Ofo

The   ofo   is a   staff   carried by selected   Igbo   leaders — notably   patrilineage   priests ,   kings ,   onyishi , and some   masqueraders   — that signifies authority, the right to command, administrative powers, and/or the conferment of leadership and power bestowed by the gods. [1] [2] .It is typically six to seven inches long and made of bronze, brass, or wood. Vernantius Emeka Ndukaihe wrote in his book  "Achievement as Value in the Igbo/African Identity: The Ethics”,  in the section The ‘Ofo’ as a sacred  symbol  of  worship : "The most important ' Ofo ' is the  lineage  ' Ofo ', believed to have been acquired by the founder of the ' Umunna ' (family lineage group), as the head. At the death of such a head, the next ' Okpara ' (first male child) inherits it. So it goes, handed from generation to generation. There is also the personal ' Ofo '. A young man acquires his first ' Ofo ...