Augustine Chinedum Alfred

In Search of the Oracle Priest Augustine Chinedum Alfred

In Search of the Oracle PriestAn Oracle Priest in Umumbara any time was neither the king nor the oldest man but he was the most important, the most respected and the most feared person by all standards. His position was sacred and highly valued among the people of Umumbara. The oracle priest was a middleman between the people and their gods on the one hand, and between the people and their ancestors on the other hand. Their traditional institution revolved round him and he dictated every step as the gods directed him to do each time. This was their pattern of life from time immemorial. Umumbara people would not take a step forward without their gods directing them to do so through their sacred servant-the oracle priest. It was their tradition to depend on their gods and never to do anything against the wish of these gods. That morning, they woke up to a development that had never happened in Umumbara in all generations and which they never imagined would ever happen. Ogbenka the oracle priest had disappeared without a trace of his whereabouts! In panic and fear, the people of Umumbara met and raised a search group and saddled it with the task to go in search of their oracle priest. They needed to know why he disappeared, his fate and the possibility of his return to continue to conduct the traditional affairs of their place. They might incur the wrath of their gods if they failed to show concern towards their oracle priest.