Okoye Francis Chukwuebuka is an indigene of Imo State, Nigeria. He is Igbo by tribe and Humanist by worldview, and a skeptic by orientation, and a former Roman Catholic priest-in-training. He is a Member of the Humanists Association of Nigeria and belongs to the African Regional Committee of Young Humanists International as the West African Delegate for Humanist Affairs. Here we talk about his background, and becoming involved in some of the freethought communities.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is some family background to provide an idea about you, today?
Okoye Francis Chukwuebuka: I am an indigene of Imo State, Nigeria and I am Igbo by tribe. I happen to come from a family of ten; my parents are both practicing Catholics up to this moment and they hold key positions in the church. I grew up in a remote village called Badagry where I had my primary and secondary education before gaining admission into the prestigious University of Ibadan to study philosophy while also undergoing studies to becoming a Catholic priest. Being the only philosopher and humanist in my family, it is not as easy as it seems to tolerate some of my family members who I think are deeply religious. But it has been lovely all these while.
Jacobsen: Was there skepticism and Humanism in the upbringing for you?
Chukwuebuka: Sadly, no. I was brought up in a religious setting. Religion actually was the central idea that shaped my family’s view about reality. As fundamental as religion was to my family, I was made not to question any doctrinal belief and this made me gain entry into the seminary to undergo studies to becoming a Roman Catholic priest in the long run. As an African child growing up in the streets, being religious was the only way I could actually get the things I desired from my parents and the society. You just have to be religious to ask of anything from anybody. You have to beg in the name of the Lord to get the attention and sympathy you deserve. You also have to use the name of the Lord to wish for things yet unseen. It was just awkward. Everything! The term humanism and skepticism wasn’t well pronounced then, but we did joke about atheism and how we would always see atheists as mad people. I would say, I was indoctrinated into a society that believed being religious was the only way to follow and other ways are bad. This stark reality affects African children everywhere. The goal of most parents in Africa especially is to indoctrinate their child or children and make them believe that being sympathetic to religion is the only way they can be appreciated into the society.
Jacobsen: When did you begin to find the humanist and similar communities and organizations?
Chukwuebuka: It all began four years ago in the seminary while I was studying to become a Roman Catholic Priest. With the help of the internet, I would always surf to get a little information about the project and goal of humanism but it wasn’t too clear to me. Not until I got introduced to Existentialism, Phenomenology, and Hermeneutics in one of my philosophy classes that I did came to the realization that humanism was more than what I saw on the internet. And then I began to write to several humanist and secular organizations. I was just too inquisitive about everything. I kept every little note and answers I got and that helped me to a large extent.
Jacobsen: How important is a sense of community and solidarity for the creation of humanist activism?
Chukwuebuka: As an African, the sense of communal living always comes into my stream of consciousness. I am always reminded that I live for others and this should always be the case. It is pertinent to note; however, that community and solidarity are both an encompassing reality for all irrespective of gender, class, or status and anything below this is sheer hypocrisy. Sadly, what we always see is a sharp contrast as to what is being believed and written in the pages of the paper. When people begin to create two opposing worlds: those who live for others as against those who live for themselves, then there is a problem. And that problem has to be identified and resolved in the proper way. If humanism is the reality we have to embrace, then it has to be humanism in the light of community and solidarity. And interestingly, we have been seeing this in practice: humanists all over the world standing in solidarity with those at risk, we also see humanists in solidarity with those being persecuted for their actions as against faith; the case of Mubarak Bala is one of them. In a nutshell, I would posit here that both community and solidarity are indispensable to humanist activism not only in Africa but in the world at large.
Jacobsen: What organizations are you involved with now, and in what capacity?
Chukwuebuka: I am a member of the Humanists Association of Nigeria and I also belong to the African Regional Committee of Young Humanists International where I hold the position of the West African Delegate for humanist affairs as it pertains to the youths. In the past months, I have been able to make effective use of my office to serve and actively involve myself in secular talks in some tertiary institutions in Nigeria where I find time to engage students in discussions ranging from ethics, arguments and critical thinking, philosophy, geography, and science. Something I find interesting.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Francis.