NOTE ON PRE-COLONIAL TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION IN NIGERIA

PRE-COLONIAL TRADITIONAL INSTITUTION

Before the advent of the Europeans, societies in Africa had evolved various system of political administrations based on the peculiarities of the ethnic nationalities. These institutions had full executive, legislative and judicial powers in their different domains and exerted sovereign control over their people.

The Benin kingdom was at the head of a well organized system of government. As the sole authority he was the legislature, executive and the judiciary. Traditional institution during the pre-colonial era was quite clear, since law and order were maintained through a normative system that was part of the general social structure though the system was not sophisticated, the machinery of government was organized enough to manage affairs, resolve tension and administered justice in the society. Also, the institution was controlled by certain unwritten laws which ensure the security of the institution. This implies that, traditional rulers had positive impact on the evolution of political, economic and social institutions in which they had dominant control.
The political institutions of the pre-colonial societies included the paramount chiefs, the council of elders, age grade and religious organizations. The Ibos at the pre-colonial period did not have a single political authority; even though they were a contingent. Since the Ibos shunned the idea of having a single leader at that time, they operated a lineage system as a basis for political organization.
This political system was fashioned in such a way that a man could only lead members of his lineage hence, there were many influential and powerful men, their influence was limited to hamlet, clan and village and at most the area in which they lived.

In every village, hamlet or clan, there was always a village head who emerged by virtue of age and who in collaboration of other elders settled disputes in that particular village. If the disputes involved another village the elders, led by the eldest from both village came together and resolved the disputes, especially those bothering on elopement and land, which was common at that time.