Mothers but not wives: The <i>Biakē</i> custom and its implications on the Ogoni contemporary society

Abstract

The Biakē custom, an ancient practice among the Ogoni indigenous people, refers to a system by which certain girls or women are not allowed to marry, but are legitimately allowed to raise children for their parents or family, because of some peculiar circumstances of the household, thus the idea of ‘mothers but not wives.’ However, the Biakē practice has been misconstrued with the malapropism called ‘Sira-Custom,’ implying a system in which the first daughters are not given out for marriage. This study focused on the philosophical foundation of Biakē and its implications on the Ogoni contemporary society. The study discovered that there was never a time in Ogoni history when Sira (first daughters) was denied the right to marry out. Every Ogoni daughter is eligible for marriage. The study argues that though the philosophy of Biakē emphasizes the continuity of the family/lineage, women serving under Biakē and their children may experience psychological trauma due to the absence of a “father figure” and other unmet needs. Using the prescriptive method, this paper advocated for the promulgation of laws, and regulations to modify the Biakē custom to accommodate the Ogoni modern-day reality.