
The assembly directed that all funeral activities must be completed within three days and restricted to immediate family members.
Lavish ceremonies and extended celebrations were strongly discouraged, while burial anniversaries and remembrance events were completely outlawed due to what the council described as unnecessary financial burden.
The new directives also relieve married women of compulsory financial contributions toward burial expenses in their husbands’ families, except where they willingly decide to assist.
In a groundbreaking shift, Tiv women have now been accorded full rights to inheritance.
The decision provides for legal backing and court enforcement, a move widely viewed as a progressive step toward strengthening women’s standing within Tiv customary law.
To address excessive spending during marriage ceremonies, the Tor Tiv fixed a maximum of N100,000 for marriage-related items.
The council further prohibited cake-cutting at traditional weddings and abolished the “kwase kuhan” festivities traditionally held at the father-in-law’s home.
The gathering equally declared zero tolerance for domestic violence, stressing that the ban applies to both men and women without exception.
However, the monarch reaffirmed that the traditional kingship institution in Tiv land remains exclusively male, ruling out any possibility of women ascending the royal stool.
He stressed that the updated cultural codes are binding on Tiv sons and daughters wherever they reside, reinforcing the reach and authority of the Tiv traditional institution beyond territorial borders.
In a move aimed at promoting order and discipline, the council banned the consumption of ogogoro (local gin) throughout Tiv Kingdom.
The Tor Tiv also unveiled plans for the establishment of Tiv Television as a platform to preserve and project Tiv heritage globally.
The initiative will commence operations via Facebook before expanding into full broadcast television.
Additionally, the assembly sanctioned the creation of a women-oriented financial initiative known as BAM, intended to provide loans and boost economic empowerment among Tiv women.if you’re reading from Phoenix, Click on Read Original at the top to read full details
Although security challenges in Tiv land were deliberated upon during the session, specific resolutions on the matter were not made public.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
