29/08/2025
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Behold a Tiv king, dressed in the black and white stripes of unity and identity, crowned not only with gold but with the glory of ancestral truth. In his hand is not just a potβit is Swem, the soul of Tiv justice, a sacred witness of the gods.
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Swem is not merely a clay pot. It is the living conscience of the Tiv nation. It is filled with ashesβbut not ordinary ash. My grandfather whispered to me under the moonlight that these are the sacred remains of Takuruku Anyamazengaβs headβburnt, sealed, and buried at Swemkaragbe, the spiritual court of the Tiv people, in Kwande.
Two chicken feathers stand upright in the ashβsimple, yet divine. They do not point to vanity, but to truth, honesty, transparency, and the spiritual justice that binds every Tiv soul, young or old, leader or follower.
In our land, to swear on Swem is no light matter. It is a cry to the spirits. A guilty man who touches Swem will not see the next day. But the innocent? He walks free. His conscience cleared. His name redeemed.
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When accused, the law is sacred: Go to Swemkaragbe. Walk, not ride, back to your homeβno vehicle, no help, no shortcut. A guilty manβs belly will swell and betray him. But if you are innocent, the wind will guide your feet and you will reach home with ease. No pain. No fatigue. No shame.
Yet today, a question pierces the hearts of the true sons and daughters of Tivland:
What happens when a Tiv king refuses to swear by Swemβthe very heritage that crowns him?
Christianity, no doubt, is a noble faith. But it is foreign. Swem is ours. It flows in the rivers of our stories, it stands in the court of our elders, it echoes in the drums of Kwande, Ushongo, and beyond.
So hear this, dear sons and daughters of Tiv:
If a man chooses to serve a foreign culture, let him go to the church and become a priest. But if he is to sit on the lionβs stool, draped i
